Star was thrown roughly onto the cold wooden floor of the small boat. Her head collided with the edge of a chair and she cried out in pain. Tony stood over her, menacingly.

"Asshole," she said quietly. A large boot came to rest on her neck. Star breathed slowly.

"You'd better watch what you say," Tony said, a small grin on his sunken face, "As of now you belong to me,"

"I don't fucking belong to anyone!" Star spat, pushing Tony's foot off her neck. Tony smirked.

"Really?" he asked, quite enjoying himself, "cause it looks to me like that dark haired boy has quite a lot of say over what you do..."

Star blinked. What? She felt hot tears fill her eyes. How long had him and his little friends been spying on all of them. And why?

"Leave me alone!" Star shouted at Tony's already retreating figure. He turned around.

"That all depends on how well your friends behave," he said laughing. He then turned around and left.

Star let the tears roll down her cheek. 'Stupid fuck,' she thought. How dare he follow her and her friends around. He was sick. Perverted. Discusting.

But another word pushed it's way into Star's brain. He was all of those things... for sure, but he was also right. Switch did have a lot of control over Star. A lot of it was because she let him, but he was also very possessive. She knew he had a problem but that didn't make it right. Somtimes when he'd get mad he'd hit her, or somtimes he's hit her just to spice up the moment. The verbal and physical abuse had been getting increasingly worse.

"Bitch, what the hell's wrong?"

"I'm still sore from last time, that's what!"

"You're weak,"

"Shut up ok!"

Smack.

Switch hand flew across Star's face. When that had happened for the first time since they'd started 'seeing' each other, Star had tried to leave. She was sickened, full of anger. Now she pulled Switch close to her and began kissing him roughly. It was all part of the game.

"Damn..." Switch moaned as Star's hands began to massage his inner thighes. He bit down on her lip, causing it to bleed.

"God dammit Switch," Star said, lifting her hand to her cut.

Switch grabbed her hand and roughly shoved it back down to where it was.

"Fuck you," Star said, but at the same time she began to undo his pants and kiss him more passionatly.

Star cried some more as several memories came flooding back. She missed Mush. She didn't know how she could live with herself for what she was doing to him but she still loved him. She was sure she did. She was just addicted to Switch. She hated yet loved the way his hands would leave bruises on her skin and she was discusted yet intruiged with the way he would manipulate her.

"I'm a slut," Star cried to herself. She wrapped her arms around her knees and rocked herself, all the while praying Tony wouldn't come back for her.

---

The sun beat down hard on the newsies bare backs. All except for Jamie and Mouse who were of course wearing their shirts.

"Somtimes," Jamie said, wiping sweat off her brow, "I think it's easier being a guy,"

Spot laughed, "Sweety you have no idea," he said smiling.

"Well, I mean, you don't have to deal with your time of the month, you don't have any major mood swings, you can't get pregnant! You have it way to easy!" Jamie said again.

"I agree," Mouse said, she was laughing too.

Suddenly there was a thunderous crash combined with the sound of wood being split. Everyone turned to look. Kid Blink was standing over a broken crate, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry," he blushed, "got away from me,"

Everyone looked down at the spilled contents.

"Ah hell no," Spot said disbelivingly.

"We're moving their drugs for them," Switch said, spitting off to the side.

"We'd all get arressted if anyone caught us," Jamie said.

"Now we know why they wouldn't just do this themselves, and why there were so eager to get away from here yesterday... you remember how they kept leaving every five minutes?" Jack questioned.

"Yupp," Spot replied.

"We should just get the police and tell them whats-" Mouse began.

"You don't want to do that,"

The newsies whirrled around. Standing behind them were River and Zade.

"When are ya going to give Star back?" Mush asked harshly. He had been working twice as hard since she was kidnapped.

"That's up to Tony, but he won't be pleased with that," River said, pointing to the spilled crate.

"Clean it up, throw it in the river, hide all of it," Zade instructed.

"Do you do whatever the fuck that Tony guy tells you?" Switch asked. He looked ready for a fight.

"I think Tony's a lot like you," Zade said wickedly.

