Sweet Destruction (Excerpt)

Chapter Two - Samantha

In my neck of the woods there were three things you did in the summer. You worked at a boring sucky job, went to parties, or hung out and watched illegal street races. At least that's what the kids on the south side of town did.

And tonight was no different.

Six days a week, forty hours a week, I flipped burgers at Red's Meet and Eat. Stupid name but the hamburgers were awesome. It wasn't my dream job but it paid decent money. The real kicker was I got free food. Many nights I went home with hamburgers and fries, sometimes a chocolate shake too. Some people might take that for granted but not me. I went to bed most nights with a full stomach, something I didn't do very often growing up. So despite having a less-than-stellar job, it was turning out to be a good summer. At least it started that way...

I had put in a full day at the Meet and Eat, getting off in enough time to go out. Tonight there was a gathering of party-goers at the old Western Plastics industrial plant. It was in a deserted area of the city, surrounded by empty roads. Perfect for drag racing and drifting, just a few of the illegal activities occurring around here.

Weeds had taken over the broken pavement surrounding the building and there was more graffiti on the metal walls than there were windows. But it was clear of cops and set far enough away from town that no one could hear the roar of the engines or the screeching of tires.

It was every street racer's dream.

But I gotta say, it wasn't mine.

I was here for something different. Something that would bust your eardrums and make you scream.

The music.

The abandoned plastics factory had been converted into a so-called club by the owner's great grandson a year ago. It was crude and operated under the radar of government regulations or city ordinances. I figured they knew about it but turned their heads. Not many people wanted to mess with the locals on this side of town. We were a nasty bunch and it took a real ballbuster to deal with us.

I was here with my pseudo-boyfriend, Lukas, to hear Dark Paradox play. They were a local hardcore punk band, which wasn't my favorite type of music but he loved them so I tagged along.

Lukas Ryan was a year older than me and played bass with his own alternative rock band. They made a name for themselves around here, booked most weekends. It didn't hurt that the band members were all gorgeous. Girls seemed to have a thing for guys who knew how to rock and carry a tune. Not me. I hung out with Lukas because I had known him since high school. We had recently started dating but before that we were only friends.

I glanced back as Lukas and I wove our way through the sweaty, dancing crowd. He was following me, keeping close enough that if I needed to I could reach out and grab his hand. His dyed-black hair was long, covering most of his face and hiding the tattoos that ran up his neck. He had at least five earrings in one ear and wore nothing but black. Black shirt, snug black jeans, and black Converses. He was a social reject. A misfit. A black smudge on the face of society. At least that's what the other kids in school had said. His dad was a doctor who sampled his own medicine too often and his mother was a stay-at-home mom who was more concerned about her nails and hair than Lukas. But at least he had both parents. I only had one and she was high or drunk most of the time.

At nineteen, I was also a misfit. I considered myself withdrawn and misunderstood. I had few friends and even fewer reasons to smile. I would rather get lost in an Edgar Allen Poe book than watch the latest reality TV show like other kids my age. I never attended sleepovers or sat around and giggled with girls from school. Steven King and Anne Rice were my best friends, telling me stories that made my own life seem innocent and sweet. I was afraid to get close to anyone because if I did, they would leave. Everyone always did.