by MJ Bockarie
"And what's wrong with me?" Alec asked.
"You're boring," Andy said.
I gasped quietly. Was this for real? I knew that wasn't an insult, but a part of me was concerned as to where this was going.
"I'm boring?" Alec repeated.
Andy nodded. "Yep. You're like a raisin cookie that someone's going to mistake for chocolate chip."
I started laughing quietly. Alec looked totally and utterly confused. "I don't even know how to respond?"
"And I'm the life of the party!" Andy threw his hands in the air. "I'm Cinnamon Toast Crunch and you're All-Bran Cereal."
"What the fuck is All-Bran?" Alec looked at me.
"Plain cereal," I shrugged.
"Plain like you!" Andy shouted and jumped up on the bed. "While you're over there being plain white rice, I'm a fucking plate of stir-fried rice with some chicken on the side."
"Sit down and shut up, Andy!" Alec hissed. He paused for a moment. "Are you on drugs?"
"Do I look stupid?" Andy asked.
"Don't answer that," I advised Alec.
Alec stood up and pointed a finger at Andy. "Andy, I swear to God, if you make another damn food comparison–"
"You are water and I'm Fruitopia," with that, Andy sat down and didn't say a word.
Alec stared at his brother, blinking furiously in confusion. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words. By now I was clutching my stomach from laughing so hard.
I knew they were my kidnappers and all, but they were starting to feel more like friends than enemies. I felt like Austin was really the only bad one here, and he just had Alec and Andy do all the dirty work so I would think they're the bad guys when in reality, it was all Austin.
***
I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I quickly learned why.
Andy had left earlier to go make sure Austin hadn't done anything irrational. Alec had claimed he was tired and had laid down opposite of me on the bed. I had eventually fallen asleep too, and I guess while sleeping we changed positions, because when I woke up, I was facing Alec's chest and his arm was wrapped around my waist, and the other was on my ass.
He was touching me.
This was the first time I had come in contact with him that wasn't forceful or meant to scare me.
He was holding me close to him and I was trying to decipher whether or not I liked it or wanted him to let go of me immediately.
Alec shifted in his sleep and let go of me, turning around and facing the wall. I took the opportunity to slip out of bed and head to the bathroom, closing the door. I stripped and hopped into the shower, sitting down in the tub and just letting the warm water hit me.
The questions started to flood my mind again. Was I ever going to make it out of here? Was Austin going to start beating me? What if this is all acting and they're all going to eventually show their true colors?
I didn't want to even start to think that Andy would be mean. I just couldn't see it. He was too bubbly and lively to be a jerk. Alec, well, he was a jerk at first, and still is, at times, but I don't think he'd resort to beating me.
Obviously I couldn't say the same about Austin. He had anger issues. If that one little incident was going to make him go this insane, I couldn't even imagine what would happen if something big and worth getting angry for happened.
"Princess?" I heard Alec's groggy voice over the sound of the showerhead. The door creaked open and I stood up, actually beginning to shower. "You okay?"
"I'm good," I said.
"I'm going to go make some lunch, I'll be right back. I'm locking the door so open it when I come back up, okay?" He asked.
"Okay," I agreed and the bathroom door closed again.
After finishing my shower and getting dressed, I walked out of the bathroom and sat on the bed. I pulled my phone from out under the pillow and started playing games.
Someone knocked on the door and assuming it was Alec, I got up and opened it. Instead, I found Austin on the other side, glaring down angrily at me.
"Mariana," he said slowly, "let's have a chat, shall we?"
SEVEN
I gulped. "What do we have to talk about?"
Austin put a hand on his chin as he pretended to think. "Well, let's see. Why don't we start off with the fact that you're here for me and not for Alec?"
"I don't follow." I said.
He chuckled. "Let's get this straight, Mariana. You are not to have any kind of "relationship" with my brother, whether it's friendship or its intimate. It will not happen. You are here for my pleasure and purposes only. Do you follow now?"
I nodded.
"Good," he stood back and crossed his arms, "I expect you to take my words to heart, because there will be serious consequences if you don't."
"What are you going to do, kill her?"
Alec walked up behind Austin, his eyes narrowed. "There aren't going to be any sort of consequences, because you're too afraid to hurt me. You know that."
"This conversation doesn't concern you, Alec." Austin stated through gritted teeth.
"Move," Alec demanded, "now."
"She isn't supposed to eat."
"Too bad." Alec retorted. "Now leave."
Austin looked at his brother, then back at me. Neither of us spoke. He let out a frustrated breath and walked away, cursing to himself.
