"Marleene is that really you?" he inches forth, "Wow, this is quite a shocking surprise but hey!" he bends down to embrace me like he doesn't see me mope around school five days a week.

"Hey," I manage to peep out, giving him a smile. If that's what you can even call it. It comes across as more of a grimace than a smile.

He notices but says nothing of it. His eyes float over my head and back to me with a gentle smile, "Finally you decide to come out of your rabbit hole but I don't see why you got a sour face…"

Staring past him at the crowd of grooving bodies, "Micks dragged me along. I'm kind here against my will," I could just walk out. I could round the corner to the 7-Eleven, pick up a pack of sour gummies, bribe the Indian dude behind the counter for a pack of Newports, and sneak away to my thinking spot but I'm keeping a watchful eye out for Mackenzie.

"How about I turn your frown upside down and take you out for a dance?" he says wistfully, his gleaming smile too much for me to deny or handle but do say anyway. He resorts to nudging me, "One dance, Marleene. Don't be such a downer," he puts his right hand over his heart, "I won't bite or anything."

Biting my lip contemplating the offer, "I don't know, Noah."

Kneeling so he's at eye-level with me, he tucks a finger under my chin and pulls it up, "Look, I know about that fool that left you," my eyes widen, "Most people do, actually. I am sorry and I respect that you're hurting but you should know that I ha-"

I finish his line for him. He has a thing for me. Cute, it's cute but gives me even more to feel guilty for. Breaking guy's hearts ain't a hobby of mine but I tend to be good at it, "I know. People talk. And I'm just not ready for th-"

The line he completes it without missing a beat and still he keeps on with his Colgate insured smile, "I'm cool with that. I wasn't planning anything…not tonight. I just want a dance…with you,"

Searching his eyes for any signs of malice or anything close to insincerity, "I just…I just can't. It's been close to a year, I know but I can't…"and again his persistence. That shit is strumming away at my nerves. Why can't go peruse and leave me alone?

By the time I come around to say anything more, I'm swept onto my feet and dragged between bodies into the middle of the dance floor. No matter how mighty the fight I put up, I end up losing and giving into the soft steps of the ballad the DJ decided to cue in. One last move of resistance and Noah pulls me in closer, so close that I can feel just how toned he is.

Somewhere between the gentle sways and everything else, the mood caught on and I let myself relax. I let Noah kiss me and hell I kissed him back, my thought process flying out the window.

When we come up for are, shallowly breathing, I take a shy glance up at him and shriek in pure horror. His face hones a wolf-like smile that could send even the devil running for cover. His hands rake up to my neck and squeeze before I can manage to evade him. The squeeze every single time I try to claw at him or even gasp for air.

"You though you could escape so easily, puta?" he hisses.

Blood covers my cuticles as I sink my nails into his wrist but he doesn't let up. The room in spinning in circles, everyone is still enjoying themselves as if a possible murder isn't happening before their eyes, and I'm still trying to struggle on to no avail.

"Soto…Soto…Soto!" scream voices, seemingly inside my head, terrifying me all the more, "Soto, wake up!"

ΔΔΔΔ

My soul slingshots back into my body. The first breaths I take are labored and shallow almost if I was moments away from the kiss of death. Distraught, my eyes pop open to reveal a rather annoyed Nancy hovering over me like a fucking helicopter while Mark stays at the foot of my bed exhaling as if relieved.

My brain still stuck in a half-dormant state, "What?" I mumble trying my best to sound a least bit coherent.

"Marlee–Soto, you were choking in your sleep," explains Mark keeping his professional façade on.

Searching my wrists and feeling around my oddly sore neck, "It wasn't real…?" I say, talking to myself mostly.

"What wasn't real, Soto?" questions Nance sounding how she looks, annoyed.

"Look, bitch, it'd be grand if Mark could take over from now on 'cus your fucking face is biting me right fucking now!" I snap, "Rotate on outta here 'fore I get a sense and beat the bejesus outta you!"

Slamming her clipboard smackdab into my poor guard's chest, she stomps on out. In all honesty, I enjoyed the scene. In all the time I've been here, she's been black and white nothing in between.

"Marleene, you need to cool off that temper. The attendee has enough power to ruin you or worse…send you up that elevator and into the Psych Ward and trust me, it ain't fun," he lectures while rubbing his chest, "What happened though? Nightmare?"

Scowling at him, I lay back down because this head of mine is starting to throb, "These cooped up hens fuck with me! It's not my fault they got their tampons stuck up their ha-has…" I snicker 'cus I'm that damn funny…and to avoid the seriousness of my dream, "It was a nightmare though."

Mark slides onto my bed, "You wanna talk about it so I can tell you a secret?"

Biting my lip, my natural curiosity sparked already, "I'm going to have to peel back a couple of years 'cus to get my dream you have to get my reality, okay?" I suppose doctor-patient confidentiality is within his contract, right? Either way my mouth begins to move and shoot out words before my brain can fully wrap itself around the consequences. I tell him how everything started and tragically ended with Noah. Talking about it still wounds me skin deep.

