Worlds Apart

Chapter 1: The Debt

-by: SimplyPocky-

Maka couldn't believe her insensitive Papa had gotten her into this mess. He always just did whatever he wanted and never worried about the repercussions. This time, however, he had dragged her into his problems.

Maka sat next to her father on a lush couch. Her features were hard, while her Papa trembled next to her. She was devising a plan, while said Papa sniffled and cried. She remained calm, while he begged for forgiveness.

"I promise to pay you back, just give me some time!" Spirit cried out, tears pouring down his cheek. Maka rolled her eyes at her Papa's inutility. Could he be anymore pathetic?

"Spirit, I've given you time. Over three months time! Maybe it was a little unfair of me to expect you to pay all that money back in such a short time, but you could have payed me something," said the yakuza boss. Short, fat and grubby he leered at Spirit with a wry smile on his face.

Spirit had no response to that. He only looked down at his lap and sniffed pathetically. Maka sighed and decided it was time she said something. Spirit obviosuly wasn't.

"I'm sure we can work something out Mr. Kagami. My Papa isn't responsible, but I am. I can get you your money." Maka said confidently, though she was a little shaky inside. She couldn't show fear though. Yakuzas could sense fear.

"Oh, I know you can, Maka-chan. Which is why I had your father bring you here tonight. He's always telling the girls about how beautiful and intelligent his daughter is. I see that he wasn't exaggerating." He said, revealing several missing teeth when he grinned. Maka resisted the urge to shudder.

"Yes, so if you just give us a little time, I'm sure I can get your money back." Maka said, giving an innocent smile to help seal the deal. She thought it had worked, but then Mr. Kagami laughed.

"You think you can get me $720,000 in three months?" Mr. Kagami said sarcastically. Maka's jaw dropped and she turned to her father who looked away guiltily.

"How do you manage to blow so much money in a freaking brothel!" Maka exploded.

"Our girls don't come cheap." Mr. Kagami interjected, but Maka ignored him.

"Papa, how did you expect to pay that back? You're a freaking high school teacher!"

This was absolutely incredulous. So much money, so little time. How could she get out of this? No matter how smart Maka was, she couldn't come up with an escape plan. They were trapped.

"Don't worry, Maka-chan. I'm sure we can work something out." Mr. Kagami interrupted her train of thought. Maka turned to him, wary of any plans he might have.

"What did you have in mind?" She ventured cautiously.

"How about you work in my brothel until the money is payed back." He said and Maka's eyes grew in horror. There was no way in hell. He sensed her fear and quickly continued, "Listen you don't have to do anything with the clients, just keep them company. Get them in the mood to buy. However, if you think you have a better way of getting my money, then do whatever you want. You have two months."

"Two months! Most people don't even make close to that amount in a year!" Maka exclaimed.

Mr. Kagami's condescending gaze turned to that of anger as he glared at Maka.

"Who do you think you're yelling at? I gave you a generous offer. Anyone else would be at the bottom of a lake by now. Don't take advantage of my kindness, Miss Albarn. Working at ChupaCabra is the most practical way for you to get me my money, but if you think you can get it through other means, then do as you please. You have 60 days."

Maka was silent as she weighed her options. There wasn't much that a seventeen year old girl could do. She couldn't work full-time, she still had to think about school, but putting that aside, there was no job that would put even a dent in that amount in two months. She didn't have a choice.

"I won't have sex with any of the customers." Maka muttered.

"Even I'm not so cruel that I would make you do that, Maka-chan." Mr. Kagami's smile returned. He must have felt quite triumphant. He had won.

"No, Maka, you don't have to-" Spirit started, but Maka cut him off with a sharp look.

"Just...Just be quiet, Papa. I'm doing what I have to do. You weren't worried about this when you were sleeping with those women, running up a bill you knew you couldn't afford."

Spirit again fell silent as a bouncer pulled him out of his seat.

"Your daughter will be in my care for the time being. As soon as the debt as been payed, she will be released." Mr. Kagami snapped his finger and the bouncer led Spirit away. He called out to Maka, but she ignored him until the door shut behind them.

"Come, Maka-chan, allow me to show you around."

.

Soul Evans stepped out of his car and stood in front of his favorite cabaret, ChupaCabra. He hadn't visited the place in a while and he decided to catch up with some old...aquaintances. He stepped into the shabby building and immediately heard the loud and obnoxious voice of his best friend.

"Hahahaha! Of course I'm amazing, I don't need you to tell me that. I'm the great Black Star, heir of the Shinobi-Star Corporation."

Soul smirked and went over to the booth. He saw Black Star, his arm draped around two women, several bottles already emptied on the table. Looks like he had started the party without him.

"Hey, I see you didn't bother waiting on me." Soul greeted.