"Alec–"
"I heard what he said, Princess," he grumbled as he set down a tray that had two plates which contained Hawaiian pizza. I took one of them and took a bite of pizza.
"Holy shit," I sighed. I hadn't had pizza in what felt like forever. Then again, I felt like I had been here forever.
"He isn't going to do anything to you," Alec said suddenly.
I shook my head. "Alec, he's going to fucking kill me."
"No, he isn't," he scoffed, "Austin isn't going to hurt a hair on your pretty little body."
I nodded, ignoring the fact that he had just called me pretty.
"Are you sure?" I asked after a while.
"Positive," Alec said, "I'm not going to let him, no matter what."
***
"What's with the pity party in here?" I jumped at the sound of Andy's voice. I looked at Alec, who had a hand over his heart.
"Jesus Christ, man." Alec shook his head.
Andy pointed a finger at him. "Hey, don't use God's name in vain."
Alec raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He turned to me and gave me a small, reassuring smile. "Mariana's a little startled."
"What happened?" Andy's expression changed so quickly. The bubbly and happy looking boy now looked not only curious, but angry.
"Austin basically doesn't want her interacting with me." Alec explained, "He said there's going to be serious consequences if she does."
Andy scoffed. "Don't listen to him, Mariana. He's just crusty because you like Alec better than him."
"How could I not?" I shrugged.
"Anyway," Andy sighed as he ran a hand through his dirty blond hair, "I think Austin wants to see you guys in the living room."
"Why?" Alec asked.
"Beats me," Andy said, "come on."
Alec and I followed Andy down the stairs and into the living room. It looked much better now. Everything was replaced by an exact replica and was set down in the place they had always been. Austin sat on the couch, staring blankly at the television.
"Mariana?" Austin called out.
"Y-Yes?"
"I need to ask you a question," he slowly turned his head. Now he was looking at me. His eyes were red. He was high, and probably drunk.
"Okay," I huffed. Alec and Andy stood close behind me.
"Are you a virgin?"
My eyes widened in shock. How could he ask such a question?
I didn't say anything. Yeah, I was still a virgin, so what?
"Hmm," Austin laughed and took a swig from a bottle in his hand, "I guess your silence is a yes?"
I nodded. The smile on Austin's face grew wider. "That's goi
ng to make tonight ten times better."
"What?" Alec hissed.
"We're going to have sex," Austin flat out said it, "and she's going to enjoy it."
I took a step back. "No...no! I'm not having sex with you."
"You say that now." Austin took another drink. "But just wait, Mariana. Just wait."
I kept my hands behind my back. I didn't want him to see how bad they were shaking.
I wasn't going to let some stranger take my virginity, especially not Austin. He was... horrible. I didn't want him to touch me at all.
"You're dismissed," he waved us off, "I need to prepare."
"You're preparing for jack squat, Austin." Alec growled angrily. "She is not fucking you."
"Stay out of my love life, Alec!" Austin roared as he stood up. "This is why I lost Natalia!"
I looked at Andy. "Who's she?"
"My ex-girlfriend," Austin replied with a bitter laugh, "and guess who stole her away from me?"
Alec rolled his eyes. "I didn't do anything wrong, Austin. Remember, she's the one who drugged me. I didn't have any control after that."
"Sure, you didn't," Austin glared at his brother, "leave, all of you."
Alec stared at Austin before putting a hand on my waist. "Come on, Princess."
Once we reached the bedroom upstairs and the door was closed, I started to panic.
"I am not having sex with him, Alec!" I cried. "I'm not doing it!"
"Yes, I know you're not." Alec sighed, "We'll just have to figure something out."
"How?!"
"We will, Mariana." He gave me a hard look. "You're not having sex with him. Not tonight, not ever."
"But he's coming for me." I ran my hands through my hair. "He's going to fucking take the only slice of my dignity I have left."
"He isn't," Andy shook his head, "Alec and I will take care of it. Don't worry about how, we just will."
I sighed. "Promise?"
The brothers nodded. "Promise."
EIGHT
It was nine fifty-nine pm.
The four of us were having dinner, no words being exchanged. I watched the time on the stove carefully. Andy had said Austin planned to "make his move" on me at ten.
My heart was beating. I watched the numbers blink. It was like they were taunting me.
Alec sat right beside me. He had barely eaten his fish. Andy was in front of me, and Austin was beside him.
It was ten o'clock.
It seemed like Austin had sensed it, because he put his fork down and stood up. "Do you drink, Mariana?"
"No,"
He looked at me. "You've never had a drink in your entire life?"
