Chapter Playlist: Gotten by Slash (ft. Adam Levine)

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Alana wasn't sure if it would help but the thought of doing something rebellious gave her a strange sense of comfort. She was standing in the long queue outside the rose club, with puffed up red eyes and chapped, swollen lips. The lips which had faced way too many sunken teeth marks for the past few days now wavered from emotion. She blinked back the tears and watched as the bouncer refused to let a drunken man in.The argument between the two was a distraction from her thoughts and she was grateful for it. She fidgeted with her purse and checked for the millionth time for Evan's credit card. Alana couldn't completely shake off the guilt, despite telling herself over and over again that he deserved this, if not more.

Her own sister. In the bed she shared with her fiancé. Ex- fiancé, she corrected herself mentally and sniffed loudly as a shudder passed through her. Alana felt lost in this big city now that her sole reason for moving to London had abandoned her.

The past few days had been a blur for her. The first day she had booked a hotel room for herself with the little money she had had in her pocket when she had run out of the apartment. She had wept into her pillow until her head had began hurting and she had felt too weak to continue. The second day she checked out of the room cause she couldn't afford to lose the remaining amount she had incase she couldn't find a place to stay.

Alana had sat in a bench in the park and had made the most important call of her life, only to be left numb. Her parents had picked up the phone in the second ring and she had poured her heart out to them. She hadn't cried like that since she was a little kid, but her sobs began to cease when she heard her parents trying to make excuses for her sister.

It was true that they were always very concerned about Melanie because of the rebellious lifestyle that she maintained and Alana always felt like they gave her more attention than was necessary. She consoled herself in those moments by trying to understand her sister's situation. However, the things they had said to defend her sister even after hearing everything made Alana see red.

She had hung up the phone and had switched it off for good. She knew that Evan would try to track her down so she always made sure that the phone was switched off. The next few days she made herself suffer even more; she stalked her sister, egged Evan's car, slept with the homeless, stole food from the grocery and eventually gave up.

She went and slept at Miranda's for the last couple of days, until yesterday, when she decided that she needed to go back to the apartment to fetch her clothes and other belongings. She had sat on the bed she had shared with Evan and had wept for the longest time, with the knowledge that Evan wouldn't turn up until late at night.

Alana had taken her time to pack her bags and when she had found one of Evan's credit card lying on his study table, an idea had struck her. An idea so unlike herself that just the thought excited her. She had grabbed the card and had decided to go on a shopping spree, followed by a trip to one of the most expensive restaurants in that area and eventually ended up here to drink away her pain.

"You alright?" She heard a female voice ask from behind. Alana turned to look at a girl with a very pretty face and large grey eyes. She couldn't help but notice the barely concealed black eye the girl was sporting, or the lit cigarette held between her beautifully manicured fingers, and felt terrible for the other woman. Alana nodded her head and gave the lady a sad smile.

The woman returned it and asked, "Abusive or workaholic?"

"Cheat." Alana replied, knowing full well what the woman meant.

"Ah! Those are the best!" The woman rolled her eyes, making Alana giggle.

The two turned to look at the street when they heard loud screams from the distance.

Everything was drowned out by the appearance of a black car, followed by a mob of very loud and weeping teenagers.

"Celebrity." The woman behind Alana informed when she raised her eyebrows in confusion.
Alana turned to find the woman covering her ear with both of her hands and mirrored her action.
The screams were actually deafening and she wondered whether the celebrities wore something in their ears to shut out the sound.

She watched the others try to get a glimpse of who the A-star was but she was too worried about how she'd get in now that a celebrity had decided to come. The woman behind her asked, as though she had read Alana's mind, "How are you planning to get in?"

"Oh! Umm- I don't know." Alana replied as her cheeks turned red. She really should've thought this through before she had come.

"Tell you what, I'll get you in. You look like you need a good time." The woman stated, and nudged Alana to move forward as the queue moved.

"You'd do that for me? Why? I don't even know you." Alana asked, completely taken aback by this stranger's kindness.

"Well...you see, sometimes an outsider can relate to you more than the people who you think are your loved ones. Their true faces come out when you're at your lowest."

Alana again felt as though this woman was reading her mind and she whispered, "How do you know that? Are you some kind of a psychic?"

