Unedited! 

***

"On the outside you are gorgeous
On the outside you are fair
Oh you can change your face but it's a waste of time
Cause it don't change the fact that you're ugly on the inside

You've lost your charm, lost that glow
It's safe to say you lost control
And you just can't go back to the days before the dark side.."

- The Maine "Ugly On The Inside"

***

“Allison?”

My head snapped up to see Chey standing in front of me with a puzzled look. “Yeah?” I asked her as I sat up straight in my desk chair and pretended not to have just zoned out for the millionth time today. 

“Are you okay? I have been standing here trying to strike up a conversation with you for the past minute.” Her eyes lingered on me as she gave me a bewildered expression, clearly unsure why I was zoning out.

I sighed and shook my head, “I’m sorry ... I am just a little out of it today.” Placing a pen that was in front of me, back in the pen holder, I wondered if I should just run away right now. An escape was worth the try ... right? I mean, I’m already damned.

Looking at the clock on my computer, I noted that Mr. Sharp had been in the meeting with Garrett McCarter for a collective ten minutes. Any minute now I was expecting a macho man to walk up to me and force me out of the building, in which I would be placed in a car that would take me to Garrett’s house or wherever he planned to hold me at.

My stomach flipped at the mere thought I’d never see this place again. I might never see Chey or ... even Colton.

I frowned and then mentally slapped myself for I was not suppose to think about Colton because the thought of him would only remind me of Mr. Sharp, the man he had become.

“Let me guess: Chad.” Chey stated as she snapped me, once more, out of my thoughts.

“Chad?” I questioned for I had no idea who the hell she was talking about.

Chey rolled her eyes, “Don’t play dumb. Chad, the guy you are hopelessly in love with. The one that raised you and seems to love you right back, if ya know what I mean.”

“Oh, yeah ... Chad.”

“Is he in New York now?” She inquired with hopefulness.

Unsure of what to say, I leaned back and contemplated on how I could explain all that is going on. However, I realized there was no metaphor I could throw at her to get advice or get her to understand what I was going though. There was only really two options, I would tell her it was nothing and hear her hound me for an answer in which I would have to make up a petty excuse for my mood. Or ... I could just tell her the truth.

My eyes locked with Chey to see she was seriously worried about what was going on and wanted to help. Leaning forward, I knew the words that were about to leak out of my mouth would get me in trouble by Mr. Sharp - but then again, I was leaving this place. I was now Garrett McCarter’s problem.

“You want the truth?”

“That is all I ask for,” She responded with a raised eyebrow at what I was getting at.

“The truth is, Chad is not really Chad he is M-”

“Allison Snow,” A woman called from behind Chey. I looked around Chey to find Mrs. Lamar, the woman that works the floor below us. As known as the floor where Mr. Sharp has his meetings  “I was sent by Mr. Sharp to escort you to a meeting.”

I stared at her, wondering why the hell Mr. Sharp wanted me to go to the meeting. But without further ado I got up and gave Chey a weak smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “I’ll see you around,” I lied, knowing that this is probably the last time I will see her.

Chey raised an eyebrow before giving me a genuine smile, “Lunch?”

“Yeah - lunch.” With that being said I followed Mrs. Lamar out of the office and to the elevators. We didn’t exchange any words in the elevator, nor as she was leading me to the meeting room. Yet, when we reached the doors, I turned to her and said thank you.

“It’s my job,” was all she said in reply before turning around and leaving me.

Standing there, I could hear voices speaking on the other side. However, the voices were muffled and I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Knowing there was no sense in prolonging the inevitable, I knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Someone yelled from the other side.

I opened the door and walked in. Immediately I was faced with a large meeting table. Mr. Sharp sat in the middle, with Garrett McCarter sitting on the opposite side of him.

Garrett looked at me with a smile, whereas Mr. Sharp stared at Garrett with a venomous look.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Snow,” Garrett said as he reclined back in his chair. An amused expression plagued his face, which instantly made me raise an eyebrow because Mr. Sharp clearly was finding nothing funny.

“Sit,” Mr. Sharp demanded glanced away from Garrett and settled his attention on me.

I looked around the table, unsure of where I should sit. There were many opinions, but I didn’t know if they wanted me close to them, or at the far end - out of sight and out of mind. However, I realized if they wanted that, I wouldn’t have been called upon.

Without considering it anymore, I sat myself three seats down from Garrett.

“Now, as you are aware, Ms. Snow, you are to be traded-off to Garrett,” Mr. Sharp stated.

My hands, that were concealed under the table formed fist as I replayed what he just said. Every fiber of my being hated how he said I would be ‘traded-off’ as if I was nothing.

I was a human being, not a pokemon card or a snack pack of salt and vinegar chips that you trade your friend with at lunch for two cookies. There was a line that Mr. Sharp was crossing, a line that made me believe he was a man without any morals or human decency.