The women at the booth instantly brightened up. They sat up a little straighter, pushed their boobs up a little higher and graced him with their most seductive smile. Black Star glanced at his friend and grinned.

"The great Black Star waits for no man!" He exclaimed. Soul only shook his head and took a seat. A cute red head next to him instantly handed him a glass, pouring him some of the expensive alcohol Black Star had already taken the liberty of buying.

"It's been so long since you've been here, Soul. We missed you," cooed one of Soul's favorite girls, Blair. She moved next to him, laying her head on his shoulder, her hand on his lap and continued to whisper sweet nothings in his ear.

He only half listened, however. He had came here for one thing and one thing only: to get laid. However, there was a certain minimum amount of money he had to spend before Blair could allow him to do that. That's why, when a waitor walked by, he quickly ordered their most expensive wine.

"I see you're in the spending mood tonight, Soul. Do you have something planned for later?" Blair asked, already knowing the answer. Soul gave her a crooked smile,

"Ignorance isn't cute, Babe. You should already know what I have planned for you."

Anyone else would have thought the comment rude, but Blair only laughed it off. To expect any kindness from the blunt Soul was asking too much. He said what he wanted, he did what he wanted and he dared anyone to say anything about it.

.

Maka Albarn emerged from the changing room, clad in a short chiffon black dress and red pumps. She nervously tugged at the dress and wobbled in her heels, but she did her best to remain poised.

"You look wonderful," Mr. Kagami said with a cunning smile. "Ready to work?"

"Yes." Maka muttered, glaring down at her feet.

"Tsk. Tsk. Don't have that attitude while you're catering to the customers, Maka-chan. Any money you lose me, I'll add to your debt." He said darkly and Maka frowned, "Smile, flirt, your job is to get them to spend money on you. After they spend $20,000 they're allowed to take a girl to bed, but you can just get one of the other girls to do it instead. Tell them you're still in your "training period", they'll know what it means."

Maka nodded and allowed Mr. Kagami to lead her into the lounge. She saw that it was already packed, the sound of loud chatter feeling the air. There didn't seem to be much to the brothel. There were booths everywhere and men just sat around, flirting with women and spending money on expensive drinks and delicacies. But Maka knew that in the back, it was an entirely different world.

She prayed that Mr. Kagami held true to his word and didn't force her to have to do that.

"Since it's your first time, I'll put you in a group. Once you gain some experience, you'll be able to attend to a customer on your own." Mr. Kagami said as he led Maka to a table in the corner.

There were two men at the table who didn't seem to be much older than her and three other women. They were all laughing at something, but stopped abruptly when Mr. Kagami approached. The women instantly stood and bowed in respect.

"M-Mr. Kagami, is something wrong?" Stammered a pretty red-head. Maka took in her short teased hair, her tight leapord miniskirt and midriff tank, the fact that she wore too much makeup and her heels looked much too high to even walk in. This was what she had to become to earn the money she needed? She didn't like it, but she would do what was necessary to get out of this place.

"Nothing is wrong, Alice, calm down." Mr. Kagami spoke, holding up a hand. Alice seemed to physically relax, as did the other girls who took a seat. The men at the booth seemed both annoyed and confused.

"Can we help you with something?" Asked a man with silvery hair. He was tall, clad in a dark suit, with menacing red eyes. He lazily lounged on the sofa, his arm draped around a busty girl with purple hair. His eyes flickered to Maka and then away. She wasn't going to make much money if men wouldn't even acknowledge her.

"Oh no, please continue. I just wanted to introduce you to our new girl, Maka-chan. She's still learning the ropes, you know, the "training period", and I just wanted her to get familiar with how things work here. Mind if I leave her in your care?" Mr. Kagami said politely, a kind business smile on his face.

"Whatever." Soul said and turned his attention back to the girl with purple hair. He whispered something in her ear and she giggled before pouring him another drink. Maka inwardly groaned, but took a seat at the edge of the sofa.

Mr. Kagami gave her a pointed look before leaving. She sighed and leaned back on the sofa. She needed to come up with a plan. Maka wasn't cut out for this line of work, but how could she make enough money in such little time? It was impossible! Well, it was better than selling her body. Though this still felt degrading in its own way.

"So, Maka, are you shy?"

Maka glanced up and realized the other girl, another beauty with short pink hair, was talking to her. She had a playful smile on her face, but Maka could tell she was picking a fight. Especially by the patronizing way she spoke to her.

"No, just trying to get my bearings. First day and all, you know?" Maka said honestly, a tight smile on her face. It wouldn't be good if she got into a fight on her first day. She was known to have a short-temper and to throw punches when provoked, but she wouldn't get away with that here. Mr. Kagami might just revoke his "kindness".

"Aw, nervous? That's so cute." The girl said, making a cutesy face as she layed her head on the shoulder of the other man at the booth. This one wasn't like the silver-headed guy. He was loud, clearly drunk (though Maka inquired that this might be his usual behavior) and quite annoying. He was still handsome though, unlike many of the other men that inhabited this place.

