Five Trailers, Lot E

"Susan Ger...that, that's my trailer!" Linda said, sitting up and focusing on the image of her trailer, engulfed in flames.

"Welcome back. Here on planet Earth, we had a fire," her neighbor snapped. "God, woman, just how much did you drink tonight?"

"Not enough," Linda said, now remembering she'd seen her husband, her dead husband earlier that night.

Sydnee had been sick, too sick to eat the Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable soup. Because of the recent bout of flu going around, they'd been extremely short-handed at the Elgee Walmart and Linda had been exhausted when she'd dragged herself into the trailer.

After her third Nulough's vodka and seven-up, after checking on the sleeping Sydnee, Linda had fixed her fourth drink when suddenly, a loud boom had tossed her around in the kitchen. She had slammed into a wall then slid to the floor. And Ralph was there, smiling his happy, goofy smile. She had hated him, resented him, but, God bless the man, he was always so damned happy to see her, so fucking damned happy to see her and their three brats.

"Ralph, I, I'm so sorry," Linda sobbed out as Performance 12 switched over to the Weather report.

"Yeah, well, Ralph says time for you to go to sleep," the neighbor snapped. "Ralph says you need to sleep it off, hear?"

Linda had been released from the hospital and was given temporary housing at the DeGarde Inn; Young Insurance was picking up half of the costs and a generous outpouring of support from the local community was paying the rest. Sydnee and Susan were in the hospital; their flu had worsened and both were in danger of dehydration.

"Well, that's one way to get the latest and greatest IPhone," Danny Gerrard smirked, sitting in a chair when Susan woke from yet another fevered sleep.

"Huh? Hi Uncle Danny," Susan asked, smiling at the sight of her uncle.

"Uh huh, someone stepped on it, got her blood all over the screen, which of course, she cracked it when she stepped on it," Uncle Danny said.

"Aw!" Susan whined. "My phone? It's ruined?"

"And, Sweetheart, I saw that interview," Uncle Danny said, eyes filling with tears. "If I gave you a million dollars a day for the rest of my life, I could never repay you the joy and the love you've given to me; you and your brother. So, uh, why don't we just call it even, hear?"

"Okay," Susan whisperd

Miss Rose bought Susan a brand new cell phone to replace the damaged one. And, insisted, demanded, ordered Danny to move into their house; the trailer was damaged from the blast and further damaged by the hundreds of gallons of water the fire fighters pumped onto it, trying to keep it from burning.

While Susan was moving into her 'new sister's' room, while Daisy was thrilling at having a new sister, Brenda Jo was standing in the lobby of First National Bank of Benhurst. A local Save-Well Department Store had sold her some new clothing and a rolling suitcase that now held her backpack, duffel bag and Raggedy Ann doll. Her old cell phone had been 'misplaced' in a Greyhound bus station in April Falls, Kansas. Brenda Jo did not know if anyone had survived the blast, did not know if anyone was looking for her but did not want them to have her cell phone to trace back to her.

Brenda Jo knew she could not deposit all eighty seven thousand dollars the duffel bag contained. Her Raggedy Ann doll had an additional four thousand seven hundred and forty three dollars secreted within it.

"Next!" a handsome young man called out and Brenda Jo wheeled up to his window.

"Need open me a bank account yeah," Brenda Jo said.

"Yes ma'am," the young man smiled uncertainly; to him, the cute young lady sounded mentally challenged, special.

Brenda Jo decided nine hundred dollars would do to start. She also requested a large safe-deposit box.

"So, where do you dance at?" the young man asked as he tapped rapidly on his keyboard.

"Huh?" Brenda Jo asked.

"Nine hundred, in cash? AN out of state ID? No local address? Dancer!" the young man said, counting the crumpled dollars she'd handed to him.

"Um, was at that Sugar Shack," Brenda Jo said, naming a Gentlemen's Club from back home. "Where the best one 'round here?"

"Club Landslide, without a doubt," the young man said.

"Perfect," Brenda Jo thought. "Dancing would give me a reason to have all that cash."

David Penny didn't even look at the beautiful brunette's application. He let her sit and watch a few dancers then told her to be back the next day at two o'clock and be prepared to move quickly.

"By the way? Brenda uh, Broussard? What's your dancer's name?" David asked, finally pulling his eyes from her impressive chest to her eyes.

"Joee," Brenda Jo said. "Joee Neaux. N e a u x."

"Like it. Don't ask me why. I just like it," he smiled.

He did notice that Brenda Jo, Joee did not return his smile. He did notice, for the millisecond that he'd looked at her eyes, there had been no life in them.

The local Save-well sold Brenda Jo some camisole tops and matching G-string panties. The shoe Department had some four inch heels; she bought a pair of sandals and a pair of pumps.

