Call Girl

“Why can’t we just stay at Harry’s?” Robin whined after Harry dropped them off at Ariana’s car, which was parked in their apartment parking lot.

“Because we’re not mooching off of him. That was one night and one night only, Robin,” Ari told her with a sigh.

“But you two are so cute. Oh my god. When I woke up and found you two cuddling in his bed, I almost died. Oh my god,” she screeched as she bounced in the passenger seat.

“It was a one-time thing,” Ari snapped, glaring slightly at her.

“But you’re going to see him again, right?” She asked.

“I don’t know. Things are complicated,” Ari sighed.

“ARI!” Robin bellowed, smacking her arm with more force than necessary.

“OW!” Ari bellowed, holding her stinging arm.

“I’m sorry. That was to smack some sense into you. Did it work?” Robin retorted, eyeing Ari with as much attitude as she could muster up.

“Robin, it’s more complicated than you could comprehend,” Ari told her.

“What’s so complicated about that fact that you like him and he likes you?” She asked, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

“Everything,” Ari told her as she pulled out of the lot on their way to their father’s apartment, where they would be staying for the time being.

“Ariana, he is in One Direction. He’s rich and famous and beautiful and he likes you! Why are you being so stubborn!?” She argued.

“I am not the kind of girl Harry needs in his life,” Ariana sighed, feeling the sting of her words deep within her heart because it was the absolutely truth.

“Yeah but, you’re the girl he wants,” she pointed out, making it harder for Ari to deal with.

“Unfortunately, what someone needs outweighs what someone wants. And I can’t be what he needs,” Ari told her.

“You’re stubborn,” Robin huffed, throwing her arms around herself again, getting angry with her older sister.

“Yeah. So I’ve been told,” Ariana grumbled to herself.

The two of them continued the rest of the drive in silence as a protest to one another. When they got to their father’s apartment, they hauled their bags up the stairs. Ariana was planning on just dropping Robin off and then go back to their mother’s to pack more of their belongings, but when they opened the apartment door, they heard not only their father’s voice, but his lawyer, Mr. Turner’s voice as well. Ariana’s skin scrawled and her stomach churned.

“Go to your room,” Ariana breathed to Robin.

“What? Why? Can’t I say ‘hi’ to dad?” She asked.

“Go to your room,” Ari growled lowly.

“Fine,” Robin huffed, pulling two of her bags with her down the hallway toward the bedrooms.

Ariana set the other two bags down at her feet and turned into the kitchen, ready to find the two men at the kitchen table, like usual. But she found them sitting in the living room this time, sipping on coffee, talking like old friends. Ariana’s entire stomach wanted to eject at the sight of the man that nearly raped her.

“Ariana!” Her dad said with surprise in his voice as she glared at Mr. Turner. His eyes stared right back, but held an air of mischief and delight in them that was extremely unsettling.

“Is Robin with you?” Her dad asked, breaking Ari’s attention away from the disgusting man her father continued to let into his home.

“Of course Robin is with me,” Ariana snapped at her absent-minded father.

“Excuse me, with that tone,” her dad shot at her.

“Dad, I need to speak with you in private,” she said, staring back at Mr. Turner, ignoring her father’s failed attempt at discipline.

“I’ll step outside,” Mr. Turner said with a devilish smirk in Ari’s direction.

“Thank you. I’m sorry,” her dad apologized to the man that took a sick pleasure in torturing his daughter.

“It’s no problem,” John said, getting up from the chair.

He crossed between Ari and her father, caressing her arm in the process. A disgusted shiver rolled up her spine as the sleazebag left the room. Ariana felt queasy as she thought about their last time in each other’s presence.

“Ariana, what is it?” Her father’s irritate voice broke her out of her thoughts. Ari’s eyes shot to him, with an annoyed look once she realized he was irritate with her.

“I’m sorry that talking to your daughter is such a burden on you. Or you know, taking care of your fourteen year old daughter who has no one else,” Ari shot at him.

“Ariana. I don’t have time to play games,” he sighed, sounding bored.

“I don’t want him here. At all,” Ariana spat out, deciding to get right down to the point.

“Who? John?” Her father asked, letting out a laugh.

“Yes. John,” Ari scoffed.

“John is my lawyer, Ariana. Whenever he is here we are working on the case,” her dad said.

