"Let's get the large special, to celebrate!" Steve Stevens laughed as he handed the waiter their menu back. Ren wasn't sure if they were celebrating her birthday…or the somewhat forced relationship that was put in front of her. They hadn't sat down in the seat for five minutes before Jason started flirting with her, practically flaunting the fact that she was 'his'. If another guy even looked at her—that included their waiter--he gave them the coldest glare that she had even seen. Everyone thought it was cute.
They ignored the fact that around fifteen girls had already come up to the famous actor, asking for his autograph. Some of them asked for the autograph in very odd places, too. And he granted all of their requests and batted his little pretty boy eye lashes at them all.
She nearly threw up.
He disgusted her, it was true. The very sight of him made her want to throw herself out of the window. Any window. She'd throw herself off of the small ledge with railing at the pizza parlor they were currently occupying, if her family wouldn't give her odd looks and Louis would never let her live it down. And here was her family, laughing and smiling, listening to all of Jason's Hollywood stories, grand smiles on their faces, ignoring their only daughter's 18th birthday in favor for her ex-boyfriend—which, she was sure, they were completely oblivious to the fact of who Jason really was…what kind of a monster he was. They had no idea why they had broken up, in the first place. They had all assumed it was all Ren's fault…or some insignificant detail. After all, the two were 'inseparable'.
Ren closed her eyes tight when Jason wrapped an arm around her shoulders, laughing about some random story he was telling—apparently, he spilt coffee on Bruce Willis. Ren rolled her eyes. Klutz. Ren took a deep breath, the feeling clutching at her gut growing stronger. She didn't want to be here. Again, she felt her mind ask, Why did Tawny have to leave? She was sure the younger girl would be able to give her some advice as to what she should do. What she should feel.
"I read that you're the hottest star in Hollywood right now, isn't that right, Jason?" Eileen Stevens asked, a large smile on her face. Ren tried to smile back and engage in the conversation. She tried to be 'friends' with Jason…but she just couldn't. He wasn't making it easy. He was practically claiming her. She wasn't sure how much she could take. God…why couldn't her birthday just be simple, like she asked?
"Ah…I don't know. I guess that'd have to be for the girls to decide." Jason still had that smirk on his face. "Isn't that right, Ren?" Jason winked at Ren. She shrugged his arm, which was trying to pull her closer to him, off.
"Yeah. I guess." Ren replied dully. God…when would this dinner be over?
"Ren…honestly. I know it's your birthday, but you don't have to act like an ice queen." Eileen stated, shooting a look at her daughter. Ren spun her head around in her mother's direction, hurt by her comment. "Jason is a guest and you should act like he is one." Ren just took in a deep breath, trying to keep her composure. She had kept it for the whole night, and almost for the past year—except with Tawny…she had let her guard down just that once…but, something was telling her that that was acceptable. Breaking down in front of her parents? She couldn't do that—and she wasn't about to lose it. Maybe it would be ok. Maybe she could just take the comment.
"Yeah, babe. Can't we just have a little fun? I mean…we haven't seen each other in years." Jason draped his arms around her shoulders once more. Ren bolted up from the booth and bushed him out of it, ignoring the gasps and yells of "Ren! Show some manners!" from her parents and the laughing coming from Louis. She even ignored the cries of all of the teenage girls that were near to tears just from seeing the famous actor being touched forcefully in any way.
That was the last straw. She was not his 'babe'. She ground her teeth and looked up into his smirking eyes, a deadly fire in them. She knew that fire. If he thought he was going to win…he was wrong.
"I'm leaving." She glared at the man in front of her. The smirk grew to an angry scowl. Oh, she was sure that she knew what was coming next. She looked back at her parents, not able to hide the rage in her voice. "Thank you for the dinner." Ren proceeded to storm out of the restaurant.
"But Ren-," Steve Stevens yelled after his daughter as Jason ran out the door, following her, "the pizza hasn't even come yet!"
oESoRoToESo
Tawny and Miles stumbled down the street, both of them laughing jovially. They were on their way to the pizza parlor that was across town. They weren't actually planning on having any alcohol tonight but, from the way they were acting, most people that passed them thought they were drunk out of their minds. They were both laughing and dancing and just being…happy. It was nice. It was actually a slightly cold night, and if it wasn't Sacramento, they were sure it would have snowed.
"So I think I got a job!" Miles said out of the blue, trying to hide his smile. Tawny looked at him in shock. "A full-time, well-paying…creditable…job!"
"No way!" Tawny gasped, a smile slowly creeping up on her face.
