Elizabeth blinked down at her floor with a frown as she studied what appeared to be the source of the very light and sudden tap that had resonated in her silent, still and somewhat dim room. She had turned off the lights, keeping just one of the small lamps she had liberated from elsewhere in the house lit. It was comfortable and cozy and she was incredibly content, sitting on the floor, surrounded by pillows and wrapped up in her blanket. Back in Arizona, she'd had a reading nook in her room but she actually preferred her little makeshift space. Alone though she was, she was having a wonderful evening. She had always preferred to read with just a small light illuminating the book and the one in her grip was happy, not like the one she'd wanted to throw at Sammy earlier. Or at least, it seemed like a happy one. Knowing the author, there would be gloom and spookiness around the corner soon. Wondering if she should turn on the main light, she squinted at the small black mass that had appeared on the floor.
Was it...
She squinted harder in disbelief.
There, slap bang in the center of her room and a decent little few paces away from her slightly open window was a chunk of cookie.
Cookie.
Unwrapped, crumby, messy cookie.
As she tried to make sense of what had suddenly appeared, she saw another chunk - this time a sizable little mound of cookie - flying in from her window. It landed with a dull, heavier kind of thunk, almost like a solid splat, and sent crumbs flying in all directions as it hit her floor.
She stared at the mess before her, jaw opening in indignant shock before turning her eyes to her window.
"...are you insane?" she whispered, shocked and somewhat indignant.
"How do you know it's me?" Paul's faceless voice floated towards her and she gaped at the window in annoyance, the blanket she had wrapped herself in dropping down from her shoulders as she sat up straighter.
Truthfully, she hadn't known it was Paul but she did know that whoever was throwing chunks of food into her room was certainly not all there mentally.
"Who else would throw food into my window at-" she glanced down at her clock, making a frustrated little noise when she saw that it was no longer ticking. The battery must have died, she knew it wasn't so late but she was taken off guard all the same, "-stupid o'clock?"
He chuckled, totally carefree and at ease. It made sense, why wouldn't he be relaxed? Not like was was trashing his own place, he didn't have to deal with the clean up.
"Do you want me to get cockroaches?"
He laughed, "you're precious!"
"Paul, I'm not precious, I'm serious! That's really gross, it's going to attract bugs"
"Can't you clean?"
"It's all down in the floorboards!"
"No it isn't" he grinned at her, his face finally appearing in the window.
It would have been scary, ghost like and eerie if it wasn't for his easy, playful tone and the wild style of his hair. Only his eyes were visible in the slightly opened window. He couldn't have fit his whole face in the open frame because she thought the night was cold rather than chilly and had only opened it a crack for some fresh air. His hair covered most of the window itself and his voice was a little muffled, his mouth covered by the thick wall.
"It's a sugary, crumbly cookie. Of course it's gonna attract bugs. That's like a roach magnet! It's all down in the cracks and the vacuum is heavy, how am I going to lug it-"
"-wow your hair is really oily, girl"
"Well, I-" she dropped the book and went to self-consciously touch her hair. She had totally forgotten that she'd slathered a rich mask all over it, deep into the roots and scalp and down all of the length. She was dressed kind of slobbishly, too, "I mean, Dwayne had plans tonight so I thought I'd kind of pamper myself..."
"By not washing your hair?"
"It's a hair mask!" she told him, feeling a little shy but also feeling her annoyance ebb away. It was impossible to feel anything other than relaxed and happy with Paul, "I wasn't exactly expecting company, you know?"
She tucked the blanket up a little higher once more.
"I thought the fairer sex did face masks?"
"I have a face mask too" Elizabeth replied "my Mom gave it to me. It's chilling in the fridge-"
"-fancy-"
"-but she had a hair mask, so-" she smiled, shaking her head, "-oh, shut up already!"
"Shutting up" he chortled, "so..you want to invite me in?"
"No"
He laughed, "come on. We can do face masks together?"
That sounded like fun and a recipe for disaster all at the same time. She observed the face in the window.
"...you're not with Dwayne?"
She saw his hands in the air for a second and wondered if he'd shrugged. She couldn't quite tell with the majority of his body hidden by her house. She assumed the gesture meant he was solo this evening.
"Well, why not?"
"We're not attached at the hip, girl"
"Uh-huh..." she replied. They may not be attached at the hip but the four of them were definitely close.
"Your man and David are having their time, I got mine" he wiggled his eyebrows mysteriously, "so come on. What do you say? I brought snacks, no drugs this time"
"What snacks?" she asked, not even finding it odd that there was a man floating outside of her room and not dignifying his comment with a response. She knew she was still due one hell of a teasing from him and she wasn't quite ready for it.
