the girls of the boys

stains ll "cheating bastard anyway"

There was blood. Enough that it made Becca slightly dizzy to look at. She teetered on her heels and knelt down to the crumpled boy at her feet. He sat on the linoleum floor jagged cuts smoothly lining the inside of his arm. His hands trembled and he looked up at Becca with utter shame. He still had the razor loosely in his fingertips and he let it clamor to the floor as he sank down even farther and hung his head.

Becca wanted to vomit and tried to calm her slowly increasing breaths.

"Ashton" his name came out in four syllables as Becca tried to steady her wavering voice. "What-- what happened?" She pressed as she tried to look at him.

"Becca, I don't-- I can't stop being friends with you" Ashton's broken voice filled her ears and he whimpered a bit. Becca swallowed the lump in her throat that wanted to remind him he was the one who had threatened to cut her off if the child wasn't his. Becca body shook like a leaf as she slid down the remainder of the wall so that she was next to Ashton. He looked at her through the curls that fell over her forehead and brushed his eyelashes. She gently reached up and brushed them away from his eyes and he implored her.

"Ashton, I don't want to stop being your friend either, I'm going to clean you up, okay?" Becca drawled softly. Ashton didn't say anything, he just stared at the massacre on his arms and avoided eye contact.

Becca gently poured some alcohol onto a napkin and she watched Ashton intently as she dabbed the napkin to his raw skin. Ashton tried to be subtle and brave but before they wet napkin make contact he flinched and bit his lip hard enough to break the skin as a fat droplet of blood formed and teetered under his teeth that still pressed the skin down. Becca paused.

"Just do it" Ashton grunted huskily as he held his arms out but his body recoiled and squirmed like a child with an impending shot. Becca closed her own eyes as she touched the cloth to the angry red marks. Ashton pressed his tongue to the back of his teeth and gritted his teeth. He made no sound, just the sound of air being sucked in and out.

"Ashton" Becca's voice faded, "you don't have to be brave for me" she whispered as she brushed a stray curl from his the side of his head.

"Becca" Ashton's voice was hoarse from lack of use, "Can I just be alone right now?" He asked in a small voice. Becca reluctantly nooded and rose to her feet. She saw the razor glinting from the bathroom vanity lights and she knelt down to pick it up. She held it in her fingers and looked at Ashton who still didn't make eye contact or even attempt to look up at her.

"I'm gonna take this, okay Ash?" She asked, and as predicted, didn't get a reply. She carefully held the razor that still dripped with blood on the edge in her hand and slipped out of the bathroom letting the door click behind her.

---

"Damn girl!" Josh shouted as he watched Kirsten dance. Kirsten blushed involuntarily as she batted her lashes at Josh. Kirsten danced with ease and grace around Josh who smiled at her with a goofy smirk. Josh had been complimenting and hitting on Kirsten all night. Kirsten knew what he was doing, she just chose not to stop it. She found herself forgetting who Harry was altogether when Josh made jokes or looked at her for an extended moment she felt her heart flutter which it hadn't done in a long time. Josh danced with her for a while longer until he offered her another drink. She graciously accepted and sat on the end of one of the few couches not being used for sex.

Kirsten glanced around the crowded house and sucked on her cheek as she waited for Josh to bring her third beer. When he didn't return and she felt her throat drying up she went to retrieve her own drink.

She got to the kitchen and was parched, as she walked up to the kegger she saw a familiar red hoodie. She straightened her spine to see Josh who had his lips, incidentally on another girls'. Kirsten bristled for about a second before realizing she already had a boyfriend and if he had tried to kiss her she would have cheated, on thee Harry Styles. As much of an accomplishment that would be she couldn't do that to Harry, ever.

"Do you like watching two people suck face?" Luke's voice cut into her thoughts.

"What the fuck?" She snapped, mostly out of surprise at Luke's unannounced presence, "no, Josh was literally just with me though . . ." her voice faded off as she squinted her eyes at the new girl in angry scrutiny.

"Josh is a cheating bastard either way." Luke stated declaratively before taking the drink from her hands

"Hey-" Kirsten started to protest but Luke instead, threw it in the direction of Josh and the girl making out.

"Hey!" They heard the girl say almost instantly and recoil from Josh, Luke ducked his 6 foot 2 frame down below the crowd and grabbed Kirsten's hand dragging and weaving through the crowd, laughing like kids. They collapsed on the stair well and made sure nobody followed from the kitchen by peering through the slats. Kirsten caught her breath and looked over as her fantasy came crashing down like the walls of Jericho when she realized she had just ran from one cheating bastard to another.