THE UNKNOWN

[diwa]

'No,' Clarissa said after finally making Sage go back to sleep. 'I'll raise your baby.' She said immediately without thinking. 'Just don't go for abortion. He won't allow it, so as Nicolas. It is very unlikely of Apollo if he would abandon you in your whole pregnancy, true he's a douche but not that kind of a douchebag. After the delivery if you wish to keep it, then so be it. But if you don't want the kid, i'll raise it.'


Clarissa was not sure if this was going to be a long talk with Adrian but her mind is set.

 

[The Condescension]

She didn't say anything while the girl she just met talked about raising her child. She took a moment before speaking. "You do realize if Apollo wants nothing to do with me, which is what I'm expecting because that's just how men are. I won't be able to work after I start getting bigger, right? Even now I've had men call me fat before." She sighed. "If you really don't want me to have an abortion I'd have to either live with you, or you'd have to pay my rent to where I'm living. I'm trying to steal money off you but I'm living week to week and once I start making less I'll eventually go homeless."

 

[diwa]

'Not all men are like that,' Clarissa said, 'but that's exactly my plan if Apollo bail out on you. I'll provide the house and allowance you needed. We'll take you to monthly check ups, the works. The only thing you need to do is to keep the baby and yourself healthy. I'll handle everything else. Also you have to quit from your job starting now.' Clarissa added with a smile and promised herself that she'll do whatever she can just to help the girl.

 

[The Condescension]

"If your letting me live with you for free, then I'll stop going into work. Just know I'll probably never be able to pay you back." She said sitting back up, the serious subject matter they were talking about woke her up though she still felt a little tired. "I can keep myself healthy, I'm only assuming he'll leave me alone with this because I've got pregnant once before. I tried to keep it but with work it's stressful and hard. I couldn't afford it and the comments made at me made myself more stressed to a point I had a miscarrage. It just didn't work out, working as a stripper pregnant isn't smart. If you ever want to go for it." She snickered quietly.

 

[diwa]

'I don't want you to pay me back.' Clarissa shrugged at her. She moved around so that she was looking at her. 'I just want to help. Sudden and unwanted pregnancy is really a drag, but the results could be lovely.' Clarissa looled down at the baby in her arms and smiled warmly. 'Oh trust me, I have my fair share of stressing moments that almost made me wonder how's the baby alive.' She said with a playful smirk but then her expression turned solemn. 'i'm just glad that I didn't lose her. But i'm sorry for your loss.'

 

[The Condescension]

"It was probably for the better that I never had that child, I'm not the mother type." She shrugged, sighing quietly under her breathe. "You don't cross me as the type to have even been in a strip club. It isn't an easy job and the men that come are generally older, overweight and just shitty people. It's hard enough being a sterotypical female working in a club, men are grabby, some don't even tip. There's been nights where I've made no money. It's the only job I can get though, it pays decent enough for me at least."

 

[diwa]

'You're right. I've never been in one.' Clarissa said quietly, 'you may think that it may be better but to lose a child is still painful.' She can never thought how she'd feel if that happened to her. She'll probably go crazy or kill herself. 'Well now, you don't have to work in a club. Even after your baby is born. I can get you a decent job too.'

 

[The Condescension]

She shrugged. "It's addicting in a way, I'll probably go back to it. My family is the other girls." She giggled quietly, thinking for a minute. "Yeah, most likely. I've worked there and other clubs on and off for years. It's easy money, just be seductive." She shrugged, glancing out of the corner of her eye seeing Apollo and all the rest of the Achers following him for whatever reason.


Adrian just took a seat next to Clarissa, Nicolas standing next to Apollo watching him. "Are you sure the child is mine? I'm sure you fuck other men." It was truth to assume that, the way he said it didn't hold any respect.


"Yes sir." She said, her attention gone from Clarissa at this point staring up at Apollo.


"How?"


"You're the only one I've slept with recent-"


"Bullshit, you just want my money don't you?"


"No sir." She said, his comments clearly didn't bother her. The fact she still spoke to him with respect was amazing, she wasn't hot headed. Nicolas had a look of wanting to slap his son across the face.


Apollo eyes narrowed at the girl, he hate a look of pure hatred that Clarissa hadn't seen before from him, even when Dedrich was on his spree of messing with Adrian. Vera glanced away from him, standing up taking a step away from him looking like she was about to walk away instead was met with Apollos hand grabbing her messy pony tail yanking her back suddenly. "Stay the fuck away from me, I hate you." Nicolas surpising just watched though looked ready to kill his oldest.


"Yes sir." She muttered, still not looking at him. She wasn't hot headed like Clarissa that was sure. She would've walked away at this point clearly but Apollo was still holding her by her hair. Apollo probably was just trying to get a rise out of the girl for whatever reason, when she wasn't giving him what he wanted it just pissed him off even more.


His grip remained on her ponytail tightly, yanking back on it again to a point she was standing on her toes pushed up against him, Apollo being taller by at least over half a foot. Adrian looked ready to step in at this point but Apollo suddenly pushed her to the ground, Nicolas getting too pissed off at this point.


