I sighed, throwing my things down on my bed when I got home and I quickly changed into my bartending uniform. Not really a conventional job for a 17-year-old girl but I had to make money somehow. It takes me 15 minutes to drive to and from school, and 25 minutes to walk from my house to the bar. I used to take my beloved car there, but last time I did, I had ended up with slashed tires and I had barely scraped enough money to fix them.

I always covered myself with a loose cardigan of some sort when I walked to work because of my uniform.

It's what you would expect men in a bar to put women into; a short skirt with a tight top. I'd always felt highly exposed while wearing it and desperately wanted a job somewhere else, but I couldn't find one. Not when everyone knows what had happened and I didn't have any references for my resume.

So I was stuck here. The only comfort I found was in my co-worker behind the bar who was in his mid-twenties.

He didn't judge me.

"Hey Sam," I said, throwing my work bag down on the floor. The bar was already beginning to fill up and I immediately got to work pulling out shot glasses and prepping salts.

"Hey, kiddo. Anything new in your life?" He turned towards me with a smile. I shrugged.

"Not really. Some people want to be my friends but I'm not sure about that. What about you?" I raised an eyebrow at him as a pink flush went over his cheeks. "Please tell me you are going to propose." Sam had a lovely partner of 4 years who I saw quite often because those two were so in love, they hated being away from each other for too long. A little unhealthy, but cute.

Sam began stuttering and turned even redder. "I'm going to, kid, promise. I just need to make sure Will and I have everything figured out." I grinned at him and nudged him with my elbow.

"Okay. But do it soon, the suspense is killing me!" I paused before grinning up at him. Sam stood almost a foot taller than me. "And I call being the Best Maid!" I teased.

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. "Sure thing kiddo."

"Hey! Three shots please!" A voice called, and my little moment of happiness had been burst. I quickly grabbed three shot glasses in one hand and expertly poured them out before sliding them over to the guy who called for them.

I quickly took note of the regular and put them on his tab, along with some more drinks I knew he would order before preparing them and giving them to him.

"Thanks, Lil, you always know what a guy needs." He finished his words off with a wink and toothy smile and I turned away, trying to shake the feeling of bugs crawling on me. These people weren't all bad, but some were creepy.

After working for another few hours, it was around 11 pm when I saw another familiar face walk in.

I froze at the state he was in before grabbing one of his favorite pick me ups and rushing over.

"Hey, John. What's up?" I questioned, my voice soft and comforting.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm divorcing her," he muttered. His voice sounded so broken and I couldn't help but fall into the chair next to him and comfortingly rub his back. John was a 38-year-old man who was easily one of the kindest people I've met, but had been dealt a rough hand. He had three kids with this woman when suddenly she decided she wanted an old rich guy to date, and John had the misfortune of walking in on them one day when he got home early from work to surprise his wife and kids.

I felt horrible for him. I couldn't even begin to imagine that happening to me.

"It'll be okay," I soothed. I handed him the drink and he gratefully took it, drinking almost all of it in one gulp, and I tried to not show my shock.

The stuff I just handed him was almost as bad as vodka.

"Thanks, kiddo," he said, tracing his finger absently on the table.

I smiled. "Anytime. Do you want me to get you the back room? I know the teen rush is going to come in soon," I told him.

"I don't have the money on me to do that tonight." His shoulders slumped.

"It's on me, go ahead."

He looked up at me in surprise. Both he and Sam knew my situation, only because Sam and I had become close, and John was surprised I was working here on my own free will and he was concerned. "You have the money for that now kid?"

"I've earned some compensation," I said, trying to keep my voice light. I hadn't, but I could stay later tonight and clean up to earn a bit more.

John smiled and pulled me into a hug and he slapped my back. "Thanks, kid."

I nodded and sent him back just as people began to flood in through the door.

The rest of the night seemed to flood by in a blur of events but at one point, it felt like my world was about to be ripped from under me.

"Hey, hot stuff."