“I don’t want him anywhere near Robin,” she told him, angrily.

“He’s harmless,” her dad retorted. Ariana cringed with his words. If he only knew.

“I don’t want him here. Bottom line,” she told him.

“This is non-negotiable, Ariana. He is my lawyer,” her dad said sternly.

“Go to his god damn practice and have your meetings,” she yelled at him.

“And who will watch Robin?” He scoffed.

“Oh, you all of a sudden care now?” Ariana spat at him.

“Ariana, where is this hostility coming from?” Her dad asked, furrowing his brow.

“YOU AND MOM! You are the shittiest parents that Robin and I could have ever gotten! You both need to get your fucking shit together!” Ariana screamed at him.

“I’m not going to sit here and have you yell at me. If you’re not going to respect me, you can show yourself out of my house,” he told her sternly.

Ariana was about to lose it. She was about to totally lose her fucking shit.

“Just remember that when the shit hits the fan, Dad, you brought it on yourself. You and mom,” Ariana threatened him, right before she spun on her heels and stalked down the hallway toward Robin.

“And what’s the supposed mean?” He yelled after her.

“You’ll see!” Ari growled, pushing open the bedroom door where Robin was.

“What’s going on?” Robin asked, looking extremely worried.

“Nothing, nothing. I’m taking care of it,” Ariana told her as she moved toward her bed and sat down taking a deep breath.

“Why were you and dad yelling?” She asked.

“I just… I told him I didn’t want his lawyer here anymore and he didn’t like that,” Ariana explained, running her fingers through her hair.

“I’ll stay in my room. I won’t go out there when he’s here, Ari. Just… just don’t worry about it. I don’t want you to worry,” Robin said, looking pained.

“You’re my baby sister. I have to protect you,” Ari told her, which made Robin’s face contort even more with emotion.

“I don’t want you to worry, Robbie. Just go say hi to dad,” Ari sighed.

Robin got up from her bed and crossed the room toward Ariana, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

“I love you, Ari,” Robin said before she pulled back.

“I love you too, baby girl,” Ari said. Robin gave her a nod and walked out of the room to go find their father.

Ariana took a deep breath before she knelt down on the floor and reached under the bed, pulling out the small safe she purchased after her mother picked the lock of her lockbox. She wasn’t going to take any more chances. She knew her father wasn’t any good with money, but she also knew even he wouldn’t steal from his own daughter. Besides, if he did have any clue how much money she kept in her safe and wanted at it, it was secure enough that he’d never be able to get into it without some high priced explosives.

Ariana put in her code and opened the safe. The way she looked at things, she had two options. One: she could try to get her own apartment and pretty much just keep Robin there – not like their parents would mind or press charges or anything. Or two: she could go to Child Protective Services and try to get custody of Robin from her parents. With the way things were going, plan number one would likely blow up in her face and looking in her safe, she didn’t have a whole hell of a lot of cash to use toward an apartment. So she decided to go the legal route and bring some hell-fire down on their shitty excuse for parents. Maybe it would get their mother the help she so desperately needed.

Closing the safe, Ariana walked back out to the hallway and grabbed the last two bags she abandoned there and brought them into our room. She could hear Robin and her father having an animated conversation in the living room and didn’t hear that scumbag Turner, so she let herself have a moment to freshen up and get some peace before she went to start a war with the patriarch and matriarch of their family.

Ariana pulled out her phone and dialed Harry number.

“Hey, you,” he greeted her and she was certain she could hear his smile and it made her entire body tingle.

“Hey,” she breathed lowly.

“Did you and Robin get to your dad’s safely?” Harry asked.

“Safely isn’t exactly the word I would use,” Ariana grumbled.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“I’m fine. I just… I need to ask you for another favor. Well, not so much of a favor—” She started rambling – a nervous habit.

“Anything,” he said before she could finish.

“I just… I need those pictures from your camera. Of Robin. I need them, like now,” Ariana told him.

“Yeah, sure. I can meet you at my apartment, if you want,” he told her.

“That would be great,” Ariana said, taking a deep, relieved breath.

“I’ll see you in, what? Twenty minutes?” He asked.

“Twenty minutes,” she agreed and nodded her head.

“Alright, Ariana. I’ll see you,” he chuckled.

“Hey, Harry!” Ari said, trying to catch him before he hung up.

