I'll Never Give Up!

[Channy!!!]

Hey I'll have an update for you tomorrow I'm back, but really tired.

[Channy!!!]

CHAPTER 14

Martha woke to the sound of shouting and yelling, she opened her eyes with a start and was hit with sudden pain.

“Ahh” She exclaimed her head felt like it was going to explode.

She looked around the room realising where she was, she thought back to last night, most of it was a blur of guys, girls dancing and loud music. She decided that maybe some coffee would help her throbbing head.

Reaching underneath the bed she felt around for her bag with her clothes in it but failed to find it, she got off the bed kneeling on the ground she looked underneath the bed, there was nothing there.

“Oh no” she whispered, her bag was gone, it’d been stolen.

“What am I going to do now?” She began to panic, she had no clothes no toiletries the only thing she had was the clothes she was wearing and her phone and purse that had probably about $300 dollars in it.

“Hey, how are you feeling this morning?” A familiar voice asked, Martha looked up to see Greg standing in the doorway.

“Not to good, my head kills and I just realised my bag with all my stuff in it has been stolen.” She answered his question

“Oh really, what are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure, I have money for an outfit and one more night here, but that’s about it.” Martha answered

Greg thought about something for a second. “I could lone you some money if you want, you should come backpacking with us around Australia”

“What?” Martha thought about Greg’s suggestion. “I’m sorry I can’t just backpack around Australia, I.. I’m here for a reason...” She lied she really had no idea what she was doing in the city apart from the fact that she felt somewhat better being closer to Jack, wherever he was.

“Oh ok, well do you want me to come shopping with you” Greg asked

“Umm. No it’s ok, I’ll get some clothes and maybe I’ll be able to find myself a job as well” Martha tried to stay positive

Greg laughed. “You are a pretty girl Martha you’d be able to get many jobs but they’d be night time ones and involve a bar and a poll. Apart from that finding a job in this city is like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“Well I’ve got to try and find one.” Martha replied ignoring the whole bar and poll suggestion.

“Ok, anyways I’m going to get some breakfast I’ll see you later maybe” Greg said goodbye to Martha and walked out of her room.

Martha turned away from the door; she put her head in her hands and took some deep breaths trying not to break down.

*****

Martha walked around the city she’d been to numerous shops from clothes shops to cafes but it seemed there wasn’t a job anywhere. Martha was feeling completely down on her luck, she boarded a bus for the umpteenth number of time that day. She looked out of the window she had no idea where she was going and she didn’t really care.

The bus pulled to a stop and Martha got off it, she stared up at the familiar Stadium, TELSTRA STADIUM HOME OF THE WEST TIGERS.

“JACK!” She shouted into the nothingness, some people stopped and stared at her before continuing busily in the direction of their different destinations.

“Where are you Jack? I miss you, oh god I need you Jack.” She said quieter this time before falling to her knees on the ground she let out small sobs and looked up at the Stadium.

Martha sat there staring at the Stadium for what seemed like hours, no one stopped to ask if she was ok, this was the city where no one really cared about anyone else.

“What am I going to do? I have no money, no place to stay and I know nobody, the only person who has been nice to me wants me to travel around Australia with him." That was when she had a

*****

She walked up the street which wasn’t really busy, maybe because it was only mid afternoon. The club was visible from at least 100m’s away its huge sign and bright colours were a vast contrast to the rest of the dreary street. Martha reached the club and paused outside of it, she thought twice about entering but the fact she had barely any money and nowhere to go was weighing on her mind, so she walked through the front door.

She reached the bar, she couldn’t see anyone.

“Hello” She called out, no answer came. “Hello!” She called out louder this time.

A few minutes later an answer came.

“Hello, how can I help you?” Came a voice from up on the second level, Martha looked up to see the dark haired bar tender with the great smile.

“Umm.. I was wondering I read a sign last night saying that you were looking for dancers.” Martha answered his question.

“You remember something from last night?” The guy laughed.

“Yea.. not much but I remember the sign.”

“Oh ok, so you want a job?”

“Yea, if you have one that’d be great. I’ve hit some bad luck I was robbed last night and really need the cash.” Martha explained.

“Ok no problem, I really would love to give you the job straight up but you’ll have to have a trial night first, so if you come by at around 10pm we’ll get you into one of the costumes and you can show us what you are made of. We’ll pay you for the trial, $300 for the night.”

“Ok thanks, by the way my names Martha.”

“Shaun” The waiter held out his hand and him and Martha shook hands.

“Well I’ll see you tonight thanks for your time.”

“No problem,” Shaun flashed his dazzling smile before walking back upstairs. Martha showed herself out of the club.