"I brought you a pizza, Chinese takeout and a bunch of dishes from this Indian place and uh...some fried shit, I dunno"
"You bought me shit?" she scrunched up her nose.
"Nah you know like there's a funnel cake and I think I got you a corn dog. I don't know what you like. There's half a cookie, too...am I in? It's cold out..."
He sounded like a lost, lonely puppy and she giggled. Knowing that she really, really should be eating healthily the idea of some takeout did sound good. She knew it was terrible but it was hard to resist when food was being bought and offered. Knowing that there really was zero chance she was going to turn down the food, she definitely wanted to tease Paul a little more. It was her revenge for the cookie and the only time she'd ever actually had any power over him.
"Where's the food?"
"On the roof"
"Right..." she sighed and moved to stand up before pausing, "...so wait, what happens if I invite you in?"
"We eat, we do face masks and we have some wholesome fun" he dutifully informed her.
"Uh-huh..." she drawled, trying to sound unsure and thoughtful, "OK...OK..."
"Why? What are you after?" he narrowed his eyes through the little crack in the window, "you're in a committed relationship, baby girl. I can't pleasure you..."
Laughing, she shook her head.
"And you know what, come to think of it..Dwayne's my friend so if this is what's gonna go down then dammit" he shook his head, "I gotta bounce but let me tell you I am totally heartbroken that this is the extent of your loyalty to the constipated fuck. I mean yeah, I get it. I got a big dick and these gorgeous eyes and my abs are rock solid but fuck, girl. You're a mate-" he shook his head again, pushing away from the window, "-and his dick isn't that small, I've seen it. God, poor Dwayne-"
"-Paul!-"
"-his mate trying to cheat on him with someone more endowed-"
"-Paul!-"
"-more handsome, more charming. He's given you his whole heart and you're itching for my co-"
"-you can come in already! Jesus!" she laughed again, shoulders shaking at his ridiculous antics, "keep your parts to yourself, I just want the pizza"
So much for her teasing him.
"...'kay but no sex, alright?"
This time he was the one sounding unsure and unconvinced and she laughed again. So much for teasing him, so much for having a shred of power.
"I'll try to control myself" she told him, her eyes bright and her smile wide.
With a wink, he curled his hand under the window frame and jerked it upwards, not reacting as it slammed loudly. Elizabeth wondered if he knew her house was empty or if he just didn't care. She genuinely couldn't decide which was more likely. As he disappeared for a moment, a pizza box flew in through the window, landing and skidding on the floor. The cookie crumbled further but she knew she was going to have to lug Grandpa's clunky old vacuum cleaner upstairs anyway. No use crying anymore over it. The blonde himself followed, unsurprisingly lithe and graceful despite the four bulging bags in his grip.
"Thank you for the invite. I feel real special. Now, oil me up and let's eat"
"You want me to put oil on your hair too?" she laughed, sitting forward on the floor to inspect the bags he had deposited quite carelessly. As he bent down and scooted the pizza box over to her - kind enough not to just kick it over - he walked to the window, shutting it all the way.
"Well sure, it's the right thing to do. I'd feel bad if you were the only one with shitty hair"
She rolled her eyes and she sniffed the food before her. It all smelled amazing.
"I'd say it's actually more of a mask than an oil but I guess I can help you out. Can I eat some first?" she nodded towards the bags.
The smell really was next level.
"Of course you can, don't be shy. Spread it out girl. The food, I mean. Not your legs" he grinned, sitting cross-legged before her. She bit her lip, shaking her head.
Together they began to work at emptying the bags until there were cartons and boxes surrounding them. Paul even had the sense to put the greasier boxes onto the bags themselves, saving her the clean up after. Perhaps he wasn't beyond teaching?
"Let me guess. You're goin' for the noodles, right?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Girls always go for the noddles"
"...you make some weird assumptions, Paul. I'm actually kind of interested in this.." she pointed to a creamy yet lumpy green dish. She'd never seen anything like it. The color was so bright, she guessed it had to be some kind of spinach or maybe broccoli blend but there were chunks of white in it, too, "...what is it?"
"That's your first choice?"
She nodded.
"Marko hates it"
That didn't bode well but still, it smelled so good, "well, what is it?"
"I dunno" Paul shrugged, "I never asked but it's called something 'paneer'" he shrugged again, "sold in the fuckin' worst dive you've ever seen, no seats, kinda grubby. Takeout only. You get the picture?"
She nodded and he grinned, "places like that always have the best food. Life tip for you, my young charge"
"I'll try to remember...so seriously, what is it?"
"Told you, I dunno" Paul shook his head with a smile, "never cared enough to ask. Tastes good, why the fuck do I need to know what it's made from?"
"Wh..." Elizabeth tilted her head. Odd but kind of solid logic at the same time, "..OK, so what made you try it? If you don't even know what it is?"
