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Meyer's POV
"Yes. You need to do this, Meyer. This is the only way I know. Remember I became a stripper just to be able to send my little sister and brother to school. If not for this profile..."
I sprang up immediately and cast her a hard glare which made her stop halfway through her talk.
"Profession? You call that disgraceful thing a profession? Selling my body to satisfy their disgusting view? This is pathetic, Miley. I can't believe this was what you asked me to come for. You disappointed me."
"Wait, listen to me." She said and stood up on her feet.
"Listen to you? What else do you expect me to listen to?"
"I am serious about this. If you want your mother to live, you have to take the risk. I am not asking you to become a stripper. Just do it for a night. Especially with this killer shape of yours, they will fall over heels for you. I'm sure about that. Just do it for a night and see how much you would make. I am just concerned about you, Meyer." Miley tried to persuade me but I can't do that.
"You are unbelievable, Miley!" That was all I said before I bolted out of her house.
Tears rolled out of my eyes as I continued walking down the silent street. I never thought it would result in this. If there was one thing I would never do, it was to show off my body to those disgusting men out there.
I can't just bring myself to do that. I just can't do that at all.
I almost forgot who Miley was for a second. I forgot she was a stripper too. She is a waitress and also a stripper. She wasn't lying when she said she became a stripper just to able to be able to send her siblings to school. Her parents died when she was seven and her aunt who took her and her siblings in was maltreating them. Then she ran off with her siblings and worked hard to cater for them.
I continued walking and when I saw a chair under the tree. I sat down and stayed there till evening. And when I thought about going back home. My phone rang.
It was the nurse in charge of my mother calling me. We knew each other because she lives in my neighborhood.
I could hear her breathing over the phone. It was so scary.
"Meyer, Hello."
"Miss. Sherry," I called.
"What happened?" I added.
"Your mother!" She said over the phone. I jumped out of the chair instantly.
"What happened to my mother?"
I found myself running to get a taxi to get to the hospital but no taxi driver was waiting. I ran as fast as I could. The hospital wasn't that far from here anyway.
Some minutes later, I got to the hospital and was about to enter the ward my mom was in but I couldn't because the nurses there were stopping me from going inside to see her.
"What happened to my mother? What happened to her?" I questioned crying so hard.
One of the nurses, a woman with kind eyes and a soft voice, approached me. She placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Miley," she said. "We can't let you in to see your mother right now. She's in surgery and you're not allowed in the operating room. Please wait here until the surgery is over. We'll let you know as soon as it's done."
I felt my heart sink. I couldn't believe what was happening. My mother was in surgery and I couldn't be with her. I felt so helpless and scared.
Just then another approached her.
"Meyer, the doctor said you need to make sure that the money is ready." Miss Sherry, the nurse in charge told me.
"But I thought the doctor didn't want to perform..."
"Shh. I stand in for you. You need to go look for the money right now. Please." Miss Sherry said which made me run out of the hospital immediately to go look for the money.
At this point, I was ready to do anything. This is between life and death. I paced around not knowing what to do.
Just then I brought out my phone and made a call to Miley.
"Hello."
"Yes." She spoke.
"I..I..am ready." I stuttered with hot tears rolling out of my eyes. It was a hard decision that I had to make.
"It's okay then. Then get ready. Start coming. The club would be open for the stripping party at eight on the dot. Come to the club and meet with me. We need to get you ready."
More tears rolled in.
I was going to be a stripper just to save my mother. I cried out in the middle of the road.
*
I sat in front of the mirror as Miley did my makeup. I couldn't believe I was about to do this. I couldn't believe it at all. I never thought a day would come when I would be dancing almost naked in front of those men. Not exactly.
It made me cringe the more but when I thought of my mom. I have to do it. I just have to do it. I don't have a choice. I couldn't stop crying.
"Hey, stop crying. You will ruin your makeup. It's not like you are going to allow them to touch you. You will just show some perfect move."
"You are talking as if it's that easy. But it is not that easy. Saying it is easy but doing it can be hard as hell. I don't like this to be honest. I don't like this." I said heartbroken.
"But do I have a choice?"
"I Know how hard it is for you, Meyer. It wasn't easy for me too when I started this but it became easier because I adjusted to it."
In my life, I don't think I will ever get to adjust to this.
"Think about your mother, Meyer. Have her in mind. She is the reason why you are doing this. She is the reason. The only important reason."She said and pulled me into a hug. She embraced me in her arms. I cried on her shoulder.
After that, I sat back down and she did my makeup. I glanced at myself because I couldn't even recognize myself. My swollen eyes and eye bags weren't visible anymore. As I looked at myself, Miley then brought me what I was going to wear.
I stared at it in awe. Is this what I was going to be wearing?
It was a pink lingerie that left little or no imagination. It was revealing. It was paired with black, thigh-high stockings which were attached to the two sides strap present on it.
I put it on and stared at myself in the mirror. I stopped staring when I couldn't stand myself. I just needed to get over it. I put on the stockings and slipped on the heels. It was a baby pink heels too. My hair was tied and Miley told me that I would only let my hair down when I was on stage.
Soon, the strippers started going out one by one to perform. I sat down and tried to focus. Tears were about to spill when I held myself back. I don't want to cry. It would ruin my makeup. This was the only way I knew that I could save you, mother, the only way I could save you. I hope I don't regret this in the end.
"Meyer, you are up next." The moment I heard that, my heart dropped. I looked at Miley, she nodded at me urging me to go there.