"Meaning?" Switch's lower lip twitched.

"Controlling," Zade said, "you can't help it, right?"

"How the fuck do you know what I'm like?" Switch said taking a step forward.

"I recongnize it," Zade said, taking a deep breath of the crisp air, "Tony was trash like you when he was your age, you'll end up the same,"

Switch wasted no time in rushing Zade's lean figure. He threw a punch and hit him squarley in the jaw. River jumped to the aid of his friend. Switch was enraged. He was throwing punches left and right, occasionally hitting his fellow newsies who'd stepped in to help him.

"Mother-!"

"ENOUGH!"

Tony stood in front of the brawl, a long blade in his right hand.

"I will slit the throat of the next worthless peice of shit who tries to cause trouble!" he yelled. His eyes caught sight of the spilled drugs in the mud. His eyes flickered. There was a moments cold silence.

"You're little girlfriend is gonna pay for this," he said nastily to Switch. He turned to leave.

"Clean it the fuck up!" River shouted back at them as him and Zade followed Tony away from the scene.

"Your girlfriend?" Mush asked Switch, he was looking at Switch sideways, like he was trying to analyse him.

"The guys a nut," Switch said, dismissivly. He turned and began to pick up the packages of fallen drugs and put them back into the broken crate.

"I'll chuck this in the river if ya'll help me out a little," he said impatiently. The newsies stepped in to help him but Mush still eyed him suspiciously. Star wouldn't do that to him. Not again.

---

"Ouch!" Star cried out as her thin body was hurled against the wall. Tony seemed really angry about somthing. Star guessed that her fellow newsies had done somthing he didn't like. Tony picked her up off the ground and threw her against the wall again. He made no move towards her this time.

"Zade!" He barked.

"Yes," Zade replied. His big, black eye was clearly visible even through Star's tear filled eyes.

"This was your 'altercation', you take care of this," Tony then turned to leave. Zade stood, tall and angry over Star. Star hated all three of them, Tony especially but she got the impression that Zade and River were actually decent people. Or they would be if Tony didn't control them.

Her stomach turned over.

Would she be a better person if Switch didn't control her?

The tears began to flow faster.

"Stop crying!" Zade said harshly.

Star gulped, trying to stem her tears.

"I said stop crying!" He said again. There was a kind of softness in his eyes that wasn't appearent in Tony.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said at last, seating himself on the ground next to Star, "I'm not an animal like him,"

Star looked at him, trying to see if he was bluffing. She couldn't tell.

"Why do you let him boss you around?" Star asked.

"I guess it's because he's our friend, and it's what we're used to..."

"That's stupid,"

"And you and the dark haired boy is-?"

"None of your business," she cut him off. She looked down at her feet.

"K, sorry," Zade said, "and for the record we were only watching you guys cause Tony told us to,"

"That's really pathetic, you have no life of your own," Star said crossly.

"You're such a hippocrit," Zade laughed, "but at least we don't have to take responsibility for all that happens,"

Star just shook her head.

"I maybe lost," she said, "but at least I remember the old path. You're so absorbed you couldn't change even if you wanted to,"

Zade looked at her for a moment.

"Careful," he said, "I'm nice now... doesn't mean I'm a saint." He stood up and left.

Star watched his retreating figure. She was once again left alone in the dark. It was cold but she was sweating. Shivering and sweating. She just wanted out. Out of everything. She wanted things to be like they were before the fire, before Switch.

"Holy shit," she said to herself. She really was like a druggie; hopelessly addicted yet hating the very thing she craves.

But after all... Switch was such a good drug.

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Thanks for the reviews for those of you who did! Where's Ginny? I'm missing her reviews
:(

ecHo1899
ahh! poor star gets herself into trouble no matter what she does... o this is definitely getting more interesting by the chapter!

hartgirl3590
ah! write more! i love it!

pennylayne
Not bad. I like it.
I don't get, though, how the three guys and the box-moving really fits into the story yet, but I suppose that'll clear up.
Can't wait for this to continue... keep up the great work!

Cinnamon Spice
Dun Dun Da!
What's going to happen to Star? Please don't let her die!