I scoffed. "I'm a minor, of course not."
"A minor?" He scoffed. "That's funny."
"I don't know who gave you the information that said I'm twenty-six, but know that they're wrong." I said.
He was quiet for a moment. "Oh really?"
I nodded. "I'm eighteen."
Alec and Andy didn't say anything. They continued to glance up at each other every now and then, but they didn't say a word.
"Interesting," a smirk made its way to Austin's lips. I looked down at my plate. I wasn't hungry anymore.
"When's your plan come into action?" I whispered to Alec.
"Soon, Princess," he replied, looking up at Austin, who was still nevertheless grabbing a bottle of wine out of the fridge, "soon."
***
It was now ten-thirty.
Austin and I sat in the living room in silence. The glass of wine he had offered me sat on the coffee table, untouched. He had re-filled his glass four times already.
"Take a sip," he said.
I shook my head. "No thanks."
"Why not?"
"I don't drink."
"You can drink this one time."
"I'd prefer not to."
"Mariana," Austin smiled as he sat up, "drink the wine."
"No," I argued, "I won't."
He suddenly grabbed me by the throat and took the glass from the table. I struggled in his grip as he tried to pry my mouth open with his fingers and pour the drink down my throat.
I kicked and pushed him, but it didn't help at all. Austin just became more agitated. He pinned me down with his arm and tried opening my mouth again. I bit his finger and he pulled his hand back.
"Shit," he muttered, "I'm done playing nice."
He was able to open my mouth just enough to pour the wine in my mouth. I tried not to swallow.
"Swallow it," he demanded it. I shook my head furiously. His grip tightened on my throat and I gasped.
"Swallow the drink," he growled and loosened his grip. I still held it in my mouth. Austin sighed and climbed off of me, sitting me up. He smacked me right across the face and I jumped back, holding my cheek as tears pooled my eyes. I still held the wine in my mouth.
"So you're still not going to swallow it, eh?" He asked and I shook my head. He slapped me again, harder this time. Where were Alec and Andy and this so-called "plan" they had?
Austin reached behind the couch and pulled out a whip. My eyes widened. He slowly unraveled it. "I want you to swallow the drink right now, Mariana."
I refused. He whipped my hand and I winced, starting to cry. I finally gave in and swallowed the drink. It burned my throat as it went down.
Austin smiled and put the whip down. "See? That wasn't so bad. Why do you have to make things so complicated, Mariana?"
I looked down at the gash in my right hand. The area around it was swollen and let me tell you, it hurt like a bitch.
"I'm so sorry I hurt you," he stroked my face with his hand, "I didn't want to but you forced me to resort to violence."
I didn't look up. My eyes started to feel droopy and my body felt numb. "What did you do to me?"
"What do you mean?" Austin asked. "I haven't done anything."
I didn't ask again. He had obviously put something in the drink. I sighed and moved to the other side of the couch. I brought my knees up to my chest and hugged them tightly.
After thirty minutes, Austin yawned. "Let's go upstairs now, yeah?"
I shook my head. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
"Yes, you are," Austin grabbed my arm and I tried to rip it from his grip, but I felt numb. I couldn't feel anything.
"Leave me alone!" I cried. I felt so... weak. I couldn't move. I didn't have the energy to. I felt really tired.
"Come on, baby." Austin stood up and picked me up bridal style. He turned off the lights and carried me up the stairs. I hit his chest, but it wasn't very effective. The hits weren't even that hard. I felt lazy, almost.
Austin took me to what I was assuming was his bedroom. When he opened the door and flicked on the light, Andy and Alec sat on his bed, tied up with rope and gagged.
"See, I knew about their plan to interfere." He explained to me as he put me down in the chair at his desk. "And I wasn't going to have that. I'm the one you're supposed to fall for. I'm supposed to be your friend, not these two."
I gave him a weary smile. "Well, they've been doing a much better job of being my friend then you have."
Austin glared at me. "That's what I'm going to change."
"And sex is supposed to change my mind?" I scoffed. Trying to be tough and resistant was hard when a part of you felt horny.
"Yeah, pretty much," he nodded, "I mean, that's what most teenage girls want, right?"
"Yeah," I replied, "I mean, no! No, no we don't."
"But you just said yes."
"I meant no."
"No you didn't."
"No, I didn't."
"Exactly."
Alec thrashed in his chair. Andy gave me a pleading look and was shaking his head. Austin gave them both a slap over the head and they stopped.
"These two are going to watch," Austin began taking off his shirt, "if that's fine with you, of course."