The smell of bacon combined with the sound of the oil cracking woke me up around eleven. I turned my gaze to Star Girl who was still fast asleep and quietly put my clothes on and headed out to the kitchen. I figure I’ll let her sleep; I wouldn’t be surprised if she was up all night. The one time I woke up close to six she was lying on her back looking up at the ceiling.

“Morning Ma,” I hugged her before sitting down at the table. I’m actually feeling all right today, maybe it’s because I’m waking up in my own place. My bed is like sleeping on a cloud compared to Star Girl’s lumpy mattress.

“Good morning sweetie, how are you feeling this morning?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” I grabbed a piece of the bacon she placed in front of me.

“Where’s the girl?” I looked to my right and noticed Ryan was sitting right there next to me.

“I think she uh, snuck out the window last night,” I’m pretty sure he used to be my friend but he sure is an asshole. Maybe he was one of those people that pretended to be my friend for those Lakers tickets.

Ashlee walked out of the bedroom as if on cue. She’s wearing a tank top and a pair of boy shorts, of course. She takes one look at me then turns her gaze to my mother and takes a deep breath before running her hands over her eyes.

“Good morning Ashlee!” my mother is way too bubbly for this early in the morning. Ash walked to the table slowly, she’s definitely still feeling the high. I don’t think she had much more than I did. I don’t understand it. I guess I’m getting more used to it, but she should be too.

“Nice pants,” Ryan replied under his breath before pouring syrup over his pancakes.

“Thank you, Turkey.” Ash replied sarcastically with an eye roll.

“How do you like your eggs sweetie?”

“Um… just coffee.”

“Did you sleep alright?” my mother asked as she placed a cup of coffee in front of her. Ash nodded her head but she definitely looks like she’s wishing she were somewhere else, anywhere else. My mother continued talking, I couldn’t really tell you what she was saying. My head is beginning to hurt.

I watched Ryan get up and place his empty plate in the sink before grabbing onto his briefcase and making his way back to the table. “If I’m going to represent both of you I need to know what’s going on.” I turned to Star Girl who was looking into her coffee as if it were speaking to her. “Justin.”

“Huh?”

“What happened? We need to know how you got to her apartment and what it was like while you’re there. How’d she get you to stay? I don’t know how the hell I’m supposed to represent you both when the girl kept you there.”

Kept me there? They really do think she drugged me and kept me there against my will.

My mother looked between both Ashlee and myself, “You just need to tell us what happened.”

“I’m not… going to press charges or anything…”

 Ashlee looked away from her cup of coffee for the first time to give me the dirtiest look possible, “Oh, you’re not going to press charges? That’s so kind of you, so fucking kind of you,” she stood up and stormed back into my bedroom.

“Justin, you need to press charges,” Ryan said before I even heard the door slam.

“No, he does not,” my mother added, “Maybe we don’t know the whole story Ryan, maybe…” my mother kept talking, or the two of them kept arguing. I found that as my chance to go after Star Girl.

I looked around the bedroom and she was nowhere to be found. The bathroom door was closed so I opened it to see her sitting on the ground against the door. I sat down next to her and closed the door again.

“It was supposed to open the other way,” she spoke softly before leaning back against the door, “What the fuck is wrong with you?” she spoke louder and punched me in the arm.

“Don’t hit me.”

“Fuck you! You’re going out there acting like I fucking kidnapped you and you say I can’t fucking hit you?”

“Calm down, I didn’t say anything.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem. You didn’t say anything. I’m going to go to fucking jail because you showed up on my roof while I was trying to do my damn homework. If I let you jump none of this fucking shit would have happened. And it’s not like you would have jumped, you’re a fucking coward anyway you wouldn’t have done it.”

“What do you want me to do?” I shouted.

“Tell them the fucking truth! Tell them you ran away from everything like a coward and were on my roof ready to plummet to your death but then I found you and talked you out of it. How about a thank you? No, instead you’re just going to sit there and let everyone think I’m a kidnapper.”

“I’m not going to press charges,” I answered softly, she seems to be forgetting that.

“That’s such bullshit!” she shouted and stood up so she could pace around the bathroom, “You need to tell them the truth, that’s fucked up. You’re this huge star with like, so much fucking money and people are obsessed with you. They’re going to fucking kill me, and just because you don’t press charges doesn’t mean shit.”

