The Stars Are Fading Away

I'm always in over my head

I woke up in Mason's bed. He wasn't on the couch, so I figured he had gone to get some breakfast. I wandered out of his room and into the living room. Mason was leaning against the counter, drinking a cup of coffee and Bryce was sitting at the table eating cereal. When Mason saw my face his mouth dropped open.

"Holy crap, Amber!"

I but my lip and my hand flew to my face. I looked at my reflection in the refrigerator and gasped. The side of my face Wren had hit was still a little swollen. It had red and purple blotches scattered on my cheek and it looked like it had a bruise undertone.

I averted my eyes from my reflection and searched for food.

I looked through the cupboard for a bowl and spoon and poured myself some cereal. I went over to the fridge to get some milk. As I poured it into the cereal, Mason spoke.

"You're going to want t protect that with your life. Coby and Derrick aren't above fighting for food, it's very scarce here."

I laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

Mason smiled and gestured to the coffee maker. "Coffee?"

"No, I'm good."

Mason shrugged as Derrick stumbled into the room. He made his way over to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup of coffee.

Mason laughed. "I swear if I moved it over a few inches he would be completely lost. He does this all by muscle memory."

I smiled and pulled my bowl of cereal closer to me, taking Mason's advice literally.

Derrick sat down across from me and poured himself some cereal. It took him several minutes before he realized who was sitting in front of him.

"Amber!"

I burst out laughing. "Way to be observant."

"Wait, why are you here?" His brow creased with confusion. "OH!" He smiled knowingly. "Did you and Mason do the nasty-nasty? Don't worry, I won't tell Wren."

I rolled my eyes and chose to ignore him. Mason did the same.

"OH MY GOD! YOU DID! CONGRATULATIONS, MASON!" He stood up and pounded Mason on the back, making him choke on his coffee.

I laughed at Mason choking. He glared at me. "Don't laugh at my pain."

"No, Derrick, we didn't," I told Derrick, answering his question.

He rolled his eyes. "Trying to deny it? You must not have been very good, Mason."

Mason started choking on his coffee again.

Bryce got up and put his bowl in the dishwasher.

"As much as I'd love to stay and tease them, I have homework," he said, walking back to his room.

"PARTY POOPER," Derrick yelled after him. Then he turned his attention to my food.

"Don't you dare," I warned, eating faster.

Derrick grinned. "Fine, I won't steal. But only because I like you."

"Thanks for the compliment."

It was silent for a second as Derrick sat down.

"Hey Amber, what happened to your face?" he asked, his brow pulling together. "It wasn't there when we were at Denny's…"

I bit my lip. "I, um…"

I looked to Mason. I couldn't think of something that would make this kind of bruise.

"She got in a fight with some slut at this bar and the bitch slapped her across the face."

"Bar? And you didn't invite me?"

Mason rolled his eyes. "It's called a joke."

Derrick dropped the subject, luckily, and took his cereal into his room.

Mason finished his cup of coffee and put in the dishwasher. He started walking back towards his room, but stopped next to where I was sitting.

"Do you want a shower or something?" he asked, uncertain.

"No, I'll take one when I get back to the dorm."

"Okay," he said. "I'm taking a shower and then I'll drive you back."

"Sounds good," I said absentmindedly, staring out the window. Mason walked into the bathroom. I heard water running.

Coby came out of his room, got a cup of coffee, wished me good morning, and went back into his room.

I stared out the window for a few more minutes before my phone rang. I heard it coming from inside Mason's room. I went in and looked at the caller ID.

--Wren--

I stared at the phone, shocked. I started panicking.

The door opened and Mason walked in, wearing nothing but a towel. He stopped short when he saw my standing there, looking at my phone.

"Well, this is awkward."

I looked at him. "It's Wren," I whispered.

"Oh, shit!" he said. His eyes widened. "Uhh… Tell him you just woke up."

"Okay." I nodded and picked up the phone nervously. I tried to sound sleepy. "Hello?" I said, walking past Mason out of the room. He closed the door behind me.

"Hey, Amber." He sounded nervous, too.

"Oh! Wren!" I fake yawned. "Sorry, I just woke up."

"Oh, okay. Um. I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my place in a bit," he asked, sounding really uncertain.

I yawned again. "Okay. You could pick me up in an hour or so. I have to shower and eat and stuff."

"Alright. I'll see you then." He sounded a lot happier.

"I love you," I said quietly, but he already hung up. I sighed and looked down at my phone sadly. I slid it shut. Mason came up from behind me and put his arm around me. I sniffed and tried to hold back tears. Why was I crying? He never said it back, why should I care?

"I think I understand better now," Mason whispered.

"What?"

"Your situation. Why you can't leave him."

I stayed silent for a moment. "Mason… Thank you so much. For letting me stay here. For putting up with me."

"It's the least I can do, Amber. I can't just do nothing about your situation. I'd like to turn him in, but if you don't want me to…" He sighed. "I guess I shouldn't do something you don't want me to do. It's your life."

"Thank you."

"You're more than welcome."

His words confused me. It seemed like there was a double meaning in them.

Mason let his arms slip off my shoulders as he checked the time on his phone.

"You should get dressed, Wren's picking you up in an hour."

I went back to Mason's room and put on the clothes I had worn the day before. When I came back out he was crouching behind the couch. Mason straightened up when he heard me enter the room.

"Do you have any idea where my keys would be?"

I scanned the room and saw some keys sitting on the kitchen counter. I walked over and held them up.

"Oh," he said, getting up and taking them from me.

"Stupid," I muttered.

"Shut up." He smiled. We walked back out to the garage and got in his car.

The car ride was mostly silent, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence like with Wren. Mason turned on the radio to some station where I knew most of the songs. I sand along half-heartedly and he laughed at my singing.

We pulled up to the curb and Mason put the car into park. I started to get out, but he put his hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"Promise to call me if it happens again." His eyes were serious, and worried.

"Of course I will. Who else would I call." I smiled. "Bye."

"Bye, Amber."

Mason's POV

I stayed at the curb for awhile after Amber had walked into the building. I probably looked like a stalker.

I thought about what I had thought about for the past week—Amber.

She was going through so much right now, but she still managed to be nice and funny. She made jokes with Coby and Derrick, and she made fun of me. She was so alive, and Wren was killing that. I had known Wren for almost two years, and Amber telling me what he did had immediately changed him for me. I hated him. I hated him for what he did to her. I hated looking at her face, and what he had done to it. He had done it twice now. And she couldn't leave him.

Because she loved him.

That was the worst part. When I met Amber, I knew she was Wren's girlfriend. But that didn't stop me from developing feelings for her.

I sighed. I was already in too deep with her. And I couldn't just leave her alone. She needed me. Who else would she turn to when he did it again? I knew he would do it again.

Maybe I could get her to leave Wren. Maybe I could slowly win her over.

I wanted so badly to go to the police, to tell them about Wren. But I couldn't, because Amber didn't want me to. I was already whipped and she didn't even think twice about me.

I smiled wryly as I started my car.

Maybe I could get her to think twice about me.