The club was hidden behind the facade of an abandoned warehouse on the west of the town. The club itself wasn't well known and had few customers but they kept running on selling cheap drinks and playing good enough music to dance to. It was also unknown enough to sell drinks to underage teenagers. Or, in simpler terms, me.

I had undone a few more buttons of my shirt and had made sure that I had worn the most fitting leggings I owned and with that I was ready. I descended the stairs into the dark abyss below, passing the bouncers on the way who didn't spare more than a glance in my direction. 

I pushed the door open and was hit by the pounding music and the strobe lighting. The atmosphere in itself was enough to intoxicate me, despite the raging headache it was giving me. I loved feeling lost in the music, in the building. No one knew who I was here. I was Rose, the girl who sat at the bar. 

I strutted towards the bar, a man-eating smile plastered on my face as I shouted out to the bartender on the opposite side of the room, the bar covering the expanse of the left side of the crowded, cramped room.

When I called out again, the bartender turned to me and approached me, a curious look in his eyes. His dark brown eyes stared down at me menacingly, emphasised by his tall stature, as he raised an eyebrow at me. I felt a scowl spread across my face, not only could the man do the impossible of lifting a single eyebrow but he seemed to be silently denying me a drink.

I looked up at him, our eyes meeting for a contest of wills. 'Well?' I asked, tapping my nails on the counter, waiting impatiently for him to pour me a drink.

'Are you even old enough to be drinking or in here for that matter?' He asked, his Russian accent thick. I suddenly felt small under his gaze and cowered before the new bartender. On the surface, though, I stayed tall- my shoulders back and my head held high.

I cursed that it wasn't the usual guy at the bar tonight but stood my ground and waited for the man to give me my drink. In fairness, I was surprised the man hadn't gone for the job of a bodyguard, his body was made of muscle and his height could frighten even the strongest of people.

'Yeah, how else did you think I would get in?' I replied, the lie falling off my tongue easily. I had a mixed relationship with lying. I was bad at lying in most social situations but when the time came and I felt it was crucial, I had the perfect excuses lined up and I could portray them in a tone that would have any person do my bidding.

'Fake ID?' He asked, his accent even thicker than before and something about it was attractive but I knew in this situation, seduction would get me nowhere and with the forceful eye contact he was making, I knew there was no escaping.

'You're new here, right?' I asked, quickly changing the topic. 

'Changing topics, classic. But, yes, to answer your question.' I clenched my teeth; I had been caught out immediately by the frustrating Russian behind the counter. But, I felt a tingle of pride that I was right- he was new. I hadn't seen him around before, that much was clear, I would have noticed the hot Russian guy before now if he had been.

'So, can I have a drink now, comrade?' He smirked at the nickname but simply shook his head.

'It's Dimitri. Not Comrade...ID?' I slipped my hand into my breast pocket and pulled out the ID I had stolen from a similar looking girl back when I had been living out of the foster system. He squinted, trying to read the information on the front but seemingly struggling under the uneven lighting pattern. 

Either way, I was screwed as his eyes met mine again, a disappointed look spreading across his face. 'I was hoping that if you had been using a fake ID it would at least be good. No way is that you.' He sighed, handing the ID back to me before going to move away. I needed a new approach.

'Please, it's my birthday!' I begged, screaming internally at how pitiful I sounded. The brave facade had crumbled only to reveal another mask underneath, this one even more deceiving than the last.

He raised an eyebrow at me and looked almost pitying though his face remained rather stoic. 'My shift ends in three minutes; I'm getting you home.' He sighed, making his way to leave again. But, I interrupted. 'It's only eleven!' I argued, sounding childish in comparison to his smooth Russian accent.

'And you're, what I assume, only seventeen. Wait here, I'm ending my shift early.' He retorted, going into the back, coming back out with a simple outfit consisting of a black t-shirt and jeans. 'What's your name?' He asked, looking doubtful. 'I have a feeling it isn't Mary Vanderwood.' He smirked, making his way out from behind the bar and to my side, his height making me feel smaller than I ever had before.

'It's Rose.' I stated as he waited patiently. He seemed kind but I couldn't help but feel nervous with a complete stranger at my side, one that just kicked me out of the club at that. 

'So, Rose. I assume you're within walking distance. Let's go; I can't let you walk home alone at this time of night.' He stated without so much as a glance at me as we both ascended up the stairs and into the fresh air of the night.

'I'm not going back.' I huffed, having another childish tantrum. But, my statement held truth. I didn't want to go back. I needed freedom for just one night and if it meant sleeping on a park bench, at this point, I wouldn't mind.

