I Hope You Like the Stars I Stole for You

Pruitt’s POV

Across the pool was Victor Fuentes. He had definitely seen me, and he was making his way over to me. I felt panicked, even though I was doing nothing wrong; after all, he was the one who had walked out on me, then refused to answer my phone calls. “V-Vic ?” I stuttered, struggling to stand. “What are you-” I tried to ask, but he cut me off my motioning over to Mike. Of course, he had probably come here with Mike, having no idea I would be here. It kind of stung to know that he just ditched me and then was completely fine enough to go to a party….I could even smell the beer on his breath. He looked perfectly okay to me, and it made a knot form in my stomach. He was better off without me… “It’s getting late, I should head home.” I said softly, and it was true. I looked down at Alex, passed out at my feet. “Alex ! I’m leaving now, okay ?” I shook him awake. He sat up, “Wait. I’m coming with you.” “Vic, this is my, uh, friend, Alex. Alex, this is my….boyfriend, Vic.” I cursed myself mentally for hesitating, but I didn’t know how good of terms Vic and I were on. For all I knew, that had been him breaking up with me, and he had come here to find another girlfriend. For all I knew, he didn’t want me anymore.

I silently approved as Alex politely shook Vic’s hand “Nice to meet you dude.” My hand flew to Alex’s arm as we both stumbled forward. This was how we had been all night, so I didn’t think much of it, until I saw Vic glaring ahead of us. Well, I didn’t see Vic offering me his arm, and besides, Alex was my friend, he needed help too. I was allowed to have friends. Hell, I could have as many attractive male friends as I wanted and Vic couldn’t say a damn thing about it !

I tripped and went flying toward the floor, but a pair of strong arms caught me. The tanned, muscular arms belonged to Vic, not Alex. His touch made me blush, and I felt bad for mentally being mad at him for not helping me walk. I was the one who had been stupid enough to drink more than I can handle…Jack shuffled up to Alex and I. He placed a hand on Alex’s other arm “Bro, your drink was spiked !” “What ?!” Alex slurred, sounding pissed. Jack repeated “Dude, your drinks were drugged.” This time he was looking at me too.

I could feel Vic stiffen, his arm still around me, holding me up. His teeth gritted and he started muttering profanity. “Vic, please, can we just go ? I want to go home.” I did need to get home, but truthfully I really needed to get him out of there. Alex awkwardly side-hugged me, then parted ways with Jack. I was beginning to get more tired by the second, and the world started spinning again. I was nervous about what my drink was spiked with, because I was starting to feel really sick. My breathing became labored, and I couldn’t feel my legs. Still, I stumbled along next to Vic, leaning more heavily on him. “Vic” I mumbled, unable to hear my own voice. I felt the world give away beneath me, and the world faded away, and the blackness came full on, intent on taking me into it.
It succeeded.

Vic’s POV

I started shaking with anger, my muscles bunching up. Who the hell would spike a girls drink, let alone MY girl’s drink. I was going to find them and hurt them so badly…. I wondered if the person who drugged her drink had other intentions other than watching someone get high without realizing how. I was suddenly very glad that I had decided to come, even though I had a feeling Alex would have looked after her. I was actually a little glad of his presence, he had kept her safe thus far. Pruitt started pleading for me to take her home, and I obliged, I just wanted whatever she wanted. Her needs came before my urge to kick some ass. I held my tongue as Alex hugged her, then left with the other guy again. I pulled Pruitt along beside me, holding her against me as we started the fifteen minute walk. I cursed when I realized that I hadn’t told Mike I was leaving, and I didn’t have my phone. Pruitt was starting to worry me, she was slowing down, and I’m not sure if I was being paranoid or not, but her breathing sounded different too. She held on tighter to me, and I supported her more, watching her closely. “Vic ?” She said, so softly I could barely hear. I went to answer her when she broke hold on me, and sank toward the pavement. There was no sound from her as she hit the ground, her body limp.

“Pruitt ?” I tried shaking her awake. She was still breathing, but only shallow, labored breaths. I’ve never been more scared in my life than in that moment. I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t take her to the hospital because I had no way to get her there. I had no phone for an ambulance, and besides, then she would get in a ton of trouble with her parents, and I would never be allowed to see her. I was too much of a selfish machine to let that happen.