"Yes, Allison, I know, you want those boots. You're not getting those boots. No Allison, I don't care it had the matching jacket," a mother fussed at her sullen teenaged daughter. "No sixteen year old girl needs thigh high suede boots."

"Man, don't mean interrupt no, but where them boots?" Brenda JO asked.

"Leather West, right there on forty nine," the mother said, pointing in the general direction of the store.

"It's a kit; you make them yourself," the daughter pouted. "It would be so cool."

Leather west had two kits left and Brenda Jo was thrilled that the black suede and the red leather thigh high boot kits were in her size so bought both kits. There was also a black suede jacket kit and a red leather bomber jacket kit in her size. She bought matching black suede material and red leather material and some iron on Velcro to fashion micro miniskirts.

The Home Comfort Inn was home for now; Brenda Jo figured once she'd established herself as a dancer, she'd have enough money to rent an apartment without raising suspicion. Most young women were not carrying around thousands of dollars in various denominations. But, after a few days, she'd have enough in her new bank account to legitimately rent an apartment, rent some furniture, buy some pots and pans and have a kitchen to cook herself a meal in.

The television played a music station; there was a satellite feed that had different genres available. Sitting cross legged on the bed, Brenda Jo worked on her led leather thigh high boots.

"Man, tired all these drunks," Brenda Jo said, switching from 'Top-40 Country' to 'Classic Rock.'

As Brenda Jo labored, Sydnee and her mother shopped at Babbage's Department Store in Bender, Louisiana. Dan and Jenna Bancroft had given the mother and daughter a five thousand dollar gift card to replace the clothing they'd lost in the fire. Linda's hands shook horribly as she assisted Sydnee in trying on a pair of jeans; Sydnee's cast went from knee to foot.

"God damn I want a fucking drink," Linda thought as Sydnee nodded with satisfaction at her reflection.

Cabrini High School had given Susan permission to wear slippers; her feet were bandaged from the numerous cuts she'd received as she ran through glass and clam shells. Miss Rose had bought Susan a pair of bunny slippers, and a pair of fuzzy sandals with ciss-cross straps. The fuzzy slippers were bad enough, but the fact that they were fluorescent pink really drew attention to Susan's feet.

"I swear to God; I hear one more person whisper 'hero,' I'm going to scream," Susan whispered as they stood in line to get their lunches.

"Hero," Samuel whispered.

"Butt hole!" Susan said, slapping him on his shoulder.

"Hero," Daisy whispered, then ducked behind Samuel.

"Hey!" Samuel laughed when Susan gave him a second slap.

"That's for your girlfriend," Susan explained.

"Cute slippers," someone said.

"Thanks! Miss Rose got them for me," Susan said, lifting up her foot to show off her bright pink fuzzy slippers.

"God, another stupid Student Assembly?" Daisy, Samuel, Susan and a few other students groaned as Father Brighton's voice crackled over the intercom, announcing a Student assembly scheduled for two o'clock that afternoon.

"Oh, you never know," Sister Andrea said, walking past. "This might be one of the smart assemblies."

"Exponentially unlikely," Samuel quipped and was rewarded with a smirk from the teacher.

"Samuel, I can carry my own tray," Susan argued.

"Wow! I can too!" Samuel said, not relinquishing his hold on her tray.

While Susan, Daisy, and Samuel sat to eat their lunch, Sydnee drove to Clark's Drive-In for lunch. Linda was in no shape to drive, could barely handle pulling cash out from her wallet to pay for the meal.

"Momma what you going do while I'm at school?" Sydnee asked, eyes focused on the buttocks of a cute blonde that skated around, gathering trays from cars.

"Father Brighton said I can sit in the gym, wait for you," Linda said, cursing her writhing nerves.

There was a Burns & Burns Grocers grocery store where the old Early's Grocery Store used to be. It would take all of five minutes to drive there from Clark's, five minutes to run in and buy herself a fifth of Nulough's Vodka. But Linda wouldn't do it. Linda wouldn't give in to the temptation.

"Ralph, I'm trying. God knows I'm trying," Linda thought as their food arrived. "Ralph, please help me."

"Momma, you okay?" Sydnee asked, seeing the tears trickling down her mother's face.

"God damn it no, no I'm not," Linda sobbed out. "Sydnee, I'm an alcoholic."

"Momma, I know that," Sydnee said.

"You, you do? You know, you knew that?" Linda asked, shocked.

She's always believed she'd hidden her drinking so well. Whenever Sydnee was around, Linda would only have one, sometimes two drinks. No more than two drinks, though.

When they arrived at the school, Sydnee used her crutches to hobble to the fourth period class. Linda went to the school office.