“Yes?” He asked.

“Thank you,” she told him with a relieved sigh.

“You’re welcome, Ariana,” he told her sincerely.

Ariana drove over to Harry’s apartment feeling the unnerving weight of her anxiety on her chest and running through every other part of her. Why was this her life? Why couldn’t she count on anyone to have her back for once? Why couldn’t she lean on her parents for support and guidance like a normal teenage girl could? Why wasn’t she thinking of college instead of how she was going to juggle seeing a boy around her busy whoring schedule?

Ariana almost didn’t notice Harry until he knocked on her car window after she parked in his apartment’s back lot. She was busy trying to regulate her breathing after the panic attack that swept through her.

“Oh, shit,” she gulped, startled by him.

“Sorry,” he said with a smirked, looking at her through the car window.

Ariana pulled the keys out of the ignition and grabbed her purse before opening the car door.

“Did I scare you? You look flush,” he said.

“It’s been a… a long day,” Ari sighed and Harry’s eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“It’s barely passed noon,” he pointed out.

“Then you can imagine how stressful it’s been,” she said, sending him a weak smile.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said, pulling her into his arms.

“It’s okay,” Arian said. It was her natural response. It’s okay – even when it wasn’t.

“So, what’s going on?” Harry asked, putting her at arm’s length only so he could looking into her eyes.

“My dad – he… god,” Ariana sighed, shaking her head. She could feel the anger bubble up inside of her again.

“He what?” Harry coaxed.

“He refuses to ban his lawyer from his apartment,” Ariana said, shaking her head.

“Wait. The guy who raped you?” Harry choked out.

“He… he didn’t rape me. But it wasn’t pleasant,” Ariana told him, shying her eyes away from his.

“Your dad – he should listen to you,” Harry said, seeming a little flustered.

“I know, but he won’t. So… so I have to take matters into my own hands,” Arian told him, finally meeting his eyes again.

“What are you going to do?” He asked, swallowing hard.

“I am going to get custody of Robin. I’m going to Child Protective Services with those pictures. I am going to use my father’s trial against him. I’m sick of this bullshit. I’m doing what needs to be done,” Ariana explained.

“Good. I’m proud of you,” Harry said, wrapping his arm around her as they walked toward his apartment.

Harry printed off the pictures of Robin for Ari. Just looking at them made her sick. Robin was only fourteen. And it was Ariana fault she even got hit. She took the pills from their mother – the pills she hid away in the back of her safe. She didn’t know why she held onto them. Maybe for leverage against her mother.

Reluctantly, Ariana grabbed the pictures and made her way toward Harry’s door. She knew she needed to act quickly. She didn’t want to risk leaving Robin with either one of her parents for longer than necessary.

“Hey, Ari,” Harry said. Ariana turned to look at him.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Harry asked, but she hesitated. She already felt guilty enough for bringing Harry into this at all.

“You deserve to have someone be there for you, Ariana. I can do that. I want to,” he told her, looking sincere. His words were enough to bring the sting of tears to her eyes.

“And besides, I was eye-witness to how distraught Robin was when we picked her up. I can back you up. I saw the bruise up close and personal,” Harry reminded her. With his words, Arian nodded and a smile worked across his face.

“Okay,” Ari breathed as she pulled open the apartment door.

Ariana and Harry sat in a waiting room in downtown Los Angeles for what seemed like forever. When they finally got called back, they were brought into a large room with was seemed like hundreds of cubicles. Welcome to Los Angeles Child Protective Services. Hundreds of social workers for millions of cases.

Ariana showed the county worker the pictures and explained both situations with her mother and her father. Then she explained she was seeking full custody of Robin. The woman then explained that without a job or a place to live, it wasn’t likely that Robin would be placed with her. A crippling fear shot through Ari. What did she just do? She clearly hadn’t thought it through. She brought CPS into the situation without thinking she wouldn’t have a chance in getting custody of Robin. Harry immediately grabbed onto Ariana’s hand when he saw her demeanor changed into fear.

“What—what’s going to happen to her? She’s—oh my god. She won’t be placed in foster care will she?” Arian choked out, feeling sick to her stomach. In her quest to help her sister, Robin was about to be ripped away from everything she knew.

