Complications of the Heart

Chapter One

Written in 2007/2008 Originally posted on FictionPress.Net

Anna logged onto her MSN Messenger account for the first time in three weeks and checked to see who was online when an add request popped up. She accepted, even though she had no idea who this rocker_boy67 person was, and began typing a message.

annaBear:( says: hey who r u

rocker_boy67 says: ur the one who added me, u should no who i am

annaBear:( says: i didn't add you. i accepted ur add request there is a difference

rocker_boy67 says: no u added me. i dont add ppl i dont no.

annaBear:( says: ok well since ur being an idiot i'm getting offline

rocker_boy67 says: bye frowny

Anna turned her computer off and glanced out her bedroom window, frowning as her father's new truck pulled into the messy over-grown yard. She bolted downstairs and into the kitchen to put together a plate of leftovers for him and slid it into the microwave. Anna hoped to God he wouldn't be in one of his horrible nasty moods, groaning when she heard the truck door slam shut and his raging yell. "Aww, damn!"

"Get me a beer, girl! NOW!" he growled, the front door nearly falling off its hinges from the force used to close it. The microwave went off; she hurried to the fridge and grabbed two green bottles, placing them on the tray. The food was the right temperature and it was also placed on the tray, along with a fork, an empty glass, and bottle of ketchup.

"I'm gonna go finish my homework." She said as she slid the tray in front of him, on the small table littered with cigarette butts and half empty ash trays. Anna grabbed a half eaten bag of cheese flavoured Doritos and all but ran back to her room. She usually finished her homework during lunch, or her spare classes spent in the school library because it just simply would not get done at home, due to her father's loud drunk self and the people he had over nearly every night. So she switched the computer back on and once again signed on to MSN Messenger. Right away a message from rocker_boy67 popped up.

rocker_boy67 says: hey frowny.

rocker_boy67 says: i thought u were gone for the rest of the night.

annaBear:( says: guess i changed my mind. stuff happend. and i'm back.

rocker_boy67 says: oh k

annaBear:( says: so whats ur name? or should i just call you rocker?

rocker_boy67 says: i'll give u a hint. my name begins with a G :P

annaBear:( says: tht doesnt help AT ALL *thinks* is it greg?

rocker_boy67 says: lol not even close

annaBear:( says: omg ur so mean

rocker_boy67 says: lol thx i no :)

Anna heard her father stomping up the stair case and turned the computer screen off, hoping he wouldn't notice it was on and take it away like he had before. She'd gotten the computer at a garage sale for less than twenty dollars - it was a good buy, as it was in nearly perfect condition and relatively new. There was a computer in her father's office, which she was never allowed to use, and he had two phone lines set up, one for internet and the other for the actual house phone. No one called them.

"Anna, you open this goddamed door right now or I'll kick it down." he slurred, obviously drunk, and she opened the door a crack.

"Yes, Dad?" she asked through the tiny opening. "There is more beer behind the water jug."

"You failed Spanish." he forced the door open. "Why'd ya fail, ya stupid lil whore?!"

Anna didn't bother answering him, knowing what was to come next. She was thrown to the bed and her father clumsily took off his belt, ready to beat her.

"Maybe if ya weren't so stupid I wouldn' have to hit you all the damn time."

"Please, don't!" she pleaded, only to be punched in the stomach.

"Stop talkin'!" her father hollered and beat her until she passed out.

When she woke several hours later to the sound of dinging, she crawled to the computer on the floor. The internet cable had been taken away so she dug the cheap cell phone she wasn't supposed to have out of the bottom of her red school bag. "I wonder if this rocker guy is still online."

He was.