Chapter 1: The Club

Music throbbed through my veins making me alive and free. I was here in my now. The past was through with and all that was left was me. Here in this room full of music that had saved me so many times. Rocking out to my music being myself. Allowing the mask to slip and to be free for these beautiful moments of beat and rhythm.
I was jumping up and down to the beat of the song, allowing all the other people in the room fade into nothing. Just blurs and I could even make that disappear if I closed my eyes. A club full of people so easily forgotten and made to vanish right in front of me by just letting go.
Chicago. A large city with very many people. I knew only one person out of the thousands that resided here. Leaving my small hometown to meet that one person, in person for the first time, had been a mistake. I had left my family, friends, and home only to come here and find it was nothing more than a big scam.
"Ana! Analiss!" I heard someone call out to me through my veil of rhythm. It could only be one person. Corey. I chose to ignore him and stay in my world where there was nothing but me and the music.
Another cry of my name broke through the veil. Would he ever leave me alone? To let me recover from what I had hoped for but was not real? No. I was stuck here. In this city where I knew no one but this man making his way toward me. Pulling me away from everything that I needed. Light Up The Sky by: YellowCard was now playing. One of my favorites, and he had come to ruin it.
Corey grabbed my arm, saying my name again; pulling me completely back down to earth now. I opened my eyes and whirled around to meet his pleading face. I said nothing as I gazed at him, not even the trace of a smile on my face.
"Ana. I hoped I'd find you here." he smiled keeping his hand on my arm. I kept my face blank. I wanted nothing to do with him, especially speaking to him. He could go to hell for all I cared. "Listen, what you saw back there ... In the apartment. It was nothing! She's the one who came onto me!"
I may have just only turned 19 but I wasn't nyeve. I couldn't help but jerk my arm from his grasp and glare at him.
"You sure didn't seem to mind one bit." I snapped, "It didn't look like it was nothing."
He didn't say anything for a moment. He should be speechless. He had been caught cheating. I haven’t even been here for a month and he already was chasing skirts.
"Babe... I didn't feel anything for it. Not one single emotion. I wasn't even touching her!" he finally managed to stammer.
Did he really think that I was so blind? That I didn’t see almost anything before running out the door, the tears already pouring down my cheeks and blurring my vision? Of course he did. After all, he felt no “emotion” for her. I wasn’t stupid. I knew how men could be.
“You had your hand down her pants and up her shirt you basterd! I’m not blind!” I yelled at him, tears blurring my vision once again.
He was stunned. Speechless once again.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” I said more calmnly and turned to walk away again. The music was no longer helping me. Not with him in front of me. I needed to leave. Now.
Corey grabbed my arm again, trying to prevent me from leaving the club. Yes, I was in a club. Me, nineteen year old Analiss Selien. I had gotten a fake I.D. before I had come to Chicago; plus I could easily pass for 21 because I looked much older than I was. Corey didn't need a fake I.D. He was already twenty-two.
I turned around attempting to wrench my arm from his grip, failing this time. When I looked at him his face was still pleading., but his eyes were on fire. He wasn't going to let me leave so easily. I could tell I wasn't going to get my arm away from him without a confrontation first either. Bracing myself, I raised my hand ready to slap him...