It was 1999. Late September.
I suppose starting at the beginning works right? This is only the beginning. It started in the year of 1999, the end of the 90's. Grunge was coming to an end, while Nu Metal was at the rise. I loved all of it. I was completely submerged in music.
Ever since I moved out at 20, I dropped out of college, and I moved in with my boyfriend.
To say I was happy was a joke at that time.

So let me just.. rewind back to 99'.

--
"Penelope." My boyfriend, Ronnie said.
I was in the bedroom trying to cover up my bruises around my eye. I worked at a bar, or a music venue. I had to work tonight, a band named Slipknot were kicking off their first tour here in Des Moine, Iowa. My hometown.

"Poppy?" He said coming up the stairs.

"What?" I said holding the small sponge full of pale concealer, staring into my asshole of a boyfriend in his dead shit colored eyes.

"That looks.. good!" He said

"Oh shut up. You did this last night. remember?" I stared into my reflection. The skin may be able to be covered but the eye couldn't. It was red. My bright green iris was surrounded by bright red veins running throughout my entire eye.

"Sorry. But sometimes you gotta shut up." He laughed "I mean you never shut up."
He came closer to me. Running his hands on my torso and lowering them to my hips.

"Please Ronnie. Stop." I sighed

"Why? You don't like when I touch you?" His grip got stronger.
He was drunk, but he was also strung out on something. Heroine? Crack? Ecstasy?

"Actually no. I don't think you get it." I said shoving him off me.

"What's not to get?" He grew angrier by the second. "I wanna fuck my girlfriend."

"Well I don't want you to touch me. Ronnie. Please... let's not do this."
As soon as I said that. He pushed me against the wall of the bedroom. He hit me. Hard. I felt blood, flood the inside of my mouth.

"I'm going to fuck you until you learn to listen." He said shoving me onto the bed pinning me down.
I couldn't do this anymore. This had gone on for too long.

"Get off me!" I yelled as he pulled his pants down yanking at my overalls.
Thank god for overalls. I kicked him in his crotch.
I then jumped onto him as he squirmed in pain from me kicking his manhood.

"Don't. You. Ever. Think about me staying with you. I'm done here." I spit on him.

He looked at me in shock. I packed my bag full of my clothes. I had to leave some stuff behind. Where was I going to go?
My sister's? Probably. She had 2 kids and a husband though.. eh I'd figure it out.
As I rushed into the bathroom. That's when I realized that Ronnie was coming after me.

"Shit." I mumbled.

"Penelope." He came in shutting the bathroom door.

"Ronnie. Leave me alone."

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? To us?"

"You're abusive.. and youre obviously strung out. Get some help." I said looking down at my duffel bag. Avoiding his gaze.
He wasn't going to let me leave without a fight... or a fuck.
I was wrong. It was both.

He pinned me in the bathroom. The stand up shower to be exact. He yanked at my clothes and I tried to push him but it was no use. I kicked and squirmed until I realized that this was it.
I thought of something. I turned on the water. The hot water. It streamed down onto both of us. I was topless at this point. And the water was burning me but it was great because he couldn't take the pain. He had to stop.

I laughed at him and I grabbed my shit pulling my shirt back on as I left my abusive.. now ex boyfriend behind.