The Poison in Your Blood

I feel like it was kind of a shame to wear my designer shoes to a club show where nobody is going to see how perfect they are, but at the same time I couldn’t resist the urge. I’m standing near the stage with Madison, waiting on my man to come out. I feel a little fun, remembering the last time I was waiting for him to come out and play a show. I’d never met him and I was just a fan girl. Now I’m wearing his ring. Funny how that works isn’t it.

Anna and Josh are here too, standing not too far away from us, but far enough away to consider themselves on their own. Josh is a nice kid, and in the two weeks since Anna’s birthday we’ve come to the realization that he’s a lot better than we once thought he was going to be. They spend most of their time together and when they have to be separated they spend time on the phone. I’m pretty sure he knows all the deep dark secrets of her past and he’s been helping her through them. They seem relatively excited for the show that’s coming in a few minutes.

Madison looks like a bombshell in her tight pants and tank top, her makeup flawless as always, and her platinum blond hair left down. I’m pretty sure she’s outshining me, which sucks since I’m dressed in leather and designer shoes. But it’s alright, I guess I’ll get over it. Besides, I get to go home with the artist.

People are gathering around the stage and buying drinks. I’ve got a margarita and Madison is holding a drink but I’m not really sure what it is and I haven’t bothered to ask. I don’t really care, honestly. She’s watching the crowd and every so often she takes a little sip of her drink, leaving a dark red lipstick mark on the cup.

“How is your mom doing?” she asks after a few minutes of watching the people gather.

“She’s doing alright,” I say.

Blair woke up from her coma about a week ago. Where she’s aware of her surroundings and what not, she is unable to communicate with us very well so far. The doctors predict a very long road of a lot of therapy and recovery before she gets back to being mostly herself. They’ve run some tests now on her brainwaves and they’ve confirmed she’ll never be fully recovered, and where she may someday be able to live on her own again they don’t think she’ll be able to take care of Annalise. So, we have a court appointment next week to get all the papers signed and turned in to maintain full legal custody of my sister.

Anna is disappointed by this news but she seems happy that if she can’t stay with Blair she can at least stay with us. I glance at her and see that she’s standing in front of Josh and he’s got his arms around her waist. It’s both cute and sickening.

“Is she making progress?”

“The doctors say she is, but I don’t see it,” I say. “I go in and visit at least once a day and she seems the same. Confused and upset. The day she woke up they had to sedate her because she woke up in a hospital unable to form words and she freaked out.”

Madison nods and takes a sip of her drink. “I’m sorry, babe,” she says.

“It’s okay. We’re getting through it,” I say. “Last time I saw her I told her I’d gotten engaged. She smiled and stuff. I wish she was able to talk to me, I miss talking with her.”

“She’ll get there,” she says in a reassuring way.

I nod my head once and turn my attention back to the crowd. I make eye contact with a guy and he seems so familiar. Then he gives me a smile and his dimples come out and instantly I remember who it is. He comes over to where I’m standing with Madison.

“Hello, ladies,” he says and offers his hand to us. “I figured I’d see you here, Lana.”

“Hi, Doug,” I say and give him a smile.

“You look great,” he says. “How’s the tat doing?”

“It’s itchy as fuck,” I say and we share a little laugh. “But thank you for the compliment.”

“Of course darling,” he says. His attention turns to Madison then and his expression changes from joking and fun to completely flirty.

She gives him the same little sly grin she gave him on Anna’s birthday. “Hi,” she says to him and sticks her hand out.

“Hello, hello,” he says. “When I met you the first time I didn’t think you could get any hotter…guess I was wrong.”

She throws her head back and laughs a flirty laugh. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her loosen up so much with a guy. She’s like a totally new person in a familiar way. I can see these two getting it on in the bathroom if they don’t cool down a little.

Doug is dressed in jeans and a tight fitting black t-shirt. His curly hair is pretty clean and he’s looking pretty much gorgeous as fuck himself. There are moments when I’m around him that I kind of wish I wasn’t attached, because let’s face it, my inner whore can’t control herself.

“I can’t say you look bad,” she says.

“Maybe I can buy you a drink?” he asks.

“I could go for a drink,” she says.

Doug looks at me then. “Mind if I borrow your girl here for a minute? I promise I’ll bring her right back.” He gives me a big smile and my inner whore does a little jump.

“Depends on what you intend to do with her,” I say and smile.

“I promise to have her home early,” he teases.

I laugh and nod my head once. “Fine, fine, take her,” I say.

The two of them walk towards the bar together, and I see her laugh a couple more times and then I’m standing here alone sipping at my drink. I see Austin standing in a hallways near the stage entrance and I wave at him a little. He smiles in my direction and puts his hand up to the person he’s talking to before waving me over.

I look around for a second and figure when Madison and Doug come back they’ll wait on my return. I half run over to where he’s standing and he finishes his conversation with his tech person and the person leaves us standing alone together. Austin puts his arms around my waist.

“Are you excited?” he asks.

“Of course,” I say. “Nothing I love more than a good rock show followed by sweaty rock star make out sessions,” I add.

He laughs. “You’re a freak,” he says.

“I don’t think you have any business calling anybody else a freak,” I say with a little smile. I press my lips against his and he gives my ass a slap. I can’t say I appreciate that. But then again, I can’t say I don’t.

“Have I mentioned before how much I love this outfit?” he asks in a totally sleazy fashion. I’ve got on a leather mini tank top, so basically my entire stomach is showing, and a fair share of my cleavage thanks to my push up bra, and a mini skirt an my gorgeous shoes. My hair is pulled back in my little pony tail but I let Madison put my make up on so it looks pretty perfect.

“I don’t think you have,” I say.

