Page 10 of Raw & Vulnerable

She sighs, looking away, hating her babbling. The weight of her father’s disappoint is like a gargoyle on her shoulders; he’d wanted her to be in business, like him. Her extreme anxiety in unfamiliar places and confrontational social situations made it too painful for her. The library…the library allowed her to hide and fester. Her voice is a whisper as she utters. “He’s not pleased with how I turned out.”

She’s the unfortunate, failed oldest child of a well-to-do family. Lost in her own memories and terrors.

When she looks up again, the ex-con is staring at her keenly.

Worried that she has something on her face, Minnie asks with a certain amount of embarrassment, realizing that was probably too personal, “What?”

He doesn’t look away, just holds her gaze intensely. He seems to be staring into her, as if he can see the hints of trepidation and misplaced desire in her eyes, the occasional thoughts Minnie tries to keep hidden from even herself. Then, slowly, in that rusty toned voice of his, he says, “Nothin’. You’re bein’ hard on yourself.”

“Not really.” Her father thinks she pissed all that education away so she could hide amongst books, making not nearly the same amount as she would have in her previous career.

“No one looks at you and wonders if you’re goin’ to knife them, do they? It could be far worse, princess.”

Princess.Her heart shivers and she doesn’t know why. She’s not a fan of being called that, but coming from him…it’s not so bad.

The words he said hurt in another way, because she did think such a thing when she first saw him. That he’s dangerous, just by looking at him. She still thinks that if she didn’t see him every day, she’d want to run in the other direction if she came across him on the street. “I’m not very intimidating,” she replies, plucking at the books on her little cart, feeling uncomfortable.

“No. No, you’re not.” He shuts his textbook, his fiery eyes feeling like a physical caress on her face. “You’re a sweet girl and no one would ever think anythin’ bad of you. Me, on the other hand; I can’t hide who I was, even if I don’t want to be that person anymore.”

She thinks about that look until she falls asleep that night. She doesn’t even know his name or what he’s done.

She finds it thrilling that he glanced at her lips, just before meeting her gaze.

Chapter 5

When a seamless Friday rolls around, Minnie’s doorbell rings five times in a row. She stiffens, then sighs. Peeking through the peephole in the door, confirming that it’s who she thinks it is, Minnie undoes all the deadbolts and swings open the door.

Ariel is in town again, all fake platinum blonde and filler plumped lips. “Mouse!” She cries out upon entering Minnie’s humble townhome, tossing her weekend bag on the floor with a bang. “I’ve missed you!”

Enveloped in a giant hug that she gingerly returns, Minnie asks, “When did you get rid of the flaming red?”

Her younger sister absently touches her platinum locks, smiling. “When I got sick of looking like the little mermaid. Did you miss me?”

“Oh, every single day,” Minnie replies dryly, watching as her younger sister walks around her tastefully decorated entryway, her shoes still on. Minnie’s eyes flash slightly. “Can you please take your shoes off? I keep clean floors, you know.”

Rolling her dark brown eyes with exaggeration, Ariel kicks her shoes off. “You are such a stooge.Old maid. Can I drop my stuff in your funeral bedroom?”

“It’s tastefully gothic. But, yes. You may.”

Quickly making herself at home, Ariel walks off to the second bedroom, carrying her things as Minnie goes to lock the front door and all the deadbolts. She checks them three times before she’s convinced they’re in place.

While Minnie makes sure Mickey, Goofy, and Donald are watered adequately, Ariel talks about their parents and the latest family gossip. “Dad worries that you’re becoming a recluse, living here alone. Mother fears she’s never going to have grandkids. They call me a lot to tell me. They say you don’t always pick up the phone.”

Putting her cute little mini watering can away, Minnie feels indignant. After the incident, her parents sent her to all sorts of fancy therapists to discuss what had happened. They seemed to assume it would magically ‘fix’ her and cure her of her mental scars, hidden under her flesh. “That’s what they have you for, isn’t it? Having grandkids? Besides, I like how I am. I’m fine.”

Her sister hums with non-agreement. “We’re going out for dinner tonight. I refuse to allow you to cook something for me just so you can hide here like a hermit.”

“Is that so? You’ve decided that? Where was I when this decision was made?”

“No need to get testy, Mouse.” Ariel shoots her a knowing look before waltzing over to one of the wall mirrors. Taking her makeup bag out, she grabs a small bottle, starting to put copious amounts of hair product into her newly dyed platinum locks. “I’ve got a hankering for one ofThe Downlow Dirty Pubburgers. Just dying for it. Been on a keto diet for like, weeks and I’m done with that hot garbage.”

Of all the places in town, Ariel justhasto want to eat there. Loud, filthy. Full of obnoxious townies from the wrong side of town. The cops are always being called. There’s always some sort of sport on the tv, like mud-wrestling or something equally tasteless. The food is good, really pub-like and tasty, especially after a beer or two. If one is into that sort of thing.

Minnie makes a face, her nose scrunching up, not even trying to hide how unappealing the thought of the place is to her. “Is that supposed to be funny? We were born with a silver spoon in our mouths and you have a hankering to eat at the dirtiest, raunchiest bar we got in town?”

“I don’t live here anymore and I miss those burgers!” Her sister fiddles with her pushup bra, hoisting her tits up. “Look, Mouse. You’re a librarian, you need to lower your standards.”

That’s not even a valid point. This is all about her sister trying to get her out of her comfort zone. To pry her out of her bubble of calm and poise.

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