Caught In The Way You Got Me (Book One)

Fix Me, Or Conflict Me

Brendon: 

What the hell is everyone's problem? Why is Pete being a dick and what the hell was with Asteria's attitude? What, I don't feel like kissing her goodbye so suddenly I'm a villain? And yeah, I'm making mistakes but I'm not used to this crap! At all! Everyone acts like I'm some sort of monster that's just out to break this girl and I'm sick of it! She's even starting to believe it, victimizing herself and acting like she knows anything about me other than what I've told her in these past few months. I don't have to be in this relationship. This isn't something that I need to do. 

That wasn't what you were telling her when you were sobbing in the street twenty minutes ago. I mentally kick my conscience in the balls as he reminds me of my moment of weakness. If that's what everyone thinks of me I might as well just be that, right? Everyone seems to have a great idea of who I am as a person, so why not let them be right?

I make my way into the crowd and wait for the goddess of giving me a migraine to show up on stage with Pete Whinestoomuch. I see the back of Dallon's head a few people in front of me and I sit and wait, wishing I could smack him for not stopping me from getting into a relationship. I'm done. I'm not even getting laid. 

I feel a pang of guilt as the thought passes but I quickly become distracted. 

"I freaking hate these things," a mildly sarcastic and sultry voice tells me. I turn over and she's pretty hot. She's not Asteria. She's not even close. But something about her dark hair and smokey eyes is enticing. 

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"These dumb parties. It's always one dumb bimbo after another that hosts it and interviews bands and now they're going to do some stupid champagne popping tradition and the dumb bimbo will think it's the best moment of her life because she worked so hard to get that spot," she snorts and rolls her eyes. I let out a small laugh...until I realize the "bimbo" is Asteria.

"Wait, you didn't like this year's host?" I ask.

"She's probably the worst one. She ran off crying, that's pathetic. She couldn't even finish her interview. What kind of sad little wretch can't get through a simple job. She even had a damn paper," the girl laughs wickedly and my stomach tightens. I know I wasn't exactly on her side earlier, but I'm definitely on Asteria's side now. Why do girls hate her so much?

"Whoa, you should really stop talking shit. I thought she did an amazing job," I say insistently and before I know it I hear Asteria speaking into a microphone. 

"See? She can't even talk into the microphone," sarcastic snob laughs and leans forward, genuinely thinking that Asteria is so awful it's funny and I'm genuinely thinking that if I were a girl I'd start fighting this girl right here and right now. 

"You really don't have any room to talk shit because you would have been one fucked up downer of a party host. Go snort a little more coke in the bathroom before you come back out here, maybe you'll be in a better mood," I say as I try to keep myself calm. The stage starts turning and everyone is screaming their head off and sarcastic snob looks at me through her fake eyelashes. I really called this girl attractive earlier? Is this what all of the girls that I slept with at these stupid parties were like? 

"Did you want to join me?" she asks as she pushes her body against mine. I grimace and try not to vomit on her really stupid glittery dress and she leans in like she wants to kiss me. Fuck. Asteria... I turn my glance back toward the stage and by the look on her face she really caught the wrong moment. I give sarcastic snob a small push. 

"Piss off," I say angrily and the guy in front of me joins the conversation. 

"Hey, do you have any idea how to treat a lady?" He asks and I'm fuming. Everyone here is making it really hard for me to be cool about shit.

"Look dude, you don't know the whole story, so just chill out and enjoy the fucking show." He looks at me and sarcastic snob starts fake crying. This girl is a real bitch. The band started playing and the fact that douchebag and I are yelling just to be audible to each other makes it worse. I think I see Dallon trying to make his way to us but my eyes are locked on this guy that's butting into shit he shouldn't be preoccupied with right now. I can't remember the last time I was this fucking angry. 

"I know you don't push a woman or even bother to think about laying your hands on one!" he screams through the noise as he moves closer to me. He's huge. Fuck, where's Davey when you need him? 

"Hey man, take it easy, what's going on?" another voice chimes in and it's Dallon. Wrong friend! Did Davey leave? Brendon, learn to pick your fights! 

"This asshole just shoves this girl like it's okay!" Douchebag tells Dallon while sarcastic snob keeps fake crying. I reach up and start tugging at my hair. I'm so angry right now I have no idea what to do. 

"BRENDON BOYD URIE!" My anger mixes with fear when I hear the goddess's wrath. I really fucked up but I'm really fucking pissed. I look over at her and she's crying, again. Dammit Asteria, why do you have to see the worst in me? You can't just give me the benefit of the doubt here? You have to just jump to fucking conclusions about what happened? 

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Douchebag shouts and he gives me a shove. That's my breaking point and I've lost it. Before I know it my fist collides with his nose and his fist collides with my face and we're just swinging at each other as much as we can. I aim only for his face and head, happy to have a channel for the rage that I built up within the past five minutes. I hear Asteria screaming and it shatters me. Dallon and a few other people pull us apart and I realize that the other person grabbing my arm while I try to break free is Asteria and once I start to breathe I realize that she's screaming my name. 

"Brendon stop it! What the fuck are you doing?! Stop!!! You're hurting my wrist!" I realize that I've been squeezing her wrist this entire time and she looks terrified. My heart drops when I realize that I really did hurt her but I don't have time to process that because before I can say anything someone is shoving my arms behind my back and I feel cold metal against my wrists. Fuck. 

Everything starts to move in slow motion. Dallon is yelling at me, they're putting Douchebag in handcuffs, Sarcastic Snob is being interviewed by police, and if my head wasn't spinning before it sure as hell is now when I see medics looking at Asteria's arm and then she motions down to her ribs. I try to think back to when I was struggling to get back to Douchebag and continue driving my knuckles into his skull...Did I hit her on accident? Did I hit her ribs? 

"I'm going with her to the hospital! We'll show up to where they end up holding you!" Dallon yells and the words hardly process. The question of whether or not I hit her is the only thing going through my head right now. I could have hurt her...What if I refractured her ribs? What if I hurt her wrist?! She won't be able to draw! I can hardly process my rights as the officer pulls me away from my goddess and towards the exit so he can throw me in the back seat of his cop car. I taste blood in my mouth as we drive off and I can't get the image of Asteria looking at me and trembling in fear out of my brain...

When we reach the station they take me into an interview room. My shoulders are grateful when they move my cuffs from behind me to infront of me and I can rest my hands on the table. Asteria. I need Asteria. I need to know she's okay but they've confiscated my cell phone and wallet and God knows what else. I'm left in the room to wait for a cop to come in and hopefully be willing to hear my side of the story...This can't be my fault...And I have to get out of here and make sure I didn't hurt her...