*****

Martha walked into the hotel room she placed her stuff on the double bed and looked around the room. It was much nicer than the previous nights dingy room in the hostel, but it was an extra $40 for the night. Martha decided she’d take a shower and have a rest before going to the club, for her trial dance.

Preview: How will Martha’s trial go and what’s happening in the Bay now Martha is gone

[valli]

Yay, an update!

I just knew that Martha would take that job I can't believe that she was so calm when she saw Greg. Can't she see right through him?

Wonder what happens in the Bay? Maybe it has something to do with Kym and Tasha? Maybe even Jack?

More please!

[EmmaLovesJack]

i can't believe she just took the job, she should be going to find Jack xx:) more soon

[Channy!!!]

Here's an update

CHAPTER 15

“Where is she?” Tasha sat on Kym’s lap in Martha’s apartment which they’d be sharing since her disappearance, in the hope that she might return. But it had been days, Tasha looked up into Kym’s face, he looked just as tired as she felt, neither had got much sleep as they had both kept on coming up with idea’s to where Martha may be but all these ideas had proved to be just that idea’s and they were both now out of places.

“I don’t know, she can’t have just disappeared off the face of the earth she’ll be somewhere we just have to figure out where.”

“I say we call Jack, I know you didn’t want to worry him but I think it’s about time he got told his girlfriend is missing.” Tasha suggested, it was the only thing she could think of was maybe she was with Jack and he’d just forgot to call and tell them.

“Ok we’ll call Jack” Kym agreed he also hoped that maybe Martha was with Jack.

Kym got out his phone and selected Jack’s mobile number, he pressed dial.

‘bring, bring, bring, bring’ – the phone rang for a minute or so before it was answered.

“Hello, Jack Holden’s phone.” An older man answered it.

“Hey can I talk to Jack?” Kym asked

“I’m sorry he’s out on the field” The guy answered abruptly

“Oh ok, do you know when he’ll be free?”

“No, when trainings over I guess.” The guy gave another short unhelpful answer

“Oh ok, well would you be able to give him a message for me? It’s important.” Kym questioned

“Yea”

“Ok, can you tell him that Kym called and that Martha has been missing for a few days and we have no idea where she has gone and ask him to call us please.” Kym told the guy.

“Ok, no problem, bye.” The man answered

“By.....” ‘beep beep’ the phone line went dead before Kym could even say goodbye.

Kym hung up the mobile, he tried to wipe the worried look of his face but failed Tasha noticed it and her face fell.

*****

Martha walked into Hotshots through the VIP door, the music was blaring and when she saw how many people were there her stomach began to flutter. There were girls dancing already all wearing skimpy outfits and covered in sparkling body spray, hair straightened and let hang loosely around there trim bodies.

“Martha, glad you are here, the crowd is just beginning to build up.” Martha turned to see Shaun.

“Oh ok, I’m sorry but this might sound rude but are you the manager or something?” Martha had been wondering why a bartender could decide who got jobs and who didn’t.

“Oh.. I’m not really a bartender I was just filling in that day; I’m the owner of Hotshots son, so I pretty much run the place for my father. I work in the bar occasionally, I just do whatever is needed to be done each night.”

“OH right” Martha understood. “I’m sorry” she felt guilty for questioning Shaun’s authority.

“No it’s fine, so let’s get you ready to go on stage, follow me”

Martha followed Shaun through the club, up the stairs onto the second level and out through a door that read staff only.

Martha looked around the room which looked like a dressing room for a rock concert, it was full of girls in skimpy clothes which all stared at her, she felt their eyes on her and felt as if she was back in high school. A dark haired older lady walked up to Shaun and Martha.

“Martha I’d like you to meet Lynda, she’s looks after all the girls, chooses their outfits and organises for them to get their make-up done etc.”

Martha held out her hand for Lynda to shake but Lynda just looked at it.

“You need to get a manicure.” She said in a posh voice looking down at Martha’ hand.

Martha pulled her hand back looking at her nails.

“Oh ok.” Was all Martha said

“Come with me.” Lynda directed, Martha gave Shaun a small smile before following Lynda through the other girls to a small mirror and desk at the back of the room.

“I have 2 rules, 1) you don’t argue with anything I say if I tell you to do something or wear something you do it. 2) NO GUYS - You don’t date costumers and you don’t bring your boyfriend to the club. Are we clear?”

“Crystal.” Martha didn’t like this lady she was rude and reminded her of a school teacher, but Martha then realised that she had talked back to her future boss, “Yes we are clear I mean.” Martha corrected herself with a false smile.

