"Oh my god, I don't even know why you're acting like this!" Airynn screamed throwing her hands in the air and glaring at the man in front of her. The man that had driven her up the wall from day one. Some days it was a good driving up the wall, others not so much. Today being one of those days it wasn't the good way and right now she felt like he was driving her crazy.
"Why I'm acting like this?" Billy asked standing up from the couch, cigarette dangling from his full lips. The same lips that have made plenty trips across her skin night after night over the past year. And even though she couldn't deny how mind blowing it felt, she still hated it at times.
"What about you?" He said, staring her down. "You act like it's all about you. Coming in here and thinking that we'd treat you like your old friends." He laughed maniacally. "You're a god damned joke, Air, thinking the world revolves around you."
'My god, look at them.' Rebecca giggled at the two people passing by. They were dressed in all black, wore heavy dark make up and had piercings in every place imaginable.
Airynn raised her eyebrows, giving her friend a serious look.'Well, they are so getting laid tonight.'The girls then burst out laughing. This was their routine. They sat at Lolling's, the local hot spot, and trashed talked everyone that didn't look up to par for them. That meant just about everyone. If you didn't have the Dolce & Gabbana purse or a pair of Manolo's, you didn't fit in.
'So I heard that Lindsey is seeing Jackson.' Mallory sang playing with her straw. Even thought Lindsey was one of their best friends, they still talked about each other behind their backs. That was just how it was. Airynn, being the 'leader'of the pack of girls, was the only one who they never seemed to have any comments about. It was almost like it was more interesting and conniving to talk about your friends. It made them even more untouchable to others around and below them.
'Well, he'll get tired of her. He's a real man and she's just a girl. Plus, she's gained like ten pounds over this summer. He likes his girls slim not pudgy.' Airynn told them casually.
'So Airynn, who are you planning on going after this year?' Rebecca asked. Airynn shrugged and stirred he drink.
'I was looking at Taylor the other night.' Airynn smirked, knowing Mallory was about to turn beat red. And she did.
'Taylor? Keen, Taylor?' Mallory chocked. Airynn nodded and looked over at her. Airynn knew Mallory had been seeing Taylor but she didn't care. She knew Mallory wouldn't say anything and just break it off with him as soon as she could. If she didn't she'd be in for an ass chewing by Airynn.
'Yes, why? He seeing someone?' Airynn asked her.
'No, no. Of course not.' Mallory lied. And just like that, Airynn asserted her power.
"This isn't about me! And I never thought that." she screamed trying to defend herself. Only to admit deep inside that he was right. She had come from California nothing more than a spoiled naïve brat wanting to hang with the other side of the fence. But she was no match for the people that Billy hung out with. In fact, the only reason they kept her around was so he could have a nice lay
"Like hell, you didn't. You can't deny how you fucking grew up, Airynn. It's in your blood and no matter how hard Joe tries to show you this side of life, you'll never fit in. You'll always be at the end of the totem pole. The only time you'll ever get to be on top again, is when it is in my bed." Billy smirked at her. The smirk that made every guy shake in his boots and made girls whimper in pleasure. He used it for a pick up and he used it for a knock out. He knew what effect he had on people and he used it to any advantage. That's how he got Airynn. Even if part of it was in spite of Joe.
"Yeah, just like you can't deny the bastard that you are!" Airynn spat back, instantly regretting it as Billy stormed over to her, pushing her back until she hit the wall with a thump. Her heart raced as his big hands found their way to each side of her head and his knee went between her legs, making sure she wouldn't go anywhere easily.
"You're pushing it, Air. And not in a good way," he growled, just inches from her face. She could feel his hot breath on her face and it made it even hotter. "I took your little spoiled ass in as a favor for Joe; because he didn't want to see the streets eat you up and spit you back out. Now you wanna stick around you need to show me a little fucking respect."
Joe had told Billy that Airynn was too good for him. Even Joe, who Billy considered as a weak piece of shit, was too rough for Airynn but he was a lot less volatile than Billy was. So Billy, just to prove his brother wrong, made his move. He made sure to do it, right in front of Joe, as if he was daring him to do something about it and since then it was a constant game of who could make her want them more. Billy mainly using his words and appeal to lure her back when Joe got the upper hand by being the guy she really wanted. By being the guy that stood up for her and the guy that took her out to places. Basically, Joe offered her something Billy never could; his unconditional friendship.
"I hate you." she seethed through her tears. Billy let out a deep chuckle and ran a finger down the side of her jaw. He hated how pathetic she looked crying but knew she wasn't tough enough to do any better.
"Naw, baby you fucking love me." He whispered huskily into her ear. His lips brushed the side of her neck before biting it a little too rough.