"Leave her alone, Kim. Jeez, you always have to pick on the new girls." The purple haired girl spoke and then turned her attention to Maka.

"My name is Blair. It's nice to meet you, Maka-chan. That's Alice," she said pointing to the red head, "and you've met Kim," she glanced at the pink-haired girl who was no longer paying any attention. "And these are two of our favorite customers, Soul Evans and Black Star."

"It's nice to meet you both." Maka said, hating how she had to put on such a fake smile. Soul glanced at her and smirked and Maka wondered what was so funny.

"You know, even if you're faking it, you should at least make it believable." Soul said with a wink. There must have been some inside joke Maka didn't know about because Blair cracked up over this.

"You know, just because I am, doesn't mean you have to call me out. Afterall, I'm just giving you your money's worth." Maka snapped back. Which was more or less true. It's not like she had made anything yet, why put on such airs. Especially for a pompous asshole.

"Maka." Blair hissed. Maka rolled her eyes. This job clearly wasn't going to work out for her. She wasn't very good at handling men. Most of them were idiots that annoyed the hell out of her and the few decent ones wouldn't even notice her. How could she go from zero experience with the opposite sex to seducing them to make money.

Stupid Papa, we're both going to end up at the bottom of a lake with the way this is going, Maka thought to herself.

But, to Maka's surprise, this seemed to amuse Black Star. He laughed loudly and hit the couch in a dramatic fashion.

"Well that's new. Never met a girl that talked back to Soul before." He continued to laugh, wiping a tear away. "Waiter, let me get a bottle of ChupaCabra's House Wine. We need to celebrate this moment!"

Maka smiled at this. Maybe she didn't have to change to get the money she needed. Maybe there were some men that would like her attitude just fine. Maka glanced up at Soul who was glaring at her. Well, she couldn't please them all.

"So, Albarn, what made you start working here? I know these three are just a bunch of whores trying to make a quick buck, but what about you?" Black Star asked, his speech now a little slurred. Maka, however, wasn't far behind him. Upon Black Star's request, she had taken up the seat between him and Soul, forcing Kim to move. Much to her chagrin. But being in the middle put you right in front of the booze and she couldn't not drink.

Maka had always been a lightweight though.

"You wouldn't believe it, Black Star! My stupid Papa got this huuuuge debt and now I have to help him pay it off! I have, like, two months to pay back all this money!"

"That's-That's so sad, Maka-chan. Here, let me help you. Waiter, can I have your ChupaCabra Pastry Tray and another bottle of the House Wine!" Black Star shouted. "There, that's like, $5,000 right there, Maka-chan."

"Black Staaaar, you're so nice!" Maka said, feeling like she was going to cry. Never had someone done something so sincere for her. She didn't know that he was shit-faced and she wasn't far behind, but she just went with the flow. Not really a strategy, but it worked.

"How boring." Kim chimed from her end of the sofa where she sipped her drink.

"Then maybe you should go entertain some other guests, Kim." Alice said as she snuggled closer to Black Star. He looked like he was about to pass out. The best time to get them to empty their pockets.

"What's with this treatment? As soon as this newbie shows up all of you start treating her like you're old-time friends!" Kim exclaimed.

"Hey, I don't know what your problem is," Maka felt the room tilt a bit, "with me, but you need to stop." She finished, pointing an accusing finger. Was that the best she could do?

"My problem is you. Is that how you make money? Getting the customers to feel sorry for you? Pathetic." Kim snapped. Maka felt her anger flare, sobering her up enough to retaliate and making her cheeks flush with furry.

"H-Hey now, let's just calm down, ne? Blair doesn't want anyone to start fighting, ne?" Blair said from her spot next to Soul. Soul, however, was enjoying this. By now he would have been in the back, fucking Blair, but he had decided to stick around. Just because he found this newbie to be a little amusing. But mainly because he knew this moment would eventually come.

"What's pathetic is how you make this kind of job into a competition. I don't care what methods I have to use, as long as I don't have to sell my body, it's fine with me. You, however, need to get out more. When you start taking a job like this seriously and turning it into a game, you've completely lost yourself. That's what I call pathetic." Maka said simply, as if she was talking a child.

"You bitch!" Kim had quickly leaped over Blair and Soul's feet, her hand raised high. Maka, though still tipsy, was ready. All those years of karate had prepared her for such a moment. She easily redirected Kim's force and put her foot out, causing the girl to trip. Kim, unable to get her balance, plummeted right onto the table and into the tray of pastries.

"Looks like we're going to need more food." Black Star laughed.

"Don't ever raise your hand to me again." Maka said and sat back in her seat, finishing her drink off. Soul watched her with amusement and also sipped his own drink. Maka Albarn was definitely entertaining. If only because Soul knew that this girl didn't belong here.

