Starlet (Under Heavy Editing)

Miami!

Xander's p.o.v.

"I fell," Starlet said lamely.

"Xander, where did those bruises come from?" Trevor asked me.

"S-she was about to fall. She slipped on a piece of ice and I grabbed her to stop her from falling. I guess I was holding on too tight," I said, making up an excuse.

  He stared at me for a second before shrugging.

"Starlet, be more careful, please. Meet Leilah and I at the car in ten minutes," He said to his younger sister before turning and walking back inside the mall.

   I heard Starlet let out a breath of relief. She examined the bruises on her arms and her face contorted into a scowl. She sent me a disgusted look and pulled her phone out of her pocket. I watched as she typed in a number extremely fast.

"Hey Max," She said after a minute.

"It's that time again," she said simply.

"Tonight," She said as if it were final.

"Perfect," She said with a smile before hanging up.

"What time?" I asked curiously.

  She looked at me in pure confusion.

"What are you talking about now, Xander?" She asked tiredly.

"On the phone," I said, gesturing to the cell phone she was holding.

"Not. Your. Business," She said, pronouncing each word as a separate sentence.

    She hopped over the guardrail and I rushed to the edge to see her falling quickly. She landed lightly on her feet and I let out a sigh in relief.

"DON'T DO THAT!" I shouted down at her.

"I CAN IF I WANT!" She shouted back.

  When I got to the parking lot, taking a much safer route, Starlet was leaned against the passenger side of my car, rubbing her neck where I had bruised her. 

"Let's go!" Leilah shouted, running out of the mall. Trevor trudged behind her, holding all the stuff she had bought today.

"We're home!" Leilah shouted throughout the house, catching the attention of Max, who was in the kitchen eating a bowl of cherries.

"You ready?" He asked Starlet.

"Sure. Lemme just go change, alright?" Starlet said, climbing the stairs.

"Where are you taking my sister?" Trevor asked as Starlet ran out of view.

"Just to this fun place in downtown Miami. Nothing serious," Max explained.

 "Where exactly in downtown Miami?" Trevor asked suspiciously.

"North of the mall you guys went to. Don't worry, it's fine," Max said calmingly, popping another cherry in his mouth.

"And when will you be returning?" Trevor asked, going into protective older brother mode.

"We'll be back by midnight," He said reassuringly. I didn't like the idea of a guy taking Starlet to some 'fun place downtown.'

"No we won't!" Everyone looked up to see Starlet sliding down the rail on the stairs.

   She was dressed extremely different from before. She had on skinny red leather pants, a very tight red tube top that stopped just above her belly button, and black knee high boots. Trevor looked like he was about to protest when Starlet looked pointedly at him before slipping on her black leather jacket.