I open my eyes to see Isis rustling around the room. I sit up and stretch and wipe my eyes trying to adjust to the light. "Isis what are you doing?" I ask as I drop my hand on my lap.

"I should punch that bitch in his Medulla Oblongata." She mumbles not paying attention to me.

"My anatomy is a little murky but did you just say you should punch someone in the back on the head?" I ask as she frenzies around the room.

"Sorry hun. I'm trying to get ready for my shift, and I can't find my favorite bustier bra." She opens a drawer and starts to rustle in there.

I stand up from the bed, and look outside to see all the star in the night sky. The city was lit up beautifully. All these car riding past. The pedestrians are tasting the night life. This is how life should be for me. I can't help to wonder about back home. I feel ashamed to have just up and left my friends, my brothers, and Theo. I never gave him a goodbye. I probably broke his heart so bad once I left. I'm probably presumed dead by now. Maybe it's for the best. I walk away from the window and fall back on the bed. Did I mention it's Christmas eve. I'm homesick I'll be turning 20 March 8th. I sit back up, and start to clean the dirt from my nails. I totally forgot about Isis. She puts her hand on my shoulder and I jump.

"Calm down soldier. It's just me." She says placing her hands in the air.

"I'm sorry I was just thinking about things." I say sulking.

"You want to talk about it?" She says rubbing my back up and down.

"No. I don't really have any recollection of it now." I say as I stand up again trying to cheer up. "So you work on Christmas?" I ask trying to change the topic.

"Money doesn't stop coming because of some old holiday." She shrugs.

I gasp. "This is supposed to be a jolly time." I say trying to convince even myself that I care.

"The only present I've ever gotten was a bun in the oven." She says causing me to laugh.

"Ahhh I finally got a smile from you. You know it takes more muscles to frown than to smile."

I nod "and I also know that the people that smile the most hide the most pain." I say and she frowns.

"You're a real buzz kill kid." She turns around and picks up her heels.

I go over to my bag and pull out the black polo shirt with the white joggers, and the Jordan oreos Isis copped me. My first pair ever. I hope they are real. I walk over to the mirror, and I pick out my hair again.

"Put some of that curling gel in your hair." She says and I examine the dresser top for the gel.

"I just take a handful and rub it in my hair?" I ask, looking back at her and twisting the top off.

"Yeah..."

I take some of the gel, and put it on my palm. I rub my hands together, and I start to spread the gel in my hair. It really works fast because my hair started to curl in all the right places and I must say I looked good.

"Are you ready to go?" Isis asks me and I was ready to go.

We walk down the stairs to the door, and head outside. The alley was dark as always, and once we hit the main street I saw how beautiful the illuminated lights looked. All the Christmas decorations were shining brightly, and I myself couldn't have been more amazed. Isis and I started walking the opposite direction of which Andreas and I went to the corner.

"It's crazy how Little Dell's is only 12 minutes away." She laughs and I shrug.

"I'd rather drive. It's still a walk."

"You just lazy boy..." She says and I ignore her comment.

Once we reach Little Dell's I look and it's a long line stretching down the block. These people must not have any family or somewhere better they can be. It's Christmas eve and they're spending it at a strip club. Shame shame shame. We walk to the back of the club, and Isis opens the door. By my own curiosity I had to ask.

"Can anyone just come to the side and through that door?" I ask still trying to follow behind her through the darkness.

"No. The bouncers have eyes everywhere. Trust me."

I nod as if she could see me, and continue to follow her voice. I didn't realize we had a reached a long hallway until I saw a light from under a door on the side. She opens the door, and I covered my eyes to expose them to the light slowly. When I opened my eyes we were in a big empty dressing room, filled with mirrors. I walk in marveled at the sight. Isis immediately walked over to one of the mirror stations and started unpacking her make-up. I walk over to the station, and stand beside her. She sits down and starts to arrange her make up on how she would put it on.

"What you staring at kid?" She says opening her makeup brush.

"What do you want me to do?" I ask trying to fight my boredom.