"Wow," he whistles. I give him a few moments to digest it and myself to get rid of the lump in my throat, "You're a strong woman, no about that, Marleene," he pats my leg, "No shame in still being shaken by that, none. You think about joining one of those Battered Women groups, you know, when you finally bust out of here. Maybe take of self-defense."

Tracing the lines on the ceiling, "I know how to defend myself, believe me. It was just so surreal what he was doing, like, I just froze, like my body just stopped responding to me. As for the battered thing, nah. When and if I scat on outta here, I'm back to hustling. Christmas is in the air and a girl has a kid to spoil."

I make the mistake of looking his way. He's holding a sorrowful grimace so I just stare up at the ceiling already knowing where this is heading, "I'm not here trying to dictate your life but you should hop off that train while you can, Marleene; it's risky business on all ends."

The worst thing about this is that he's right. Micks unearthing my nightly discrepancies is what threw me off the deep end and landed me here. These days, people look down upon me; they might not do it directly but they sure as hell talk. Going back to working streets would make me feel alienated and quarantined, make me scrub until my skin is all but hanging off my bones. Fuck this shit, "Can we eighty-six this topic, it brings me down…"

"I guess it's secret time…" he scoots closer and I sit up, "You're going home today."

My face contorts. I can't seem to comprehend what he's just said. Did he say what I think he said? I have to hear it once more, "Repeat."

"You're out of this bitch by midday," he says, a smile spreading across his features.

Tears weld up in my eyes as the news sinks in. I cover my twitching lips, "No bullshit?"

"Nope. Betty summoned me and Nancy. Basically, she asked about your progress and whatnot. I think the old woman likes you or something because she just stamped you off. All that's left to do is for her and Humpstein to file some paperwo-"

I fling myself into him, cutting him mid thought, "You don't know how fucking ecstatic I am to hear that…"

ΔΔΔΔ

Paperwork is not a speedy, one-two-three process. It drags on and on but it didn't kill my mood. I had errands to run in-between. I paid ol' Betty a visit and couldn't thank her enough. Humpstein got his fair share as well. He didn't receive anything but a chunk of warnings and specifics on how to cover my bills. As receipts, brochures, and birth control piled on, I gathered my shit – my notebooks – in a hospital duffel. Nancy was gracious enough to give a spare change of clothing seeing as how ruined my dress was.

Now, I stand in the front near the gift shop clinging to Mark like he's some sort of lifejacket. Through all my desperation and breakdown of emotions, I find myself refusing to leave – mostly because I've grown fond of Mark.

"Come on, kid, you're gonna have to let go sooner or later," chuckles Mark and he tries to peel off my arms. I refuse though, I cling on tighter if that's possible, "Look, I'm glad we're buddies now but you need to move away from this and face life head on," he says, rubbing my back soothingly. I nod my head but make no attempt to move, "Is your ride a hot-rod by any chance?"

I peek over to the door and see a muscle car that I know all too well pulling up. It belongs to my nugget, Wesley. My faces beams up on spot but falls because the time has come for goodbyes, "This is it…" I whisper, "I'm going to walk right through those fucking doors," I breathe in deep almost smelling the fresh air already, "I'm not going to look back but this isn't a goodbye, Chuck," I say for old time's sake, "I'll see you later," I squeeze him extra tight before floating off.

"You're the best patient I've ever had the pleasure in getting to know."

"More like the only one?" I laugh whilst scooting away.

"No turning back!"

Facing forward, "See you later!" I stumble a bit as I walk out the door and run the rest of the way, diving into Wes's arms like Superman, "I missed you too, mami."

"Do…don't talk just hug."

ΔΔΔΔ

After a grueling half hour interrogation, we finally pull up to Mick's shack. I've never been so elated to see the disgusting, piss colored house until today. The air's chilly. It cuts into a person like an ice blade even inside the car with the heat turned up.

Soon as I walk through that beat up, wooden door, I'll have completely turned a page and ended this chapter. It hit me during the time I was getting my hair snipped – Wes suggested I switch things up and get myself some new clothes – that I didn't want to be forever ashamed of myself. I don't want to go back to the start, I want a new beginning.

"Andale, Mar, you're going to have to go in sooner or later…" says Wes, poking me.

Reluctantly, I unbuckle my seatbelt and step out, taking support from my main guy's hand. Micks and forgiving her is going to play a big role in getting this page over and done with. I'm not one to forgive so easily.

Wes promptly knocks a tune on the door and I huddle into him for warmth. The door opens a crack and then fully. I nearly faint on site, "Well, well, well…welcome back, beautiful," chimes the only man on earth who's known to refer to me like that. He pulls his trademark smirk, "I know you're awed and shit but the least you can do wipe that drool, it's bound to freeze," he laughs and envelopes me. Upon contact, my knees give out and I'm out like light.

A/N- She's out! Hallelujah! And someone's back! Thank you for the support, venture on!