Life's A Drag

Chapter 3 Hysteria

Chapter 3

I sat idly by as I watched Tyler and some of the guys hit on the sophomore sorority girls at the end of the room. Months into the relationship with Tyler and my possession of him was still strong. I took a swig of my beer and glared at the back of the bitches' heads.

"Glare any harder, Mimi, and you'll look like you're taking a crap in your shorts," Danny said. I was sitting on the sofa next to Danny with my thighs across his lap. He had one of his arms around the back of the sofa while I leaned the side of my head on his shoulder.

"I hate when he does this," I said to him as I looked away from Tyler. The music at the party was pretty loud, some crappy dubstep kind of music was playing unlike our usual rock'n'roll, but we were sitting close enough to hear each other clearly.

Ever since Tyler graduated three weeks ago, we've been attending college parties like they were about to go out of fashion. I guess that Tyler wanted to enjoy his last hoorah before he had to work with his dad at the end of the summer. I'm actually really surprised he even graduated from NYU, but then again, his parents did have all the money in the world and were very influential. Danny and I were the only ones in the group who were still technically in college. I was entering my sophomore year in the fall and Danny was going to be a senior. Thank god I still had my Danny boy for another year.

"Then why do you let him get away with it? Go over there and tear some shit up!" Danny encouraged.

I sighed and begrudgingly looked back to where Tyler was now whispering in a blonde bitch's ear. My eyes stung for a moment so I quickly looked away and focused on Danny's face. His brown eyes were a bit red from the weed we smoked earlier, but he was giving me one of his caring looks.

"Because that's exactly what he wants," I whispered. I looked down at my lap and played with one of the threads hanging down from my denim shorts. "If I go and start bitching he'll just use that as a reason to tear me out of the group. He'll say I've been getting clingy or some shit like that. I won't let him have the satisfaction. He can flirt as much as he wants; I'll still be the girl he goes home with." I said, growing more and more confident with each word. At least I was trying to be.

Danny sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, and then looked back at me again. "You know this is all a game to him, right? He just wants to reel you in and play with your head. He did the same exact thing to Frankie. He did this shit until she went crazy bitch on him and went from little miss popular, to yesterday's news and in my bed. And you know I love to go for the desperate ones."

I tried to make a joke out of the situation and said, "So if he dumps me, does that mean I'm going to end up in your bed?"

His eyebrows went up to his forehead and a smirk started to form on his face. "Well, Mimi, now that I think about it, you should definitely become clingy. Be the clingiest bitch on this fucking planet. Be like those barnacle shit or whatever that we learned in marine bio. And then, who knows? You'll just slowly make your way into my arms, I'll be your hero, babe." And then he winked at me.

I let out a little chuckle, only twenty percent forced. "I'd rather not commit social suicide," I said.

Danny look mortified and put a hand to his chest, "Are you saying that sleeping with me results in social suicide? That's just way too cruel, Mimi."

I smacked his chest and let out a real laugh, "No, that's not what I meant. I meant that if I became a barnacle bitch, then he won't just dump me, but he'll kick me out of the group. Or worse, I'll end up like Frankie and be desperate to do anything just to get someone to smile at me."

Danny's face went back to being serious and caring, and he put the hand that wasn't wrapped around the sofa to my thighs and caressed them affectionately.

"The thing is though, Mia, that he can't do that, everyone loves you too much. And not just because you're introduced as Tyler's girl, but because you're fucking lovable," Danny told me.

I sighed and scooted closer to Danny. He moved the arm around the sofa to wrap around me and rubbed my back in a comforting manner. I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the loud music and yells coming from the party around us.

It's been almost three months that I've been with Tyler, and I was starting to look at Frankie with a completely different perspective. How that bitch managed to stay with him for six months, I will never understand.

Tyler was always a bit rough with me. I mean it wasn't a big surprise or a big deal even. It's not like I ever thought he was my prince charming and that after our first night together we'd ride off on his trusty steed into the sunset. I know that. And I had to keep reminding myself that every time he'd push me into the wall after I bad mouthed him.

My boyfriend wasn't prince charming. He was fucking Scar and Jafar and Ursula and every fucking evil queen in every fucking Disney movie all wrapped in one person. The only difference was that he was good looking and more charming than prince charming himself. He'd coax you into his arms with his whimsical smile and soft whispers, and once you went to him voluntarily, he'd hold you so tight that you couldn't breathe. And no, not in the romantic way, either.

But I couldn't just leave him. I mean, yeah he liked to play mind games like no fucking tomorrow. But there were moments when he was actually tender, that felt like he actually gave a damn. Sometimes, he'd just look at me and tell me I'm beautiful. Or he'd wrap his arms around me while at a party and kiss the side of my head. Or that one time when a guy was hitting on me and he came to me and told him not to mess with his girl and didn't take his eyes off me all night.