"Hi, um, Miss Thompson, right?" the school secretary smiled a warm, welcoming smile. "And how is Sydnee doing? Oh, you must have been terrified!"

"I need help; I'm an alcoholic. Is the school nurse in?" Linda cut off the young woman's happy prattling.

"My name is Morgan Wolfe and I'm an alcoholic," Morgan said, losing the happy smile. "Miss Thompson, sit down; I'll get my sponsor over here, here, here's a piece of candy; the sugar helps."

"You, you're not an alcoholic," Linda accused.

"Seven years four months and six days, but who's counting?" Morgan smiled. "Miss Jamie? Hey, I got a fresh one...yes ma'am, God put her right in front of me...oh shut up. Yes, I know, God always knows when I need someone to work with."

"My douchebag boyfriend decided to come out of the closet; of course, he waits until we sign a one-year lease on a Camelot Apartment before letting me know," Morgan smiled. "Miss Jamie's bringing by a Big Book; I gave my last one away to this girl. Of course, haven't seen her since but hey..."

"You, you really are? You really are an alcoholic?" Linda asked, looking at the attractive young, well-dressed, smiling woman.

"Yes ma'am, I really am," Morgan said.

"But, but, you don't look like..." Linda protested.

"Like I sucked a lot of cock for a few drinks? Or some cocaine, or some weed? Don't look like I did some shoplifting to get some stuff to hock for a few lines? That I slept behind World Famous Barbecue's dumpster because my momma kicked me out of her house?" Morgan supplied.

Morgan put the telephone on auto-attendant and got Linda a cup of coffee. Linda was using both hands to drink the coffee when Jamie Baggett entered the school office, beatific smile on her face.

"Hi, I'm Jamie. Oh you poor dear; Morgan's making you drink the school coffee. Don't worry; I'm making the coffee tonight at the Willingness Is The Key Group.

"What you don't drink, we can paint the walls with," Morgan quipped.

"This is our Big Book," Jamie said, pulling a dark blue paperback book from her voluminous purse. "Don't worry if you can't make heads or tails out of any of it. Just keep trying and it'll all make sense soon enough."

"You're not an alcoholic too, are you?" Linda asked, looking at the attractive older woman.

"Yes and thank God I am," Jamie laughed, placing the book on Linda's lap.

"Is she?" Linda asked, pointing toward Morgan.

"Yes ma'am, she is too," Jamie said.

Linda looked at the two women. Tears came to her eyes; they were smiling, they were well-dressed, they seemed so comfortable, at ease in their own skin. Linda knew, she knew, she would never ever look as happy, as content as either one of these two women; it was hopeless. She was hopeless.

Linda almost screamed when a loud buzzer was heard. A gentle pat on her shoulder seemed to calm her down.

"Fifth period's starting. But it'll be cut short because of the assembly," Morgan said. "There'll be another buzzer when that happens."

"Oh, oh, I need, I'm supposed be there for that," Linda said.

"Don't worry. You'll hear the buzzer," Morgan assured her.

While Sydnee hobbled to her next class; Daisy carrying her books, while Linda listened to Jamie Baggett talking about her own drinking history, Brenda Jo Finished assembling her outfits for the night. She wondered why she did not feel nervous about parading around, displaying her nude body to a bunch of men.

"After them?" Brenda Jo said, thinking of Peter, Paul and Bobby Broussard. "Ain't nothing I can be scared of?"

While Brenda Jo prepared to leave her motel room, Linda Thompson sat in the school office of Cabrini High School. At this very moment, Linda felt overwhelmed. Beaten, broken, and overwhelmed.

"I'm at the DeGarde Inn, Room um, room, oh shit! I, I don't remember what room number we are," Linda burst into tears as the buzzer sounded for the assembly.

"Don't worry; we'll find it," Jamie assured the woman, giving her a quick hug.

"They're waiting for you," Morgan gently reminded Linda as they could hear students laughing, squealing, complaining just outside of the office.

"I, yeah, yeah, they, they're waiting for me," Linda said, getting to shaky legs.

As Linda made her way to the gymnasium, Susan attempted to bolt from the gymnasium. She was poised to sit down when she happened to see Uncle Danny and Miss Rose standing with Father Brighton. There was a man in an official looking uniform on the other side of Father Brighton and two very handsome young men in firefighting uniforms standing with a few of the teachers, Miss Linda and Sydnee. The Performance 12 News camera was right there, and there was Summer Duhon, smiling brightly at her.

"Aw crap, aw crap, let me out of here," Susan said, having a pretty good idea of what was about to happen.

"Susan! Stop!" Daisy ordered, gripping Susan fiercely.