“Good. So you are wearing this sailors costume tonight, get changed through there and then I’ll get Sonia to do your make-up.” Lynda handed Martha a tiny sailors costume and pointed towards the bathroom.

Martha followed her instructions taking the costume and walking into the bathroom to get changed.

*****

Martha looked at herself in the mirror her hair was straightened like all the other girls and hung loosely down her back. She wore a blue sailor’s hat and a blue skirt, her sailors top was more a white bikini top than anything, but she did look like a sailor that is if sailors were skanks. She looked at her face in the mirror, she had dark eye make-up on and sparkling lip gloss her cheeks were a different shade, she didn’t particularly like the look but she didn’t dare say anything.

“You are on in 5 minutes!” Lynda yelled to Martha. Martha’s stomach did a turn she had never been so nervous in her life.

“Here” Sonia poured Martha a shot of Bundy rum. Sonia was another dancer she was pretty but nowhere near as pretty as Martha, she had this forced beauty about her where as Martha was naturally beautiful. She was nice though, she and Martha had made casual conversation while Sonia had done her make-up, Sonia had been working at the bar for a year or so it was paying for her uni tuition, she was doing an Economy course.

Martha looked at the shot seriously considering it, “No thanks I don’t drink.” She was strong and knocked it back.

Sonia picked the shot glass up and downed the rum, before pouring another one.

“Seriously you’ll need it. Believe me it’ll help you if you have a few of these before you go out there.” Sonia said honestly, she liked Martha but noticed she wasn’t like the rest of the girls there was something she was hiding.

Martha looked at the shot glass, she heard the crowd cheering loudly in the background and her stomach turned over once more. She picked up the shot glass delicately, looking at its contents as she raised it to her lips, in one smooth motion she downed it. The rum burned the back of her throat as it went down, it was familiar sensation but didn’t have the same effect as it used to on Martha and as it went down Jack’s face popped into Martha’s head, she felt guilty.

“Here” Sonia poured Martha another one. Martha once again was reluctant but downed the shot anyway, this repeated itself four or five times over before Martha was at ease.

She hadn’t been drunk for a while so Martha was on a high, she followed Lynda to wear she would enter on the stage and take up her side podium.

*****

The curtains opened and Martha stood glued to the spot she was blinded by the spot light that lit her up. When her vision returned she sore hundreds of people looking at her, their eyes pierced her skin.

“C’mon babe don’t tease us dance!” A drunken guy from the audience shouted at her.

Martha regained her composure she walked on her clear heals towards the poll, she wrapped her fingers around it, it was cold.

“C’mon Dance!” A different guy yelled out this time.

Martha closed her eyes she heard the music in the background and let the beat flow through her, she began to dance. She pretended the poll was a guy she was trying to seduce dancing seductively with it.

“Wooh that’s more like it!” Another guy called out.

Martha let the music overtake her she let herself go, perhaps it was the alcohol running through her system or maybe it was just the music but she had a new found confidence. The crowd cheered as Martha danced; Martha looked into the crowd and was surprised that almost everyone was watching her dance rather than the other girls.

Thyme music came on and the spot lights lit up the main stage the tall blonde girl from the other night stood centre stage. The girl began to dance which drew the crowd’s attention for a moment but soon everyone was watching Martha again it seemed they were more interested in the new Brunette beauty who danced with realism rather than the blonde they’d seen ten times over. Martha’s dancing seemed to be a success.

A few hours later Martha was beginning to tire from dancing but the crowd was still not done watching. The spotlights flashed on and off, signalling her dancing time was coming to and end. Martha took a bow and then posed with the poll her spotlight went off and she exited the stage, adrenalin still running through her body.

*****

"Wow, you were great!” Martha was greeted by an ecstatic Shaun who gave Martha a hug.

“So what does that mean?” Martha asked

“It means it looks like Hotshots has a new star, the crowd couldn’t stop watching you. Introducing Hotshots new headline act the Tantalizing Marcia!” Shaun announced to everyone in the change room signalling to Martha.

“Headline act?” Martha was confused

“Yeap”

“But don’t you already have one, the blonde?”

“Not anymore, when I saw how much attention you got I downgraded Sam to a backup side dancer.” Shaun said with a smile

“Really wow.” Martha felt bad but somehow excited that she was going to be the star.

“Looks like you can upgrade your hotel room and go shopping for tonnes of new outfits because you my girl got the job.”

“Thanks” Martha gave Shaun a hug.

“Here.” Shaun held out his hand and placed notes into Martha’s.

Martha looked down into her palm and was shocked to see the amount of notes there.