"Give me your car keys, Apollo." He was completely serious in punishing his oldest grown son like a child.


"No I'm a grown ma-" He was cut off by his dad yanking him by his ear and got his car keys out of his pocket before letting go him. "Walk home. Touch the woman carrying your child like that again and I will personally make sure you don't do it again." He said, watching Vera stand up and walk away without a word, she clearly didn't want to fight with him. She seemed fine; not even shooken up by the angry Apollo.

 

[diwa]

'Just remember, you don't have to go back if you don't want to.' Clarissa shrugged at her. Her eyes followed Vera's and sure enough the family discussion was over. She smiled at Adrian as he sat beside her.


Her smile vanished when she saw Apollo's hateful eyes glared at Vera's direction. The way he talked to the girl was downright rude and disrespectful. Clarissa never saw Apollo like that before. To her, Apollo was the laid back one, the playful one. The calm one when Adrian was temperamental. He could be a sleaze and obtuse most of the times but she never heard him snapped and get pissed beyond control at someone before.


Even when Deidrich is included.


Clarissa was amazed at how Vera was handling things, if that was her, she'll match the temper tantrum he's showing, probably go overboard because of the things he said, she'll probably kneed the man in the groin for accusing her of such things. But Vera was different, she was calm and collected, years of working with shitty people probably trained her for this moment.


Vera was about to walk away when Apollo pulled her by the hair. Clarissa wanted to scream at him but she held her mouth. She felt Adrian tensed beside her. Ready to butt in whenever needed. Acher sibling and pulling hair. Seriously. What the hell. Clarissa said to herself as she continued to watch Apollo rant away. She find it a girly and annoying move.


'Hey!' Clarissa can't stop herself from screaming when Apollo pushed Vera on the ground. And thankfully, that was the last straw for Papa Acher.


Nicolas punishing Apollo was a sight to be seen, Clarissa would probably laughed out loud at how Nicolas treated his first born like a child but this were serious matter. She wasn't the one being bullied by Apollo but she felt a sudden gratification at Nicolas's punishment. She actully felt that he deserves more punishment than walking home.


Clarissa handed Sage to Adrian without saying a word as she ran to follow Vera. 'Are you alright?' She muttered when she caught up with her.

 

[The Condescension]

Adrian took Sage willing, not saying a word back to her knowing that Clarissa had just made a best buddy and could use this time to bond with his daughter.


Vera contiuned to walk as Clarissa caught up with her, her hands were reached up behind her taking her hair down out of the pony tail. "Yes I'm fine." She said, rubbing the back of her head. Her hair was long, about down to butt pretty much how she had got her hair in a bun with just one hair tye was a mystery. "I'm walking home you know, so if you're wanting to follow me all the way there be my guest but I'm assuming you don't."

 

[diwa]

'You don't have to walk.' Clarissa said as she followed her. 'I can drive you. You can't strain yourself, as you know it is bad for the baby.' She reasoned out. Clarissa felt bad about how Apollo treated her. Since it was Apollo who drive her to the hotel and he no longer had a car, Clarissa wanted to help out.

 

[The Condescension]

She stared at her and sighed, her walking stopped as she just stood there looking at her. "I'm more than just a pregnant person, but alright fine. Drive me home or whatever." She said, still rubbing the back of her head. "I don't think walking a few miles is that awful."

 

[diwa]

'Right!' Clarissa beamed at her 'wait here, I need to get something.' Clarissa ran back to the pool area and found the Achers still there. She ran on Adrian's side, 'I need your keys again.' She smiled at him as she fished herself the keys from the front of his jeans, not bothering on waiting for his reply. 'I'll be back. Love you both.' Clarissa kissed him on his cheeks and Sage by her hair.


She ran again back at Vera, with a smile she led her to the parking area where Adrian's silver jaguar was parked. She unlocked the doors and head towards the driver's seat. 'Get in.' She said at Vera as she climb inside the car.

 

[The Condescension]

She followed her closely and stared at the car for a moment before getting in the passenger seat. "I need to go to the club I work and let the owner know I'll no longer be able to work." She paused, staring over at Clarrisa. "He might have me work the weekend until he gets a new dancer." She shrugged. "I'm fine with working this weekend, would you like to go to the club with me?" She snickered quietly. "You can say you've been to a club then."

 

[diwa]

'Just tell me the directions, will you.' Clarissa buckled her seatbelt and started the ignition. Again with the elation of driving filled her heart. But she didn't went over sixty for the sake of new found acquaintance. 'Adrian will pull out his hair if I he knew I went in that kind of place.' Clarissa laughed, but then she looked back at Vera with a horrified expression knowing what she said, ' I'm sorry! I meant no offense. I really am sorry.' Her eyes went back on the road as she weave through the traffic. 'We'll talk to the management and make a deal of some sort. But you're not going back there tonight.'

