CHAPTER 1: NIGHTCLUB

First meeting.

I can't believe I'm doing this.  Annah has a way of getting me to do things I hate.  Tonight, she was dragging me to a nightclub.  Which means lots of people, crushed together, bobbing along to "music".  Me?  I'm hooked on staying at home with a good book, listening to Bach and Brahms and Mozart.  Who the hell cares about being squished against some stranger for hours?  Not me, that's for sure.

I was dressed in black cargo pants, a black tank top, and black biker boots.  Hopefully no one would notice me if I was wearing black.  I stepped into my living room and walked over to my piano, my fingers brushing the keys.  One day, I hoped to be as good as Beethoven.  I probably never would be that good, but a girl can dream, right?

My phone rang, and I scrambled to answer it.  "Hello?"

"Jesha, are you ready yet?  We gotta meet Jace there in ten minutes," Annah told me, "I can be at your house in five."

"I'm ready, hurry up.  I refuse to stay past one hour, got it?"

I heard her laughing.  "Party pooper."  And she hung up.  I sighed and moved back to my piano.

"Bach would never be at a nightclub, would he?" I asked no one in particular.  Feeling no music well up inside me, I decided to wait around for Annah.  She was at my door in three minutes.  Always the partier.  She was wearing a gold sheath dress and gold heels.  Her long blond hair was pulled back behind her head in a lazy ponytail and her face was covered in makeup.  She grabbed me by the wrist and we rode in silence to the club.  I stared at the lights flashing inside the building and groaned.

Annah paused in her retreat from the car and stared at me.  "Jesha, you gotta go in.  Think about Matt.  Matt would want you to be happy, right?"

Matt.  Matt was my ex-boyfriend of four years.  Died in a car wreck.  I thought I was doing surprisingly well at coping, considering it had only been two weeks ago.  "Don't bring him up."

She grabbed my shoulder and turned me to face her.  "Jesh, I know you're upset.  But you have to break out of that little turtle shell, okay?"

I sighed in defeat, knowing arguing with her would do absolutely nothing.  We stepped out of the car and I was pushed into the crowd inside the building.  It was a Friday night, and every teen in the city was in that club.  They were all pressed together, seeming to bob at exactly the same time.  Annah pushed through the crowd to the bar, me in tow.  I scanned the crowd for any of Matt's friends, but I couldn't see.  I felt a hand on my shoulder and swirled around to find myself facing Jace Johnson.  Jace was Matt's closest friend, and Annah's boyfriend.  He smiled and hugged me.

"Didn't think you'd be coming here," he yelled over the music and the yells from the crowd.

"I wasn't planning to," I answered.  He laughed and let me go, moving to Annah.  That's when I saw him.  He was standing against one wall, arms crossed, face expressionless.  I had no idea who he was, but I was drawn to him.  His eyes met mine, and before my mind could register "hottie" he was pushing toward me.  My heart thudded hard against my ribcage, and my breathing ceased completely.  He ran a hand through his raven black hair and I took a moment to study him more fully.  He was wearing a skintight black t-shirt, camo cargo pants, black converse low-tops, and a black hoodie.  His skin was pale and flawless, and as he approached, I had to look up to see him.

He stepped up to the bar and leaned against it.  "Saw you staring."  Even his voice was perfect.  Velvet smooth and deathly attractive.  He probably made girls swoon just by saying hello.  "Do you like what you see?  Or is there something wrong?"

I shrugged nonchalantly and realized Annah and Jace had moved out to the dance floor.  When had they moved?  I couldn't remember them moving.

He laughed lightly.  "I'm Iian."

"Jesha."

"Hmm.  Interesting name."

"Thanks."

He sighed.  "A little stuffy in here, don't you think?"

"Just a little."

I felt his hand on the small of my back and resisted the urge to slide away out of his reach.  "Let's go outside for some fresh air.  It'll be a lot quieter, and we can talk."

Against my better judgement, I let him lead me outside.  His hand grasped my wrist and he tugged me around to the side of the building.  He pushed me up against the wall and kissed me, his hands on my waist.  I was expecting the kiss to be hard and rough, but instead it was soft and tender.  Then his tongue touched mine, and I grasped his shoulders as my knees gave out.  I barely knew this guy and he already had his tongue in my mouth.  I pulled my head away.

"Wait.  What're we doing?"

He smiled.  "I'm afraid I might be attatched to you."

"We barely know each other, though."

His eyes darkened and he kissed my neck, and suddenly it didn't matter that I'd just met him.  All that mattered to me was his lips on my skin.  I still had Matt in my head, but for now, Iian seemed like a sweet escape.  His hands slid under my shirt to rest against my waist.

"Let me help you forget your worries, bella.  Let me take care of you, if only for this brief period of time."  He kissed me again, softly, a long lingering brush against my lips as his hands moved around to my backside to lift me against the wall.  His hands slid down my thighs to my knees and he pulled my legs around his waist.  I grasped the back of his head as his teeth skimmed my neck.  I felt two sharp points against my skin and then blinding pain flashed through me.  My body went numb and black dots danced in front of my eyes.  Someone cried out.  I think it was me.  And I fell back into darkness.

Author's Note

tell me what you think. DON"T HOLD BACK! lol not like i'll get mad.

Reviews

[Bryan A.]

I liked it. I think it was a little rushed, from the time she got to the club to the time she made out with the dude. But other than that, it wasn't half bad. Started to get a little bit steamy toward the end. Is something going to happen with them later on? And what about Matt? You mention him a lot. Is that just to make sure he's not forgotten? Or did something happen and he's going to show up later? That would be pretty cool. I'm just asking. I really do think it's awesome. Gonna read chapter 2 now.