unpopped: chapter thirteen

“What’s up fuckers!” Delilah walks across the platform at the front of the room. Brayden and I set up the makeshift stage five minutes before people started filing into the basement.

The crowded room cheers back at Delilah. Delilah fixed her face to resemble a bedazzled mannequin. No one would be able to tell that she was crying an hour ago. It looks like even more people are at the meeting this week. They’re probably here because of the Fuck Yourself Fun Fest. I need to read the comments on this week’s Frida Nipple post.

“How’s everyone’s week been? I’m tired as fuck. We pulled off an awesome Fuck Yourself Fun Fest but the work is obviously nowhere near done. Fuck Yourself was just foreplay for what we at Triple X have planned for y’all. At the end of this meeting, we’re going to be announcing a huge development in our fucked up family. But, right now we’re gonna pass the mic to our gorgeous girlie Liz!” Delilah waves to Liz as she walks up the steps.

Liz is still wearing Air Force Ones, leggings, and a cropped top. She’s dressed like she just came from class.

She grabs the mic, “Thank you for that incredible intro. I’m Liz and I am here to talk about my experience doing sex work on OnlyFans.”

Brayden bumps his hip against my side, “What do you think Delilah said to her?”

“What do you mean?” I look at Liz. Right now she’s talking about branding, promoting on Twitter, and what software she uses to edit her videos. She looks excited to be sharing this information with the group.

“Barely thirty minutes ago that girl didn’t want to sign the release form.” He raises an eyebrow, “I just wish I could’ve heard whatever Delilah said to her that made her change her mind.”

I crane my head around to glance at Delilah. She’s smirking and leaning against the exposed brick wall. Her face is glowing under Peter’s twinkly lights. Thank god he brought those in time.

“Yeah, I don’t know what she said. Looks like it worked though.” I rub my arm.

The room is packed with people. Sweat hangs in the air and it smells like something I don’t know the name of. Liz continues talking about how she uses social media to gain followers. She tells us to use her code to get a month of her premium content for half off. Maybe I should subscribe. Listening to audio porn hasn’t done much for me. Maybe the visual aspect would work out better?

“Are you hanging out with us after?” Brayden asks.

“Who’s us? What are you doing?” I check my phone. It’s already eight and I have to write an entire essay before midnight tomorrow. Fuck, I need to text Michelle to see if I can borrow her notes. Are things weird because I left the picnic early? I’ll text her when I get home.

“Usually a group of us get baked and hang out at my house after meetings. It’s Peter, Taylor, Jen, Delilah, and sometimes other people tag along but that’s the regular crew. My dad teaches at Pioneer so I live around the corner if you want to walk over with us.” Brayden’s smile is so gentle. I wonder what his dad teaches. Have I had him as a professor?

This week is the most social I’ve ever been. Can I really handle another hangout? I guess this is what people are supposed to do in college. “I would love to go! Thanks for the invite,”

Christ, I sound like such a loser. I swear I hear Brayden chuckle.

I look up at Liz and she’s wrapping up her presentation.

“Thank you so much to everyone for coming out tonight! I am so happy I got to shed a little light on the real-world experience of OnlyFans. If you have any questions at all please reach out to me and I would love to talk things through with y’all. And remember--sex work is real work and you should pay for porn!” Liz waves goodbye to the roaring crowd.

Delilah rushes up to Liz to congratulate her and Liz practically runs past her.

Are those tears in her eyes?

Brayden bumps my side again and nods his head in the direction of the interaction as if to say, See? Delilah said something to her.

“Let’s give it up for Liz! What a badass woman. I want to take this time to remind us all how important sex workers are to Triple X. We wouldn’t exist at all without them. They’re the backbone of the sex-positivity movement.” Delilah walks up to the front of the stage, “Now are you fuckers ready for our big announcement?”

Everyone in Triple X screams in support. I wonder what the surprise will be. Delilah has been kind of a cop when it comes to keeping this announcement a secret. It has to be really good.

Maybe Triple X is buying the sex store? Delilah did say something about them wanting to start in-person locations. Maybe the app is expanding to a whole social media platform? Oh my god, what if they’re making merch? The t-shirts from Fuck Yourself Fun Fest were cute. I make an entire list of possibilities in my head when a screech echoes throughout the basement. My ears ring from the microphone feedback.

The basement lights turn on and I see three cops walk down the steps. One of the cops holds up a megaphone to his mouth as he shuffles onto the stage Brayden and I had put together.

“Campus police demand that this unauthorized student organization disband. Please exit the facility and return to student housing.” A deep voice bellows.

Everyone scurries up the stairs. People are shouting what the fuck and what the hell are they doing here? We barely have time to scream or even see what is happening before we’re being shoved up the stairs by the crowd. My head feels heavy and I wonder if I should have had a glass of wine at Delilah’s.

I turn around to face Brayden and I see that he is frozen in place. I grab his thin wrist, “Brayden we have to go. We’ll find out what’s going on later.”

His face is drained of color and it looks like he’s holding his breath. I look to the front to find Delilah. The only people left in the basement are Brayden, Delilah, the cops, and me.

Delilah starts shouting, “What the fuck? What the fuck is going on? What are you doing here?”

“If you do not exit the premises within the next minute you will face disciplinary action.” The cop’s voice booms over the room.

“We’re not on campus! You can’t fucking force us to leave. We’re not even affiliated with the university!” Delilah’s face flushes and I want to run-up to the front and defend her but I don’t even know what is happening.

“We received a call from the owner that students were trespassing. They asked that everyone leave immediately. You have thirty seconds to exit the building before we consider you to be resisting.” The second cop says to Delilah.

Delilah looks at me and Brayden, “Give me a fucking break. Let’s go guys. This is bullshit.”

I hold Brayden’s shaking hand and the three of us leave the store together. My heart thumps against my chest. What just happened?

*