Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: THE GREATEST STRIPPER

“Louen, where's your parents? Why are you still waiting here outside? Let’s go inside” I was 10 years old when we had a family event in my school. We are told to bring our parents with us for the special day. 

I already said it to my mom and dad and they promised to come, “I’ll wait for my Mommy and Daddy” I said to my teacher and kept playing with my fingers and waiting for our car to come.  I’m standing here beside the gate of our school to wait for them, maybe they're just late and buying food to bring. 

While waiting, my classmate together with their parents started walking pass me. I smile and imagine that I’ll be also walking inside together with my mom and dad. 

But as time goes by, and hour passes, my teacher goes back to check on me, she held my hand while holding her phone at the other side. I suddenly felt, what she is going to say, so I speak before she could.

“Wait Teacher a little bit more, Mommy and Daddy is coming.” I utter and smile, My teacher urges a small smile on me before she wipe my forehead sweat and speak, “You’re Mom and Dad call, Your Mom has an emergency on the hospital and your Dad have a unexpected important meeting, that’s why they said sorry they won’t be able to attend the party but they order pizza for all of us, I will be your guardian for today, let’s go” she reach for my hand and gently pull me inside. 

I glance back and still hoping to see my mom and Dad coming but as we enter the venue, I lose hope and just watch the other kids play with their parents.

I bite my lower lip to control my tears and try to laugh at other families having fun. “Louen come here” I look at my teacher when she calls me, “You will join Cloe’s family for now because they need another member, so they can join the sack race, can you do that?” she gently asked. I craned and tilted my head before I looked at Cloe’s family smiling at me. 

Before I nodded and let her bring me to Cloe’s Family, “Hi Louen, play with us ok” Cloe’s mother sweetly said and tapped my head before she looks at her daughter and kiss her forehead. “Good luck to us Baby” she whispered. 

I just watched them cheering each other before the game started, “We can do this” Her father said before we started playing the sack race and ended up winning. 

And reach the line first, “YEHEY!!!” they shouted and hugged Cloe, while I stayed here slowly removing the sack on my feet. I watch them and smile bitterly before I walk away and just stay in the rest room for the whole day.  

***

“Let’s call on our honor students, Helena Galvez, Paris Mikka Louen Del Mundo and Faye Trias together with their parents.” I bite my lower lips again as this situation happens again, I stand up and walk alone to the stage while Faye and Lena are escorted by their parents. 

“They are the most outstanding students in this batch” the MC said while the principal started giving the medals to their parents, since I’m at the last line the principal stopped when she didn’t see any parents beside me. 

I smile at her, but I saw how they all look pity on me. The principal helps me and stand beside me, put my medal on my neck and take a picture with me on the stage. But that didn’t cheer me up, it just makes me feel lonely. 

I graduated alone and received my award alone because my parents are…

My phone rings, and when I look at it, I stipple and answer while standing here outside the graduation venue. “Hello?” 

“Louen, darling congratulation, I hope Nana is there to attend your graduation” It’s my grandma Blace, I bite my lower lip to control my tears, I wish she’s here, so I don’t feel alone. 

“It’s ok Nana I understand, Palawan is far from Manila and traveling will just make you and Dada tired” I said trying to hide my cracking voice. “Where’s your Mom? Let me talk to her” Nana said but I quickly made an excuse. 

“Po? Yes, teacher I’m coming, Nana I have to go my teacher said we’ll take pictures together with our parents, I just call you later” I quickly said, “Ok ok, I love you Louen Darling” Nana said before I turned off the call. 

I wipe my tears using the back of my arms and go home alone. 

*** 

I was not expecting Dad to react like that, they all just prove to me that I’m right. That they don’t really love me, and Mom she didn’t even do anything to stop Dad on pushing me away. 

That hurts so bad, even your mother can’t fight for you, maybe it’s better this way. I don’t need to expect anything from them anymore. Because expecting just leads to more painful realizations. 

I walk out of our subdivision while pulling my things on the street. As I reach the gate I instantly call for a taxi and drive to my friend's house. 

As I stand in front of Stacey’s house. I could already hear the music and party from the inside, so I’d go inside and look for them. I saw them seating at the table in the edge of the pool area.

“Stacey” I said and smiled at her, when she saw me, she quickly stood up and walked toward my place then kissed me on my cheeks. “I almost thought that you’re not coming, good thing you're here…” she stopped and looked at the luggage’s beside me. “What’s that?” she asked. 

I smile awkwardly before I answer her question, “I got kicked out the house, so can I stay here for a while?” I ask. 

She smiles and nodded so quickly, “Sure let me bring you to our guest room” she held my arms and bring up to the second floor of houses, and showed me the guest room. 

“You can stay here whenever you want” she said and wink at me, I smile at her and hugged her, “Thank you so much” I said, “Ok I’ll leave you here and just wait for you down stairs ok, feel at home” she said before she closes the door leaving me here. 

I felt so relieved because I have friends like her, I was smiling when the door opens again, “Stacey, why did you come bac---” I stop when I realize that it wasn’t Stacey who opens the door.

“Diego?” it’s Stacey’s cousin, “Ahm, happy birthday” I utter because I remember Stacey made this party for him, he smiled and said, “Thank you so much Louen, didn’t expect that you’re this nasty” he said and closed the door as he went inside. 

I confusedly look at him and tries to step backward., “What do you mean?” I ask but he’s just taking a step closer to me. “I know you’re the gift their talking about, I just don’t expect it to be true like this” he said and move closer, I hit the edge of the bed, reason for me to lose my balance and sat on it.

“Diego!” I said and tried to push him away when he moved above me and locked me with his arms side by side. “We’ll enjoy this night together Louen” he whispered and locked both of my wrists above my head and started kissing my neck. 