"Had a gold star next to it on the menu so one day I bought it, realized that I fuckin' love it and thus continue to buy it"
"...but you said Marko's not a fan?"
"Nah, same as David"
Elizabeth laughed, "I can't imagine David eating anything to be honest"
"He doesn't, not so much. Vampires don't need to eat, you know? So it's like...David only eats if he really likes something and he's a fussy little fucker or I mean, he'll eat if it serves a purpose, you know? Marko kinda sticks to what he knows he likes but he doesn't eat all that much either...so you can't trust his opinion on food. Dig the fuck in!"
The ability to eat whatever, whenever and never gain weight? She wondered whether Marko and David actually appreciated what a blessing that was.
"Well, what about Dwayne?" she asked, remembering that he had shared a lot of dishes with her on their date, that he had bought her the first kebab she'd ever tried, "he seems pretty OK with food"
"Hah! He's the worst. He absolutely doesn't eat unless there's a reason to. Last time he saw me chowing down on a pizza, you know what he said?"
Elizabeth shook her head.
"He said, 'you know we drink blood, right fatty'?"
Elizabeth laughed, "that's so mean!"
"That's your mate"
"He ate with me though?"
"Well yeah, he'd do anything for you" Paul shrugged like it was obvious, "but he only usually goes for alcohol, that's his vice. He has no need for mortal food so he doesn't indulge in mortal food. Dude's very cut 'n dry, Liz"
She couldn't smother her smile, "but he'll eat for me?"
Paul nodded, giving her a little eye roll and grin that told her she was a soppy idiot, "yes Lizzie. He's only eating for you, he wouldn't bother otherwise. So come on? You gonna cream over him all night, just sit there, gawping at the food or actually eat at some? I thought you'd be my food friend"
"I want to try" she smiled, "I'll get us-"
A scoff, "-don't be silly" Paul said, pulling out two spoons, two forks and one knife from the inside pocket of his familiar tux, "I brought the food to you, of course I'm gonna bring the cutlery"
"You really do bring the party, don't you?"
"It's in my blood"
She grinned at him, taking one of the silver spoons from his hand, "no chopsticks?"
"Nah, too fussy"
Scooping a generous helping of the green curry like dish in front of her, Elizabeth avoided the chunks of white. Usually she would take a tentative bite of new food but she trusted her friend's exuberance.
It had been the right decision.
"Oh my God" Elizabeth exclaimed through a mouthful of the green delight Paul had provided, "this is amazing"
"You like?"
"Fuck yes! It's so...it's so creamy! It's spinach, right? This tastes like spinach..."
"Lizzie, you said fuck!"
Laughing and scooping the container up from the floor she felt herself blush, "you're rubbing off on me, Paul"
"But not getting you off. Good mate, good pack mate right?"
"Right" she grinned knowing that there was absolutely zero sexual chemistry between them, "you don't mind if I..?"
"Have at it" he offered, "I'm itchin' for the pizza myself"
"Pizza?" she asked, going in for the white chunks.
"Pizza" he affirmed.
"I really need to be careful though.." she told him, shaking her head, "oh! Oh, this is kind of..is this cheese?"
He laughed at her, "let's try all the food on the boardwalk. I think you and I might be a good team, chica. Why do you need to be careful?"
"Well, you know I've been kind of eating whatever, whenever and it's just...it's really going to catch up to me"
"Nah"
"I'm serious"
"Life is short. Eat all the food"
She grinned, "is that your philosophy?"
"Yeah. Eat all the food, have all the sex, do all the drugs. Life is for living, right?"
She nodded, not bothering to remind him that he wasn't actually living. It was a very fun outlook.
"So you're an eater, huh?"
"Absolutely. Tastes good, I got the time and money why the fuck wouldn't I eat?"
"So what's your favorite food?"
"All time?"
She nodded, scooping up spoonful after spoonful of the dish. So much for being careful.
"Pizza, I guess if I had to choose just one but I like it all. I could eat forever. Fuck it, I'm gonna eat forever"
"But Paul..OK, so..you don't need food, you eat because you like to?" he nodded and she continued, "and you don't breath either?"
He shook his head, "we just mimic it, Dwayne didn't tell you that?"
"No, no he did. I'm just.." she used her free hand to make a twisty gesture around her head, "thinking out loud. So..ugh, OK so I gotta ask...do you..you know? Do you poo? Or..mimic it? Or...what? What goes on down there?"
He laughed, showing her a mouth full of pepperoni as he shook his head, "we don't shit"
"No?"
He laughed again, swallowing the slice, "I fuckin' love you and your weird ass questions!"
"But you eat" she giggled in defense, "where does it go?"
