~Smoking in the Boy's Room~

[Sissy McCoy]

Mid-September

Sissy woke up around five o'clock that night in the usual blur of of where am I and what time is it. Reaching for the clock on the bedside table she realized she wasn't alone. Gabe from the band that had played in the club the night before was laid out like a slab of meat across her bed.

"Hey," she nudged him ungently with her foot. "Get up. Get out. You gotta be somewhere else by now, I'm sure."

He pushed his tangled brown hair out of his face, a few strands of it sticking to his lip piercing. "Shit Sissy, what time is it?" He asked, his voice thick.

"After five." She sat up and light a cigarette and watched with some wry amusement as he started to cruse and jumped looking for his clothes. Men can be very amusing, she thought as he jumped around the room trying to get his leg into his pants. Focused more on leaving with what he came with Gabe patted his pockets, searched her room and then flew out the door without so much as a 'see ya'.

Getting up finally herself Sissy stalked to the bathroom and considered taking a shower but settled instead for running a washcloth over her face, pits and crotch before brushing her teeth and getting dressed. Moving the dresser aside she knelt down to her hiding hole she'd made in the plaster wall and pulled out a dozen dime and nickle bags, some E, and a few rocks of meth and stashed them about her person.

By eight she was ready to renew her stash and head back to the club where she did most of her business. It wasn't actually open yet, but she walked in anyway to deal to the new band and give the owner his cut.

"Looks like it's going to be a good night." She said when she saw Misfits of Urbana setting up.

"Good enough." The owner nodded. "Gimme your hand." He stamped her wrist so she wouldn't have to pay to get back in later.

"Thanks, I'm gonna cop a smoke outside then and I'll check in with you later."

"No problem." He said distractedly, already someplace else in his mind.

Outside she leaned against the wall and sampled a hit of her own product next to the dumpster where she could flick it if any of the cops from around the corner should peek in. If they wanted to search through the cafe's kitchens trash to get a DNA sample from her doobie, let'em.

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

Rave'd had a slow day all day at work. It wasn't easy to do commission work all the time even though you could think so. At least he'd gotten to know his boss quite good and he was a cool guy. Besides, he could play whatever instrument he wanted to as long as he took care of it, as well as get discount if he wanted to buy one or two of them.

He'd just gotten off work and was heading home even though he didn't really feel like going home just yet, that would just result in him either going to bed or possibly ending up in another discussion with Devon either about money that didn't belong to him or something else.

No, instead he ended up walking the streets of Ashland for quite a while, about two and a half hours in fact and it had gotten about 7.30pm by now when he rounded a corner and spotted a sign that said "Club Clique". It didn't take long before he decided he needed some "relaxation" and walked into the alley where it said that the entrance was.

While turning the corner he flicked a smoke up and began looking for his lighter but ended up without finding it. Fuck it, he must have forgotten it at work.

He took the smoke out of his mouth and let it be in his hand for a while but just before he put it back in the package, he saw a girl standing outside, smoking. Perfect.

"Yo, yoah go' a light?"

He asked and approaced her in his black jeans, black t-shirt that said "fuck life, fuck it all" on with torn off sleeves and his black leather coat hanging open and of course, his bleached blond hair slicked back and forced as straight as possible.

[Sissy McCoy]

She eyed him coolly before responding. "Yeah." She dug a lighter from the pocket of her jeans which were so holey there where more peeka than boo. "Club's not open yet, if that's where you were headed. Will be soon though." She allowed herself to fall back against the brick wall.

"You a cop?" She asked, flicking the lighter for him and holding it up, her eyes searching him restlessly. "And I need a straight yes or no answer, not just some bullshit do I look like cop."

Of course, just by saying that she was labeling herself as someone who needed to know, but sometimes that was the best advertisement. You asked that question and folks knew you had something to offer, and they either asked what it was, or the backed off. Both were good in her opinion. Didn't need to fuck around with non-buyers wasting her time.

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

Him? cop? Fucking ridiculous! Rave looked at her with a look that said 'what the hell are you on about?' and glared somewhat before laughed a bit.