"Yup. I'd have to wear a suit and everything." Miles tried his hardest to sound put out and annoyed…but he couldn't help but smile when Tawny shrieked and jumped up into his arms. Miles laughed heartily and swung her around, both of them sporting large grins. Most people that knew Tawny would gasp if they saw her showing such an outward display of affection. But that was how it was with them. They were just crazy with one another.
Although, now not only did the people watching them think they were drunk, they thought that the two were going to fall down to the ground and instantly start going at it like rabbits.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner, Miles?!" Tawny fake-pouted, punching him in the arm. He laughed and rubbed his arm.
"Well…you wouldn't shut up about your undying love for another female." He winked at her, earning him another jab in the arm. "Ow. You know…I might get a bruise there." Tawny shrugged.
"You deserved it. So where are you going to work at?"
"Well…you know Jimmy, right? You know how Bill hooked him up at that job at the bank?" Miles started and Tawny nodded. "Well…turns out…he managed to hook me up. I'll be doing some work as a teller…doing some accounting stuff…it'll be great. I've got to go get a suit and everything…but it pays 10 bucks an hour." Miles looked extremely proud of himself, and Tawny had to admit that she was pretty proud of him. It wasn't just Bill that got him the job. "I did an interview yesterday and I'm in! I mean…I have another interview tomorrow…but the guy who interviewed me yesterday said that I was a shoe-in for the job!" Tawny hugged him again.
"This is great!"
"Yeah…well…there's only one problem." Miles sighed, his face falling slightly.
"What? What is it?"
"I kind of…need a place to stay. I mean…I can't just keep moving around from house to house. With this job…I know I could start saving a lot of money. And I might finally make something of myself. Maybe even be able to go back to college, y'know?" Miles sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just…I need to find a place to stay for a while."
"Miles…" Tawny whispered, taking in a deep breath. "You know you're always welcome to stay at my house."
"Yeah…I know…but I've already overstayed my welcome-"
"What part of 'always welcome' didn't you get?" Tawny laughed. "You're always welcome. That means that you couldn't possibly overstay your welcome!" Miles smiled but shook his head.
"No…I can't. I mean…what about your parents-?"
"They love you! In fact, you know what?" Tawny looked Miles straight in the eye. "You're staying with me. You have no choice in the matter. I'm forcing you to stay with me." Miles laughed but then noticed the look in Tawny's eyes. He'd seen that look before. It was the look of sheer determination.
"Are you sure?"
"What did I say? You have no choice. You're staying with me." Tawny smirked as Miles started to jump around again.
"Thank you so much, T! You won't regret it! I'll clean and everything! I'll make sure I'm useful this time!" Miles grabbed her and started dancing, making Tawny laugh uncontrollably.
"Yeah…right…I've heard that one before. You're such a pig! You won't clean up a damn thing!" She laughed as they started strolling towards the pizza place once more, arm in arm. Yes…they definitely had a reason to celebrate!
Their celebration was slightly dampened, however, as Tawny felt Miles grip tighten on her arm as he pointed in the direction of a dark alley to their right. Tawny gasped as she saw a familiar girl fall down into the street, her whole entire body deflated, her breath raging and scattered, tears streaming down her face, horror covering all of her features. A man steadily approached on her and, without even thinking about it, both Tawny and Miles ran towards the girl's direction, Tawny's voice shouting into the dead night, "Ren!"
oESoRoToESo
"I'm so sorry, Ren! I don't know what came over me in there! I was such an ass!" Jason panted as he finally caught up with her in the alley around a block away from the pizza parlor. "Ren!" He shouted…she wouldn't turn around. "Ren!" He growled, grabbing her arm and pulling her around to face him. She glared at him.
"Let go of me."
"No! Listen to me, damn it!"
"Jason…you're hurting me! Let go!" Ren tried to pry his fingers away, his grip tight on her arm. Jason gasped and let go, running a shaky hand through his hair.
"I'm…I'm so sorry…I don't…you know that I don't mean to…I'm a changed man, Ren!" He pleaded as she started walking away, once more.
"Don't you dare lie to me, Jason." Ren growled, sharply turning around to face him. "You are not, and you never will be, a changed man. You're forgetting that I actually know you! Don't try and pull this acting shit on me! Don't try to pretend! I'm not one of your drooling fans!"
"I'm…I'm not lying. I've…I've changed. I'm a changed man." He took her face in his hands, forcing her to stare him in the eyes. "I'm a changed man. And I…I spent these past two years thinking about you, Ren. Everyday. I couldn't get you out of my mind." Ren snorted and pulled his hands off of her face.