"You could go wander around. I really don't care. We aren't gonna open for another hour or so. Cut on all the lights while you are out there. It's a TV in the main lounge I think Polar Express is on." She said and I stare at her for a brief second.

"I'm going to act like you didn't say that." I say as I am walking out of the dressing room.

Once the door closes, I am in the dark hallway once more. I place my hand on the wall sliding around for a light switch. I couldn't feel one. I started to get frustrated. I was about to scream when I finally felt a switch, a bunch of them actually. I flipped one up and the hall light came on. The décor was beautiful. The walls were velvet and black which added a suspicious, sexy, type feel. The doors were black and ominous with a sense of mystery as to what goes on behind them. I flicked on another light, and the lights to the glass cabinets on the wall came on. I am utterly amazed. I then decided to cut on all the lights at the same time. Everything lit up once I did and I was so amazed. I started walking down the rest of the hallways until I came faced with a curtain. I walk through it, and I enter a giant space of tables, chairs, stages, and poles. I walk up the stairs to the stage and I walk straight towards the pole. I feel it up, and down, sliding my hands onto the coldness of it. On impulse. I pulled myself up, and twirled down. I found this to be fun.

I jumped up the pole again and flipped myself upside down, holding with my legs, and sliding down slowly.

"You're a natural." Isis says causing me to lose my grip and fall.

"Oww." I rub the back of my head.

Isis is in the background laughing. "I'm sorry I scared you." She says walking up to the stage.

"I bet..." I groan as I sit up. "That was fun though."

"I bet it was. Too bad you won't be on it anytime soon." She says motioning for me to come off stage.

"Why not?" I ask, walking down the stairs of the stage to meet her.

"Because Daddy Mac has taken a liking to you, and you can't strip. You have to graduate to that." She explains.

I nod and move on with the subject. "So what will I be doing tonight?" I ask.

She looks at me and shrugs. "Tonight I just want you to watch and learn." She smirks at the last part.

My eyes get big. "Watch what?"

She laughs and walks off.

"Isis.....Isis.... Watch what?" I ask once more.

*********

The club is packed and I'm sitting at a table drinking some coke. The strippers that were in here were....... Talented you could say. Isis explained to me that the men strip on another side of the club. All you have to do is walk through one of the black doors in the back to be on that side. This side is for the women strippers. I guess that is why the line was so long full of men and women. The men in here were extra as hell. Isis promised me we would go over to the male side, and see what they are doing. Which ever side I like the most is the side I would be working on.

"Now introducing two girls you all know well. You know them and you love them let's welcome out Mahogany and Ruby"

I spit out my drink once I see Isis walking onto the stage wearing her stripper costume followed by a cute light skinned girl. The music by Luke and The Two Live Crew begins, and Isis starts to dance. I'm impressed. I really didn't take Isis as being a stripper I thought she fucked around with Johns. I got so lost in my own mind, that I didn't even notice Isis and the other women were on full on lesbian mode. They were eating each other on stage in front of all these people. Is that what strippers do? The amount of money on the stage was ridiculous. I got up to use the bathroom, so I went to the back area to where I thought the bathrooms were. I opened one of the doors and I was in a dark room. I heard different type of music so I walked through the other door in the room where I saw light coming from. Once I opened the door I was surprised to see the male part of the club. This side was packed as well. I was walking and saw scantily clad men walking around in jock straps and thongs. I began looking around, and this side, I must say, has a whole different vibe to it. It was more sweaty and intimate on this side. I walked over to the bar, and I sat down.

"Can I get you something cutie?" The bartender asked me.

"No I'm fine. Thanks." I smile and he walks away.

The music in here was more upbeat versus in the female part it was more slow and sensual. I didn't know that male strippers could do some of the things they were doing in here.

"Okay now tonight is one of the nights where we do amateur nights. We need three participants to come up on stage." The DJ says interrupting the music.

It was scattered conversations all around, and only one person had gone up on stage.

"We need two more." The DJ announced

I look around the crowd and decided most of these people were ugly. I took a leap of courage and decided to go up.