"Dunno"
"You're so old but you're so..I mean come on, you're not fat! So it has to go somewhere, right?"
"It must" he agreed, eyes glittering as he took another slice of pizza, folding it in half and stuffing it into his mouth.
"You don't have hundreds of years worth of food in your stomach"
"I wouldn't think so" he replied, his voice muffled, "and I'm not hundreds of years old..not yet, anyway"
"You know what I mean" she protested, still eating spoonfuls of her dish.
Paul nodded, "yeah but-" he swallowed -"I don't know where it all goes. I don't shit, I don't piss but I do eat..make of it what you will"
"How can you not know?!"
"Not like you get a manual or guidebook when you turn" he replied, "ask Dwayne, fuck ask David and they'll give you the same response"
"Probably delivered differently though" she laughed.
Dwayne was dry but kind and unsure when it came to telling her about his life and the life of vampires. He spoke as if it were a challenge, an unpleasant task. Marko was upfront and matter of fact and David? Well. He was the Ice King himself.
"I'm your favorite, aren't I?" Paul said, his eyes dancing and pepperoni oil smeared on his chin.
Star carefully folded her skirt, taking care with the delicate glass beads. There were gorgeous layers of vintage lace among the different types of fabric and she would have hated for them to snag. She'd kept it in perfect condition for so long already, she didn't want to ruin it now. She had rolled her shirts and scarves, her jacket, her tops and flowing dresses. She tucked her sandals and underwear away but the skirt she was currently folding was special.
It was hers. Truly hers.
She had bought it when she first came to Santa Carla, when she had hope in her heart and faith that her future would be bright. She had used her own money, money she hadn't had to beg for, to steal. Money that wasn't given to her. Her own money, money that she had worked very hard for. It hadn't been cheap, not for someone with less than a hundred dollars to her name, someone with very little trying to start a new life but she had seen it tucked away on the rails of the thrift shop and it had called to her.
So colorful, so beautiful but simple it its design. Lace and beads, colors that were pastel and subdued but when it hit the light, God how it glittered.
It had been one of the last things she had purchased, the last bit of brightness she had before she'd met him. Before her life had ended, before her freedom had been taken away.
Sighing, she stroked the skirt before draping it gently over the contents of the finally packed suitcase. It fit perfectly. The final piece.
She had bought it to celebrate the new start she had been craving and now, here she was...making that long crushed dream come true.
Tomorrow afternoon, she would be gone.
Tomorrow she would take a bus and she would meet Michael, the man who had saved her. The man she had given her heart to. She would find him in the little apartment he had secured through his burly if not very friendly boss. She would find him at that little apartment they would make their own for a short time. She was told it wasn't much but that it was big enough for two with no leaks, no broken windows and no cracks for the wind the sneak in through at night.
To her, it sounded like heaven.
She was thankful for the kindness they had been shown. Santa Carla had been a cold, cruel place when she came but it felt like things were changing. Michael's boss had been eager to meet her, or so Michael said. She couldn't help but be flattered, pleased that Michael talked about her. When they finally did meet, his boss had paid for their dinner and then even her bus ticket, insisting it was the right thing to do since he was the reason she couldn't travel with Michael in their little van that day. There wasn't enough space, not for three plus all the work materials there were transporting but it was fine.
A little time alone, painful though it was to be without Michael meant time to act.
Time to secure the future she needed.
The nights were becoming a little cold and the days were becoming increasingly cloudy. It was unseasonably dull weather but it allowed her to move about in the day. She couldn't do it easily, not by a long shot. She was tired, exhausted by the effort but she could do it. She was finding herself, finding her spirit and courage and it gave her hope.
Hope that she could live freely, faith that she was doing the right thing.
If felt like her hunger had diminished as she came closer to securing her future with Michael but despite the happiness she felt, she knew it wouldn't last for long. That was an impossibility, it was the one cloud hanging over her.
How could she ever make sure David kept his word? How could she ever make sure that he would free from the cursed life she'd be thrust into?
She fingered the letter she had written delicately, flipping the envelope over and running her slender finger over the gummy strip.
Could she do it?
She didn't know. It was a risk, there was no doubt about it. It was a terrible, dangerous risk but how could she trust that David would help her? She couldn't, not anymore. She had to take matters into her own hand.
What else was there to do?
Wait, hope and pray that David would show a shred of kindness, a shred of decency? Or force his hand?
She closed for eyes for a moment.
She had no choice. She had to force his play, she couldn't pray that he had changed.
Leopards didn't change their spots.
She was-
-as a gentle rap on the door drew her out of her thoughts, Star sighed, releasing the letter.