And maybe her attitude was a little cute...

.

Another hour later and it was close to closing time. Black Star was nearly unconscious and he layed in Alice's lap as she stroked his blue hair. Maka yawned and turned her attention to Soul and Blair who were still glued together. She was whispering something in his ear, but he didn't seem to be paying attention, only looking off and sipping his drink distractedly.

"Hey, what is it that you do?" Maka asked after a moment. Soul looked at her and she returned his gaze.

"Maka, we're not suppose to ask about our Client's personal life." Blair hissed again, but Maka ignored her.

"You said your last name is Evans, right? Where have I heard that name before," Maka tapped her chin in thought when it finally came to her.

"Oh, you're part of that family of musicians! That's so cool. Wes Evans, is he your brother? I once heard a composition by him it was so beautiful." Maka said dreamily.

"If you like his music, you have terrible taste." Soul said, clearly annoyed.

"Eh? You don't think he's a good violinist?" Maka asked, not sensing Soul's irritation.

"No, he's great, but there is no feeling in his music. It's as cold as he is."

Maka pondered this. His music, did in fact, seem quite droll.

"Then what do you play, Soul Evans?" Maka asked.

"I don't play anything." Soul said darkly.

Maka was just about to ask him another question when a loud voice said,

"Closing time: 10 minutes!"

"Huh? What was that?" Black Star said, suddenly sitting up.

"We're about to close. Want me to call you a cab?" Alice asked.

"Nope, I'll catch a ride with Soul. Your driver is here, right?" Black Star asked, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, can we get the bill?" Soul asked a passing waiter. Maka realized this was one of only two waiters in the whole establishment. How frustrating it must be to wait on a bunch of horny, drunk men all night.

Soul received the bill, glanced at it, and handed a shiny black card to the waiter. He returned a moment later, handed the card back and both Soul and Star got up to leave.

"Aw, Soul, you must come back tomorrow. We didn't even get to spend any time together. Alone, I mean." Blair cooed seductively as she wrapped her arm around Soul. Soul smirked at this and glanced over his shoulder at Maka who had taken the liberty of sprawling out on the couch.

"Yeah, I'll definitely be back. Good night."

"Good night! Please come again," Alice and Blair both said at the same time. Soul glanced over his shoulder again at the sleeping girl on the couch. In just a few hours, he had her figured out.

Underage, possibly a high schooler. A nerd, which explains why she's so uptight. Temperamental, the reason Kim is somewhere nursing a few bruises. Definitely an innocent victim in her father's stupidity. Soul wondered how big her debt was and what would happen to the girl if she couldn't pay it off.

He then wondered how long she thought she could last with that "no sleeping with the customers policy" before she realized one night could probably solve all her problems.

He then wondered if she was a virgin, but it was a fleeting thought that was quickly replaced by the idea of taking her to bed himself. He wondered if Black Star was thinking the same thing.

He glanced at his intoxicated friend as they sat in the backseat of the car. He seemed out of it, but he was conscious. Good enough.

"Hey, Black Star." Soul started.

"Hm?"

"What do you think about that Maka girl."

"Maka-chan? I like her, she's fun. Why do you ask?"

"Would you sleep with her?" Soul asked.

The man was silent for a moment as he pondered this question.

"Yeah, probably." He finally answered.

Never had Soul wanted to throw his friend out of a moving vehicle as much as he wanted to at that moment. He didn't even really know the girl, yet he felt he had claim on her already. This could be problamatic.

.

"We did pretty good tonight. A little over $14,000." Blair said as she glanced at the chart in the changing room. Every girl's name was posted on the board and it listed their earnings for the evening.

"Why didn't I get as much as you guys?" Kim grumbled from beside Alice. She glanced at Maka, probably attributing this to what happened earlier.

"Probably because you started a fight and left early." Alice said dryly, which caused Kim to grumble and walk away.

"$13,500." Maka said as she looked at her name. Not bad. If she kept up that pace she could pay her debt back in just the nick of time. And if she got clients like Black Star and Soul, it wouldn't be so bad. A little alcohol in her system couldn't hurt either.

"Well, I'm going home. See you guys tomorrow night." Blair said, waving good-bye.

"Yeah, I have a test in a few hours. I better get some rest." Alice said, stiffling a yawn.

"Same here. I don't know how I'm going to keep my grades up and work here at the same time." Maka said as she followed Alice to the door.

"It is hard, but you can manage. What university do you go to?" Alice asked.

"University? Um, I go to Death City High School." Maka said sheepishly.

There was a long moment of silence before Alice exclaimed,

"You're still in high school!"

To Be Continued...

So what do you guys think? It's the start of a new series and my first Soul Eater fic. Comments/Reviews are much appreciated.