"No, Daisy, I don't want..." Susan wailed.

"And it ain't about you," Daisy snapped. "It's about some people that want to say thank you. You can't deny them the right to say thank you."

"I hate you," Susan snarled.

"And I hate you too," Daisy smiled. "It's horrible; having a sister and a best friend living in my room. I hate it. I just hate it."

"Oh...shut up," Susan snapped, allowing Daisy to guide her to a bleacher seat.

"How you think Sammy would look in one of them firemen's uniforms?" Daisy whispered, her excitement apparent.

"Stupid," Susan snapped.

"I bet he'd look so yummy," Daisy gushed.

"He'd look stupid," Susan snapped as Father Brighton got everyone's attention.

After some speeches by Father Brighton and Captain Richard Richards, Susan was asked to come forward. Head hanging low, blushing hotly as her peers applauded her, Susan shuffled to where Uncle Danny, Miss Rose, Miss Linda and Sydnee stood.

"But I don't want this," Susan wailed hugging her Uncle Danny for protection. "Uncle Danny, I don't want none of this."

"No ma'am, I suppose you don't," Captain Richards agreed. "Hell. None of my men or the two women just joined our firehouse do it for glory."

"We do it because people need us to do it," Jeremiah Simon said.

The Performance 12 cameraman was a seasoned pro and managed to catch the moment Susan Gerrard and Jeremiah Simon made eye contact. The reaction was instantaneous and unmistakable. Two souls had found one another.

"I uh, I was the one helped you get Sydnee out of the trailer, Jeremiah said.

"Thank you; I think you pulled me out too," Susan said. "I really don't remember much of..."

"Tried to," Jeremiah said. "You was too worried about Sydnee."

"Bye-yee," Summer Duhon signed off as the cameraman focused on Susan Gerrard, Medal of Bravery gangling around her neck looking deeply into the eyes of Jeremiah Simon.

While Susan, Uncle Danny, Miss Rose and Miss Linda, Samuel, Daisy, Sydnee and Jeremiah Simon crowded around a table at Manny's Mexican restaurant, eating a Hero's meal, Joee Neaux strolled out onto the stage. Brenda Jo was a good girl that had been in a horrible situation. Brenda Jo had been powerless to do anything about her situation.

Joee Neaux was a slut. Joee Neaux had no fear, had no compassion; Joee Neaux had no masters.

"You want to fuck me?" Joee cooed in the ear of one man that was seated at the lip of the stage.

"Aw fuck yeah," the man agreed as she knelt in front of him, legs spread.

When he fed a twenty dollar bill into her garter, Joee ripped the pale pink camisole top away, displaying her heavy breasts and rock hard nipples.

"You want to fuck my titties, wrap my big old titties around your big fat cock," Joee hinted at the next man, heavy breasts gangling as she posed on hands and knees.

Two hundred and twenty three dollars later, a nude Joee strolled confidently from the stage, her torn and tattered clothing dangling from her small hand. She dropped the ruined camisole top and matching panties into a garbage can and opened her locker.

"Fuck!" David Penny said, watching the new girl's exit.

Sticking his head into the back, David told Joee she had one in D4 waiting for a private lap dance. Smiling a sassy little smile, Joee pulled a 'Club Landslide' tee shirt over her nude body and strolled to D4 Avalanche Room.

While Joee Neaux was grinding her nude ass against the pathetic little lump in the whiskey soaked man's jeans, Linda was climbing the walls of the motel room. Sydnee was seated at the small table, working on the mountain of homework she'd accumulated in her absence.

"Aieegh!" Linda screeched when a knock sounded at the door.

"Hey, have a great meeting," Sydnee smiled up at her mom. "Mom? I, I'm proud of you."

Linda nodded her head as another tear started. Grabbing her purse, she swung open the door to see a smiling, happy Morgan Wolfe waiting for her.

"I uh, listen, I, I only have about twenty bucks; how much does AA cost?" Linda asked, closing the door behind her.

"AA is free," Morgan smiled.

"It, it's FREE?" Linda gasped. "Then, why aren't there more people doing it?"

"Because the cost is so high," Morgan smiled as they strolled through the lobby.

"What? You just said it's free," Linda snapped.

"Uh huh. But to qualify? You have to lose everything," Morgan said, opening the door of her car.

"I haven't lost everything," Linda said as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"No?" Morgan asked, putting on her turn signal.

"No. I threw it away," Linda said. "Just rolled down the window and threw it all out."

"Yep. You qualify," Morgan smiled.

Knowing that this was Linda's first meeting, the topic was the first step. Linda listened, stunned as person after person talked about her, and talked about her feelings, her failures. How? How did all these people know all of her thoughts and fears?