Prisoner (Miley Cyrus feat. Dua Lipa)
I fell asleep, waiting for the pain to subside and was awoken by the door closing so loud that I thought I had been shot.
"Shit...I'm sorry." Vanessa whispered, and I looked up at her, much softer than before, and began to cackle.
She must have thought I was insane. I laughed so hard that I curled into a ball, clutching my stomach from the ache.
"Oh God...is she gone?" I begged as Vanessa watched me wide-eyed.
"Who, the hot girl? That's Santana, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"I can't believe that's the Santana Lopez I've heard so much about. I was starting to think she wasn't a real person."
"She's very real."
"Yeah, she is. I can see why you were sobbing your heart out over her."
"Gee, thanks, V." I muttered.
"I have to hand it to you, Q. You have great taste in sexual partners. They're all hot as fuck. Speaking of which, you're not looking so hot yourself." She muttered as she eased down on the bed and rested a cool hand against my face.
Leave it to a future nurse to immediately check for my temperature.
"She's fucking married now, she got married without me…it's…there are no words for what she did." I said once she confirmed I wasn't feverish, just slightly high.
"I can think of quite a few words."
"Is she still here?"
"She's downstairs playing beer pong. Asha sent me to look for you. Even though it's the last night of the semester, the rules still apply. You have a guest, so you need to be responsible for them."
"She's so fucking uptight. You'd think after I fucked her to two orgasms and then rode her face that she'd be nicer to me." I admitted, and Vanessa's eyes got wide.
"Wait, you're screwing Asha? I thought she was straight! Is that why you two were all cuddled up in the library? This makes so much sense!"
"Whoops, keep that to yourself. It's just a stress relief."
"Now that you mention it, she was pretty perky until Santana introduced herself as an old friend of yours."
"Of course she did. I still don't get why Asha is being uptight about the no unattended guests thing. It's a stupid rule."
"Q, you created that rule!"
"Whatever, how bad could it be to let a guest roam during a party?"
"I agree, but you know it's so she can block off the stairs. Besides, Santana's been down there waiting for you for like an hour."
I should have known that she wouldn't actually leave me alone. It was obvious that Santana wasn't giving up without a fight.
"Okay, okay, I'm getting up."
"What's going on with you? Are you okay? Your eyes are glassy. You've gone forever without meds. What are you on?"
This night could end up bad if I was too high and couldn't control myself. I didn't need any more temptations to get blackout messed up. So, I opened my fist and held it out to V, showing her the second pill.
"Back pain." I admitted. "I had two left. I took one already."
She picked up the small pill, grabbed a tissue from my nightstand, and wrapped it up before tucking it into her pocket.
"I'll hold this for you. Just in case you're tempted to take another before this one wears off. Can't let you be hungover when your Mom gets here tomorrow. Do you want to come downstairs?"
"Yeah. I'll be down."
She didn't look too sure of my standing ability, so she sat there, watching me and waiting.
"I'll wait." She verified, and I understood that I officially had a chaperone for the night.
Pills are amazing...I know how bad that sounds; I'm aware of how damaging they can be, and I'm sure that had I remained a skank, I'd have a habit at this point, but I'm in control.
Vanessa followed me into the bathroom and lingered while I showered, but I paid her no mind.
The shower helped to calm what little nerves survived beyond the Oxy haze, and the dress I was planning to put on would make me feel impenetrable, which was exactly what I needed if I was going to face Santana.
The pain was finally gone as I sped through getting dressed while trying to ignore the flighty feelings coming over me. Vanessa was watching, and I knew I needed to keep myself in check, or she wouldn't stop hovering for the rest of the night, and she definitely wouldn't give me that second pill.
"Shit, Q, who bit your neck like that?"
I looked in the mirror. On one side, closer to my shoulder, was Asha's bite and on the other side was Santana's.
"Asha," I said, pointing to the darker one. "Santana." I said, pointing to the other.
"Who are you right now?"
"Spare me your indignation. I'm not in the mood."
"That's a first." She joked, but I glared in return.
"Shut up and grab my concealer. I can't go downstairs looking like this."
"Brighten up, buttercup. Two hot women were all over you, isn't that every gay girl's dream?"
"I'm bisexual."
"Sure you are."
If she weren't so good at covering up the marks on my neck, I'd slap her, but I knew better than to piss her off, especially since I wanted that second pill.
I'm an adult, a mother, and a soon-to-be graduate. I didn't need to be treated like a child, but I knew myself on pills, how I lost my inhibitions too easily, and with Santana dangling herself in front of me while this pill was smoothing the rigid edges, I needed all the help I could get.
With my arm tucked in Vanessa's, we came down the stairs gracefully, with my mind blissfully clear of all worries.
I kept catching her watching me, but I looked straight ahead lest I tumble down the steps.
A million things could go wrong, and a million mistakes could be made, but I'd been cautious for three years. It was okay to let loose a bit.
I was all too aware that I was standing at the crux of good decisions or a good night, but I persevered.
I knew that I couldn't have both. Good decisions were made for people who played it safe, which is what I'd been doing for most of my college years.
What I needed now, though, was a good night, which was something I'd been depriving myself of for too long, so on this last night as a college student. I needed to stop being uptight, even if it was just for the night.
I wouldn't stand in my own way for once, and hopefully, I could get Vanessa in the same mindset.
Why did I have to be so fucking honest?
A second pill wasn't going to kill me. After my accident, those pills got me out of that chair and onto my feet...that and Teen Jesus.
