"Shut up!" Sirens awoke me quicker then any nightmare could've. I opened my eyes to find myself passed out in the middle of my floor.
"Great.."
My mouth tasted like ass (or old PBR, same thing) and the sun shined way too brightly through the window. The sheet I tacked, no, taped up had fallen; not like it made a difference anyway since there was a huge hole in the middle and it was thin as paper. Whatever.
When I finally convinced myself to get up and make coffee I made a frightening discovery, I was out of coffee. Well shit. I threw on jeans and my brother's old ninja turtle sweatshirt and headed out the door for the pharmacy.
Outside the sirens blared throughout the streets, attracting neighbors from their apartments. I began to cross the street when a biker zoomed right toward me and I jumped out of the way to avoid him,
"fffuuucckkk..." I landed on my back onto a patch of ice. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the same dumbass standing over me. He reeked, not even a normal stink though. He smelled like old tequilla, fish and way too much lube.
"God almighty, I ain't never a chick like you before! Wait, wait, lemme guess, Bridget?"
"No.." He reached out his right hand a considering his stink I declined.
"I'm alright, thanks," I hoisted myself up and looked at the scraggly mess in front of me
"I'm real sorry, I didn't..uh..see-"
"Are you staring at my tits?" He was, it wasn't a question.
"Yeah..sorry. Listen, I was just trying to chase them hoodlums that pulled the alarm. Sorry I made you bust your ass." I smiled, despite being dirty and an idiot, there was a charm about him.
"It's alright, I gotta go...I perform at the Jaguar, you should come by sometime." As I walked away he murmured,
"A stripper! Who'd a thought!"

"Seriously Midge?"
"I'm sorry, I overslept, my alarm didn't go off...it won't happen again-"
"You're right, it won't."
My first night shift- I finally was given the 10 to 4 shift and I screwed it up. I had had a late night the night before and the only thing keeping me awake was the sunshine. Once the snow storm moved in, I was out like a log- that's when the power shut off. Nonetheless, I slipped into a thin pink slip, caked on bright blue eye shadow, cherry colored lip stain and threw on 6 inch clear heels. I was ready to go.
The bright florescent lights blinded me and in my hungover stupor I tripped onto stage, facing the huge night time crowd. Everything but the tacky beat fell silent- clearly the Saturday scoundrels had yet to see someone like me doing what I do.
Half way through the set the audience began to clear out and boo- I really didn't think I was that bad...but then again, today clearly wasn't my day.
"See ya Midge, tomorrow will be better..."
I threw on my faded blue sweats and headed out the door where a brown haired women waited. I prepared myself for mockery until she approached me reluctantly,
"Hi...I just saw your show. I know it's kind of weird but I've heard about you and just wanted to see for myself. How do you do it?" She peered at me while her unannounced innocence peered through me.
"Strip? I mean, when you're broke anything's possible." I dug in my purse for my house key and headed for the stairs.
"Oh..okay. I just moved here and I auditioned at Le'Royale, so I was just wondering-"
"Listen, I'm not too familiar with this town yet. If you really need advice then come back tomorrow, maybe I'll have something more helpful for you then. I've just had a rough day, sorry."
Without hesitation I walked around back and upstairs. I couldn't deal with this girl, she didn't know what she wanted and I had nothing to offer her- finding opportunity in this miserable town is like trying to find a guy without a boner in the strip club.

"You shake that thing for money?" the shadow growled from the dark corner.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you to respect women?" I responded, clutching my tattered cloth purse.
"Aren't you a goddamn stripper? I see you coming outta there.."
I scrambled away, rolling my eyes- he was right. I wasn't always a stripper, you know. I dropped out of medical school, I couldn't live off of what I was making. I started stripping until my dad found out, he kicked me out.
I lit a cigarette but didn't inhale, I wasn't trying to take years off my life- but I needed something in my mouth or else my anxiety became overwhelming. I stomped it out and entered the pharmacy. I hadn't realized how bone biting cold it was outside until I felt the burning sensation all throughout my arms as the heat of the pharmacy hit me.
I picked up an economy sized jar of Tang (aisle 8) and a bag of Cheetos (aisle 10) and took it to the front. Behind the counter stood an old man I had never seen before, reading Maxim magazine with Angelina Jolie on the front...from October 1993. The corners were bent and coffee stains tie dyed her face.
"Excuse me...?" I realized he couldn't see me above the top of the magazine. He glanced down.
"Oh, sorry...didn't see you there." I smiled as though I didn't hear it...all the time.
I gave a smile, pushed five dollars into his hand and made my way out.
As I left I felt the man's burning yet awkward stare on my 4 foot 2 frame.
I rushed home, just wanting to go to bed. Though the days didn't get worse, they didn't seem to get better either.