Yeah, there were times that he made me feel like complete crap. But other times, I felt great when I was with him. Like someone actually cared about me. Every relationship has its ups and its downs, I told myself. I shouldn't give up on the relationship just because he's being immature. All guys are immature and it's up to their girlfriends to put them in their place. He'd eventually stop trying to push me away and then realize how great we were together. And like Danny said, all his friends loved me and they weren't faking it just because we were together. That's what happens when you're a fucking riot like me.

As I was giving myself a mental pep talk, I didn't notice Tyler come up to us until Danny shifted a bit to get my attention. I opened my eyes to see Tyler standing in front of me with a cigarette in hand and his smirk in place, but this time it wasn't a flirtatious smirk, but an evil one. He was wearing a black polo shirt with the collar popped and dark blue jeans with a black belt that had a gold buckle. His blonde hair was a bit ruffled and his blue eyes were bloodshot.

"Fucking monkey boy, then, are you?" He asked in a cocky tone.

"Fucking blonde bitches, then, are you?" I asked confidently.

I probably would regret saying that later. But right now, I wanted to prove to him that I wouldn't bow down to his feet. Besides, the high from the weed coursing through my veins was definitely boosting up my 'I don't take shit' attitude.

Tyler smiled darkly at me, and rushed towards me. He grabbed my upper arm and pulled me off of Danny and onto my feet. I stumbled a bit and put my hands up trying to catch my balance. Tyler didn't try to steady me but I heard him whisper in my ear, "You might talk all high and mighty now, Mia. But when I get you alone, I bet you'll be singing a different tune."

I looked up at him with my eyes wide and my heart beating in my ears. I realized I really don't want to know what he means by that. His smile broadened as he saw my frightened expression. I tried to compose myself and pulled on the arm he was gripping tightly, but he just pulled me closer.

"Now, now, Amelia. Don't look so frightened. I was just joking," He said in a sickly sweet tone. "But I don't think I like you fucking other guys, especially dipshits like him," He said, using his head to indicate he was talking to Danny who was behind me.

Suddenly I felt a presence behind me and then I saw Danny's arm push Tyler back, making him stumble and let go of my arm. I automatically reacted by stepping back so my back hit Danny's chest. Danny put a hand to my waist and lightly pushed me to the side and then stood in front of me. I rubbed my hand on the spot that Tyler had gripped and tried to massage the soreness away.

"Don't you fucking touch her like that," Danny growled towards Tyler.

Tyler was balanced now and he was giving Danny a cocky smile.

"Would you look at that? Her fuck buddy's defending her. Well, isn't that sweet?" Tyler said.

A few people around us were listening intently, probably hoping this turned into a fist fight so they could make bets on who'd win. I didn't want that to happen so I tried to step forward but Danny just raised his hand, stopping me from taking a step forward.

"I haven't fucked her!" Danny yelled. "She's my best friend and I'm not going to let you treat her like that when not two minutes ago, you were the one practically humping some blonde bimbo."

I moved around Danny this time, not letting him hold me back. "I haven't slept with Danny, nor will I ever sleep with Danny. Like he said, he's my best friend," I said.

"Then why were you guys all over each other just now? Foreplay?" He asked while his smile turned into a scowl.

"No, he was comforting me because my boyfriend was flirting with every girl he saw, while I had a clear view to the show," I said softly. It was meant to come out in a strong, bitchy tone and I have no idea why my voice came out like that.

Tyler sighed and stepped closer to me. "I'm sorry, Mia. I was just with the guys and goofing off a bit. I didn't mean anything by it. You know you're the only girl for me," he said in his sweet tone. He gave me a small smile and nudged his head for me to come to him.

I hesitantly took a couple steps towards him when a hand gripped my wrist from behind me. I turned to see Danny looking at me with a worried expression. I gave him my most confident smile and nodded to let him know that I'd be alright. His eyes darted behind me towards Tyler and he glared at him passionately. He looked back at me and gave a hesitant nod as he let go of my wrist. I gave him another smile before I turned around and walked to Tyler.

Tyler put his arm around me and kissed the side of my head. "Alright, Mia. Let's get out of this shithole," he said as he steered me farther away from Danny and towards the door. "Party at my place!" He yelled out. A few hoots and cheers came from around me making me smile. I was worrying for nothing. It was just a fight, and at least we got over it quickly. Now to have some fun.

Tyler led me to the taxi van and even opened the door for me. A smile broke out on my face as I went to the back row of the van and sat down. A couple of girls I didn't know joined me in the back, Tyler and his friends sat in front of us, and Rick sat next to the taxi driver.

Everyone was talking loudly and giggling as the car started to drive towards Tyler's house, but I just looked out the window and watched all the light and buildings we passed by. It was around midnight now, but New York City was always busy, especially on a Friday night. The air was extremely warm, even at night, since it was the beginning of summer. Definitely great weather for another midnight dip.

