20 – Yannick’s Mistake (3)

 

Stellaluna had been unable to sleep, mulling over everything that had happened between her and Yannick. Analyzing all their conversations she could remember having. Everything he had said and done.

Now she understood why he wanted to help her learn to read so bad. It must have been an excuse for him to spend more time with her. How sweet.

And then there were those chocolates he surprised her with on her birthday. She still needed to find out his, somehow.

Did she return those feelings? She certainly enjoyed spending time with him, and she liked him as a friend. But as more? All she could see were complications. There was the fact she was already married, with no way to get divorced. And she wasn’t married to just anyone. She was married to his boss. It was a huge power imbalance. Not only that, but Yannick would lose his job – his livelihood! – if Barry found out. Sneaking off to teach her to read was risky enough. Add in the fact they were from different social classes, and she’d be ostracized for simply entertaining the idea!

Stellaluna woke up that morning to a familiar wetness between her legs. She sighed. As predicted, her period had come. She got out of bed to inspect the damage, careful not to wake up Barry.

Blood had soaked through the back of her nightgown, onto the sheets. Her heart raced. How to take care of the problem without Barry finding out what she had done? She pulled the covers over the stain, then hurried towards the closet to pull out a clean dress and underthings. She’d take a shower, and give the bloody laundry to a woman servant. The sheets were due for a wash anyway.

Stellaluna left the closet, fresh clothes in hand.

“What is that on the back of your nightgown?” Barry’s disapproving voice made her jump.

“Nothing!”

Barry pulled the covers back, revealing the blood stain. He darted away as though it were a poisonous snake. “Gross!”

Stellaluna’s face grew hot. “I’m sorry. Really, I am. I can’t control-”

“You know when it’s coming. You should of prepared for it! Ugh.” Barry shot her a disgusted look, and stormed out in his pajamas, leaving the door wide open.

She knew should have put on a pad before bed. Stellaluna walked over to close the door. She was halfway to the bathroom when the door burst back open. In strode Barry, half-dragging a servant. A male servant! And not just any male servant…

“I need you to change these sheets, and take my wife’s bloody nightgown whenever she finally decides to take it off!” Barry barked at Yannick.

Yannick clutched his forehead as he stared at the messy bed. At the sheets stained with her menstrual blood. Stellaluna backed against the wall, hoping he hadn’t caught sight of it on her nightgown as well. Her nightgown! There was a man in her presence, and all she had on was a flimsy nightgown. She clutched herself and shuffled towards the bathroom, back still facing the wall. Yannick’s eyes met hers once she had reached the bathroom. She tore her gaze away, and shut the door.

This was embarrassing. Humiliating. It was shameful enough asking a woman servant for help with such things. But a man? Was this Barry’s sick, twisted idea of punishment?

And it had to be Yannick of all people? She was surprised he’d shown up to work at all. Stellaluna pulled off her nightgown.

Someone pounded at the door. “The servant needs your nightgown.” Barry’s voice was muffled through the door. “And any other dirty things you may be wearing.”

Her underwear was bloodier than the nightgown. And she certainly didn’t want Yannick handling such delicacies. “Can I give it to a woman instead?”

Barry ignored her request. “Leave it outside the door. Now.”

Stellaluna hid behind the door, and opened it a crack to discard the offending articles of clothing outside. She closed it, locked it, and hopped straight to the shower for a good wash and cry.

