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Description
The redhead walked up to the address given to her by Megan. “Well…ain’t this quaint,” she drawled, shaking her head before walking up to the front door which looked to be baring hanging on by its hinges. Even with a dilapidated place like this, it was still her friend’s home, so as she walked through the front door of the apartment complex, she removed her cowboy hat, holding it in one hand as she shuffled past piles of garbage and junk left outside of people’s doors.

She felt out of place here, in the middle of the city, wearing her blue jeans and flannel shirt, and she’d already gotten a few stares when she’d driven up to the place in her crimson red, raised Ford F-350. Some more, unreputable types had tried to mozy on up to her, but a quick flash of what was under her vest was more than enough to have them skedaddling like varmints from a sheriff’s posse.

“Dang girl, why y’all living like this…” Ariane muttered under her breath after her boot crunched into something sticky and wet. “You should have told me girl.”

Theredhead made her way up a creaking, groaning staircase that felt like it would collapse with every step she took. A quick glance at the note in her hand once more gave her the room number for her friend. “Well…this is it.”

Behind her through the opposite door she could hear the drunken ramblings of an angry man, yelling at an equally fuming woman. She was pretty sure somebody was cooking something other than dinner, judging by the smell wafting through the musty air, while the sound of sirens echoed off the paper-thin walls.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

She waited, hoping she’d caught her while she was home and not out and about. Hopefully not going after Vagabond again alone. When Megan had called her, after the taller and younger wrestler had visited Joanne in this place a week ago, Ariane knew something had to change. She would have come sooner, but, she had a number one contender’s match the next night after the heart-breaking phone call, as well as a charity show she was putting on for some up and coming high school wrestlers.

But the moment those had ended, she’d burnt off half her tires getting her as quick as lightning.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the sound of multiple locks moving and clicking ingrained themselves in her ears, followed by the door opening just slightly. One of the two lights in the hallway flickered before buzzing out for the last time.

A face peeked through the barely opened door.

‘...Ariane?”

Ariane breathed in deep, before giving a sad smile.

“Joanne? It’s me. I’m here to take you away from this place.”

—--------

Joanne squinted, wondering if she had heard correctly.

“Why?” She asked. “It’s my apartment.”

“Yeah, don’t tell me you like it here, cause I ain’t buying it.” Ariane pushed herself past her and entered the living room, which also served as the bedroom. “Come on, Jo, you deserve better than this!”

Deserve. What did she deserve? That had been a question she had thought about a lot since Megan’s visit. The professor had tried to communicate to her that she was valuable, that she was loved. But it wasn’t easy to grow out of a mindset that had been imposed on her for nearly two decades. Guilt and shame weren’t a mantle she could shed when it became too warm.

“I don’t have to like it, it does its job.”

“Yeah?” Ariane scoffed, leaning against the windowsill. “Well, not anymore. Pack your bags, you’re gonna live with me until we can find you something better.”

When Joanne tried to protest, she raised her index finger. “Ah! No discussions, I didn’t drive all the way here to be told off! And before we go, for both our sake’s, do something about your hair and face, you look like you’re on meth!”

Joanne touched her cheek where stains of black make-up had dried. When did she even put that on? Must have been days ago … One look into Ariane’s eyes told her that the cowgirl would not move until she got what she wanted. She thought back to the last time she had visited Ariane’s ranch. The sounds of nature, the fresh air, the horses … and the feeling of freedom wherever she went. Maybe that was what she needed now; a change of scenery. Maybe getting away from this bleak cityscape would offer her a new perspective on things. Or maybe this was just the positive influence of Ariane’s optimistic spirit?

Grabbing a towel from her bed, Joanne went to the bathroom and washed her face and hair. The cool water on her skin felt like balsam to the wounds of her soul. For a fleeting moment, she forgot about all the problems she had been facing, and embraced the gentle sensation of liquid running over her cheeks, neck and further down. When she closed the tap, it was almost as if she was born anew. When she went back to the living room, she tossed the towel and her old clothes away into a corner and grabbed a fresh pair of gray sweatpants, put on a black sports bra and a black wool cap, and finished her outfit with her trusty sneakers.

Ariane’s eyes widened for a second when she saw this metamorphosis. Then, a bright smile appeared on her face.

“Much better!” She said, and added with a smirk. “Now you almost look like a human.”

“Let’s go.” Jo said, grabbing the bag in which all her belongings resided, as she tried not to laugh.

The two women talked as they walked down the stairs and soon enough they were at Ariane’s truck, thankfully still untouched.

“Hop on in, Jo,” Ariane stated as she climbed up and into her side of the truck before starting it up. “We’ve got a bit of a drive to get to South Dakota.”

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Collaboration done with Emot1onBlur . I hope you're all buckled in, because this is going to be a wild ride!
Joanne belongs to Emot1onBlur
Megan belong to rtashkin5
Ariane belongs to me.