“How much is that?” Martha asked

“$500 – you get $500 a night.” Shaun answered

Martha’s jaw dropped.

“You’re kidding me right?” She was said in shock

“Nope, enjoy it Martha this is one of the best paid jobs in the city.” Shaun answered with a smile, before giving Martha a hug. “Now I have stuff to tend with but I’ll see you tomorrow night.” Shaun said goodbye.

“Yea ok.” Martha replied softly she was still shocked at how much she was getting paid.

*****

Martha fumbled with her swipe card attempting to open her hotel room door by using the card the wrong way, she finally figured out where she was going wrong switching the card around the right way the door opened. She walked brightly through the door slamming it closed behind her, she headed to the tv which she switched on and flicked to a early morning music channel. Spinning around the room she reached the bar fridge she opened it and took out a vodka cruiser which she cracked open and began drinking. She was still on a high she’d been clubbing with Sonia and was pretty drunk and in didn’t feel ready to sleep, but she lay on her bed anyway looking at the ceiling she smiled at the thought of replacing the dingy hotel room with an upper class apartment.

‘Getting this job seemed to Martha to be the best thing that had happened to her all year.’ Her face fell at this thought when she remembered the chocolate eyed dark haired footballer that had stolen her heart. ‘Where is he now though, huh? Where is Jack Holden now? But she still couldn’t put the job above him even though Jack had broken her heart when he’d left or when she’d let him go, Jack was still the number one thing that had happened to her all year.’ With that thought in her mind Martha drifted into sleep or maybe she passed out, either way she left the real world for that of dreams.

*****

“I can’t believe he didn’t call.” Tasha said for the hundredth time. It had been two weeks since Kym had made that phone call to Jack and got the cranky man instead who said he’d deliver the message.

“Neither can I” Kym agreed. “What if we were wrong?”

“What do you mean?” Tasha didn’t understand

“What if Jack isn’t the guy we thought he was?” Kym added

“Again what do you mean?” Tasha still didn’t understand

“What if Jack really wasn’t Mr Caring, what if he really was just like every other guy who has ever wanted to be with Martha?”

“No, he couldn’t be, he was Jack Holden he was different, he was like the perfect guy.” Tasha stated

“What if he was just a good actor?” Kym looked at Tasha, he didn’t want to be saying this but he’d been thinking it for a while. “Think about Tash, he came to the Bay he took over our football team, which was a pretty good chance at the finals before he came along anyway might I add. Then he like every other guy in this town noticed Martha, Why? Because she’s Martha and who doesn’t notice her? He thought hell yea let me get a piece of her, and decides the way to get to her is through you and I. So he makes friends with us seduces Martha by making her believe that he will never give up on her and will be there every time she falls. He manages to work his way into her life so much that he ends up living with her. He captains the footy team to win the Grand Final gaining himself a football scholarship he then sleeps with Martha getting what he wanted in the first place and leaves town to live out his dream career. Leaving Martha to cope with the fact that the guy who said he’d always be there for her is gone.” Kym explained the thoughts that had been running through his mind to Tasha.

“No, that can’t be true.” Tasha shook her head. “Jack loved Martha, the way they looked at each other even a blind person could tell they were really in love, no one could be that good of an actor, I can’t believe that explanation.”

“I don’t want to believe it. But tell me Tasha where is Jack now?” Kym declared

Tasha didn’t know what to say, she didn’t know how to answer that question, Kym and Tasha just sat in silence.

*****

Preview: Where is Jack?

[valli]

Martha! Now why would you go back to drinking?! You know how bad it is for you You may get a lot of money, but it's not worth it

Where is Jack? Has he disappeared from the face of the Earth or something?

Kim is not right! Jack wouldn't do that...I think

More please!

[Barbara]

I knew Martha was going to take that job! Can't she just look a bit more and find another job?

Martha, if you don't feel like drinking, then don't! Why did you listen to Sonia?

Why didn't Jack call Kym and Tasha? That doesn't sound like him. I bet that older guy never gave him the message.

Kym is so wrong. There's no way Jack would take advantage of Martha. He loves her too much.

Preview: Where is Jack?

That's what I would like to know! Jack, where are you?

More please.

[amz89]

That was good poor martha I still wondering how Jack sees Martha at the club footy celebration or something?

Jack should write or txt martha just to check up on her at least.

More soon please loving this

[matticus01]

oh my god

Martha YOU IDIOT...how could you go back to drinking, its gunna kill you!

Where the hell is Jack...Kym cant be right!!!

Just go back to the bay...the both of you!!!

[katie343]

Where's Jack? Please update soon!!

xx