Alpha’s Virgin Stripper

Jojo:

“Ley! Ley!” I called, or rather, screamed out. I held a big box that contained all her toys and some of her clothes. I needed her to hurry up and take her things to the living room. Where Mel would pack everything in a giant box and the truck drivers outside would move it into the truck.

Then we would leave. Leave the house, leave the pack and all its memories behind. Mel, Valerie, my mother, and I would finally be able to have a new and fresh start. We would be away from the place that had caused us pain, the place that bore nothing other than immense suffering and constant disappointment. I could be away from alpha Lake forever.

I had also pleaded with Ashley to keep our discussion as a secret. Word was known to spread around Rush Empire faster than fire. I did not want the alpha to ever know where I was.

“Ley!” She had still not answered me, so I made it my point of duty to get the box to the living room by myself. I did not understand why she wouldn’t let the stuffed animals go by giving them out to the orphanage or even putting them up for yard sale. Mel and I had tried to talk her into it times without number, but Valerie remained adamant.

I walked out of our room and began my journey to the living room, but something stopped me halfway. It was Valerie’s soft voice, speaking to someone I could not see from where I stood. The door of the guest room was half opened, but when I looked down, I could see the legs of an older woman.

Something in me struck my heart, causing it to melt in my chest. Valerie was speaking to my mother and I could hear the pain and all the numerous wishes in her voice.

“Jojo says that you cannot really remember us, but that’s okay. I know that you’re not really feeling well and you’ll get better someday. I’m just really happy that you agreed to come with us. I mean…” She sniffed in her tears while her lips spread out in a thin smile, but it was a sad one. I could see it in her little oval eyes.

She touched my mother’s feet gently. When I peeped further into the room, I saw the blankness in my mother’s stare. There was no confusion, no fear, no warmth, not even nonchalance.

She had been like that since I brought her here. Our mother had gone from stubbornly refusing to eat anything, to not speaking to anyone at all. Not me, not Mel and not Valerie. Of all of us, I knew Valerie hurt the most. She had looked forward to seeing our mother all her life, to feeling her motherly touch, hearing her beautiful songs and lullabies.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

I could not blame her for the tears that ran down her eyes freely, I could feel the sting in mine as well.

“Jojo! Mrs. Smith just called!” Mel’s voice rang a bell in my head. The shock almost caused me to drop the box in front of the room door, but I managed to scurry away before it happened.

Mel’s eyes narrowed on me when she saw me step into the living room with tears in my eyes. She looked over my shoulder, as if hoping to see the reason why I was crying behind me. When she didn’t see anything, she dropped the phone in her hands and walked over to me. She helped me place the box on the ground.

Her brown eyes danced around my face with a tenderness that weakened me. I placed my head on her right shoulder and allowed myself weep. I cried in silence, the only evidence of my tears being the salty drops that dropped on her white chiffon shirt. Mel’s slim arms wrapped around my thin waist, she pulled me deeper into her embrace. I allowed myself melt against her chest.

She ran her soft hands down my back, while patting me gently.

“We’ll be okay, Jojo. I know we will. You have to stop worrying too much about these things. We would be okay, everything would make sense very soon, you’ll see.” She tried to reassure me, but I was not very sure it was working.

“I’m just so tired of seeing her like that. She’s so unhappy, Mel. I have not seen Valerie smile since our mother returned. I hate to see the hopelessness in her eyes, I hate to see it. I don’t know… I don’t know if it was a good idea to wake mama up. Valerie was happier when she wasn’t awake.”

I felt Mel stiffen against my grasp. She pulled me off her gently and stared into my teary eyes. Her lips quivered, she had a deep frown on her face.

“Don’t Jojo. Don’t ever speak or think like that again, do you understand me? You did what you could, you really did. You are the best sister and daughter anybody can ever ask for. You can never make a mistake when it comes to the ones you love, Jojo. You better believe in yourself, because I believe in you.”

When she finished speaking, my eyes had dried. I forced myself to smile, at least for her sake. She could see through the fake smile, but she flashed me a genuine one.

“That’ll do. Now, go get Valerie. Mrs. Smith said we need to be at the restaurant by 10 sharp.” She instructed. I watched as she turned away from me and returned to the heap of boxes in front of us.

When I turned my back, Valerie was already pushing mother’s wheelchair to the living room. My mother had still not said a word, but her silence was the least of things on my mind, especially at this point.

“Ley, go stay with the truck outside. Jo and I would take care of mama.” Mel said aloud. She must have seen how dejected seeing the both of them stand together made me feel.

Valerie did not object. She walked past Mel and I before dashing out of the door.

In an hour, we were done packing and our belongings were in the truck. Mel handed the keys over to our caretaker and I got into a taxi with my mother, while Ley and Mel took the truck to Smith’s diner.

When we got there, Mrs. Smith already had a Hilux parked and waiting for us. Our driver helped us move our goods from his truck to the Hilux, while Mel and I discussed with Mrs. Smith and Valerie stayed with our mother.

“So…” Mrs. Smith began speaking to us, while we stood in front of the closed restaurant.

“We’re really doing this, huh?” She asked. Her blue eyes danced between Mel and I. I could tell I was not the only one who was nervous about leaving something behind.

“Yes, yes we are,” Mel replied. She reached out for my right hand and squeezed it gently. I turned to her and she smiled at me.

“So, I know that you might want to retire from the restaurant soon, so I made arrangements for a place where you can stay with your family.” Mrs. Smith continued.

Mel and I exchanged glances.

“Oh! Ma’am, you really didn’t have to…”

“That’s incorrect.” She cut in, holding out a finger to Mel and I.

“I absolutely had to, my dear. There is a two-storied building I bought. I would take the first floor as my painting studio, for my art. And you can stay in the ground floor for as long as you like. If you do not wish to live there later on, you could always rent a good place with your… retirement fund.”

I opened my mouth to object, but she was quicker.

“Look, I know how tough new beginnings can be. Allow me make yours a little bit easier. What do you girls say?”

She seemed genuinely willing to help. Mel and I exchanged glances before we turned our eyes to Valerie and my mother.

“We would be delighted to begin this fresh start with you, Mrs. Smith.” I heard Mel say.

I did not object, because I agreed.

I was truly delighted to begin my fresh start with all of them.

She smiled and turned away from us.

“Is everything in the trunk now?!” She called out. Mel and I watched as three able bodied men continued to move things from one vehicle to another.