“We try to place with a relative. That’s always our first option. If there are no relatives to take her or ones that aren’t willing to take the child, then yes, foster care would be the next option,” the lady told her.

“My… my grandparents. In San Diego. My dad said they might take her,” Ariana choked out.

“We will look into every possible option if the case pans out,” the woman said, nodding her head.

“If the case pans out!?” Ariana choked out, letting her rage engulf her. Harry squeezed her hand tightly.

“My mother is a drug addict, who smacked her fourteen year old daughter so hard, she left a massive bruise on her face. And my father is about to go to prison! What do you mean ‘if it pans out’!?” Ariana asked, raising her voice.

“Ariana,” Harry said in a soothing voice, pulling her back against the chair after nearly getting up out of it.

“Ma’am, we will definitely be sending social workers out to both your mother and your father’s homes. They will be interviewed and if we see neglect of any form, your sister will be removed from the situation immediately,” the social worker spoke in an even tone.

Ariana’s fear swallowed her whole as she and Harry exited the building some time later.

“Ari, are you okay?” Harry asked, gripping onto her hand.

“I’m going to lose her,” Ari choked out as the first tears streaked down her face.

“No, no. Ari, you’re not going to lose her,” Harry cooed, pulling her toward him.

“I am. I-I came here because I was mad. In a fit of anger, I practically gave my sister away,” Ariana said as she began to break down.

“Ari, no. Oh, love. Don’t cry,” Harry said, wrapping her in his arms on the steps of the county building as her tears consumed her.

Ariana sobbed into his shirt, thinking about how her days with Robin were now numbered. How she would have to work out some shitty visitation schedule with a social worker just to see her own god damn flesh and blood.

“Come on, love. Come on. I’ll drive home,” Harry cooed in her ear as he coaxed her down the steps toward the parking lot.

Once they arrived back at his apartment, Harry coaxed her upstairs because she was still a sobbing mess and he didn’t want her to drive home like that. He called Robin for her to see if she was alright, to see if that low-life scumbag was around still. He wasn’t thankfully. Harry told Robin that he would make sure Ariana got home safely and they ended their conversation.

“Robin’s alright,” Harry said, looking over at Ari as she stood leaning against his kitchen counter, wiping her teary eyes.

“Thank you,” she said weakly.

“You know, you don’t have to be strong all the time,” Harry said, walking over to her, wiping her fresh tears with pads of his thumbs.

“I’m glad you’re letting your emotions out. Bottling it up isn’t helping any,” Harry said, leaning in to kiss away the next tear that rolled out of her eye.

“Gahhh,” Ariana scoffed, wiping furiously at her eyes before she moved from his grasp.

“What?” He asked, turning to watch her start pacing.

“You’re-you’re perfect! God! It’s sickening! You’re fucking perfect and I’m not,” she growled and Harry chuckled. She stopped her pacing to stare at him incredulously.

“Ariana, perfect or not, I don’t see anyone but you,” Harry said, closing the gap between them. She just stared up into his perfect eyes on that perfect head on that perfect body.

Harry’s hands came up to grasp the sides of her face before he planted a breath-taking kiss on her lips.

“You know, I hate you,” she pouted with a slight smile on her lips.

“Why is that?” He smirked at her.

“Because you’re perfect,” she said with a hmph. Harry laughed out loud.

“Shut it,” he said and kissed her again.

Ariana didn’t get home until after dinner that night. She and Harry spent the afternoon cuddling, talking and kissing. And then he took her out for dinner, which was sweet. It was the first time they were really ever out with each other. And luckily for her, the paparazzi were down to a minimum.

That night after Robin was already tucked in and Ariana had just gotten out of the shower, ready to call it a night, she got a phone call on her business cell. She cringed as the ring tone ripped through the stillness of the bedroom.

“Fuck,” she huffed, grabbing it before dashing out of the bedroom in just her towel.

She took the call out on the patio, hoping no one would overhear her. It was her first John in days and she knew she had to take it, no matter what – no matter what she was feeling for a certain boy. She had to do it. The only concern that should have been running through her mind as she got ready was what the fast route to the Mondrian Hotel was. Rather, she couldn’t stop seeing Harry’s face – like he was haunting her.

She knew one thing was for sure – her guilt was going to consume her over this. And that was one thing she needed to be able to push aside – the guilt – or it was going to eat her alive.

Notes