Toxic

9. happy birthday, baby

CLEO
AGE 16

WHERE THE HELL AM I?

Why am I laying down in bed?

I'm so confused. I think I'm in someone's room. My vision blurs for a moment. I blink a few times to clear my—

Shit.

What's the word I'm looking for?

Oh, right.

Head.

I need to clear my head. I look around. Weird. This room looks kind of like mine.

Is it mine, though?

With a slight frown, I turn my gaze this way and that way, studying my surroundings. I recognize one of the posters on the wall. It has my favorite band on it. Nine Inch Nails. With a dreamy smile, I start humming the melody to Head Like A Hole. Pain stabs my temple. My head feels like it has a hole. There's too much fucking noise outside. Ear-splitting music blares alongside noisy chatter. Occasional shrieks of laughter echo through the floor. I think I'm upstairs, and they're downstairs.

Is there a party going on down there?

I can't seem to think straight.

Wait.

I think it's supposed to be my party.

Fuck.

Did I already turn sixteen?

No!

No!

No!

I don't want to be sixteen. I want to stay fifteen forever. I don't want to let Trav stick his dick in me tonight. Groaning weakly, I try to roll out of bed. But I can't move. Fear thuds alongside my heart while distress seeps through every pore.

Why can't I move?

My heart is racing like a motherfucker. I try not to panic, but my arms are trapped under something.

Why can't I move my fucking arms?

My eyelids feel heavy. They fall shut for a moment. I want to open them, but I can't find the strength. I feel a pair of hands gripping my wrists. It hurts a lot. Especially the right side. Trav nearly broke it last time I pissed him off. The phantom hands tighten around my wrists. Another throb of pain clenches my frayed nerves.

I think someone's holding me down.

Who is it?

I really shouldn't have taken those fucking pills.

Fucking Trav.

Why did I let him shove them down my throat?

Tears prick my eyes.

Why didn't I fight back?

I'm so sick of putting up with his shit. I just want to get away. I can't live like this anymore. Something has to give.

My jaw sets.

The heaviness fades a little. Finally, I'm able to open my eyes. I stare up at an all-too-familiar face. Dark eyes meet mine. It's Trav. He's eye-fucking my body like he wants to swallow me whole. The weight of his body crushes mine against the mattress, constricting my lungs, and I hate him so much that I want to scream.

"Happy birthday, baby," he whispers in my ear as his hand dips between my thighs. "I'm gonna make tonight real special for you."

"Oh, God," I mumble faintly, wanting to kill myself all over again.

I feel his eager cock pressing against my leg. Ugh. Out of desperation, a half-baked escape plan begins to form in my muddled mind. Trav leans down to kiss me. I force myself to kiss him back even though it makes me want to retch. This is part of my plan. Without giving anything away, I slide both palms over his shoulders. I pull him close as though I can't get enough of his slobbery, wet mouth. We make out for a few more minutes. When I feel the tension in his muscles relax, I trail away from his mouth, raining light kisses along his jaw. My lips lock onto his neck. He groans in approval. Adrenaline spikes in me.

It's now or never.

Without warning, I go for his jugular and bite down as hard as possible like some kind of rabid zombie vampire. My teeth sink into his flesh. I break the skin. I draw blood. Immediately, Trav shoves me aside as he bellows in rage and pain. But the fucker's big, bulky body is still lying halfway on top of me, pinning me down. I knee him between the legs. He doubles over with a strained grunt and rolls to his side. A soft whimper falls from my lips as I lunge away like a frightened animal. He grabs my ankle to pull me back. I kick him in the face. We both fall out of bed and crash onto the floor.

He looks livid. Right away, Trav reaches for me, but his movements are slower and clumsier than before. I bet his balls ache like hell. I take this opportunity to make a run for the door. Terror follows my every step.

I hear him scream at me, "Come back here, you little bitch!"

My face feels wet. I think Trav's blood is running down my chin.

Or maybe I'm crying?

I'm too scared to check my reflection in a mirror, and I'm definitely too scared to look back. I just keep running down the stairs, pumping my legs as fast as they can go. I shove my way through the crowd of party-goers and make a beeline for my Benz. The garage door opens. Right as I stumble into the driver's seat, the front passenger door swings open and Trav climbs in. He looks ready to murder me.

With a frightened yelp, my foot punches the gas, and the car shoots out of the driveway from zero to fifty in 0.01 seconds flat. Somehow, Trav stays in his seat and doesn't fall out of the open door. He even manages to slam the door shut while we're in motion. I'm beyond pissed. The universe seems determined to fuck me over tonight. As I speed out of the neighborhood, Trav suddenly dives toward me to grab the steering wheel. We fight for control. My Benz begins to sway and wobble out of our lane.

I shriek, "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"If you don't stop this fucking car right now," he yells angrily, "I will fucking end y—"

I never get to hear the rest of Trav's explosive tirade. Out of nowhere, a pair of bright headlights shine at us from the dark, blinding my vision. My eyes widen with horror. It's too late to swerve out of the way. Breath is stolen from my lungs. There's a loud and terrible crunching sound followed by the echo of squealing tires. Glass shatters everywhere. I think Trav is screaming again. Pain seizes my whole body. Then, everything goes black, and I feel nothing.

Nothing at all.