Chapter Six

Fox held me upright as she poured cold tap water over me from a bucket, she listened to every scream of pain as the water made contact with the gash on my abdomen.

She never said a word, her face remained expressionless throughout my torture.

The torment was almost enough for me to forget that I was standing naked in front of a complete stranger. Something that was entirely unfamiliar to me. Except for this morning with Irina.

My heart panged at her memory, but I couldn't let her face linger in my mind. It hurt too much.

Finally we seemed to be finished, Fox tossed the bucket into the corner of the cement block "shower area." Which was just a small square without a curtain, a rusty spout with a drain.

My teeth shuddered together from the cold, it felt like the building had no insulation at all.

Fox was assembling a stack of clothes, presumably for me from a disheveled box labeled "newbies."

She brought the pile to me, on top a large mens T-shirt that read out "EASTERN FISHING CO." It had rips the size of my hand all throughout it.

I just stared as her hand held it out for me, I had never worn a shirt before.

She rose an eyebrow at me. "Not fancy enough for you?"

My cheeks became red hot in a flash, I tried to cover them with my hands to hide my embarrassment.

"No I just have never -"

"I'm just pulling your chain!" She said with a deep laugh, her red stained lips pulled tight around her slightly crooked teeth. She was definitely native here.

"My chain?" I questioned, my teeth still chattering from the cold and my body still undressed.

Fox gave me a serious expression again and shook out her hand again waving the shirt at me.

"Just put this on before you freeze to death."

I cautiously took it from her and pulled it over my head. My still wet hair creating damp patches around the neck. It came down to around my mid thigh, shorter than the dress I had on before. But at least this was clean.

When I was done putting on the baggy shorts and thick wool socks she gave me a small smile and said, "Let's go sit and chat, I'll grab tea."

I followed her out back to the main bedroom, except now there was somebody resting on a bottom bunk.

She lay on her stomach with her feet kicked up in the hair, singing to a song that carried over the walls from the bar area.

She had an array of different colored pencils around a small red notebook that looked like it had been well loved. Her shoulder length hair sat in big voluptuous curls like lazy springs.

She jumped up when she saw me.

"Yo man what the fuck, you have to tell me when people are coming in here." She said gathering her pencils and shoving them under a pillow. I knew instantly that the art supplies had to be contraband. My eyes widened, I had never be seen real contraband in person. She most definitely was not assigned those tools, so how did she get them?

"Relax Vixen." Fox said then gestured to me.

"This is our newest, Bambi."

It took me a second to recognize my own name. My new name.

She gave me an expressionless stare. Her blue eyes showed nothing except for.. discontentment?

Still I pulled forth my trainings from school on etiquette and tried out my warmest smile.

"Hello! I am so glad to meet you." I said.

Vixen rolled her eyes at me as she stood up,

"Oh, your one of those girls." She said distastefully,

Fox reprimanded her quickly, her tone loud and serious.

"Vixen grow up, also go ahead and take your sketchbook out of the pillow case. Your switching to the top bunk."

At this Vixens eyes flashed with rage. "Absolutely not, I have notoriety here! I earned that bed!" She shouted.

Fox didn't entertain her attitude at all, instead walking over to an electric kettle placed on the vanity labeled with her name and turning it on before speaking.

"I think your forgetting who has the actual notoriety here, I don't want Fawn having to climb that janky ass ladder. She just got out of red room surgery." Fox said.

At this Vixen huffed and left the room, slamming the door shut.

I almost opened my mouth to disapprove of switching, but I didn't in fear of saying the wrong thing. I was already making negative impressions here and I don't want to continue that wave.

Fox let out a sigh before pulling out two coffee cups from a vanity cabinet.

She noticed me just standing there in the middle of the room awkwardly and offered me to sit next to her, I happy obliged.

She poured sugar into our mugs and then leaned back into the wooden chair, wrapping her hands around the mug tightly to warm up. I copied her, instantly my hands began to have feeling again.

"So, are you one of those majesty type people?" She said.

"I uh- don't understand what you mean?" I stuttered, taken aback by her question.

She took a sip before answering. "You know, Westians and all their hullabaloo."

I gave her a blank stare, not understanding what she meant.

"What is hullabaloo?"

She chuckled at me, "it just means that they're unnecessarily extra. The weird dresses and talking."

I bit my tongue to hide my offense, we talk and dress weird?

I brought my mug up to my face, the steam clinging to my cheeks.

"I actually think you speak and dress weird." I said gesturing to the top of her dress that showed off almost her entire chest.

She looked down at herself before coming back to me, she pursed her lips.

"I'll give it to you, your right. But you'll probably wear something similar when you get your supply drop box tomorrow."

"My what?" I asked.

"Things you'll need to work here will be supplied and dropped off tomorrow by the committee. Usually Luis deals with that but he has his hands full." She said taking another sip. I decided to try my tea finally.

I raised my mug and brought it to my lips. Immediately I could smell Earl gray, a familiar scent. Mothers favorite.

I couldn't bring myself to drink it. It reminded me of my home too much.

"What do we do here?" I asked trying to get my mind off of my past life.

My assumption was perhaps bartending? Maybe we were poker hosts? These were the seediest professions I could think of.

Fox smirked at me from behind her cup. "They really teach you nothing over there in west huh?"

I frowned, "that's not true at all! I was in school for many years."

Fox leaned forward, biting her lip.

"Do you know what a server is Fawn?"

My cheeks flushed. I had once overheard Warren and his friends once speaking about sexy "beer girls" My young brain could connect the dots that it had something to do with non-marital affairs.

"Uhm, kind of?" I said unsure.

If Fox shook her head slowly, a smirk solid on her lips.

"Have you ever danced before?"

I cleared my throat, "I took ballet lessons for many years."

She let out a chuckle," Well this isn't that kind of dancing. Don't worry though we won't throw you out there too soon."

I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but my mind couldn't pick one to ask for first. Finally I settled on one that piqued my interest earlier.

"What is a bed night?" I said.

Her eyes flashed down into her lap, her smirk disappearing, she spoke very slowly as if picking each word out carefully.

"It a- it's a service we offer. Usually to the committee when we can't meet dancer criteria."

The majority of that made no sense to me, I wondered for a second to push it or leave it.

I chose the latter.

Fox finished her tea in one big gulp and then stood with a sigh.

"Well I have some preparations to make for tomorrow, you should get some sleep to heal that wound quicker. We have some creams to keep it from scarring I'll apply tomorrow. " she said pushing in her chair.

"Preparations?" I quizzed.

She gave me a big genuine smile, like I had said the funniest joke.

"The selectors sons are coming. Get ready for the biggest party of your life."