When I left the party a few hours later, Star was outside, sitting alone. She must've sent her friends home. Her face was calm and she was obviously not totally wasted anymore. Possibly a bit tipsy, but calm.
I had left the party early, at 2 am. Usually I stayed at parties until the early morning hours, but this time I wasn't feeling it at all. By the time I left, Locke and Jazz had retreated to their room anyway, and I could hear them through the wall, fucking. Everyone else, Sterling included, were drunk or high off their asses, making out in the corners or lying on the floor and couches.
I was drunk. I'd had many more shots after Star was gone, and I was stumbling as I left. Locke had expected me to stay the night, I realized. I'd forgotten that I hadn't driven there. He'd sent someone to pick me up from my house, like I was some kind of movie star.
I laughed at the thought, stumbling down the sidewalk, in the opposite direction of Star.
"Hey, wait, you idiot," she called after me, her voice gentle but laced with annoyance.
"No," I said, throwing my hand out, using the chain link fence lining the sidewalk to keep myself upright as I stumbled along. The world was tilting, and I was grinning like a maniac. God, I loved alcohol.
She grabbed my arm, yanking me to a stop. My eyes widened as I fell back, but she caught me and lowered me to the ground. I was too heavy for her to keep upright. She was too small. I chuckled at the thought.
"Oi, Asa, are you out here?" a voice called out from Locke's house.
"Yeah," I drawled, placing my hand down on the sidewalk, my other hand grasping at the chain link fence like it was a lifeline as the world spun.
"I've got her, she's fine," Star called back.
"Alright," Sterling called back, and the sound of the door shutting reached our ears.
He was too drunk to check who was with me, but I was fine. I didn't need to be babysat. I could take care of myself.
Besides, it was just Star.
"Why are you stalking me?" I asked, closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the fence. "Your brother said he'd kill me if I touched you again, you know."
"He won't. He doesn't even like hurting people," Star said, her fingers combing through my hair. "Especially people I care about."
I smirked, remembering how hard he hit me at the street fighting event. "Yeah, right."
"Do you have a ride home?" Star asked, her hands touching my arms and shoulders.
"Yes," I lied, lifting a hand to rub at my eyes.
Star definitely saw through me. "I'll take you home."
"NO," I said. I didn't want her to know where I lived. No one did, except for my closest friends and family members. If Star knew where I lived, she would become a major stalker.
"To my home."
I looked down at her, her head leaning on my arm, eyes focused on mine, her gaze adoring and hopeful and...desperate.
Percy will kill me if I go with her.
I blinked. "Alright, take me."
Star's face brightened, and she stood up, dragging me with her. Soon enough, I was in her car, in and out of reality as I dozed, my eyes rolling into the back of my head and then my head snapping up as I regained consciousness, over and over, until we finally parked and her hand was on my thigh, shaking me out of it and back into the car.
"We're here, let's go in," she said, her voice hushed, like she didn't want to wake me or disturb an invisible crowd, or break the gentle quiet that we'd been existing in, which was very different from the moment we'd had in the bathroom.
Was I being coerced?
No.
I looked at Star, my eyes wandering over her. She looked good.
"You look good," I said. Then I leaned in, and she didn't lean away, and I kissed her, hard and full, my tongue diving into her mouth, hers pressing back against mine, her hand coming around my neck and grasping my hair, mine holding one of her arms and the other gripping her thigh.
Fuck. Here we go.
We broke away, the world still tilting for me. But I was here. And I wanted to fuck Star, so I suggested we go inside. She agreed.
-
When I woke up, I was handcuffed to the bed.
My arms were above my head, all of my clothes were off except for my boxers, and the blankets had been stripped from the bed. Star was nowhere to be seen, and light was streaming through the windows, illuminating the room.
"Shit," I muttered, wincing as my head throbbed, my eyes squinting against the bright ass light. I strained my neck, looking up at the handcuffs, yanking on them and testing the bed frame. I couldn't get out. The handcuffs were real, and the bedframe was metal.
"You zonked out as soon as I brought you up here last night," Star said, sashaying into the bedroom, wearing a robe. "So, I decided to take my revenge on you this morning."
I blinked. I didn't remember anything from last night. "How the hell did - you know what, nevermind. Get me out of these, now."
"You can't tell me what to do," Star smirked, walking over to the side of the bed, her finger reaching out, sliding up my leg as she walked. She sat down on the bed next to my body, and I watched her, squinting in the light like an old man without his glasses.
Her hand landed on my stomach, fingers diving under my boxers' elastic band. She leaned in close to my face, turning my head to the side, her lips brushing against my ear as she said, "Take it."
I shivered, but yanked my head away, and pulled down violently on the handcuffs. "Star, I'm not in the mood. I don't remember coming here, but I do remember telling you to get the hell out of Locke's party. So, get me out of this-"
Star's face twisted up in annoyance as her hand sunk lower, grabbing my crotch fully. I jerked up, my eyes widening. "You've never been in this position, huh?" she whispered, her voice sultry and low. "I want payback, Asa. Payback for the years you were gone, the torture I went through. I did everything for you." Her fingers dove into me, curling up harshly against my G spot, and I gasped in surprise.
