Killer Star

Under the marple tree

I went to prom with Andrew and got to watched Justin dance with Gabby the entire night as her smile lite up the room. I hardly saw Jake, who came with the lovely Stella that sat alone most of the night looking miserable. It was unlike Jake's character to ditch someone, and even more so for him to ditch Justin the entire night.
Andrew kissed me that night, and despite being sad about my new relationship Justin, Andrew made the night bearable. He was sweet and kind, but sometimes I felt like he wasn't really listening to me. He never really understood what I was saying, and we never got along but when he asked me to be his girlfriend, I said yes.
I wanted positive change in my life and I was tired of being single. I wanted what other beings had, love. Even if what I felt for Andrew was nothing close to it. He never made my skin tingle, or nerves ball in my stomach, I was never nervous to be around him.
The rest of the year past then, Justin and Jake were finally in senior year. Everyone was excited, but I was still burden by the fact that Justin and I barely had a conversation the entire year. Things were weird between us, and everyone knew it. Gabby and Justin broke up.
However, things go interesting the first term into senior year, Jake posted a video of Justin singing in the shower. He thought it would be hilarious, and memorable for them both. Although, you really couldn't see anything besides a steam filled room and a vague image behind the glass. The video quickly went viral, and Justin was contacted a month later by Rising Stars.
"It was a huge opportunity," Katherine had told us.
During that month, Justin had been up and down with an extremely busy schedule and Jake was almost never home. Despite their absence from each other, their lives still mirrored.
I missed Justin. I missed Jake.
At least I had Andrew.
Somewhere in April, Katherine has decided to throw a going away party for Justin. I thought it would be fun, so we spent three weeks planning the entire thing.
That morning, Katherine and I woke early, cleaned the house and set up. Andrew arrived early, with flowers for me.
I thanked him. I was a lot more comfortable around Andrew, and sometimes I felt like he was the only person around these days. Everything felt like it was on the brink of complete change.
"Anything I can help with?" Andrew asked, nibbling on my ear.
"No," I laughed. "I just have to get dressed."
"Oh, I can help you there," he smirked. I gave him a fake, "ha ha," slapped his arm playfully and ran upstairs. Although, I missed a step and fell.
My cheeks turned red as Andrew burst into laughter.
"You okay Hayley?"
"Uhm, Yeah. I'm fine."
My palms stuck from the weight of the fall.

Half an hour later, I was ready, wearing my favourite jeans and top(Andrew bought it for my birthday).
"You look very pretty," Andrew greeted me with a kiss on the cheek.
The house was filling with guest quickly, and somewhere between this hour and the next Chloe arrived.
"Hey girl, look at you," she said with a hug.
Chloe had been around ever since I could remember, we never had those connected soul relationships, she just knew most things about me. I was comfortable with her.
"Let's dance," Andrew said, pulling me to the dance floor. I was very aware that both my uncle and Katherine were in the room. They loved Andrew, but dancing with him in front of them felt weird.

We danced until my feet were sore, and so was my cheeks from the laughter. Andrew could always make me laugh, no matter how upset I got.
"I'm going to get something to drink," I told him. My throat was dry.
"No problem."
"Do you want anything?"
"I'll have a soda."
"Okay," I gave him a nod and felt the dance floor, suddenly feeling the heat my body was too numb to feel before.
"You're date seems happy," Jake told me. Andrew was dancing with Chloe, both of them laughing. They were pretty close like that. I was so glad I didn't have to deal with the conflict between best friend and boyfriend that many girls deal with. Andrew and Chloe got along so well, sometimes I felt like the third wheel.
"Yeah, they're pretty close."
Jake shrugged.
"Have you seen Justin?"
"Uhm, I think he's outside. I haven't seen him in a while."
Jake fiddled with his fingers, clearly nervous. "Jake, is everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine. I just really want to talk to you and Justin."
That line brought a pit to my stomach. It must have been important if Jake wanted to see both Justin and I.
I went to look for him, and instead, half an hour later found Andrew and Chloe tearing the cloths of each other in my barn.
I went numb, unable to comprehend it at first. Then slowly tears formed in my eyes and my body began to shake. It was something I never felt before.
They both looked guilty as hell, and shocked too.
"Hayley," Chloe started.
"Don't! Just don't." I ran away, until Andrew's voice calling my name was inaudible.
I found Justin at the maple tree.
"Hayley, what's wrong?" He asked, getting up from his seat on the swings.
"And-Andrew ch-cheated ooo-n mm-e," my word came out with a stutter in between breaths.
"Oh, Hales, I'm so sorry," he pulled me into a bone crushing hug and I clung to him, feeling safe and at home I cried on his shoulder.
We sat under the tree, Justin holding me, my head on his shoulder, in complete silence.
Until Justin broke it, "I'm sorry, Hales. I never meant to hurt you."
I looked up at him. "You never hurt me."
I was confused.
"Yeah, I did."
He looked down, and suddenly his eyes were too close. He was took close. I would feel his warm, and his eyes staring down at me. I narrowed mine to focus on his lips, pink and full.
He cupped my face with his hands and brought his lips to mine. It was pretty much the best kiss ever. Emotions filled it, the longing and confusion. My sense of being lonely, I put everything into that kiss.
Salvation.
We parted, "I thought you didn't feel that way about me." I said between heavy breaths.
"I lied." He smiled.

Hollywood, 2018

The car drove up the bumpy driveway hours later, a squeaky sound following it. The wheels were not fit for the rubble. My uncle's head bobbed into view, his arms looked stiff like he was fighting the wheel for control of the car. Justin took in a deep breath then released, he rolled his bag to the car that had come to an abrupt stop. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, I followed Justin, pulling my bag behind me.
Justin and I sat in the back, both too angry with my uncle to sit in the front, it was also to show him a message. I would rather sit with him than you. You disgust me more than he does at this point!
I don't know exactly for which reason I hated my uncle, but the hatred was buried deep. It ran deeper than him listening to Cammie and sending us here, this was just a good reason to be angry at him and so I took it. The first fifteen minutes of the ride sucked, more than a normal car ride with people that hate each other. The car bumped over each rock, sending us flying in different directions, despite the fact that I had my seat belt. I tried reading but gave up after five minutes, my eye kept moving to a new word before I finished the last. I spent the rest of the ride, eyes closed, trying not to throw up. 
"I hope you kids learned your lesson! Maybe now the two of you will stop acting like barbaric animals!" He said, once on the highway where we could hear him. My nausea had died down but I presumed after this conversation it would arise again no doubt.

"Fuck you," Justin said under his breath, the only person that my uncle hated more than me was him. I knew my uncle heard him, his hands tightened on the wheel until his knuckles turned a pale shade of white and he was biting his teeth. Yet somehow, he managed to remain calm.
I fell asleep soon after, and only awoke when we reached the house. Justin has jumped off the car, almost before it came to a halt.
My uncle switched the car off, and followed suit, leaving me alone with my thoughts of the past.