She had ordered a burger from the motel's diner. It wasn't particularly good quality food and she thought the diner itself only really got any custom due to the location of the motel. Far away from the boardwalk, away from shops and restaurants. The owner certainly had a captive audience. The food had sent Michael dashing to the toilet on their first night there and she understood why. Overly greasy, oily and without a single vegetable featuring on the menu, it was no surprise it went right through him. It was questionable, that was for sure. The burger she'd ordered had been terribly under cooked. It was tinged pink, red and cold in parts and despite Michael warning her not to touch it, she had demolished it. She knew the pink wasn't blood, she knew it...but still, it seemed to help.
Placebo, she guessed but at that point she would have taken anything.
Knowing she would have to settle her tab at checkout tomorrow, she left her sweet little coin filled purse on the bed and moved to open the door.
Perhaps her course of action would become clearer after her stomach had been somewhat filled, her hunger a little satiated.
"Thank you.." she murmured as she opened the door, her stomach dropping as she took in the sight before her.
"Hello, Star"
A wave of nausea washed over her.
Standing on the threshold of her door was David, his eyes colder than his voice. He was holding a stained, grease splattered bag that she knew contained the burger she had ordered and he was flanked by Dwayne and Marko.
Had they killed the busboy? Were they here to kill her?
"You can't come in" she said instantly, stepping back into warm safety of her little motel room, "I won't invite you in"
"No?"
She shook her head, eyes dancing between the three men.
She didn't know where to look.
Dwayne's eyes were colder than she had ever seen, Marko's eyes glinted with playful cruelty and David?
How could she ever look at him?
"I-I call this place home" she insisted, looking at their chests, "so you can't come in"
"Solid theory but you know who else calls this place home?" Marko drawled, sounding bored.
She knew it was an act.
"The owner" Dwayne supplied.
Unintentionally, her eyes flickered up and she winced. His stare harder than she had ever known it, too.
David stepped inside, "he gave his permission quite easily"
"Like it was nothing at all" Marko added, stepping into the room.
"Did you kill him?"
Her question went unanswered.
"You've been a hard girl to find, Star" David said his voice dangerously light, "we've been sniffing you out all night"
"Leave me alone"
"Where's Michael? I have to admit, I'm surprised we've found you alone"
"Leave me alone" she repeated, crossing her arms over her chest.
"We haven't been able to find him..." David mused, his eyes calculating as he carried on Marko's sentence, "...but since it looks like you're skipping town, can we assume he has, too?"
"We're leaving" she said, her voice hard despite the quiver held within in. She wasn't skipping, she was leaving to start a new life.
"To go where?"
"None of your business" she snapped, taking another step back, "leave me alone, go away"
"That's getting boring, Star" Marko told her as he leaned against the small table near the door, "we'll be out of your hair soon but first, why don't you tell us what you've done to our old friend Mikey?"
"What?" she snapped, looking at him.
She didn't want to engage with them but the blonde's words were so unexpected, so ridiculous. She couldn't help it. What had she done with Michael? She hadn't done anything with Michael, she loved Michael. What kind of games were they playing?
"Where is he?"
"We're leaving" she repeated as if they were dense, "he's not here. I won't be here soon-"
"-what about his family? He has school, doesn't he?"
She hated the lightness in Marko's tone. She had seen the darkness within him.
"He's dropped out" she muttered, wishing she had her shawl draped over her shoulders, something to clutch onto, to hide herself with, "so it won't be a problem"
"Did he?" David drawled, sounding very un-surprised.
"Weird. He's not exactly rich" Marko stated, "divorced mother, family living in their grandfather's house..."
Star clenched her jaw, keeping her gaze between the two men.
She didn't even want to look at Dwayne.
Something about him, something in his stare...it made her nervous, more than she usually would be.
"So? I don't care about his money, I-"
"-love him" both Marko and David said at the same time as her.
She flushed and clenched her jaw. Is that how they saw her? As a broken record? Was she so predictable?
"See, what we don't understand is how hard he's fallen for you" Marko told her, inspecting his nails, "dropping out, leaving his family, no real savings to speak of...I summarized the situation correctly, right? That's a big risk for him"
She loathed the casual way he asked her. He knew full well that he understood the situation correctly.
"It's love. You wouldn't understand"
David scoffed, "big leap of faith for him"
She hated the condescension in his voice.
"Why are you here?"
"His family has forgotten him, Star. We want to know why. What are you doing?"
His family had forgotten him? No they hadn't. God, they were crazy. All of them. His family hadn't forgotten Michael. His mother had grilled him, given him a hard time. She'd had to soothe him and calm him when he returned to the motel, simple bag of essentials in hand. He hadn't been forgotten.
What games were they playing?
"I'm not doing anything!" she said, hating them with all of her heart, "I haven't done anything and his family-God, why are you doing this? Why can't you leave me alone! His family haven't forgotten him!"
