As laughter suddenly exploded and then faded around him, Michael blinked heavily. He was trying to focus but damn, he felt confused, disoriented...pained. All he could remember was darkness...he must have fallen asleep or something.
He heard the revving of bikes and groaned a little. His head was pounding.
Mustering up the dregs of his energy, he tried to sit up in the sand but the pressure in his head was too much.
His entire body felt heavy, sore. He laid back fully, giving in.
What was the point?
He sluggishly shuffled into the sand, trying to get comfy, to relieve the pressure that was coursing through his head but there was a crunching sound, loud and grating to his ears, followed by an uncomfortable jab near his kidneys.
He groaned again; apparently he had moved his body - despite only a minute movement being all he could muster - on to a beer can.
Great, he thought.
With a grimace, he managed to raise his hand, nudging it up and under his lower back to brush the can away.
The sand felt cold against the skin of his hand but his body felt warm.
He groaned again, his mouth feeling thick and dry.
He remembered, vaguely, finding David, Marko and Paul.
"Shit..." he muttered to himself, mouth smacking a little.
Guess he didn't fall asleep, he must have passed out.
When had he ever been such a weak drinker? When had he ever had such little control?
"Dammit" he muttered once more, licking his dry lips with his equally dry tongue, trying to stop the rolling wave of nausea in his stomach.
"I told you not to…" a soft whisper came from the side of him and he opened his eyes, pain be damned.
He knew that voice, that soft, addictive whisper.
It was Star.
She was sitting beside him, her white skirt spread around her legs and over the sand. Her thick, curly hair cascaded over her shoulders and a few strands blew gently in the light breeze.
God, she was beautiful.
She looked so bright against the dark night.
He gave her a reassuring smile but stopped.
She looked sad, disappointed.
He closed his eyes.
He didn't like seeing that on her face. He loved her smile, her wide eyes.
She was beautiful in her sadness, but he didn't like it.
"Wha-" he began to ask but then remembered.
He had found the guys before he'd found Star.
He remembered buying beer. No..they brought the beer? And spirits?
He sighed.
He remembered..remembered that they had shared a toast, they'd drank…no.
No, he couldn't remember.
Damn, why couldn't he remember?
He reached out his hand once more, the cold sand falling between his fingers as it moved.
His hand found Star's.
He held it tightly.
"Did they just leave me here?" he asked a little angrily, groggily.
He was trying not to move and unsettle his stomach even more.
"Michael, they left hours ago" Star told him quietly, her voice like a balm against the fire in his head.
He furrowed his brow, "but I just heard…."
Their bikes had woken him.
"Michael, we've been alone for hours" she insisted, looking away from him, "they left when I came"
He opened his eyes, "I've..I've been here for hours?"
How had he gotten so drunk?
He saw Star nod her head briefly and the movement hurt his eyes.
"Did I take shots?" Michael asked.
He remembered having one beer...he was sure he did.
Didn't he?
Didn't he drink a little of.. of..something…he groaned again, this time in both pain and frustration.
"You took one shot" she whispered, bitterness lacing her voice, "I told you not to, Michael"
"What was it?" he asked, rubbing his face with his free hand.
It must have been pure ethanol, for crying out loud.
His stomach rolled again.
His entire arm felt like led and the sand was painfully scratchy.
His stomach was barely settling and his head..damn, his head was still exploding.
Star laid down beside him and held him close, burying her face into the crook of his neck.
He slowly wrapped his arms around her, the smooth skin of her arms and the silk of her top comforting him.
"You'll feel better soon" she assured him, her breath tickling the sensitive skin of his neck.
"I don't remember them even drinking" Michael muttered, rubbing his thumb in a circle on her back.
It was all he could manage.
He shut is eyes tightly.
"They're strong" was Star's short reply.
"High tolerance, huh" Michael tried to joke through another groan.
"You can't drink with them again, Michael" Star said suddenly, almost as if she had worked up the courage to tell him this. She sat up a little, her lower body half pressed against his and half in the sand. It felt amazing, how close she was. One hand was on his chest and he felt the pressure from her small hand. It was wonderfully uncomfortable, "you only had a little tonight, I think..I think it won't hurt you but you can't drink anymore. You can't. Please, Michael"
He cracked open his eyes, "Star" he began but she shushed him with a sandy finger pressed against his lips.
"It's bigger than you know" she whispered, her eyes pleading with him to understand, "please, trust me. Trust me..." she implored.
He nodded, not really listening, his head exploding.
He thought he could hear the bikes again, hear whooping and cheering.
He heard laughter.
When he opened his eyes, the night was dark and the beach empty.
Star kissed him softly, "Please try to remember, Michael. I know you'll forget soon but please. Please. Don't drink with them again"
"Why would I forget?" he asked her, trying to smile a little against her lips before the pounding in his head became too much.
He closed his eyes, feeling like his brain was pulsating.
"Don't drink again" Star whispered, before holding him tightly once more, her face buried deep into the crook of his neck.
He could feel her hands closed in fists around his shirt and, as he drifted into unconsciousness once more, he thought he could feel a wetness softly dripping onto his neck, "I think I made a terrible mistake, Michael...please don't hate me..."
Star slunk back into the cave quietly, eyes downcast as she moved straight to her bed, her nook.
The only place she had that was her own.
She sat down onto the firm bed, running her hand over the multitude of blankets and sheets and throws that decorated it.
She had left Michael at his door, left him to stumble into the house, to his room with his heavy, confused movements.
She hated it.
She hated herself.
"Second thoughts, Star?" David drawled and she jumped a little.
She glanced up and saw the four boys slide down and into the cave, fox like and smooth.
Could she have no peace?
They were breathing heavily, laughing among themselves..
They were drenched in blood.
"We've been over this..." David continued.
"Too late for second thoughts, girl!" Paul told her laughingly, throwing himself at the boom box that waited on the rim of the fountain.
"..way, way too late" Marko added, shedding his jacket, giving Dwayne a thud on the back.
She didn't miss the look in Dwayne's eyes.
Star frowned and looked away.
Too late? What did that mean...was the girl..
"-don't think too much, Star" David told her with a smirk, "how's Michael?"
"Fine" she said curtly, slipping her own jacket off and folding it neatly.
"Yeah?" Paul asked over the now booming music, "looked a little green around the gills if you ask me.."
The four boys laughed and Star clenched her jaw.
"Ah, chill out, chica" Paul advised, walking like a tight rope artist over the rim of the fountain, stepping over the boom box each time he passed it, "it'll be over soon, right man?"
Dwayne laughed and Star flinched.
The blood covering his neck, dripping down his chest...
Dwayne was usually the neatest hunter aside from David but recently..Star shuddered.
After being around her, after being with the girl, Dwayne killed and fed with a frightening intensity.
It was clear how much he wanted her, how much he needed her.
Was she really helping trap Elizabeth into this life?
The guilty lump in Star's stomach hardened.
She shook her head once more and crawled under her sheets.
"Just keep your end of the bargain up, Star" David advised and she closed her eyes.
She had been happy with them, once upon a time.
She prayed Elizabeth would be, too.