“I can’t tell my mother that I was going to jump.” I answered honestly.

“Oh, ok then. Take me down so you don’t have to look bad in front of Mommy. You fucking asshole!” she kicked me before opening the door and walking back into my bedroom. “I’m leaving. I’m so fucking done with you and all your shit.”

“You can’t just leave…”

“Do you want to see me?” she shouted as she got down on her knees and grabbed the remainder of the coke from under the bed and put it in her backpack.

“Do you think they’re just going to fucking let you go?” I threw my hands up.

“Do you think I give a shit?”

I took a deep breath and ran my hands through my hair, “You’re just going to run away like fucking fugitive?”

“Ugh, stop,” she whined and threw her hands through her hair nervously, “Stop. I don’t know and I sure as hell wouldn’t tell you because you’d go and sell me out anyway.  I just… want to go back to my house and be done with this and be done with you.” Ash sat down at the edge of the bed and took a few deep breaths. She’s having a panic attack or tweaking or some kind of a combination of both.

“Alright, just calm down.”

“GET OUT!” she pushed me away. “I want you to go away. I want all this to go away.”

“You stop, alright. You’re working yourself up you’re going to go fucking crazy. Just stay in here for a minute, lay down.”

“I’m leaving.”

“I know you’re fucking leaving. Just give me a couple minutes. Chill out, you’re going to have a fucking seizure.” I took a deep breath before walking back into the kitchen. I went right for the refrigerator and grabbed a beer, downing it quickly before grabbing another one and sitting down at the table.

“Justin…” my mother began but I cut her off.

“Alright, I’m saying this once and then that’s it. I don’t want to talk about it anymore, no fucking questions. I’m saying what I need to say then I’m going back into my room and you’re both going to leave us alone and do what you have to do without us. I know damn straight that I don’t have to go back into that courtroom and you’re going to figure it out by yourself.” I looked at Ryan who got his notebook ready, “If you can’t I’ll find another damn lawyer who can do his fucking job.”

“I’m ready.”

“Kristen was cheating on me since we started dating. I was depressed and fucking lost and hated my life. All the shit was hitting the fan and I was sick of everything… like how I can’t go anywhere without a crowd of people following me around. I was done, fucking ready to end it,” I looked at Ryan because I couldn’t stand to look at my mother, “I went up to the top of the first building I came across and was hanging over the edge ready to jump when Star Girl came over. She talked me out of jumping and I hid out in her apartment for the past however long it’s been. That’s it. She didn’t kidnap me; I stayed there on my own. If anything she saved me. So we’re done. Obviously I’m not pressing any charges because she did nothing wrong.”

I stood up and walked back towards the bedroom since I’m done talking before Ryan spoke, “And what would you like me to say about the fact that you’re both stoned out of your fucking minds?”

I laughed and shook my head as I continued walking back to the room, “I don’t know man, figure it out.”

When I closed the door to my room Star Girl literally jumped a foot in the air. She was sitting on the ground leaning against the bed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the girl hates chairs almost as much as she hates pants. I held her gaze for a half a second before she turned her attention back to the mirror in her lap.

“You’re going to snort without me?’

She nodded her head, “I’m going to snort before I leave.”

“You don’t have to leave, it’s taken care of.” I reached for the mirror.

Ash pulled it away, “What do you mean?”

“I mean I told them the truth. We’re fine.”

“We’re fine? No.”

“Yeah. Just let it go, will you? I told them what happened. Ryan is taking care of it, we won’t even have to go to court.”

“I don’t want him to take care of it,” she’s whining again, “He’s a fucking asshole.”

I laughed, “He is an asshole. I’ll fire him. If you give me some blow I’ll fucking kick his ass and then fire him.”

“OK, can I help?” she giggled when I nodded my head before finally passing the mirror, “Good.” She answered before pulling her shirt off and moving to the bed. “Can we just get them out of here?”

“They’re fine. Just shut the fuck up, stop complaining, and let me fuck you.”

Ashlee giggled again, “this shit makes you so horny.”

“Me?” I laughed, “You’re already fucking naked and wet.”

“I’m hot,” she tried to make an excuse.”

“Oh, it’s sweat huh?” I smiled before pulling my pants off and crawling on top of her, “Whatever you say Star Girl.”