"She doesn't know she's doing it" Marko said to David and a further surge of hate, red hot and painful flashed through her.
He was talking about her while still making eye contact with her. She meant nothing to them, nothing at all.
"I'm not doing anything" she hissed.
"You're doing exactly what you said you would, Star" David told her.
"And what's that?"
"Luring Michael to you"
She couldn't help the disbelieving scoff that broke from her lips.
"I'm not-I don't-" she didn't know what to say.
"I never really rated you as having any skills but what do you know?" Marko grinned sharply, "you're a regular siren, Star"
She opened her mouth, not even knowing what she was going to say but the angelic man continued, "been pretty easy for you, hasn't it? People willing to help you out? How is Michael living, exactly? With all those riches he doesn't have"
"His-his boss gave us a small apartment" she defended, "some people are just kind-"
"-no. He offered the apartment after meeting you, didn't he?"
Star said nothing.
It was true. Whatever assumptions Marko was making, whatever he thought about her and her skills...he was right about that.
Michael's boss had offered both the apartment and the bus ticket during their meeting but that was just decency.
People could be decent.
She took a breath. She wasn't doing anything at all...she would know if she was.
...wouldn't she?
She steeled herself. They were monsters, they preyed on the weak and unsure and she was none of those things, not any more.
"How are you getting leaving? On Mikey's bike?"
Michael's boss had offered Michael the use of his van after their meeting, he had bought her the bus ticket.
She took another shuddering breath.
"I'm not doing anything" Star repeated, "some people are kind, some people are nice-"
David scoffed, "nice and kind? That's how is was when you first came to Santa Carla?"
"People weren't so kind then, were they?"
"I wonder what changed?"
"Certainly not this town"
"Stop it" Star whispered, not wanting to hear any more, "why did you come here?"
"We wanted to know, Star"
"Why? I'm not doing anything, you're wrong. He-"
"-loves you. Yeah, we get it" Marko said, "I wonder if he would feel the same if you were just...you"
"I am me"
"No. You're a half vampire, Star"
She jumped.
That was..that was neither here nor there. She was herself, she was Star.
"I'm not doing anything!" she shouted.
"You were sure you could do it in the beginning" Marko reminded her, "weren't you? 'I can lure Michael, I can lure him, I can make the introductions, I can do it'"
"Sound familiar?"
She loathed them.
"I don't remember you complaining" she fought back bitterly, "you would have done anything to get Elizabeth into the pack, you were happy to use me, to use Michael then"
As soon as she had said the name, Dwayne stepped forward and in that moment, Star knew.
"You're here because of her, aren't you?"
"We're here to see why she'd forgotten her brother" Marko answered, his voice hard, "to see what you had done"
"To see what you were doing" David finished.
"I don't want you here" Star hissed, "and you may have been invited in but I'm un-inviting you. Get out!"
David chuckled.
"I'm mortal, I'm un-inviting you!"
Marko scoffed, "mortal? The blood running through your veins disagrees and it'll be a cold, cold day in hell when a half has any power over a vampire"
She saw the way Dwayne looked at her before he turned his body. Like the others, she was nothing to him. He brushed past David - something she knew nobody else would be able to do - and left the motel room she had only moments before considered cozy. With a final glance at her, Marko followed.
She hated that they were leaving of their own accord.
She hated that she had no power over them.
"...you promised" she whispered to David, the fight and anger leaving her. It was always different when they were alone, "you said you would free me"
"What's your next step, Star?" he asked her and she swallowed.
She had trusted him..she had thought she could care for him..perhaps even love him but now she saw what he was.
He was a monster.
He wasn't capable of love, none of them were.
"I'm-"
"-leaving, I know" he interrupted, "are you planning on being a half vampire forever?"
He stepped towards her and she stepped back.
As the back of her knees met the bed, she met his eyes. It was terrible, intimate and painful to be so close to him and she trembled, wondering if he was going to reach out to her. She thought that some part of her, some deep, dark part of her wanted him to touch her. She wondered if she would ever be free of him.
When he spoke his voice colder than ice and so sure, so certain, "it will break you. The hunger, the thirst. The need...I know. Even now, it's calling to you...you can try to pretend it isn't happening, you can try to eat under cooked meat and hope it helps" he dropped the grease stained bag onto the bed, "but it's in your blood. It's who you are and it won't be denied"
A lone tear fell down her cheek, "you said you would free me"
It's all she could say.
"And you don't trust that I will" he replied, eyebrow arched as he gently removed the letter from the bed.
She closed her eyes as she heard the envelope fall to the floor.
For a moment, silence surrounded them and then, softly, David murmured, "this was your plan?"
"No..I..." she felt another tear drop.