"What? Yeah…I'm sure you did while you were making out with your co-star for that last movie." Ren nearly laughed. "Or when you got Heather pregnant on our anniversary?!" Ren shook her head and turned to leave. "Were you thinking about me, then?!" Why should she believe him? He lied to her before. What would keep him from lying to her again? Ren once more started to walk away again, only to feel the same thing happen as Jason's hand firmly tightened around her wrist, keeping her from leaving. God…she just wanted to go home. "Let go Jason!"
"Damn it, Ren! I…I love you!" Jason shouted, making not only Ren's insides burst. Not from happiness…but from every other opposite emotion. She wasn't sure what she should be feeling. But what she knew what she wasn't feeling was right. She didn't feel right about this at all. It was then that he roughly grabbed her face in his hands and forced his lips on hers in a bruising kiss. Ren gasped. She didn't want this. She didn't want this. He backed her up against the wall and she had to fight the bile from rising up in her throat. She tried to pull away but his grip was too strong. Ren bit down roughly on his lip, tasting the blood that spilled into her mouth. He yelped and stepped back, falling against the wall behind him. "Fuck! That hurt! You bitch!" Ren noticed the change in Jason's stance. She had seen it so many times before. He had such a short temper. Everything inside her told her to run. Run. Run. Run.
So she did. She ran. She ran as fast as she possibly could, but he was faster. She felt the tears stream down her face as he spun her around and swiftly hit her across the face. The blow spiraled her backwards but, Ren was sure, she wouldn't go down without a fight. She was sick of this. She was sick of him. She wouldn't just let him walk all over her again. However, she was sure that her body would give out soon. But she wouldn't let him win over her spirit.
No. That was something she would keep.
"How dare you show your face here?!" Ren growled, glaring at Jason. She could feel Jason's whole entire body tense. She was only serving to make him more frustrated. Good.
Oddly enough, an image of Tawny flashed in front of her eyes. Was that what she was fighting for? Was that why she was staying strong?
Jason's hand hit her across the face once more and she felt her body falling backwards again, but his hand was holding her up by the shirt. She felt the whole blow ricochet throughout her body, pain hitting every one of her nerves. She forced her head to tilt upwards and her eyes to meet his enraged ones. She spit in his face, blood splattering across his handsome movie star features. Where were the tabloids when you needed them? Or a police officer, for that matter?
"You were never even worth it. You never loved me." She let out a strangled laugh, ignoring the tears that streamed down her face. "You think this is love? Love is something you'll never understand. You're nothing but a pretty boy acting that has nothing to live for but himself. You're nothing but a fucking bastard." His grip on her shirt tightened and she knew his whole body was shaking. God…it hurt so much. But something, she knew, was keeping her from feeling all of the pain. It was odd, actually. She knew she should feel horrible.
Scared.
Frightened.
But she didn't feel anything like that.
She felt alive.
She felt like she felt when she was laughing with Tawny. She felt like she was on top of the world. Well…maybe not on top of the world…as she was sure, when someone feels on top of the world, they don't have the blinding pain that she was feeling right then. But she felt free.
Maybe this was self destructive.
Maybe it was as self destructive as wanting to pull Tawny closer to her and dance with her.
Maybe it was as self destructive as not being able to pull her eyes away from the navel ring that intruded Ren's thoughts when she slept at night…or that smiling face that, whenever she saw it, she couldn't help but smile too.
Maybe it was as self destructive as falling in love.
But…if this was self destructive…then, Ren decided, that self destruction was perfect. It was perfection. It was what she was searching for before Tawny came to her with ice cream and answers and penguins.
Ren smirked as she saw Jason's rage fill to the brink. Soon, however, that smile slipped from her face as the reality of what was happening hit her. She felt the image of self destruction and ice cream quickly fade from her mind. Ren Stevens had a rather large reality check as Jason's fist connected with her face as she felt her body collapse beneath her. The full impact of the pain hit her as she felt her body fall to the ground in slow motion. She knew that Jason was satisfied as her smirk fell and her features were replaced with fear.
He had won over her mentally, finally. Reality had won.
Imagination…dreams…hope…they had no place in her mind anymore.
Ren felt the crashing impact of her skull hitting the freezing cement below her, vaguely hearing her name being shouted by a familiar voice. Ren would have sworn, if this wasn't Sacramento…her tears would have frozen.
oESoRoToESo
Alright guys! Another update! Yeah...I'm getting a bit better at 'em! P Maybe that's because I've got people cough naggin' me about it! Haha. Well...without them, I'd' prolly never update, though. So be thankful for them! It's a cliffhanger, it is! So, if you're a good reader and review me...and if I get my 3 reviews...you'll get the answer to your cliffhanger sooner then later! D
Review and the review button will strip for you! Come on! It'll take you to Vegas!
Just review! Please! )
