When good meets really, really, really bad.
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Daniel Harper is down on his luck as he struggles to pay for his sophomore year at NYU. Desperate times lead him to sell drugs for some time. When that proves to not be enough, his only option is to...
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DANIEL HARPER
Looking into the mirror, I saw a beautiful person looking into it. And next to her was my reflection.
"Relax, Danny. You look sexy!" Angie said. She brought out a blazer and helped me put it on.
"You think so. I kinda look like a fancy weasel." I replied. She chuckled and brought out some perfumes.
"Guys love the smell of girl perfume! I'll find the best one for you!" She said and searched into her bag.
I looked at my reflection again. My hair was somewhat stylized, but it'll be messy no matter what. I wore a white button up and black blazer. And my shoes are my dad's. I'm putting a lot of effort into this date.
It's not my first date. I've been to a few. And by been to, a lot of those times I was stood up because the girls who asked me out did it as a joke. Since I was told the details of the date, I've just been expecting Lucien Vittori to say 'Just kidding' or something like that.
However, Angie told me that since he accepted, it means he wants to go out with me. So I should give him a chance. I've heard about Lucien's sex past. And Angie has told me that if he tries to come onto me, it's okay to say no to him. Putting boundaries on the first date is what sets the tone for a relationship.
"Here! This one! Men love the smell of vanilla! Trust me!" She said, spraying the perfume on my neck, wrist, and body.
"I do smell good." I said as I sniffed my wrist.
"Told ya! This guy is gonna fall in love with you the minute he sees you! I just know it!" She squealed and joined me in the mirror.
"Should I really be doing this? Offering myself in exchange for money? It's like prostitution but without the sex." I said.
"If you want to back out, just text the guy setting you two up. I'm sure he'll understand..." She told me, placing her hand on my back.
But then I thought back to how much my aunt and uncle struggled. The nights they stayed up working jobs to save up money. I also remember the tears I shed when I had to sell most of my parent's things to save up. And the looks of failure when my uncle used to have to ask for handouts from his family. The bags under their eyes that formed.
"No! I'm doing this!" I decided.
"You sure? Now's your final chance to back out..." She said.
"I'm sure. It's like your grandma says: If you're not using your body for anything, sell it!" I said. She bursted out laughing.
"Danny! That's not what she said! She said: Don't sell the parts of you that are worth the most." She corrected me. I started blushing in embarrassment.
"Oh, right. That makes much more sense..." I chuckled to myself.
My phone rang with a notification. A text from the number that's been sending me information about the text. It let me know that my ride was here for the date. Angie saw this and started gushing and shaking me.
