Chapter One
So there I was all alone in the black nothingness. I looked around and then I saw a little light. I tried to walk towards it, feeling an undying need to walk into it but I couldn't move. Something or someone was holding me back. I looked behind me and saw Ash staring at me with his piercing gaze. I felt frightened and tried to run but I couldn't he just kept holding on to me hurting me….
I jolted up, and then immediately regretted doing so. I gripped my head as a flash of pain overcame me. I shouldn't have drunk so much last night. I sat and looked at my arms they were still black and blue from last night, also. Then I remember Ash he was still sleeping beside me. I looked at my clock, it read 12:15. I peeked out the curtains to see it was light outside, if I didn't make him breakfast by the time he woke up I'd be in trouble.
I dragged myself out to the kitchen and looked in the fridge, there wasn't a lot in there but there were some eggs so I decided to make those. As soon as I put the eggs on the table Ash walked out of the bedroom. He sat down and I handed him a fork.
"Morning babe did you sleep well?" he asked while cramming eggs into his mouth, I was about to answer, but I saw his face sour. I instantly took a step back, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" I tried to explain but he cut me off, he stood flipping the chair he was sitting in. I pressed myself to the counter and cowered in fear. He grabbed my arms and squeezed, hard. I winced at the pain and looked away from him. "Marceline look at me now," I slowly brought my gaze to his. He grabbed my face in his hands, not in a caring way, "answer me Marceline who supports you?"
I felt a tear run down my face, "You do Ash, I'd be on the streets without you," while I didn't like to admit it, I knew it was true. Ash took me in when my father had kicked me out of his house when I was 18. I was a troubled teen and he wouldn't have it in his house, so he made me pack up and leave. I had nowhere to go; I was just living on the streets. A few weeks later I was just sitting by a dumpster and I saw him walking by. His pure white hair was a ruffled mess and kind of long. He wore skinny jeans and a t-shirt nothing special. He looked me right in the eyes and he didn't even think, he picked me up and took me to his apartment. It smelled like cigarettes and booze but I didn't care it was warm. Ever since then he has taken care of me and helped me get on my feet. We started dating but as soon as we did everything went downhill. He started beating me and started drinking more. He got into more bar fights and eventually started taking his anger out on me. Hitting me countless times, yelling at me, calling me names. I tried to defend myself at first, but I learned that it only made it worse for me. After he had calmed down he would hold me in his arms and whisper sweet nothings to me. I allowed him but secretly I never forgave him I was just too afraid to leave him. He recently started threatening that if I tried to leave he would do something despicable to me. So here I stay.
"Good girl," he snapped. He pressed my face harder, "so why the fuck are you feeding me disgusting food. I provide you with shelter and food, you'd still be beside that damn dumpster if I hadn't come along. All I ask is for a little bit of food and you can't even give me that?!" he struck my face hard. I fell to the ground and tried to get away from him, but he grabbed my hair and pulled me back up to his face "You fucking little slut go to the damn store, get some fresh food and make me fucking lunch do you understand me? Don't make me repeat myself," he threw me back on the ground and I scrambled to the bedroom to get dressed really quick. I pulled on some skinny jeans and a gray hoodie. I then pulled on my red converses and put on some make up to hide the bruise that was now beginning to show. I grabbed the keys to my bike and ran out of the house. I got on the bike and started it but I couldn't bring myself to start driving. I just sat there and cried and cried.
When I got back from the store about 30 minutes later there were cops in front of the apartment. I ran up to one and asked what happened. He told me that Ash had been arrested for assaulting a guy at a bar last night, and he had a good 6 months in prison. I saw Ash being escorted to the cop car in handcuffs he looked up and saw me, "don't worry about me babe. I'll be out in no time to take care of you, just stay faithful."
As soon as the cops had left I plopped down on the couch. I stared at the wall for a few minutes and I felt…relieved. I had finally gotten rid of that jerk. I could do whatever I wanted. I felt so free. I looked at the clock it read 2:15, so much had happened in only an hour. I remembered I had work at 2:45 so I got up and jumped in the shower. Once I was done with my shower I put on black skinny jeans, my black combat boots and a plain white V neck t-shirt. I put my hair into a braid and put on cover up, eye liner, and mascara. I then grabbed my keys and walked out the door.
When I got to the café I work at, Java Lava, I started the usual routine. I put out new pastries and started sweeping the floor. While sweeping I heard the bell on the door, I looked up muttering the usual 'I'll be with you soon sir' but stopped in the middle of my sentence. The guy that stood in front of me awestruck me, he had short ruffled black hair, and was wearing skinny jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt. On his feet he wore red converses that looked a lot like the pair I had at home. I picked my jaw up from the floor and got behind the register to take his order. He looked me up and down for a minute but then ordered a coffee. I made his coffee and handed it to him. He started to turn around to leave but stopped and turned back around, "Hey could I get your name please?"
I was a little shocked that a guy like him would want to know my name but I said it anyway, "Marceline, my name is Marceline," I paused for a minute as he mussed my name, "what is your name?" He smiled at me, a smile that made me weak in the knees. "My name is Marshall Lee", his name kind of sounded like mine, I found that cute. He turned to leave again but once again turned to face me. "When do you go on break?" he asked as he leaned against the counter, I was utterly and completely shocked. I swallowed feeling my mouth go dry and my stomach get queasy but I answered "in about 30 minutes."
Finally he turned around and sat down at one of the tables. I turned around to clean the coffee machine. I dared a glance of him out of the side of my eye, he was looking at me, he couldn't tell I was looking at him but I could see him staring. That or he could tell I was staring and was just bold. I turned back to the coffee machine and grinned. Maybe today wasn't so bad after all.