 

~~~~~

 

Sebastian spent his morning scrolling through job listings on his tablet. The most recent listing was posted over a month ago, and the nearest one was 20 miles away. He knew the job market wasn’t exactly booming, but he thought there’d be some open position nearby.

His father sat in his chair in the family room, watching something on TV. Sebastian waved his tablet at him. “There’s no jobs!”

“Of course there’s jobs. You’re not looking hard enough.”

“Where else am I supposed to look?”

“Go downtown and ask all the shop managers. Visit the slums and ask if anyone there needs their lawn mowed or something. I don’t know. Get creative.”

“Gilran doesn’t have slums,” Sebastian said.

Waylon rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. The East Side. Where all the poor people live. Come to think of it, you should go there anyway. It’ll make you thankful for what you have. And serve as a warning if you don’t shape up.”

Since Axel was at work, and Sebastian had nothing better to do, he decided to take his father’s advice. He’d try asking shop owners downtown and, failing that, visit the east side of town.

Sebastian hit store after store, but there either wasn’t a manager on duty, or the manager wasn’t hiring. He could tell they all found him annoying for wasting their time. It didn’t take long for Sebastian to give up, and take a trip to the East Side.

He had never ventured the area. Why would he? It was just a bunch of houses and apartment complexes. The closest he’d been was to The 50 Store, which was right outside the area.

It was there where he chose to park his car. He got out, and strode through the first neighborhood he saw. Just about every house had a dead lawn. No use mowing those. A lot of houses had weeds all over too. Maybe he could offer to pull weeds instead.

But what was he supposed to do anyway? Knock on doors and ask to pull weeds for money? That didn’t sound weird at all.

Did these people even have money? Not that his luck would be better in the richer neighborhoods, because everyone there had their own gardeners. This was a stupid idea. He should know by now to never follow his dad’s advice.

Sebastian shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as a cold wind blew. He eyed each dilapidated house as he walked past. A few had broken windows. One house had a car with no tires up on cinderblocks. It made Sebastian think of Axel. Not for the first time, he wondered where Axel lived. Hopefully not in any of these depressing houses.

But he probably did. It would explain why he always dodged questions about where he lived. He was probably embarrassed. Sebastian would be embarrassed too.

He spotted a Black man sitting on a porch outside, drinking a bottle of something. There’s Black people in Gilran?! Aside from Axel, Sebastian couldn’t remember the last time he saw someone who wasn’t White.

Race doesn’t matter, Sebastian told himself. The man’s yard, much like the rest of the neighborhood’s, could use a good weeding. And it was easier to ask someone who was already outside, than go around knocking on doors. Sebastian steadied his breath. Could he go up and talk to a complete stranger? It was never a problem for him before Camp Hope. He was able to do it with Axel, and the girls his father pushed him to meet. But this felt different.

The man’s eyes were on Sebastian. Sebastian steadied his breath, forced a smile, and gave the man a friendly wave.

The man continued staring at him with narrowed eyes. Sebastian took the hint, and kept walking.

A high-pitched scream erupted from inside the next house, followed by muffled shouts, loud thuds, glass breaking, and more screaming. Before Sebastian could hurry away, the door burst open, and out tumbled a scruffy White man.

A woman poked her head out the door. “And don’t come back until you’ve got your shit together!” She slammed the door shut, opened it back up to throw a pair of shoes at him, then slammed it again.

“God damn it, woman!” the man shouted at the closed door.

“Fuck you, Angus!” The woman shouted through the window, before slamming that too.

Angus turned around, eyes landing on Sebastian. “The fuck you looking at?”

“Nothing!” Sebastian fast-walked away.

Angus followed behind him. Sebastian ran, but the man grabbed his arm. “Wait!”

Sebastian stopped, but his heart raced on. “What?”

“Can I have 500 ameros?”

“No. Sorry.”

“What about 400?”

“I don’t carry cash.” Sebastian yanked his arm away, but Angus tightened his grip. “Let me go!”

“Give me 1,000 ameros!”

“I said no!” Sebastian gripped his fist in one hand, and used the force to elbow Angus in the side. Hard.

“Mother fucker!” Angus released his hold to clutch his side, then kicked the back of Sebastian’s knee, before he could get the chance to run.

So the man wanted a fight? Sebastian whipped around, and punched him in the face. Angus punched back, but Sebastian ducked down to punch his stomach. Angus keeled over. Sebastian towered over him, cracking his knuckles. “You want to keep going?”

“Alright, you win.” Angus wheezed, then punched Sebastian between the legs. Pain shot throughout his body. It was enough to make Sebastian fall to his knees, clutching himself.

“That was a cheap shot!” a man shouted from behind them. Sebastian turned his head to see the Black man from earlier glowering at Angus. “I can’t believe you’d stoop that low.”

Angus glowered back. “Piss off, Raylon. This is none of your business.”

“You’re harassing someone who hasn’t caused no harm.”

“That we know of.” Angus glared at Sebastian. “What’s a rich boy like you doing here anyway?”

How’d they guess his background? Sebastian had ditched his leather jacket for a hoodie to blend in. “I’m not rich. I… actually need money.”

Raylon folded his arms, and raised an eyebrow. “You need money?”

Sebastian noticed a few holes in Raylon’s faded, black t-shirt along with the holes in his jeans. Agus wore a white undershirt with stains, with hole-ridden jeans as well. Meanwhile, Sebastian’s black jeans weren’t even faded yet, and neither was his hoodie. “It’s a long story.”

“I got time if you do.” Raylon's voice softened, and he gestured towards his porch. “Come sit.”

It wasn’t like Sebastian had anything better to do. Raylon had come to his defense, and Angus seemed to have learned his lesson on fighting Sebastian. He shrugged. “Okay.”