“The only way it could look better would be lying on the floor,” he says.

I can’t help but giggle a little bit. “Pig,” I say.

“I can accept that,” he says. He gives me another kiss quickly. “I’m about to go on. I’ll see you when we are done.”

“Okay,” I say and give him a quick peck on his lips before moving away from him. I make a show of strutting away and look over my shoulder once to give him a little wink. The expression on his face makes it all worth it.

I rejoin Madison and Doug, who seem to have made pretty good friends for the mean time, and Madison hands me another drink. “Thank you,” I say.

“We thought you needed another one,” Doug says.

“I appreciate it,” I say. I take a sip of my drink and then the lights turn out and the music starts and the crowd starts screaming. There is really nothing I love more than a concert. I dance a little with Madison and Doug, and we each manage to have a few more drinks before Austin’s set is over with.

When he finishes the three of us head to the bar, and I watch as Anna and Josh find a table to sit at and they get a couple of sodas since they’ve both got huge black X’s on their hands. Anna’s make up has smeared little and she’s obviously been sweating, and I’m sure Josh’s eyeliner is smudged.

I lift myself onto the bar stool and Madison sits on the one next to me. Doug opts to stay standing and he orders us each another drink. At this point I’m feeling a little tipsy, but that’s okay. Never hurts to get a little drunk once in a while right?

I feel hands on my sides and I turn slightly to see Austin standing behind me. “Hi,” I say.

“How did you like the show?”

“It was amazing,” I say.

“You’re opinion doesn’t count,” Doug says and sticks his tongue out at me. “Obviously if she’s sleeping with you she’s gonna say you were fantastic.”

“What did you think, asshole?” Austin asks in a playful tone.

“Eh,” Doug says and shrugs. Austin gives him a friendly shove and he laughs. “Nah, it was a good show. But I have to admit I was a little distracted by this little cherry bomb.” He gives Madison a glance before putting his arm around her shoulders in a casual way. I have a feeling I know where Doug will be sleeping tonight.

I stand up and finish my drink. There is loud rock music playing on the speakers in here and I’m half drunk and feeling good. I take hold of Austin’s vest and pull him with me. “Come on and dance with me,” I say.

“I just finished a show,” he says, but he laughs. “I’m tired.”

“Just for a few minutes? Please?” I say.

“Fine fine,” he says.

I pull him to the open floor and I dance, and he kind of stands there and moves around a little. He’s such a man sometimes. People are dancing around us, and I see Anna and Josh are still looking pretty comfortable at the table they have been occupying. I watch as Madison pulls Doug out onto the floor and he’s looking like he’s perfectly okay with that, because once they get where she wants, she’s pressed against him and the two of them are dancing in unison.

“I think Madison is going to get laid tonight,” I say to Austin.

“Hope she can handle it,” he says with a laugh. “Doug has a pretty good reputation.”

“How do you know him?” I ask as we make our way back to the bar. It’s clear to me he really is tired from putting on his show and my feet hurt a little.

“It’s kind of a complicated story,” he says.

I frown. Always with “it’s complicated.” “I see,” I say.

“He’ll probably tell you sometime, when his tongue isn’t down your girl friend’s throat.”

I look out to the dance floor, and sure enough they’ve got their mouths pressed together. Well should have seen that one coming. “We knew it would happen eventually.”

“I knew when he first saw her at the shop,” Austin says. “He usually gets the girl he wants.”

“At least tell me how you met him?”

“Outside of an ATM machine,” he says and his eyes turn black.

Maybe I don’t want to know all the details.

“I couldn’t really tell you why he decided he wanted to be my friend, considering the circumstances. Maybe because he lived to tell the story.”

“Wait, what?” I ask.

“He was taking some money out of the ATM. I was hanging out in the shadows, you know…well unfortunately for Doug, the guy I was stalking for lack of a better word got to him a little sooner than I’d anticipated,” he says and shrugs.

“Was he a mugger?”

“Pretty much,” he says. “I’d seen him take some old woman’s purse on the street earlier that day, but its difficult to get rid of people in broad daylight. Anyways, he got Doug from behind, and he had a little hand gun. Who even knows if the thing had any bullets in it. Shit moved pretty fast from there, and when it was all finished with Doug figured he’d make friends.”

I find this kind of interesting. I make a mental note to talk to Doug about it someday. I think if I’d met Austin while he was you know, violently murdering somebody, I probably wouldn’t want to be his friend. But then again, maybe I would if he saved my life.

Madison and Doug come up to the us then, hand in hand. Madison leans towards me. “Hey babe, I’m gonna split. I’ll call you tomorrow,” she says.

“Alright, have fun,” I say and give her a hug and a peck on the cheek. “Be careful.”

“Always,” she says. She and Doug head out of the bar then. It isn’t long before Austin and I head out with Anna and Josh. We drop Josh off at home and head to our own place.

I think about the little story I got tonight and I think about how I want Austin to turn me. It’s something I want so badly, but I have some doubts. How would my friends feel when I couldn’t stand to be around them? But maybe I could figure it out. Austin has human friends, he has a human fiancé. I could learn to control myself.

Anna gives me a hug before going to bed. “I had fun tonight. Thanks for getting me and Josh in there.”

“Of course babe,” I say to her. “Get some sleep, you have to get up for school.”

“I’m off to bed now.”

I watch her leave my bedroom and head to her own and I think about everything again. Oh well, I’ve got two years to decide for sure if it’s the right thing to do and how much it will complicated everything. By then I’ll be married and maybe I’ll see things more clearly.

I feed Piggy and crawl into bed with Austin, feeling surprisingly tired. He runs his hand down my side and I smile at him. Maybe I’m not that tired after all.