She could have loved him..in another world, another life..
"...I don't know..I didn't...I don't know what I'm going to do..."
She hated him. She had felt strong, powerful and now, before him..she felt like nothing.
"We tried to help you" David told her and she felt her lips tremble as she remembered the good times they had shared. Few and far between, tinged with bitterness but she couldn't lie. She had been happy with them, once upon a time...as happy as someone in her position could be.
"I never wanted this life"
"You chose it"
She took a breath, trying to find her strength, "and now I'm choosing to leave it"
She opened her eyes as he crumpled the letter in his fist, "by doing this?"
The anger is his voice was unmistakable.
"You said..." she looked down, "I...I didn't...I didn't know if you would free me"
"And this is what you choose to do? If you have a death wish Star, I would be more than happy to indulge you"
"I don't..." she whispered.
She didn't want to die.
She knew the letter had posed a risk but seeing the disbelief, the cold anger on David's face cemented it for her.
It had been a foolish idea but what else could she do?
"Leave Santa Carla, Star-"
"-what about-"
"-I'll keep my word"
There was a bitterness in his voice, just a hint of it, barely present enough for her to question whether she had imagined it.
She wondered if he felt the same about her. Did he care for her? Could he have ever loved her?
"..when..?" she asked hesitantly but David was already leaving her room.
"Don't make any more mistakes, Star. I said I'll free you but if I find you put my pack in danger like this again-" he held up the letter, "-I will kill you"
She said nothing as she watched the door slam shut behind him.
Alone once more and feeling more isolated than ever.
"OK..let's brush your hair out and get masking" Elizabeth said, as she checked her face in the mirror. The skin around her scalp was a little pink from the cold water and the little mark from her meeting with the cupboard seemed to stand out more than before. Her own damp, freshly washed hair was dripping onto the towel that covered her shoulders, "it says it's for fine hair and yours is definitely not fine but I don't think that's a problem"
She tugged a bit of his hair between her fingers, feeling its thickness.
"Does that matter?"
Elizabeth shrugged, "I don't know, probably not" she said before shrugging again, releasing the strands she had been inspecting, "it's a hair mask. Don't think too much can go wrong. Come on, pass me the brush"
"Yeeeeeeaaaaaaah, I dunno..."
"What?"
"The water went all up your nose and stuff, I don't think I wanna do it"
She gaped at the blonde. The water had gone up her nose because he had been wielding the shower like a lunatic. It had gone down her face, down her sweater, some of it had even dribbled down her neck and down her back despite the layers and towel she'd used to cover the area.
"Because you-" she spluttered.
"-nah, it was the water pressure" he grinned, "and I dunno, I don't wanna bend over the tub like that, I think you'll air hump me..."
He had air humped her!
"You-I-"
He laughed, "come on, cutie. Let's get the face mask"
"You're actually impossible, do you know that?"
He patted her damp head with the same wide, shit eating grin that had been plastered on his face since they entered the bathroom.
With a roll of her eyes, Elizabeth washed her hands, drying them on the towel comfortably. She was quite used to the snake curled around the handrail and she thought she was slowly getting used to Paul, too.
"I prefer to consider myself fun and free. Some come on, let's go get the face mask. You can give me a quick tour on the way down"
"You want a tour of my house?"
"Yeah"
"Why?"
"Wanna see how the other half live. Don't often get to go into family homes like this. It's interesting, you know?"
"No?" she laughed and shook her head.
"It's interesting for me"
"OK, weirdo. You can check out Sammy's room, just don't mess with his stuff-"
"-when would I ever?"
"-and I think we should avoid my Grandpa's workroom, it's downstairs but I don't trust him enough to go snooping in there"
"What do you mean?" he asked, touching her hair once more, giving it an appreciative little nod - as if the mask had worked wonders - before opening the bathroom door.
Following him, Elizabeth explained, "well..he's kind of eccentric and he likes his privacy, certain foods and has certain rules that I really think ought not to be broken"
"You're scared of him?"
She watched as Paul opened the door to Sammy's room, "so this Sam's room?"
"Sammy and no, definitely not scared of him. My Grandpa's the best. I'm just...I'm aware of how kind of nuts he is, if that makes sense?"
No point in beating around the bush with it. Grandpa was a total nut - the best kind but still nuts all the same - and she was sure he would be the first to admit it, to embrace it. It was a badge she knew he would wear with a great deal of pride. Normal was boring as far as he was concerned, that much she knew.
"Sounds like my kinda guy"
"He just might be"
"Interesting choice of decoration your brother's got going on. You know, I've never been in a teenage boy's room before" Paul said, grinning at Elizabeth, "your walls are totally bare but he's got some-wait, who the fuck is this guy?"