It took us about fifteen minutes until we got to Tyler's place. We got out of the car and walked to the apartment complex. Tyler was definitely drunk and out of it because he could barely manage to put his keys into the door letting us into the building. We loudly walked to the elevators and crammed inside of it. By the time we got inside the apartment, everyone was belting the Star Spangled Banner and I have no idea why but I was getting into it too.

I grabbed Tyler's hand and we twirled around the living room laughing and singing the song completely off key. We must have been a sight to see. A handful of college students singing the Star Spangled Banner while completely wasted? We were the epitome of patriarchy.

Thankfully I left my sour mood at the cab. My high at that point was fading, but I had a couple puffs when we got into the house to make sure it didn't fade again. I didn't need to over think right now, I just needed to enjoy the night and deal with the other shit later.

It was only about nine of us at Tyler's but it honestly felt like a lot more. We put on music and were dancing like total idiots and singing as loud as we could, and even louder when we didn't know the words. It was a fun time.

After a while we sort of crashed. Some people were sprawled on the floor, others on the sofa, and I definitely remember Rick and his date for the night heading up to Tyler's guest room. Tyler was knocked out on the sofa and I was sitting next to him, with my head leaning back on the sofa as I looked at the ceiling. I shifted a bit and looked over at Tyler.

I leaned over and nudged him a couple of times to get him to wake up. "Come on, Tyler. Let's go upstairs," I said quietly.

He sighed and hoisted himself up from the sofa. I got up and took his hand as he led me up the stairs and to his bedroom. Whoever was left in the living room would probably just stay the night and then leave in the morning sporting massive hangovers.

Once we got into his room, I let go of his hand and closed the door behind me. I walked to the far side of his bed and started to take my shirt and shorts off. I usually just slept in my underwear and bra when I was with Tyler, unless of course we ended up naked.

I was about to crawl under the covers when Tyler grabbed my elbow from behind me. I felt his naked chest on my back, making my heart beat erratically. He was taller than me so he must have bent down to whisper in my ear, "Don't you ever fucking do that again." His voice came out in a harsh whisper that brought chills throughout my body.

"Wha-" I didn't get to finish my question because Tyler whirled me around so I was facing him again. He was now holding the upper part of my arms hard enough to leave finger marks on me. I looked up at him, probably looking afraid like I did after he saw me sitting with Danny.

"I don't like it when you talk back to me in front of anyone. Are you trying to make me look like a pussy? Is that it?" He asked angrily as he stepped closer to tower over me. I tilted my head up and looked at his handsome face distort into a furious expression.

"No, I don't want that. But nothing was going on with me and him, and you were with those other girls..." I can't believe I was rambling. I must have sounded so lame to him. No no no! I don't want to sound desperate! But I didn't know how to respond to him when he was like this. I mean he was drunk and high at the same time, not a great combination, and so any little comment could set him off. He was way more scary when he was out of it than he was sober, I could deal with him fairly well when he was sober.

His face took on a deadly expression and he gripped my upper arms tighter and shook me for a moment. My heart was beating quickly and my breath coming out in gasps. My brain was trying to make sense of the situation, but failing to do so. Maybe those extra puffs weren't such a great idea after all.

"There are always going to be other girls. I don't need you to be acting all bitchy about it. What are you? Frankie?" He growled at me.

"No.." I started desperately but he cut me off again.

"I can't be seen looking pussy whipped in front of the guys. So what if I flirted a bit? It's not like I fucked her in front of you or something. I thought you got that. I thought you were cooler than the other girls, that you understood that I don't like clingy whiney girls." He said angrily, but in a hushed tone as to not be overheard by the others.

"I'm not like the other girls!" I exclaimed.

He let go of my arms and turned from me and walked a few steps away. I let out a shaky breath, thankful to be out of his painful grip and fierce stare. Maybe with some physical space I could gain some coherency.

"You were tonight." He said without turning around. He paused for a moment and then turned around to look at me, his expression somewhat solemn. "You're lucky to be with me, Mia. Remember that. No one else would have given you a second glance when you were a little freshman. But I brought you into our group, I gave you friends, I gave you popularity. Don't think that I can't take that all back. You're nothing without me, Mia."

I just stood there with a horrified expression on my face. I put my arms around myself, suddenly feeling a nakedness that had nothing to do with my lack of clothing. His cold blue eyes looked me over for a couple of seconds and then he shook his head and walked out of the room. But I just stood there. I felt like all the air had been taken from the room. I didn't know what to do, what to think, or how to even breathe.

I dropped my arms to my sides and quickly walked into his bathroom, not wanting him to see me crumble if he walked back into the room. I locked the door into the bathroom and leaned back on the door. And then I started to sob like I've never sobbed before. The type of crying that gives you physical pain. My chest felt tight and as though there was a huge weight on it, making it harder to breathe. It hurt so bad, so so bad.