Walking up to the stage I felt as If all eyes were on me. I was the third person to go up and everyone watched in anticipation.

"Alright this is how this will go. I'm gonna play a song, you have 3 minutes to dance or do whatever you will. Any money you make bring it to the booth and we will count it up. You will get to keep your earnings. If you are the winner the person with the most money is the winner and gets a thousand dollar bonus in addition to your earnings."

We all start to clap and whoop. This was a good thing. I step off stage to let the first dude go up. He was tall, dark and skinny. I saw no competition. He started dancing to The crowd was murmuring and he got a few bills. I could tell he was getting frustrated. Honestly, he wasn't using the pole to his advantage.

The music ended he collects his funds, and walked angrily off the stage. The second boy went up, and I examined him. He was cute. He had dreads, he was light skinned, and had a little meat on him. The music for him began, and he was dancing to Time the music started up he immediately jumped on the poles, and slid down. The crowd go hype as the dollar bills started falling. He really just kept climbing and dropping the whole time. I give him his credit though. I decided I had to beat him. I went to the back where the bathroom was, and took off my joggers. I only had on my black tight boxer briefs, my shirt, and my Jordan's. So, I was officially in all black and sexing it up. They never said we couldn't show a little skin.

"Contestant number 3 where you at?" I hear the DJ calling and I didn't even realize the music had stopped. I began walking back out, fixing my drawers riding up, and I maneuvered through the crowd to the stage. These men were eyeing me up and down lustfully. "Damn baby." Some few bystanders said as I made my way to the stage.

"Uh oh. He pulled out all the stops.You ready baby boy?" He asks me and my heart begins to pound at the silence and the scattered conversation.

I nod and he starts up the music from the middle.

I start swaying my hips back and forth to the beat, and letting loose.

I walk over to the pole, and grab ahold of it walking around it in a sexy manner. I bite my lip, and drop down in front to the pole.

I start rocking my hips back and forth. Making each cheek jump at the same time while squatting. I didn't even know I could do that.

I hop back up and grab on to the pole to pull myself up. I lick the pole as I'm climbing up for more effect.

Once I reach the top I flip myself upside down, and start to suck on my finger as I slide down slowly, with no hands.

I sit myself up, and grab onto the pole once more to catch my balance. I hop off, and take my shirt off throwing in in the crowd.

I drop down to my knees and crawl over to the audience who is going crazy, and I'm surrounded with dollars all around me. I pull up a random dude from the crowd and lay him down.

I start to bounce on his dick, and grind on him with his hands on my hips. He was really enjoying it.

Right as I turn around to kiss him the music stopped. I looked up and got off of him. The crowd was going wild, and I hadn't noticed. I was really into it. I look down at all the money, and began to smile big. I totally forgot the dude was on the stage. I reached out my hand to help him up, and he grabbed it pulling himself up. His erection was obvious and I just giggled at it.

"Alright baby boy collect your money and come to the booth." The DJ announced.

I started picking up my money, and then I started feeling all types of hands digging in my underwear, putting more bills in.

I smiled and walked off of the stage. Once I got to the booth I gave the DJ the money, and he counted it up.

"Alright we have a winner.!" He says to me and gets back on the mic.

"Okay Okay. Settle down." He says and the crowd goes mute with anticipation. "The first boy made a total of $43" He says and the crowd began to boo. It was funny, he handed the money to the boy, and he stomped off. "The second contestant made a total of $205" The crowd clapped and the boy took his money, and waited to see what I made or if he won. "The last contestant. Lord, the last contestant made.... A total of $302. He is the winner!"

The crowd began to clap and I jumped up and down excited. The second boy wasn't a hater, he gave me a high five, and a hug.

"You made a total of $302 plus $1,000. In all you have $1,302 dollars. You lucky we sanitize everything in here thoroughly because I wouldn't be licking no public poles." He joked. I was happy when he handed me the money. I walked away from the booth, and went to find my shirt and pants when I got stopped by someone.

"So you did what I told you not to do huh?" Isis says looking at me disappointed...