I picked her up, just-married style and started for her house. Halfway there, I felt Pruitt’s phone buzz. I answered it, hoping that her mom wouldn’t be mad that I was with her. “Hello ?” “Hi, Vic ! Having a good time ?” “Uh, yeah. Pruitt’s in the bathroom right now, but she’s about to head home.” “Okay, that’s what I wanted to know,” Grace said cheerfully. “Tell her that I left the front door unlocked, but her father and I are heading to bed.” I continued on my way, Pruitt’s head on my chest and her long hair trailing over my shoulder. I murmured to her the whole way, telling her everything was going to be okay. I prayed that I was right, and I walked up the drive to her house.

I opened the front door quietly and carefully, almost dropping Pruitt in the process. “Pruitt, is that you ?” her mom called. Shit. “Mm-hmm.” I mumbled in what I hoped was a girly tone. I made my way upstairs, pushing open her door. I set her down on the bed, closing the door and locking it behind me. She reeked of alcohol and cigarette smoke, so I decided I had to change her clothes. She didn’t stir as I pulled off her jeans, then her hoodie and her jacket. I cried out as I noticed something on her arm. Cuts.

Not just a few, accidental scratch marks, but dozens of deliberate cuts up and down her right arm. Some were old, just fading scars, but some looked fresh. I couldn’t help the tears that rolled down my face as I stared at her body, bruises covered much of it, and then the scars on her arm…This is what she had been hiding from me, this was the reason she had been acting so strange. I should’ve noticed, I should’ve asked her about it, I should have tried to help…This was all my fault, I hadn’t protected her like I should. I dressed her in a large, loose t-shirt and some pajama pants, pulling her onto my lap. I held her close as I cried into her hair, devastated. This was my baby, my everything, and I had let this happen to her. She had been struggling so much, where had I been ? I hadn’t been around enough to help her, because I was too caught up in myself. I was going to start putting her every need above mine, because she deserved, she was worth it. She was worth everything, everything to me.

I stayed the night with her, and I spent the entire night awake. I was so worried, but I didn’t know what else to do. I just held her close, brushing her hair out of her eyes, and kissing her forehead. She began to get restless at around four AM, and she started to move around the bed, mumbling in her sleep. She never woke though.

At around eleven on Saturday, I heard her parents rustling around downstairs. I carefully opened the window and climbed out, clutching the conveniently placed tree and dropping to the ground. I pretended to just be getting there, and knocked on the door. Of course I was let in immediately, with warning that Pruitt was still asleep. I had gotten a hold of Mike last night with Pruitt’s phone, and he had covered for me, saying that I was spending the night at a friend’s, which technically I was. I crept up the stairs and back into Pruitt’s room, closing the window. Her phone was buzzing as I entered the room, and I saw the call was from Alex. I rolled my eyes “Hello ?”

“Who is this ?” Said the voice on the other end, and it didn’t belong to Alex.

“Pruitt’s boyfriend, who the hell is this ?”

“It’s Jack, from last night, Alex’s friend ? Listen, has she woken up yet ?”

“No, has he ? Do we know who spiked the drinks and with what ?”

“No, but man I’m getting worried. Can you bring her and meet me somewhere ?”

“Uh, yeah, where at ?”

“I can’t carry Alex, so how about his house ?” Jack gave me directions to his house, not too far away from the park at the end of the street. Now I just had to figure out how to get Pruitt past her parents, and come up with an excuse. I changed her outfit again, tying her hair back. I lifted her onto my back, so that it looked like I was giving her a piggy back ride. I placed some sunglasses on her face, thankful it was sunny enough to not look suspicious. I carried her downstairs. “Where are you guys off to ?” Hank asked me. “We’re just going to go meet some friends at the park, is that okay ?” I asked, hoping he would say yes and let me go. “Friends ?” Grace questioned, sounding pleased. I always admired how happy she was, especially when she realized that Pruitt had friends and a boyfriend. I nodded “Alex and Jack.” They let me go, and I rushed off.

I was beginning to wonder why Pruitt hadn’t woken up yet, was this supposed to happen ? I could see the house described as soon as I entered the park, it was a huge white house directly behind it. Jack was waiting outside “His parents aren’t home, you’re clear.” I walked inside, directed up the huge staircase by Jack. Alex’s bedroom as the first door on the left at the top of the stairs, and I could see him passed out on the bed in the center.

“What are we supposed to do, take them to the hospital ?” Jack asked me, sounding panicked. I placed Pruitt down beside Alex.

“I don’t know man, I don’t know ! I’m scared, and I don’t want them to get in trouble, we all will, and I just….” I trailed off, my voice rising.

A groan erupted from the bed, and me and Jack both stopped talking and turned to look.
Alex was waking up.