"Me? A fuckin' cop? bloody jokin' right?! Bloody 'ell I am... I was 'eadin' to the club bu' I guess I 'afta wait 'til it opens then eh."

He snorted and lit his cigarette at the offered flame and inhaled it good before looking the girl over. she was quite fine to look at, slim waist, not too thin but not too big either, pretty eyes and somewhat dirty hair.

"wha' a question is tha' fo' stahtin a conversation eh?"

He asked and exhaled some smoke while still looking a bit amused at the matter. He somewhat opened his coat with his hands and let it fall back again.

"exactleh wha' part of me says cop? Cuz I ain't seein' it"

He said and rose an eyebrow at her.

"o' wha... yoah do rocks 'n shit?"

He asked somewhat joking somewhat being serious while taking another drag of his smoke and just watched her for a moment, finding her quite amusing already, someone he probably wanted to know more about.

[Sissy McCoy]

"See, now, you answered in a sorta grey way." She said, sucking down a lungful of smoke and holding it before blowing it out. "You just said you were a cop. No, don't look at me like that, you did. You said 'bloody hell I am' in fact. So, if I said I had anything but this..." She waved the joint in the air. "You could bust me now."

"exactleh wha' part of me says cop? Cuz I ain't seein' it"

She gestured at him. "You're over the top, man. Big hair, fuck you t-shirt, studs, accent...But that's OK, I won't rat you out the dealers. Bust 'em all if you want, clear out some of the scum." She grinned at him but the smile only slightly warmed her eyes. "Especially that asshole Jose."

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

"It's no' wha' Said, it's the tone of voice I said it in... yoah clearleh dunn know irony when yoah 'ear it"

He smirked and took his smoke to his lips again then chuckled somewhat when she remarked on his looks. He rolled his eyes at her, so many times he'd heard the same thing and so many times he'd flicked people off for less but, this girl seemed interesting enough to let it pass.

"Look, luv. I'm no' a bloody cop okay. 'ell... I'm no' even fond of 'em enough ta stay long enough to find out wha' they want if they evah came to my doorstep."

He said and took another smoke of his cig that he was holding between his left hand's thumb and indexfinger while eyeing her over. He smirked again.

"Ovah the top am I? Must mean I'm bettah than otha guys then ey? Can't do much abou' my accent tho, paht of me yoah know.."

He looked her over again.

"Guess yoah a bit undah the top then, go' more 'oles in theah than clothes coverin' yoah up.. unless yoah wear the 'oles as a pretty attire yoah just couln't ge' enough of"

He said and rose an eyebrow at her again.

"Wha' did tha' assole Jose whoevah 'e is, do to yoah ta be an ass'ole?"

He asked and leaned on the wall next to her and took another drag.

"can I bum a few drags on tha' joint?"

He asked after a moment but while watching the street outside the alley.

[Sissy McCoy]

She chortled out a laugh when he said she was under the top and handled him the joint. "Yeah, that's me. The Paris Hilton of Ashland." She said as she watched him take a toke. "I'm Sissy, need someone to hook you up, ask around. You'll find me."

She hitched a thumb in her belt loop as staff showed up, most of them waving hello to her. One scruffy looking guy came over.

"How much?" she tilted her head at him.

"Dime?" He asked.

"'K..." she dug around in her back pocket.

"Credit?" He asked, hopefully, "Pay you out of my tips, double."

"Why do you ask every friggin' time. Do I ever say yes?" She asked, holding out her hand for the cash, with a look of annoyance on her face.

"No." The scruffy fellow said, glancing over at Rave. "But, sometimes it's Christmas and you don't get anything if you don't tell Santa." He took the bag and jogged off into the club.

"Jose is another dealer likes to try to invade my block. I mean," she rolled her eyes and took back the joint. "All I want is my piss ant little block, not like some huge territory, ya know?" She sucked down some smoke and held it before hacking slightly. "Anyway, came around, tossed some bad shit, caught me in the alley and mugged me. Asshole." She spit to the side, but it wasn't a habit sort of spit, but more of cursing spit like an Sicilian witch would do.