“NO!!! DIEGO STOP!! HELP!!!! NO!!!!!” I shouted, and try my best to push him away and remove his dirty hands of my skin.

“STACEY!!!!! NO!!! HELP ME!!!!! STACEY!!!!!! NO DIEGO STOP PLEASE!!!!” tears started to fall from my eyes as fear runs on my whole body, I could feel his dirty lips sucking and licking my skin. 

“NO!!!! STACEY!!!!!!!!” I kick his thing down there making him whimper in pain and roll beside the bed, that’s when I grab the chance to stand up and run to the door crying. “STACEY!” I shouted and open the door, but I was stiff when I saw all of them standing behind the door taking pictures of me and smiling at me. 

“Did you enjoy my cousin Louen? Happy un-virgin day!!!” she said and they all laughed together, tears overflowing from my eyes, covering myself in front of them, feeling so dirty and trash right now. 

“How could you do that to me?!” I ask, they all smile and said, “Because we want too” they said and laughed even louder. 

I grab my things and push them away and run out of that hell place, I feel so ashamed and played. All this time they weren’t really a friend to me. Tears keep on flowing and I roughly wipe my neck. 

They all make me feel so gross, I felt so weak and stop at the side of the street as pain run all over my body. I hugged my knees and cry. 

“Nana” I tried calling my Nana, she’s all I need right now, she’s the only one who can understand me. “Nanaa” I cry so hard here beside the street. 

I’m in so much pain right now, the feeling of unloved and betrayal is overflowing. I don’t even know what to feel first. “Nana” I wipe my tears and look at the streets, I’m all alone now. 

I stopped when I saw Erille, she looked so different, she’s wearing a white crop top corset and short shorts together with a black boots. I even see her tattoos on her arms. She looks so different from Erille, Stacey used to bully in school. 

She’s also smoking while walking with a tall guy and they both enter the club. I suddenly got curious and stood up, I followed them inside, good thing the guard didn’t notice me because he’s talking to someone. 

As I enter loud music, rowdy people and colorful playing lights surround the place. A lot of men’s are inside drinking, laughing, talking and watching, I stop when I see what they are watching. 

There's a lot of pole stages around and at the middle stage in front of me, I saw her…

Erille was dancing in front, I watch her do a ballerina twist on the stage pole and it felt like a slow-motion to my eyes. Her dance was filled with passion and blazing fire; she’s wearing super sexy lingerie dress. 

Money was falling on the stage; she swayed her lips and all men went wild and kept throwing money at her. They are all admiring her by her body while I see the passion in her pole dancing. 

Dedication, wanting and feelings…

“Hey shorty, are you a stripper here?” I stop watching Erille when this old guy grabs my arms and asks me that in my ears. I instantly move away from him but he didn’t let go of my arms, his grips even get tighter.

“No! I’m not working here! Let go of me!” I said and try to push him away, “Don’t be so silly, I know you word here. Come on, I’ll double the pay” he said in a perverted tone.

“I said let go of me!” I shouted, “Louen?!” I glance at the stage and saw Erille called my name. the music stops because of that. I watch her step out of the stage and quickly walk towards my place. Grab my arms away from this old man and leer at him.

“She’s not working here, find another girl” she said and bring me to the room called staff and entertainer’s room.

“What are you doing here Louen?!” she asked with disbelief all over her face. I could not answer her in instantly because she really looks so different right now. It just won’t process in my mind that she’s a real stripper.  

She also has a lot of piercing on her ears, “I followed you because I saw you,” her brows frowned as she looks at me. “Are you crazy? Why would you follow me here? And why do you have all of this?” pointing on my language’s, “And are you crying?” she asks.

That’s when I remember what I’m going through right now, and suddenly I see my Nana on her questions, so I immediately hugged her. She was stiff when I hugged her and started crying in her arms. 

“My parents kick me out the house, my friends try to get raped, I have nowhere to go” I whisper in pain. 

She didn’t speak a word and look down on me, instead she hugged me so tight and let me ched tears on her arms, waited for me to calm down and handed me some water.

“You can stay in my apartment if you want?” she said while I’m drinking, I stop and look at her. “I mean, I’m just staying alone, it’s fine to have someone with me there,” she said and smile at me. 

I felt so weak and just hugged her, thank you so much. 

“I’m sorry, my apartment wasn’t that big. I’m not rich like but this could do right. Just put your things there at the side.” she said as we enter her small apartment. 

As my eyes roam around the whole place, I saw her small refrigerator filled with electricity and water bills, “I’m staying here alone, my parents and family are in our province. So, there’s nothing to worry about.” he said and open the small pan for me. “My place only have one room, so if you want we can just sleep in the same bed, don’t worry I’m always out during the night so you can rest well in the bed” she said and open the door of her room for me, she also help me fixing my things out.

“Erille…” I called her, she looked at me and smiled, “I don’t have money to pay for the rent and other expenses” I said and looked down. 

“I can handle it, don’t stress yourself about it for now.” she said and wink at me. 

A week pass by, I feel sorry for Erille because she was the one who feed me through the week, give me money and help me with my other expenses even though she’s having small in come from the club. I wanna help her with the bills, so I tried to think of possible ways to help her.

  

I was sitting here at the sofa waiting for her to go home, I finally made up my decision and I wanna do this to help her too. 

“Oh my gosh, it’s so hot outside.” the door open and she went inside, I quickly run to her and help her with the groceries she bought.

“Oh, why are you still here? Don’t you have any classes?” she asks while removing her earrings. 

I take a deep breath before I look at her in the eyes. “Erille, I want to work” I said, “Where?” she asks.

“I want to be a stripper” her eyes widened and she spit the water out of her mouth.

“WHAT!!!”