"Uh, an actor?" she shrugged, "we never watched the same shows, I don't know who he's into. Paul, come on..is this really interesting to you?"
Sammy's room was fine but it was all kind of mundane to her.
"Yeah, kinda..I've seen plenty of feminine bedrooms in my time but this is kinda cool, you know? My room was cold, no decorations and shit.." Paul said, "cool to see how times change. This is a nice room, hey? Pretty big..."
"I guess it is"
"Dog hair all in here though"
"Is there? Where?" she couldn't see any.
"Everywhere" Paul replied.
"Mom cleans pretty often..."
"Dog hair's a bitch though. Your brother sleep with it?"
"OK his name is Nanook. He's not an it!"
Paul opened the bathroom door, "wait, your brother has his own bathroom but you gotta use the family one?"
Elizabeth grinned, "shockingly unjust right?"
"Totally"
"It's actually a shared bathroom and to be honest, I prefer to have the attic room. No way would I want to share a room this close to Sammy. He takes forever to get ready, I'd have to use the family bathroom anyway..."
"Yeah it's good you get your privacy, right?"
"It is" she agreed, smiling to herself. Her little penthouse suite had served her very well.
As Elizabeth looked around Sammy's room, noting how neatly all his shoes were lined up under the window, she heard Paul open the other door, "what's in here?"
"...well, seeing as it's a shared bathroom I'd guess that you found the adjoining room, Sherlock"
"You are becoming real sassy, you know that girl?"
She laughed, "come on, let's go down. I still want some of those noodles and we can't eat with the face mask on or else it'll crack"
She moved away from Sammy's room, heading towards the stairs, "I can show you the animal heads in the living room. Those are pretty cool in a really morbid way...did you have animal head decorations in your house growing up? Feels like an old school thing to me.."
She paused, looking behind her, surprised that the animals heads hadn't garnered a reaction.
"Paul?"
The hallway was empty and as she peered back into Sammy's room she saw that it was also empty.
"If you scare me..." she trailed off, knowing full well that there was nothing she could do about it. Luckily the hallway lights were on and she felt comfortable in her home. Poking her head into Sammy's room again, she jumped as Paul tapped her shoulder.
"Jesus!" she squealed, spinning to look at him, "I said don't scare me!"
"I tapped you" he laughed, shaking her head as if she was crazy.
"Well, make noise when you move or call out or something" she smiled at him, nodding her head towards the stairs. She was starting to care less and less about the face mask and more about the noddles, "where were you?"
"Bedroom"
"No" she corrected him, "I looked. Sammy's room was empty"
He watched her for a second before saying, "the shared bedroom?"
"Oh"
"Kinda empty, especially compared to Sammy's..why is that?"
Elizabeth shrugged at the question, "my room is empty compared to Sammy's. Every room is. He's got everything under the sun, kid's a hoarder. Come on. There's soda in the fridge, too"
"Kind of stuffy in there..."
"Stuffy?"
"Yeah. Feels like it hasn't been used in a while?"
"Pretty sure my mom airs out all the rooms when she cleans" Elizabeth shrugged, not really getting it.
Paul watched her for a second with a little frown, "doesn't anybody use it?"
"Why?" she laughed, "you want to spend the night? Be an Emerson?"
He slowly smiled at her, "are you inviting me to be the fifth Emerson?"
"Hmmmm" she grinned, "Sammy, Elizabeth, Paul...the terrible trio...Paul Emerson..."
He was watching her patiently.
"It does kind of have a ring to it"
"It does?"
She nodded.
"Am I in?" he queried.
"Tell you what. If the pack falls through, you can come stay with me"
He laughed, though it wasn't as carefree as usual, "OK. Sounds like a plan"
"Come on. Let's grab the soda and get going" she smiled, assuming he was over the tour. Truthfully, she was too. She wanted to finish eating and slather the mask all over his face and up his nose, revenge for how he'd almost drowned her over the tub.
"Be careful"
"Why?"
Paul laughed, "you're a mortal, Lizzie"
"...so?"
He poked her in the stomach, the movement making her yelp and double over for a moment, before he sloped off down the stairs towards the kitchen. For someone who was visiting her house for the first time, he sure was comfortable.
"What's me being mortal got to do with anything?" she called after him, quite stunned by his bold confidence.
"Soda this late? You might wet the bed, chica!"
He laughed and she tutted, grinning as she followed his lead and went downstairs.
A/N: I actually really, really like Star! I see her as a victim, trapped in a life she didn't want and desperate for a way out. I just hope she can find happiness that doesn't...interfere with the happiness of everyone else! To those who kindly left a review, THANK YOU. It's pretty much you guys that are keeping this going, you inspire me to keep publishing. So genuinely, thank you. Have a wonderful week ahead.