 

[The Condescension]

"No, don't be sorry. I know that strip clubs aren't the place for people in relationships." She laughed quietly. "I've heard much much worse. I'll call and talk to the owner, again they keep a certain number of dancers there for some reasons so when people don't show up or quit it's hard for someone to take there place. It's just tonight and the next night, I can see if I can get the day shift if that'll make you feel better. Days tend to be much slower than days."

 

[diwa]

'Alright, i'll go along with you.' Clarissa said as she made a quick left. 'Hang on, day?' Clarrisa's brow was raised. A silly grin was etched on her lips. 'Men still go to a strip club during the day? Sorry that's the first time i've heard of it.' She giggled at her. 'Oh, sorry but I gotta ask, how did Apollo learned you were pregnant by the way?'

 

[The Condescension]

"I called him, I actually 'see' him quite often." She snickered quietly. "I have his number, as he has mine." She said telling her the directions to her house. The directions she gave her lead her to the edge of the city and into the area of town that wasn't the best you could put it nicely. That one area you always knew not to drive through or even go around because of the crime rate being so damn high, it was to be expected she couldn't afford much better.

 

[diwa]

'Oh.' Clarissa giggled at her. She honsetly thought that Apollo was swinging the other way, she remembered Adrian and his joke about sending his older brother to a gay bar. What happened to Clarissa and him, she thought that was just out of whim. Just for fun. Now she knew that Apollo swing both ways.


Vera guided her, pointing directions as to where she lives. They ended up in the edge of the city. Old rundown buildings, shabby apartments, couple of homeless gathering around the fire. It was one of the last place Clarissa would go. 'Are you living alone?' She asked as her as she carefully look around.

 

[The Condescension]

"Right now, yes. I typically have a roommate but they just moved out a little while ago." She pointed to her house for to pull into her driveway. When she did she got out of the car, her house didn't have a garage her car was an older one. It was a white somewhat rusted 1994 buick century custom.


She went up to the stairs to her house, going up to the front door and pulled the keys to her house out of her bra before going inside holding the door open to her house. The inside of her house smelled like cheap incenses and candles which wasn't that bad to be honest, kind of nice in its own way. There was an upstairs though it was small, way smaller than her and Adrians old home. It was actually fairly clean too, some stuff here and there but it wasn't awful like you'd probably expect. "I would've cleaned up more but make yourself at home.. If you get hungry I have Ramen and water." She laughed quietly. Her front door lead to her living room had the steps off to the left corner, on the right it was an open area that went to the kitchen.

 

[diwa]

Clarissa stepped inside Vera's home. It wasn't what she had in mind, she thought that Vera's apartment is going to be dirty, disorganized, maybe some laundry strewn all over the place, sink is littered with dirty dishes. But it wasn't. Thought it wasn't exactly well kept, the place is neat and tidy. Scented candles lingered in the air. Couple of furnitures were inside.


'No, i'm good.Thanks, though.' Clarissa called out to her as she stepped over a table and sat on the couch.

 

[The Condescension]

She nodded, shutting the door behind her and locked it. She sat her house keys on a table in the living room next to the couch. "I'm going to go call the owner of the club and see if I'll actually have to work tonight." She said before running upstairs, leaving Clarissa downstairs alone to do whatever she wanted for about ten minutes.


When she came back downstairs her hair was pulled back up finally from where Apollo had pulled on it. "Yeah I have to finish this week, so tonight and tomorrow then I'm jobless." She said as she sat down on the couch next to Clarissa. "So, how are you?"

 

[diwa]

She ended up having to text Adrian where she was when Vera left her. Clarissa already missed Sage as she looked at the screensaver on her phone. It was the first picture of the three of them back at the hospital. She and Adrian was still wearing their hospital gowns.


Clarissa didn't noticed that Vera was back. Not until she walked back in the living room. 'That's good news.' Clarissa said with a smile as she pocketed her phone. 'I'm good. How about you? As you know Apollo wasn't exactly always like that.'

 

[The Condescension]

"I'm tired and trying not to pass out on you at this point." She smiled over at her. She had about four hours of sleep, worked a 6 hour shift last night and was pregnant. Clarissa being tired just naturally from being pregnant, when she was, and wasn't even working or anything, able to sleep all day if she wished it. "Apollo was nice to me for the most part when we would see each other. He wasn't rude or anything like I've had to deal with before. I've dealt with worse than people just pulling my hair and pushing me down." She paused looking over at a clock she had hanging on the wall. "If I fall asleep wake me up at around 1 pm or so. I was going to bleach my hair and a bunch of other shit today. We'll leave here around 10:30, my shift starts at 11."

 

[diwa]

The way Vera described Apollo was somehow not that hard for Clarissa to imagine. She saw that even if he wasn't serious most of the time, he can show compassion to other people. He can be concerned and kind if he wanted to. Apollo can be responsible, Clarissa saw that when Adrian was dying and she was forever grateful for Apollo. Though maybe they were the reason it happened, but still he helped.


'Go to sleep, you look like a zombie walking.' Clarissa laughed 'i'll be fine here. Might crash on the couch while you are sleeping too but that's fine. Don't mind me. Got to bed.' She insisted on her.