Venus was her name. With olive skin, and deep brown hair that cascaded down her body. She wore tiny underwear and hope in her eyes. At midnight, the club started playing a '50 cent' song. A cheap trick to get the men going before they even saw the girls. A few seconds later the new girls stepped in on the stage. There were five of them, but all of those who were watching were blinded by one girl. Venus. She moved like she was in her own world. Forgetting about the sweaty man in bachelor parties, and dirty executives cheating on their wives. Venus was dancing, and like the goddess of love she exhaled beauty and sex.

Tori put down her glass of brandy, and stared at the stage. It was like opening a window to the past. She saw the full of energy and life girl she once was, desperate for a new start. Content with her new job. She grabbed her glass, and walked back to the dressing room. It was almost one, and she needed to get ready. She shook the girl out of her head. In the ten years she had worked there, only once a newcomer got the midnight show. Herself. She wasn't about to lose it.

She applied the body glow, dark makeup and put on the tiny lingerie. She looked good, most of all she looked young. "Lisa!" Roger yelled, and she knew that was her cue. "Those new girls are good..." He told her pointing at the stage. "You got some competition now." Her grabbed Tori's ass as the stage went black. The girl quickly turn around, and slapped him across the face. Her song began playing before he yell at her.

"Shot to the heart and you're to blame
Darlin' you give love, a bad name"

The stage light back up, and Tori started doing what she was best at. Though her boss's had stuck to her mind. Analyzing the crowd she realized a new energy coming from the audience. They had had too much to drink, and their wallets were empty. There was no point on giving her life at dancing, if she wasn't making enough money. As soon as the stage darkened to introduce the new song, Tori rushed out. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Roger yelled, grabbing her by her shoulders. "Go back there!" He pushed back to the stage, just as the lights were turned back on.

"You three!" Roger yelled, backstage. "Go dance."

Tori left the stage as the first girl walked in. Roger shut the curtains, and pulled Tori further from the stage. "Care to explain?!" He said, trying to keep his voice low. Although he wasn't hiding his anger.

"I'm not dancing at one. The men are completely worn out." Roger chuckled, looking down at her. "Tomorrow, when everything's back to normal, I'll dance again."

"Sweetie." He said, running his fingers on her face. She took a step back, disgusted. "Boss just called, Venus is getting midnight." Her chin dropped. He finally looked down, washing the sarcastic smile off his face. "Look, you either get one or you get none."

"Roger, I have the lists of songs I want to dance to." A soft, feminine voice said. The tall girl stopped between them, holding a leather whip. "Also, is it okay if I use this?"

"It's perfect, Venus." Tori shot the girl a look. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and the makeup had been washed from her face. She wore simple clothes, and wedding ring. She didn't even recognize her nemesis, who was clearly looking to give out the same impression Tori did. They both were good, and normal girls in real life. But you better not mess with them on the pole. The girl had one advantage on Tori though, she was the one dancing at midnight.

"Roger." Tori reached for his arm. "You can't take midnight away from me, it's my show. It's been my show for years."

"Exactly, years."

The words hit her hard. 'Years', she was starting to be too old for the business. She knew this day was coming, and what she feared the most had to be done. "Then I'm out."

This time it was her boss who was caught out of guard. "You can't leave!" He yelled, getting mad. "What are you going to do if you leave this job?" He said, dry. "Go back to the street like when I found you?!"

Tori stood still. She could not believe he went there. It took her back to a dark period of her life, one she had put away.

Nobody told Tori what it would feel like when her world came crashing down on her. Much less warned her of how it would happen, and how young she was going to be. When she thought about it, she thought it would be like in the movies. Something would go terribly wrong, she would get drunk and cry, then move on the next day. Maybe hook up with a stranger to add a little more drama. Tori hadn't figure out that life wasn't like the movies, at all.

The bad things started creeping in on her. One little thing after another. She lost her favorite shirt, and gained a few pounds. Got dumped by her ten-month boyfriend. Nothing she couldn't move on from. Then the bigger things started happening. Her agent told her to lose weight, she wasn't being able to pay for her acting classes and her parents stopped paying her rent. These things started weighing on her. Once the big things accumulate, the small things become unbearable. She ran out of her favorite limited edition lip gloss, and she cried for an hour. A glass fell off the counter and broke, and she curse herself for being stupid. A bad hair day was a enough for her not to leave bed, unless she had run out of cigarettes.