There was no Teen Jesus, and I was already half in, but I knew it would only last for so long. Maybe Vanessa wouldn't let up on the pill so soon, but I knew that a drink would at least prolong the numbness that I so desperately needed.
Thank God for horny boyfriends.
"Babe! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Vanessa's Ken doll boyfriend appeared from the front door like a Providence herself.
"Don't call me babe, Scott Edward Waterford, Jr.! I'm not some slut that you're trying to pick up at a bar. I'm a lady." She unattractively whined. "We talked about this! Don't grin. I'm serious." She scolded, and Scott did his best to at least pretend to look reprimanded, but I could see the glint in his eye when he looked at me after kissing her on the forehead and apologizing.
"Hey Q. How you doing, girlfriend?" He said, nudging my shoulder with a grin before turning back to a still-pouting Vanessa and sticking out his bottom lip.
What a charmer!
"Seriously, Scott?!"
"I know, I know, you gave me a list, remember, Muffin? I'm sorry. It won't happen again." He schmoozed before leaning in and nuzzling her neck. Vanessa's facade instantly crumpled as she giggled like the stereotypical bimbo that a guy like Scotti Poo would date.
"Gross." I said as I tried my best to slip my hand from Vanessa's. "I'm not interested in a threesome. Can you not do that?"
Scott laughed as he stood upright again. Vanessa mouthed an apology at me but didn't let go of my hand, and I didn't seem to have the muscle strength to fight her off.
"So why are you late?" Vanessa asked Scott, and I was forced to stand there and find out his answer. Terrific.
"I have to make up that final that I missed tomorrow morning. I was studying. If I fail, Father says that I'll have to get a job this summer."
"Oh."
"Yeah, so here I am." He smiled, and Vanessa remained putty in his stupid frat boy's hands.
"How sweet, V. Scotti wouldn't miss a chance to whisk you off to Paris or whatever your plan was." I snickered, and she squeezed my hand tighter.
"Santorini, it's at my cousin's house, so not that glamorous." Scott cut in, sounding like the brat he obviously can be.
"Yeah, so don't be jealous. If anything, you should feel sorry for me." She said, looking as ridiculous as Scott with her pout.
"You guys lost me at Santorini." I groaned, annoyed that Vanessa, my sweet, down-to-earth South Jersey girl, was doomed to be the trophy wife of a future brain surgeon.
Thank God I was out of here after tomorrow.
"Hey, Q. Biff's here with a new bossy hot piece. You should see him. He's pitiful."
"If that was your idea of changing the subject, you're terrible at it. Mull that over in Greece."
"Q, be nice." Vanessa said as she adjusted Scott's collar. "It's not like I haven't invited you a billion times."
"V, enough with the death grip on my hand. I want to play. Why don't you go make out with Scotti Poo." I wanted that to come off strong and slightly bitchy, but the whine in my voice was unbecoming. Fortunately, I was past the point of caring. I needed a drink and hanging out with Santana guaranteed just that.
"If you're going, so am I. You need to be chaperoned tonight." Vanessa said, loosening her grip on my hand but not letting go.
"So maybe a threesome after all?" Scott cut in as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I yanked my hand away from Vanessa's and tried to put space between us but stopped short at the sight of her.
I wanted out of this uncomfortable conversation, and like a beacon, Santana came to my rescue!
"Hey, Fabray! Get over here and help me show these trust fund babies how beer pong is really played!"
"We will never have a threesome, Scott." I muttered as Santana strode towards us.
Even after all this time, Santana Lopez still can take my breath away.
"Who's having a threesome?" Santana said as she practically flew out of the dining room and delivered herself right in front of the three of us.
"No one. My boyfriend is being an idiot." V said, and Santana nodded, then looked at me with a giant grin on her face.
"Hey, Q. Feeling any better?"
"You stayed." I whispered, awestruck at just how good she looked.
"I stayed." She grunted, her eyes trailing down to my legs and then slowly back up. The lustful look in her eyes momentarily brought me back to my senses.
"Even though I told you to leave?" I asked once her eyes were done their tour of my body and looked back at my face.
"I left the room. Isn't that what you meant?" Her tongue wet her lips as she began to smirk, and I was once again entranced, but I couldn't show it.
"I meant to leave our house, leave campus, New Haven, and Connecticut."
Santana's eyebrows went up as she hesitated for the first time in quite a while. Normally, she would have snapped right back, but she knew we weren't alone and wasn't about to pick a fight with Vanessa hovering and Scotti's arm still sitting on my shoulders.
"Well, I didn't get all that from what you said. I have known you all my life, Luce. I know better than to leave you when you're feeling like shit. I couldn't leave even if I wanted to."
"Oh." Seriously, Quinn, that's all you can say back? I was disappointed in myself. I guess I was happy to have her there on some level. She cared, and apparently, that meant something to me.
"Play with me? You have always been good at landing the ball in the cup. Oh, captain, my captain?"
"Seriously." I crossed my arms and glared, and she sighed, tired of trying to convince me but willing to try one last thing.
"B would totally approve." She held up a ping pong ball and smiled that wicked smile she gave me just before climaxing for the third time in that Lima hotel room.
At every party throughout high school, it was Brittany that started the beer pong games, and more than half the time, she was the one kicking everyone's ass.
B loved drinking games. Santana was right. Brittany would be okay with this.
I couldn't deny her. Beer pong wasn't adultery.
Not yet, anyway.