"Fuck, Star-"
"Shut. Up," she hissed, her free hand reaching up to grasp the back of my head by the hair. "Shut up and take-"
I bristled, and started yanking at the handcuffs with fury, my legs curling over and pushing against Star, throwing her off the bed. "Fuck that," I snarled, ignoring the slicing pain coming from my wrists as I pulled with fervor.
"FUCK!" Star yelled, standing up. "What the hell are you doing, Asa!? You're gonna break your goddamn wrists!"
"Then let me the hell out of these handcuffs!" I yelled back.
And...
...the doorbell rang.
Star stared at me, and I stared back, stopping my vicious escape attempts.
There was loud knocking.
Insistent, unrelenting, knocking.
Then pounding. BAM BAM BAM BAM-
"SHIT," Star swore, glaring up at the ceiling. "It's him."
"Let me out," I whisper-yelled, borderline pleading. I didn't care if Percy saw me like this. All I cared about was having an equal fight. How the hell was I supposed to fight back against his murderous fury while being handcuffed to a bed while half naked? I suppose the half naked part wouldn't matter either way, but it wouldn't be fair.
"Alright," she said, sighing sadly.
"Let me in NOW, or I'll bust the door down," Percy threatened, his voice muffled.
"He would," Star said, whisking out of the room, leaving me helpless on the bed. At least my legs were still free.
But my life was now over.
She closed the bedroom door behind her as she went to open the front door. I heard Percy's voice as he walked inside, his feet stomping loudly against the floor.
"I know she's here," he said.
"NO, no, stay out of there-" Star pleaded.
The bedroom door swung open, revealing Percy himself, looking ragged and worn, circles under his eyes and a bat clutched in his hands.
"Sup," I greeted lamely.
Percy's eyes widened with fury when his eyes landed on me, and he stalked toward me, ignoring Star's hands on him. He was holding the bat up, and I rested my head back against the bed, accepting my fate.
"You," Percy hissed. "That desperate for another beat down, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess so," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
I watched as Star reached around him, grabbing the bat out of his hands, but his grip on it was strong, and they played tug of war for a while, cursing and shuffling across the ground.
"Why are you even HERE?" Percy asked. "You don't give a shit about Star, remember?"
"I kidnapped her," Star said, grinning maniacally. She stopped pulling at the bat, causing Percy to fall on his ass with the bat in his lap. "Why the hell did you bring a bat, Percy? Are you stupid? You're a grown ass man, start acting like one."
Percy growled, but ignored her as he stood. "Asa can't be here. She's-"
"What? Insane, psychotic, violent, and abusive?" Star interrupted. "Yeah, you've said that before, many fucking times. Where's the proof?"
"The goddamn bruises, Star!" Percy yelled. "Every time I saw you, you looked like a victim of assault! And you fucking were, because of this piece of shit," he said, pointing at me.
"I wanted it!" Star yelled back, her voice high and hysterical. "I'm a grown woman! I can take care of myself."
"You're telling me that you wanted to get beat up the way you did? You wanted that, huh? You wanted to be covered in bruises and scratches and to be in pain?"
There was silence as Star's hand gripped the bedpost. I yanked against the handcuffs again, wincing as the metal dug into my raw flesh.
"Asa doesn't care about you, and never has. Don't you get it? She's a soul sucking, murderous vampire."
"Murderous?" Star spoke up, her voice soft.
Percy froze, his eyes flicking to mine. I simply blinked at him. This was getting annoying, and I wanted to leave.
"Star, will you let me out now?" I asked, my voice deadpan. "I have some people I need to go murder."
Star glared at Percy. "Don't touch her." And she stomped out of the room, gone for just a few seconds as she grabbed the key to the handcuffs.
"You're leaving, and never seeing Star again," Percy hissed at me. "If I see you out in public, I won't hesitate to give you the beat down of your fucking life, you got it?"
"Yeah, fine."
"Jesus, you don't give a fuck about anything or anyone other than yourself, do you?" Percy groaned, yanking at his hair as Star re-entered the room.
She sat down on the side of the bed, her eyes softening as she looked at me, the key entering the handcuffs and quickly unlocking them. I sat up, gingerly pressing my hands against my wrists and wincing at the soreness of my arms.
"Your shirt and pants are in the living room," Star said gently.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, pressing my feet against the floor, hyper aware of Percy's eyes glued to my head as I moved. I stood up, making to walk across the room, but Star's hand grabbed my shoulder, and I stopped, glancing back at her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes welling. "Will I see you again?"
I shook her hand off, feeling annoyance rise up in my throat. "I don't know, you're the stalker here. You tell me." And I walked away, my eyes locking onto Percy's as I neared him at the doorway. My arm brushed his as I walked out, and all was silent as I dressed myself and left the apartment.
When I was outside, I sighed, shaking my hair out and running my fingers through it. I realized that I didn't have a ride home, or my wallet on hand. "Shit, where's my phone?"