The woman chuckled in response and took a drag from her cigarette before answering, "No. I can tell that everyone turned their backs on you because you're here, when you could be anywhere else. Just like me."

Alana turned back and thought of what the woman said and when her turn came, as promised, the lady got her in. They both entered the club together but by the time Alana turned back to thank the older woman, she had vanished.

She wondered if she had imagined the entire thing somehow. She shook her head and made her way to the bar. Drinks- that's what she was here for and that's what she needed to drown away her pain.

The club wasn't as claustrophobic as she had anticipated and even though there were people drunk dancing or having a laugh with friends, Alana felt much more at ease here. Maybe because people were too busy with their own lives and wouldn't poke around in hers.

She found herself in front of the bar in no time and waited for the crowd to thin before grabbing a seat. Alana tried to grab the bartender's attention but it looked like she was too busy sucking up to the more influential people.

"What will it take for a girl to get a drink around here?" Alana whispered to herself, and was surprised to find a man entering the bar to help the other tender out.

His eyes scanned the crowd at the front before it landed on Alana and he gave her a flirty smile. "Hello there, love. What would you like?"

"The strongest you've got! I'm not very good with names." Alana replied, a sweet smile adorning her face just so that the bartender didn't decide to ignore her like his colleague.

"Whoa! This early? Wouldn't you rather go for something lighter first?"

"The stronger the better actually! Something that'll get me to stop thinking."

"I'll make you a dry martini then. This one's called 'Pass the Bottle'"

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The alcohol had taken its toll and she had bitched about her sister for the past one hour to this stranger. Fortunately, he was a cute stranger or at least he looked cute after all the alcohol she had consumed. She could hear people shouting from a distance.

"Louis, just one more picture. Please?"

"Sure, babe!"

Alana heard the endearment and cringed; Melanie had called Evan 'babe' that night and Alana had almost thrown up in her mouth.

"Ugh! I hate that word! People these days throw the word around so easily, you know." Alana complained, "It's a little pathetic, really. I mean try to remember her name for once."

The bartender placed a finger on his lips indicating that the 'babe' guy was coming this way. Alana rolled her eyes and scoffed before picking her drink up again and taking a sip.

"Louis! How's it going, mate? Long time!" The bartender greeted the 'babe' guy like they were childhood friends and Alana didn't even bother to look up. She knew how this dickhead would look. So, she decided to go into a sulky mood instead and began contemplating the contents of the bone dry martini.

"It's been ages. I'm alright, just a bit stressed out. How about you, Ken? Still working the charm?"

"You know me, mate. Haha!"

"Which one tonight?" Louis asked and the way he said it made Alana take a peak but she couldn't see this guy's face as he was still standing.

She looked back down at her martini and knew that the bartender had pointed towards her, and felt the anger rise within her.

"Well...not bad, mate." She heard the 'babe' guy comment and was on the verge of bursting into a mixture of hysterical laughter and tears.

"I don't know, man. I'm not so sure now. Pretty whiny, to be honest!" The bartender tried to whisper the last bit but she had heard what he said.

Alana gasped and gritted her teeth as the anger began overwhelming her.

Before he could even turn around completely, he found Ken completely drenched in what looked alcohol. His eyes swiftly shifted towards the beautiful blonde who they'd been discussing a moment ago.

She was on her feet, holding the now empty martini glass and brimming in rage. It made her look even more beautiful and Louis found himself fascinated by what she was saying.

"How dare you two talk about me like I'm not even here! You guys are so condescending! Whiny, am I? Just charge my card and I'll be out this instant!"

Ken looked at the beauty fiddling with her bag now and then looked at Louis, and then back at the blond, not sure how to react. Louis gestured to his friend that he would handle it and took the seat next to the long-legged beauty.

"I apologize on behalf of my friend and myself for belittling you like that, love. That wasn't our intention; we just thought we were sharing an old joke. However, we had clearly gone out of line and you have every right to be mad. Please allow me to make it up to you by picking your tab."

Alana stopped searching for Evan's card and looked up, making Louis' breath hitch. She was breathtakingly beautiful; her gorgeous blue eyes brimmed with unshed tears and her otherwise smooth pale skin had turned red from the consumption of alcohol. Her hair was a mess and looked like they had been hand stroked more than a few times in frustration; it only gave her a kind of untamed allure.