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

Rave managed to take a few drags of the joint while the guy that came over started to talk shit about Santa as if he'd thought that snow came from heaven itself when God washed the dandruff off his shoulders or some shit.

He shook his head and gave the guy a dumb look when he looked at him and another look that said 'are you really this dumb or are you even more stupid than you look' kinda glance just before the joint disappeared from his hand when the guy turned around and went his merry little way.

"who evah said 'ed been good enough ta ge' a visit from Santa anyway unless it's one of 'is own 'allucinations where 'e waits for 'is yearly spankin' fo' bein' a bad boy"

He remarked but then fell silent as she told about this Jose guy. He frowned an eyebrow at her and snorted somewhat at this guy's behavior.

"well, tha's no' a good way ta be'ave towahds Ashland's own Paris 'ilton is it?"

He remarked and took the joint back for another drag, he inhaled deeply and held his breath for a moment before he let it out again.

"Name's Rave. No' been 'ere too long bu' it seems like a nice li'l place"

He said, referring to the city itself. He took another drag of the joint and did the same as before and slowly started to feel a slight pleased feeling after a while, it wasn't much but it was at least there.

"So wha' did yoah lose when 'e mugged yoah, 'e a big fellah?"

[Sissy McCoy]

"Finish it off," she waved off the return. "Consider it a freebie for today. But don't expect others."

Hey eyes flickered over the people arriving as the gloom darkened and the street lamps came on in the summer night. But she wasn't a young girl who was excited about another night out clubbing, she was a business woman gaging her clients.

"Oh, about 700 product and cash, not including the clinic visit for the rest." She shrugged it off, her rebel T shirt slipping down one shoulder as she did so and not bothering to push it back up. "I called immigration and turned his whole family in as wetbacks. That kept him hopin'' for a while. Yes indeedy." She drew the last two words out with relish.

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

"thought yoah didn't give shit fo' free"

He said and grinned at her while taking another drag from the joint, it wasn't much left of it now but there were about two or three more drags worth in there at least.

"Ouch"

He said to the amount stolen but burst out laughing at the way she had gotten her revenge. Quite amusing this one, wasn't she? Rave took another drag and looked at her.

"I bettah be careful then. Might ge' ideas about me cuz of my accent or somethin'"

He grinned, noting her mode of character changing a bit when customers began to roll in to the club. He looked them over for a bit, eying them up somewhat with a lazy eye.

"Can I ask wha' yoah doin' in a place like this except for 'andin the.. customahs knowin' yoah by name?"

He said, putting it smart in case someone was listening in of the people walking inside. Rave couldn't help himself but eyed her shoulder, a pretty, nice and smooth looking shoulder at that. If she only took care of herself a bit more than she seemed to do, she could be a pretty nice catch.

"'ow much is it to ge' in 'ere anyway?"

He asked and took yet another drag of the joint, realizing the good would end with the next drag of it.

[Sissy McCoy]

"Hey, it's the small dogs you have to watch out for, right?" She said answering his question without really looking at him. "They got the biggest teeth and their closer to your balls." Her eyes narrowed a moment, seeing something he hadn't, but then went back to normal.

"Can I ask wha' yoah doin' in a place like this except for 'andin the.. customahs knowin' yoah by name?"


She broke off studying the growing crowd up and laughed at him, throwing her head back and changing her face completely from a hard set woman to a girl with just the smile.

"What's a nice girl like me doing in a place like this, you mean?" She shook her head and pushed herself off the wall. "Just makin' a living boyo, makin' a living. Hey, if you want to get in there, it's ten bucks and you better do it soon. When it gets around who's playin' tonight it'll be packed balls to the walls."

She tossed him a look over her shoulder and grinned. "You can find me next to the boys room if you need me." She walked past the line that they weren't admitting yet and into the building, not even bothering to slow down for the bouncer who let her pass.

Those who knew who she was didn't say anything, but a few others gave out cries of protest that were ignored.

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

"Wha' if yoah like gettin' bit off an on eh?... might just be a turn on fo' some yoah know"

Rave commented, watching her as she narrowed her eyes and obviously saw something he didn't in the crowd that was lining up but he didn't really think much of it more than giving a glance to the line then back at her.