"Ow!" Airynn yelped and jerked in his grasp. An evil grin spread across his handsome face as he let her go.
"Now get the fuck outta my face," he demanded and turned away. Airynn watched him walk back over to the couch and sit back down, as if nothing happened. She felt the anger boil in her veins watching him act so nonchalant about the situation. It wasn't about her wanting him and his gang to treat her like her parents had, this was about him treating her like his slave and a whore. Billy never was one for relationships so it surprised everyone when he had let her stick around. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't see other women. There had been many a night that she had come home to find him fucking the living hell out of some random whore in their bed. And even though she knew he wasn't going to show any kind of remorse or sympathy she wanted more than him asking her if she wanted to join. She wanted him to be hers. She needed someone who would actually care for her.
That's where Joe came in. He was the opposite of Billy. Granted, they had the same temper but Joe knew when and where to let it fly. Nights like those and days like this Airynn would run to Joe, which made her even more pathetic in Billy's eyes. Billy thought if you were going to run to someone for comfort or help, you should run to someone bigger then the one you're running from. Joe was not that to Billy. To him he was a step down and that made Billy laugh every time Airynn stormed out his door. What Billy didn't get was that Airynn saw Joe as the better man. Joe was the one that held her when she cried and told her it wasn't weak of her to do so. He was the one to make her laugh and smile through the bruises when Billy came home drunk and she was the only one for him to take it out on.
But the fact was, she was Billy's. Not Joe's. He could only do so much before Billy came banging on his door to get her back.
This time, though, Airynn had had enough. She stormed past him to the hallway, his eyes slowly following her as she walked. She pushed the door open and looked around the tiny room they called a bedroom. It was a major downgrade from her old room in Hollywood. Hell, Boston and everything that came with is, was a downgrade from Hollywood. Even the nice side of town looked like a dump compared to the places in Hollywood she could have lived if her parents hadn't convinced her otherwise.
Airynn had always been the golden child of her neighborhood. She had been popular, the girls looked up to her and the guys fawned over her. She was top dog back in Hollywood and no one took that spot until she left. But slowly that life started to get old to her. For some reason, her eyes adjusted clearly and she finally saw how fake she and her friends were. California and all that it brought to the table, just didn't look so appealing anymore. Airynn distanced herself from her friends and tried making new ones. But they thought she was just pulling their chain in some crude practical joke. After a while her parents confronted her and the next day she was on her way to Boston. To start a new life, to be the new her and let people see the real side of her.
'Honey, are you okay?' her mother asked sitting across from her. They had been sitting here for nearly twenty minutes, no one knowing what to say or where to start.
'You've been acting strange, darling. Not going out like you used to. Not talking to your friends. What's going on?' her father asked. They had always been the perfect parents and couple. They met in high school, got married, got good jobs, got pregnant. All that happy fun stuff that fairy tales are made of. Airynn's father was a lawyer and her mother was now a stay at home, with occasional book club meetings. They spoiled her but they did it to keep her happy. They thought if they gave her what she wanted she would stay straight and make the right choices.
'I don't know. I just…I don't know.' Airynn sighed. She wasn't sure what had gotten into her but she knew she had changed in some tiny ways. Her parents looked from one another and then slid a folder over to her.
'What's this?' she mumbled flipping it open.
'A plane ticket, a class schedule, and a move in slip.' her father told her simply and threw her a key. 'And a car key.'
'Your father talked to some people at the University of Boston. They accepted you to study medicine there. Your father and I went ahead and got you a place off campus and a car. You can pick up the car at the airport when you land.'
'Why didn't you talk to me about this? It's my life.' Airynn grumbled looking at the pamphlet of campus. She wasn't too upset by it but she was a little weary of leaving to a town where she would be all alone.
'We think you need this. It's far away from here and you always talked about seeing the other side of the country.' her father told her gently. She nodded and looked at the papers as they went on about it being a good change. They said it was a chance to start over, to find the real Airynn, the chance to move where no one else knew her name. The chance to learn to take care of herself and not depend on anyone else.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Billy asked walking into the bedroom. His eyes scanned the room as Airynn quickly picked up clothes and threw them into a duffle bag. She heard him but refused answer to him any longer. She was tired of it and she just couldn't take it anymore.
"I asked you what the fuck you think you're doing, Airynn?!" He yelled this time. She turned to face him and he was almost shocked to see the amount of anger in her eyes.
"I'm leaving!" she screamed and turned back to the task at hand. Billy huffed and leaned on the door frame to watch her. She knew he wouldn't say anything, she knew he thought she was faking. He knew she would come back to him in the end. She always did.
Cause she's already out the door,she's already out of hereshe's already gone away...already gone away...
Sunday Best by Augustana