"No, thanks. I can pay for my own drinks." She shot back, but her voice had lowered an octave. Louis was too fascinated by her and couldn't take his eyes off of her face. It looked like she couldn't either because she was staring at him as well, taking in every inch of his face.

"Have we met somewhere? You look familiar." She asked, her voice slurring at the end.

Louis gave her a smirk and replied, "Now, love, that one's a little old. Wouldn't you say?"

Alana frowned before realizing what he had meant and the moment she did, she tore her gaze away from him. He affected her in a way she couldn't quite understand. He was gorgeous but she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had seen him somewhere. Why did she have to drink so much?

"This one's on the house." Ken laid another dry martini infront of her and apologized, "I'm sorry for acting like a dick back then. You're welcome to throw it on my face again."

Alana's gaze shifted from Ken to the martini and then back at Ken before finally settling on Louis, as if asking him if she should accept the apology. Louis gave her a go-ahead by tilting his head to the side and watched as she picked up the drink.

He noticed her vulnerability, not for the first time, by the way she was holding the martini glass. Her hands were shaking and he could tell that she wasn't used to drinking by the way she gulped down the drink.

"Slow down there." Louis instructed, "I'm not sure if you know but that's very strong and if you gulp it down like that, you'll end up with a massive hangover."

Alana shrugged her slender shoulders and replied, "I need to forget and if this helps..."

"It'll help you forget, alright. But it'll help you make a lot of bad decisions as well."

"Like what? Drunk dialing my ex? Already did that!"

Louis couldn't help but relate to her situation at that moment. How many times had he gotten drunk and had called Eleanor? She was the reason he was here tonight anyway.

The memories rushed back to him and he ordered himself a large brandy. The only good thing that had come out of her statement was that he had found out she wasn't committed. He took a big gulp of his drink and asked for a refill.

Alana giggled before imitating Louis' voice, "It'll help you make a lot of bad decisions as well."
Louis found himself giving her a lopsided smile and retorting, "Maybe I'm in the mood to make some bad decisions."

The way his voice became all husky at the end made Alana's hands break into goosebumps. She couldn't deny the attraction between them any more than he could. Alana looked at him from under her lashes before turning away to take a sip.

"Louis Tomlinson." The 'babe' guy finally introduced and stuck out his hand. Alana hesitated and realized that he was the celebrity whom she had seen entering the club when she was standing in the queue.

She saw him in the television before but she still couldn't bring herself to remember what he did that made him so famous. Alana grasped his hands with her slender ones and replied, "Alana Ab- Morrison. You're the one that the girls were mobbing back at the entrance."

Her hands were soft and looked like they would break if Louis applied anymore pressure, but for some odd reason he didn't want to let it go. He grimaced when he heard her mention the fangirls who had been on the verge of getting driven over.

He heard her chuckle lightly, and he found himself fascinated by the way it lighted up her face.
"You don't like all the attention."

"It's not that. It's just... I don't like anyone getting hurt in the process." He still hadn't let go of her hand and she hadn't noticed it either.

Alana nodded her understanding and asked him something that she had always wondered, "How is it like? To be a celebrity, I mean."

"Well...I'll answer you under one condition."

Alana found herself recoiling but curiosity got the best of her and she asked, "What's that?"

"Dance with me."

"Like here? Now?"

"Do you have a better place?"

"But- I am not v- very good."

"You think I am? I just blend into the crowd so that nobody notices my terrible dance moves and if I do end up stepping on someone's toes, I pretend like it was the person next to me who did it."

Alana laughed, genuinely laughed after a week of pure depression and heartache. She couldn't help but grow a liking towards this man who was absolutely sexy and funny at the same time. She hadn't taken a lot of bad decisions in her life; she had always tried to be compliant and obedient. But recent events had shed light on where her life really stood and she realized that she wasn't happy.

"Okay!" She decided before giving him a seductive smile and adding, "But only if you buy me a drink afterwards."

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Notes

Alana's Outfit

Louis' Outfit

A/N: I don't know how this chapter ended being this long but hopefully all of you will like it. :) It'll give you an inside on Alana's past and Louana's initial attraction.

Please vote, subscribe and comment if you guys are enjoying it cause I'm at a point where I'm not sure if I should even continue the stories. :P I love you guys! x

P.S- I haven't had the chance to proof-read. .-.