Part II -

Description
The redhead walked up to the address given to her by Megan. “Well…ain’t this quaint,” she drawled, shaking her head before walking up to the front door which looked to be baring hanging on by its hinges. Even with a dilapidated place like this, it was still her friend’s home, so as she walked through the front door of the apartment complex, she removed her cowboy hat, holding it in one hand as she shuffled past piles of garbage and junk left outside of people’s doors.

She felt out of place here, in the middle of the city, wearing her blue jeans and flannel shirt, and she’d already gotten a few stares when she’d driven up to the place in her crimson red, raised Ford F-350. Some more, unreputable types had tried to mozy on up to her, but a quick flash of what was under her vest was more than enough to have them skedaddling like varmints from a sheriff’s posse.

“Dang girl, why y’all living like this…” Ariane muttered under her breath after her boot crunched into something sticky and wet. “You should have told me girl.”

Theredhead made her way up a creaking, groaning staircase that felt like it would collapse with every step she took. A quick glance at the note in her hand once more gave her the room number for her friend. “Well…this is it.”

Behind her through the opposite door she could hear the drunken ramblings of an angry man, yelling at an equally fuming woman. She was pretty sure somebody was cooking something other than dinner, judging by the smell wafting through the musty air, while the sound of sirens echoed off the paper-thin walls.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

She waited, hoping she’d caught her while she was home and not out and about. Hopefully not going after Vagabond again alone. When Megan had called her, after the taller and younger wrestler had visited Joanne in this place a week ago, Ariane knew something had to change. She would have come sooner, but, she had a number one contender’s match the next night after the heart-breaking phone call, as well as a charity show she was putting on for some up and coming high school wrestlers.

But the moment those had ended, she’d burnt off half her tires getting her as quick as lightning.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the sound of multiple locks moving and clicking ingrained themselves in her ears, followed by the door opening just slightly. One of the two lights in the hallway flickered before buzzing out for the last time.

A face peeked through the barely opened door.

‘...Ariane?”

Ariane breathed in deep, before giving a sad smile.

“Joanne? It’s me. I’m here to take you away from this place.”

—--------

Joanne squinted, wondering if she had heard correctly.

“Why?” She asked. “It’s my apartment.”

“Yeah, don’t tell me you like it here, cause I ain’t buying it.” Ariane pushed herself past her and entered the living room, which also served as the bedroom. “Come on, Jo, you deserve better than this!”

Deserve. What did she deserve? That had been a question she had thought about a lot since Megan’s visit. The professor had tried to communicate to her that she was valuable, that she was loved. But it wasn’t easy to grow out of a mindset that had been imposed on her for nearly two decades. Guilt and shame weren’t a mantle she could shed when it became too warm.

“I don’t have to like it, it does its job.”

“Yeah?” Ariane scoffed, leaning against the windowsill. “Well, not anymore. Pack your bags, you’re gonna live with me until we can find you something better.”

When Joanne tried to protest, she raised her index finger. “Ah! No discussions, I didn’t drive all the way here to be told off! And before we go, for both our sake’s, do something about your hair and face, you look like you’re on meth!”

Joanne touched her cheek where stains of black make-up had dried. When did she even put that on? Must have been days ago … One look into Ariane’s eyes told her that the cowgirl would not move until she got what she wanted. She thought back to the last time she had visited Ariane’s ranch. The sounds of nature, the fresh air, the horses … and the feeling of freedom wherever she went. Maybe that was what she needed now; a change of scenery. Maybe getting away from this bleak cityscape would offer her a new perspective on things. Or maybe this was just the positive influence of Ariane’s optimistic spirit?

Grabbing a towel from her bed, Joanne went to the bathroom and washed her face and hair. The cool water on her skin felt like balsam to the wounds of her soul. For a fleeting moment, she forgot about all the problems she had been facing, and embraced the gentle sensation of liquid running over her cheeks, neck and further down. When she closed the tap, it was almost as if she was born anew. When she went back to the living room, she tossed the towel and her old clothes away into a corner and grabbed a fresh pair of gray sweatpants, put on a black sports bra and a black wool cap, and finished her outfit with her trusty sneakers.

Ariane’s eyes widened for a second when she saw this metamorphosis. Then, a bright smile appeared on her face.

“Much better!” She said, and added with a smirk. “Now you almost look like a human.”

“Let’s go.” Jo said, grabbing the bag in which all her belongings resided, as she tried not to laugh.

The two women talked as they walked down the stairs and soon enough they were at Ariane’s truck, thankfully still untouched.

“Hop on in, Jo,” Ariane stated as she climbed up and into her side of the truck before starting it up. “We’ve got a bit of a drive to get to South Dakota.”

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Collaboration done with Emot1onBlur . I hope you're all buckled in, because this is going to be a wild ride!
Joanne belongs to Emot1onBlur
Megan belong to rtashkin5
Ariane belongs to me.

Part II -