“Her name is Allison Snow and she is not something we are merely trading. She is a human, Sharp. Humans aren’t traded.” Garrett said as if he’d heard what just ran through my mind and decided to voice it.

“Then what would you call it, McCarter? You give me two territories and I give you her. Sounds like a trade-off if you ask me.”

My heart sank when I heard what I was being ‘traded’ for: territories. As if my self worth wasn’t low enough already, it dropped several degrees because he was trading me for land. While I knew that it was a big deal on Garrett’s part, because he’d lose some revenue, it didn’t make me feel any better.

In fact, by Mr. Sharp openly speaking about what I was being handed-off for made me realize there was absolutely no hope. He was a man that can never be transformed back into the guy I grew up with. He was officially, in my eyes, the Mr. Sharp everyone feared and hated.

However, the fear and hate he instilled in me was different from everyone else, for everyone curved their fear and hate for him into respect and obedience. Whereas I wanted to make him mad and give him hell. I wanted to push Mr. Sharp to the edge and, even then, keep going. It saddened me, only a tad, that I wouldn’t be sticking around to do such things.

“I would call it a fair deal. One I hope you know there is no turning back from.”

Mr. Sharp looked over at me and when our eyes locked I swore I saw something - remorse, maybe? - yet he quickly looked away, dropping the emotion behind his eyes in the process. “I know, McCarter.”

Garrett stood up and smiled at me. “I assume you know where the front entrance of this building is. A limo will be waiting for you when you are done talking with Mr. Sharp.” Garrett exclaimed.

I looked at him with confusion but instead of him replying someone else did.

“I need to exchange a few words with you privately, Ms. Snow, before you are to leave for today.” Mr. Sharp stated.

“The limo will take you to my home, in which we will go over some details of your stay.” With that being said, Garrett nodded at Mr. Sharp and I before exiting the room.

“We need to talk about a few things.”

“Like what?” I questioned as I looked over at him.

He leaned forward spoke, “You are to still work here. Garrett has reluctantly agreed. The deal that was just made, regarding you and the territories does not change your attendance, expected job performance, hours or anything else work related. You will also, upon Garrett’s request, be paid fifteen dollars an hour, with benefits such as twelve sick days a year and a one week’s paid vacation.”

I was shocked that Garrett requested that for me and couldn’t help but feel a certain sense of gratitude.

“You will be living with Garrett and in so you will be expected to sign a contract when you get to his house and when you come in for work tomorrow. Basically the contract will state that you are not allowed to exchange any details about each of our gangs to each other. This is a huge conflict of interest, Ms. Snow, and if you violate the contract - on any end - you need to expect ... well, I will be honest ... execution. Plus, if you get ahold of sensitive information and pass it on to the other gang, you could cause a gang war. Which honestly no one wants, nor has the time for.

“Have I made myself clear so far, Ms. Snow?” Mr. Sharp asked me.

I exhaled, “Yeah, crystal clear.”

“Good, a couple more things and you can go. Garrett is not allow to lay a hand on you, meaning physically hurt you. You are to report to me if he does anything of the sort. He is not known for physically abusing people, especially women, but you cannot be too cautious in my business.

“This goes without saying,” he added, “you and him are to have no sexual relations with Mr. McCarter.”

I scrunched up my nose for while I thought Garrett was kinda cute, I didn’t see myself doing anything with him.

“If he tries something you are to inform me.” Mr. Sharp reached down and picked something off the floor. When he raised his hand up to the table level, I saw he was holding a box. Without saying anything, at first, he slid the box across the table in my direction.

When it reached me I noted it was a white box with silver writing on the side that said ‘iPhone’ with Apple’s symbol next to it.

“In that box there is a cell phone,” He proclaimed. “It already has a full charge, and comes with headphones, wall charger and cord. The phone has my number programmed in it. Garrett knows I am giving you a cell so don’t fear him freaking out.” Mr. Sharp stated. 

I took the box in my hands, but didn’t make a move to open it. “Anything else?”

Mr. Sharp looked at me and was silent for a good minute before he finally spoke up. “I don’t know what Garrett is like all that much. He is a secretive man, like many of us in high positions. Be careful, Allison.”

Standing up I gave Mr. Sharp a fake smile, “He can’t be any worse than you, Mr. Sharp.” Was all I said before I left the room and headed to the front entrance.

<><><><>

A/N:

I know it has been forever ... what can I say aside from college and my dwindling social life?

BUT I have to say it was a comment that made me realize I hadn't written in a while. So, please don't forget to comment because they:

(1) Make my day - YES, I read all of the comments. If you want to put me to the test, write REPLY (even if that is all your comment is) at the end of your comment and I will reply!

(2) Your comments keep me inspired to write.

(3) They remind me that I NEED to write - not just to update but write because writing is a stress reliever for me, but I often forget to use / do it...

Anywhoo, 

Please:

Vote 

COMMENT (who knows, you might be that comment that reminds me to write)

and 

SMILE!!!