Her agent dropped her, and she had to work three jobs to pay rent. She stopped going to auditions, and completely gave up on her dream career. Life became exhausting. Day after day the bad thoughts took over her mind. There was nothing for her to live for. She would never accomplish anything L.A. The entire town was a constant reminder of her failed life. How she never went to college because she was certain she would make it. How she didn't get any one of the parts she auditioned for, because there was always something wrong with her. How her parents were ashamed of her.

On an early Wednesday morning, Tori flipped through the pages of the scrapbook she made during senior year. She took the light cigarette from her mouth, and held it between her thumb and index finger. She opened the first page, where a skinny girl with a big smile pointed at her locker. The words 'make it shine' burned away, as Tori pressed the cigarette against the photo.

That day she decided to leave Los Angeles. She packed everything she needed and threw in the trunk of her car. She drove north, leaving California behind. Though her mind wasn't set for a new chance at life. She had no plans, no aspirations. The only thing she cared about was making enough money to pay for gas, and keep driving.

It was the middle of the summer when she met Mike. He approached her at a gas station, as she filled the tank. He was twenty years older than her, and looking to go back to Canada. Since she had no destination, she decided to take him. At least she wasn't going to be alone. The drive was quick, but to them it felt like an eternity. Mike fell in love with her right away, and she... Like everything else in her life, just went with it. After they crossed the border, she moved in with him since she had nowhere else to go. The apartment was next to a train station, over a bar.

Mike introduced her to a new world, with a solution for all of her problems. The green herb, for when she was angry or stressed. The white powder, that gave her confidence and energy. The thick liquid, that when on the veins made her feel infinite. Soon the money got short, and Mike told her she could fix it. She met with one of his friends, who promised good money. If she agreed to his terms. She did, finding a new talent.

It was only three months later, when Tori realized the life she had been living. She was in a clients house, going down on him for a couple of needles with fresh product. She stopped the motion, and he grabbed her hair. "I won't pay you, if you don't do me right." He pushed her head back and forth. She found the strength to pull away, getting up dizzy. "HEY!" He yelled, zipping up his pants. "I'm not done with you!" She grabbed her purse, stumbling out the door. That day she sat in her car, crying for two hours. It was also the last day she saw Mike.

One year later she had found a new life. She lived in a tiny two bedroom apartment in downtown Vancouver, with three roommates. She slept on the couch. Her job was to sing. She took her guitar and stayed up from nine am to nine pm downtown, with a small hat for tips. She didn't make half the amount of money she needed, and it was starting to get tiring.

That's why she always saw stripping as a blessing to her. One day she was in the middle of a 'Beatles' song, when a fat men approached her. He handed her his card, with a phone number and 'The Avenue' written in deep red. Roger was his name, and she thanked him for the opportunity.

Now it was almost ten years later, and the same men who once saved her was sending her away.

She understood she was too old, and that dancing at one was better than not dancing at all. Although her pride spoke louder. She left him standing there alone. Going back to the dressing room, she stared at all the girls, at the hot lights and strong cigarette smell. She asked one of the girls for a plastic bag, and threw everything she kept there in a bag. She left 'The Avenue' like she had left all of her previous jobs, serious and certain that she would never go back. But instead of feeling freedom or at least some sort of relief, she felt as if her world was about to crash once again.

She walked across the empty parking lot, and waited for the next bus. Since it was early, she didn't recognize the driver. The bus was overcrowded and she had to stand through the entire way. Life without her job was already completely different. She reached her stop, and hopped off the bus. As she looked for her keys, her bag vibrated. She grabbed her cellphone, to find a new text message.

"We're having lunch tomorrow, and this time I'm choosing the place. Beck."

A/N: Hello guys! I hope you liked this chapter! Just so y'all know, I already have the next one written out. So, as soon as I get five or more reviews I'm going to upload it. Love,

- Kiribati