I turned in shock to see a girl maybe a few years older than me grinning at me.

"Hi." I tried to hide my shock at her words and speak professionally. "What can I get you to drink?"

She grinned and her eyes trailed up and down my outfit. "How about I get a taste of you, sweetheart?" She purred. I froze, becoming awkward. I'd never expected to get sexually harassed by someone my own age, much less a girl. I'd always figured it would be some middle-aged beer belly guy.

"Are you joking?" I questioned, unsure of whether or not this was some rude prank.

"C'mon, and I'll show you," she cooed, grabbing my hand and pulling me with her before I even had the chance to register what was about to happen.

She threw me against a wall in one of the halls and I opened my mouth to scream but she covered it with her hand before I could get out any sound. I squirmed as her hands roamed and tears began pouring from my eyes when she was quickly ripped off me to be met by a furious Sam.

"What. The hell. Were you. Doing?" he growled, looking deadly. Sam, along with being tall was well built and I couldn't have been more thankful.

"Oh, calm down darling. She's my girlfriend and she gets off by stuff like this. You can join us if you want handsome," she said. As she spoke, she had moved back to me and casually covered my mouth again.

"Oh, sure, because I definitely have never met her before in my life since she isn't like my little sister or anything," he muttered sarcastically. The woman who had her hold on me went still and Sam lunged at her, hitting her square in the jaw with his fist. She let out a cry and stumbled backward and Sam pulled me forward into a hug.

"It's okay," he whispered, pulling me closer. I took a few shaky breaths before nodding and we walked to the workroom, and Sam kept glancing around suspiciously. When we got in there, he gripped me by my shoulders and turned me towards him, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu.

"Are you okay? She didn't go under your clothes or anything?" He asked, searching my face and examining me for injuries.

I exhaled and nodded. "I'm fine. It could have been worse."

Sam's eyes darkened. "We are going to press charges," he growled. My eyes widened and I put up my hands to stop him.

"Sam, you know I can't," I consoled. I didn't have the resources and there was no way I could afford a lawyer, and I had a feeling if I tried to put this woman in jail, she would fight.

Sam and I argued back and forth over that for a few minutes before he finally relented to my pleas.

I left the workroom to get back to work and thankfully never saw the woman again. I felt myself slowly relax through the night and I quickly fell back into the ease of working, my close encounter almost forgotten, but I didn't miss the concerned glances that Sam would send my way every now and then.

"Have a good night, John!" I waved to him as he left, the door swinging behind him as he left and I heard his shouted leave. He always left just as the night began to wind down, and barely missed the rush of people trying to get home in time to get in a few good hours of sleep. Most times, I barely managed to get a couple of hours of sleep in, whether I was working or not. I was an insomniac, and sometimes I knew it was the only reason I was able to tolerate this job and balance school work.

I sighed as the last people left, a couple of stubborn elderly men who were reminiscing about the good old days. Sam, my boss, and I were the only ones who remained.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" I looked up from my mopping to see Sam standing over me with furrowed eyebrows and pinched lips.

"I'll be fine, stop worrying old man," I teased. "Besides, it's way out of your way, and it's no different than any other night I walk home."

"Yeah, it is different because you-" I cut him off by sighing.

"I have pepper spray. I'll be fine." Sam looked unconvinced but let me go, which I was grateful for.

I stepped out into the mild air and smiled at the weather. It was one of those perfect nights where it was cool but slightly humid, making it perfectly comfortable. I began my trek home a little too jumpy before I had managed to get into my neighborhood and to my door. I shut the creaky slab of wood behind me and crept my way up to my room since everyone in the house was already likely asleep.

I plopped down on my bed and pulled out schoolwork and hesitantly began to start on it, trying to grasp the concepts of what I had to learn.

All my classes were insanely difficult and through the stress, many colorful words slipped from my lips. At the end of the night, I fell backward onto my pillows, sighing heavily.

"Shit."

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