'Why not?' He asked, raising his eyebrow once again placing me somewhere between awe and annoyance. It was surprising what such a small action could do to me.

'I don't want to see any more...people.' I sighed, glancing at the night sky, watching the stars that were as bright as beacons line the night sky with an ominous, yet beautiful, glow. 

'Sorry if I'm mistaken but I can only assume that you are in foster care.' He stated as I faced him, my mouth gaping open.

'How did you...' I couldn't say any more. Sure, my statement had held some sort of relevance to my situation but I couldn't understand how a complete stranger could infer my living situation after just a few words.

'I've heard that statement a lot over my life. I left that place seven years ago.' I stared at him, shocked. Not only had this man been in the same situation but he was seven years older than me. Despite his height, his physique made him look younger, very early twenties, maybe. But, this made him twenty-four. Sure, he wasn't old, not at all, he was barely in his mid-twenties but hearing that we had a seven year age gap sent a weird feeling to my stomach.

'Fine. I know what it's like. And, this being an odd situation, I'm taking you to my apartment. I know if I leave you now, you'll end up sleeping on the streets.' He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if in deep thought. 'I remember birthdays there too.' He let out a humourless laugh. 'They were stupid, really. Just stupid kids fighting over a stupid cake whilst you get a present no more than a dollar.' I smiled up at him, my eyes wide with shock but the offer making my stomach flutter.

'Are you sure you want to take a random seventeen-year-old girl to your apartment?' I joked, sending him a teasing smile. We were becoming quick friends and I wallowed in the feeling of laughing with another person present. I hadn't laughed at anything more than a book or a TV show in a long time. 

'Don't take it the wrong way.' He looked down at me, his lips quirking up into a small, juvenile-looking smile. 'You're a minor.' He winked jokingly, watching as I blushed furiously- manically trying to cover it with my hair. This man could not be doing this to me.

'Well, let's celebrate your birthday in a way that doesn't include underage drinking.' He laughed, leading the way.

'You make it sound so bad. Plenty of kids drink before they're eighteen. It's my birthday, give me some credit!' I retaliated, a smile still playing at my lips. 

'Alone?' His smiled transformed into a teasing smirk as he craned his neck to look up at the stars, looking as he was paying no attention to the conversation at hand. But, somehow, I knew he was. He was that type of man, as well, the man who pretends that he's not interesting when he really catches each word of your sentence and leaves nothing for granted- I liked that.

'Friends were coming?' My statement came out as a question as my blush became stronger. It was clear, at this moment, that my lying skills weren't as good as I thought they were. Of course, there was no real need to lie here and as a result, the lie had come out as it had.

'Come on, let's just get to the car.' He led me down the street and towards the car but it was nonetheless the first vehicle I had entered in a year and was better than anything I owned. He opened the door, like a stereotypical gentleman, for me and I jumped inside with a little too much excitement.

I was a teenage girl and there was no avoiding the 'stranger danger' talk but curiously, with Dimitri, I felt safer if anything. The voice inside of my head that was supposed to be nagging me only said this was okay. I felt the safest I had in a while.

He then stepped around the car and got into the driver's seat before rushing to put his seat belt on and soon we were speeding down the highway. 'What's the rush, Comrade?' I joked. I only received a murmur in reply, one in Russian at that. Russian was one of many languages I didn't know, English being the only one I could understand or speak. 'я еду домой, пока не передумал.'* That was all I got and I made no attempts to try and understand it, I couldn't even remember the words to look them up.

Soon enough, we pulled up in front of a shabby looking apartment complex that was crumbling at every corner. I skipped out of the car, giving no thought to the damaged state of the place he lived on. Anything was better than returning home right now, home being the only name I had for it.

Dimitri locked the car and followed behind me before taking a few faster steps and leading the way. We began walking and I looked over at him, shocked when we reached the fifth floor. He didn't say a word and I didn't ask until we reached our destination- floor fifteen.

I was panting by the time we had reached his front door and I felt that I was about to faint. Dimitri simply laughed but seemed slightly out of breath too. I looked around for the elevator, wondering why the hell we hadn't used that. Apparently, though, this complex had no elevator. What apartment complex doesn't have an elevator?! Especially one with over fifteen floors.

'Seriously, comrade. This is a good workout out.' I said between breaths, attempting to calm my erratic heart beat. 

'It is but you get used to it; I've lived here for a while.' He stated before unlocking the door and gesturing for me to enter. 'I guess I'm going to have to throw a party then.' He laughed, the door closing behind me and a sense of calm washing over me for the first time in a while.

This was the start of a new life, I knew it.

*Translation: I'm getting to my apartment before I change my mind

word count: 940

edit 1 - 7.03.17 - new word count - 2076