"Depends if yoah considah yoahself a nice or a naughty gi'l doesn't it?"

He replied at her remark about making a living. He inhaled the last bit of the joint and tossed the butt to the ground and stepped on it just as Sissy walked off and headed inside.

Rave grinned, so he'd made another acquaintance tonight. Perfect. He instantly walked over to the line and didn't have to wait more than ten minutes and after showing his false ID and flicked a $10 up, he was in with a stamp on the inside of his wrist where he usually liked to have the mark of clubs so it wasn't too obvious where he'd been and rarely got questions asked about what he'd been doing there and when.

He looked around the place and nodded to himself, this seemed like a nice place to get accustomed to. Rave headed to the bar instantly and ordered two shots of the strongest they had as well as a beer. The shots he took at once after he payed for it all and left the small glasses at the counter and sunk down on one of the stools to watch the few people in there and see who was acquainted to who and how this or that person behaved.

This could be a fun night after all and the evening had just started yet. After all, if he got too bored he could just go find that Sissy girl and talk to her unless he was 'spoiling her job' by doing so. It was quite obvious what she did for a living after the comment she threw but he pretended not to see that for now.

Rave took a swig of his beer bottle and sighed somewhat, feeling the shots along with the joint kicking in, making him feel quite relaxed and good about himself right now.

[Sissy McCoy]

Sissy spent as much of her evening in the bathrooms as at the end of the bar working her trade, both the mens and womens. In the boys room the smell didn't bother her and her being in their didn't bother anybody but the new fish and they got over it quickly.

Down to just a few nickle bags she gave it up for the night and stood at the end of the bar. The band was just starting it's last set and all night had the place jumping like a cat hit with a live wire. Just when she was thinking about calling it a night she saw the new guy, Rave, at the bar. She considered him in her slightly drug and alcohol induced buzz. Lean, spiked, coiffed. Why not?

"Come on, tall, pale and surly," She yelled at him over the music. "Come dance with me." Without really giving him a chance to answer she hooked a finger though his belt loop and pulled him afterward into the crowd like a small tug boat pulling a much larger ship into unsafe waters.

[Aiden "Rave" Hamilton]

Rave hadn't been drinking that much during the night but he'd had a couple of beers and was somewhat tipsy but feeling good since it was mixed with that joint earlier even though that was slowly wearing off.

He didn't have much left in his fifth beer for the night and thought about getting another one just as he heard a voice not too far away from him which made him turn around and found himself looking at the Sissy woman.

It didn't take too long before he felt himself somewhat dragged off the stool and heading towards the dance floor even though he stopped her for a moment by taking her wrist in his right hand.

"'ang on, lemme finish the beer"

He protested and tipped the bottle bottoms up and took the few drinks left and somewhat slammed it to the counter before he followed Sissy out to the dance floor.

"an' I'm no' tha surly!...maybe I was waitin' fo' some fun to come along an' drag me off somewheah..!"

He remarked and pulled her close by gripping her hips just enough not to be offensive but just enough to tease. They were now hip to hip just for the mere fun of it and started to move in line with the rhythm of the music. Since he was a music prodigy, the sense of beat and rhythm came natural to him, besides he'd been quite the wild animal back in England but until today, he hadn't really found a good place to get out clubbing until now.

[Sissy McCoy]

When he jerked back for his beer she let him go, and merged into the crowd herself, holding her arms above her head to dance a swaying rhythm that was ages old and when Rave caught those swaying hips and pulled them to him she grinned up at him.

"an' I'm no' tha surly!...maybe I was waitin' fo' some fun to come along an' drag me off somewheah..!"

He knew she was laughing even though the music was so loud he couldn't hear her from only inches away. She turned and pushed herself against him, her backside against his crotch and her arms around his neck as she moved to the rhythm of the song.

I told you I was clumsy
So I broke you heart
You shouldn't have put it there
Where I could reach it

Another man came in front of them and danced with her from the other side, but she blew him off by turning her back on him and moving with Rave.