Maxie

"After releasing two songs a week ago, Lasting Phoenix has now released an album. As with every album, there's drama. With the song, "Waning Crest," you would think the song is about the moon. The song is about anything but the moon, and fans have things to say. With lyrics like, "Red velvet on my pillow, that tight dress falls below," and "Oh this room is such a mess, it was truly a waning crest," fans have reason to speculate thing song is about a particular red head," I listen to the new Clevver TV video.

I turned off the TV in shock. I didn't think the song would literally reference me. I was with Cayd when- Motherfucker!

"You fucking knew about this!" I yelled at Cayd.

He looks at me with a his mouth stretched downwards.

"I didn't know that's what they were writing! They told me to just keep you away for the day," he defends.

"This is so beyond embarrassing," I say, running my hands down my face.

"It's really not that bad," Lora says with a pained smile.

"Ugh! That's it. I'm staying at Jace's until he comes back from New York."

"Stay at Jace's house? Doesn't he have security?" Liam asks.

I held up a ring of keys from my pocket.

"He gave them to me before he left," I say, "I have an idea to get back at him. Cayden, how fast can you get an invitation out for a party that Jace won't see?"

"Give me an hour."

It was approaching seven, and people were starting to come in. I set up a bunch of jell-o shots and normal shots, and there were tons of bowls around the house with jungle juice and sparkling Pink Whitney.

I'm dressed in a crochet crop top and skirt with a very sexy striped bathing suit from Frankie's Bikinis that had metal hearts located in various areas of the bikini.

"This is fucking sick. Oh my God, Jace doesn't know about this, does he?" Lyn asks.

"It's what he gets for directly speaking about me in a song about sex," I say, biting my lip.

"Oh yeah. I try not to listen to that song..."

I take two jell-o shots with Lyn to get myself slightly intoxicated. I also grab a cup of jungle juice to slowly get drunk. I walk around and talk to the girls and not the men because the first guy I let in asked me if I scratch.

I walk out to the pool seeing a bunch of people making out and shotgunning White Claws.

"I will never understand why people like White Claws. It's alcoholic LaCroix," I say, taking my clothes off.

After not hearing an answer from Lyn, I turn around to her. She was staring at my body with her mouth open. I tighten my lips trying not to laugh.

"Yo, you're the chick from the song!" some guy says.

"Uh, yeah. I guess," I reply in a disgusted stare.

"Sheesh! I get it now," he says before walking off.

"Men are pigs," I say to Lyn.

"Except for Brent!" Brent yells behind me, causing me to spill some of my drink on me.

"What the fuck?" I yell.

"So, a waning crest?" Brent laughs.

"Shut up! This is embarrassing."

That's when the party really started.

I walk to the garage with a cigarette lighting it up. I was the only one with the code to get into the garage, so it was just me. The garage door started going up, blinding me with the LED lights of a Lambo as I took a drag.

"What the fuck is going on?" Jace asks with rage in his eyes.

"Surprise! Happy album release! You know, my favorite song has to be... oh yeah the song that references me having an orgasm!"

"You gave permission!"

"I didn't say to sing about me!"

"I didn't think people would get it. I thought they would think about the dress."

"On your pillow?"

"Yeah... You look-"

"Hot. I know," I say with a surge of confidence.

Jace comes closer, putting his hands on my hips. I slowly push them away still staring in his eyes. His hands go to my butt as they reach again.

"You think you can get me back that easy?" I ask. He slowly leans into me.

"I know I can," he whispers in my ear.

I pull my cigarette up to get another hit. I lean in, blowing the smoke into his mouth as he breathed in. I lift the stick up to his lips, letting him take a hit.

He blows his smoke into my mouth. I was already feeling the adrenaline high, continuing with another drag. He took another too before putting it out in an ashtray.

"Fuck," Jace whispers.

"Who's winning now?"

"Me."

Jace kisses me, pushing me against the side of his Tesla Model X. He was in ripped black jeans and a Motley Crüe t shirt as I was just in my bikini. We were making out against the car with no worries about the party in the same house. My fingers go to his belt and push his jeans down. This was going all good when there was a knock on the garage door.

"Is this the bathroom?" a drunk girl says on the other side.

"We should get in there," I say.

"Look at me," Jace commands.

"Ok?"

"You are gonna be so fucking sore tonight. Don't throw a party at my house without telling me," he says through clenched teeth and a hand on my bicep.

"Sure," I whisper, having no breath left in my body.

Jace puts his arm around my waist, leading me to the door. Instead of opening it, he pushed me against the door.

"Stop doing that," I whine.

"No, makes you suffer a little."

Jace puts me back down ready to open the door. When he opens the door, he sees how many people are at the house. I didn't really care if he was mad anyways.

I leaned up against Jace as I stumble through the house like I would even if I was sober. The muffled cheers sounded around the room, congratulating Jace.

"Jace," I say up to him.

"Yeah?" he asks.

"Would you like someone to accompany you to change into a bathing suit?" I ask, grabbing a jell-o shot.

"Let me get a few of these in."

He takes a few jell-o shots and chugs a cup of jungle juice. Jace leads me up his stairs and to his bedroom, which I had to unlock since I locked all the doors but the bathrooms.

"Hurry," Jace whispers against my neck starting to suck on it.

"I'm trying."

I open the door, locking it behind us. Jace pushes me against the door again, putting his hand down my swimsuit bottoms.

I clasp onto his back, biting my lip to prevent moaning. His hand starts moving faster, hitting both good spots.

"Jace, you better stop if we are- Jesus!"

He pulls his hand away, leaving me breathing hard against his neck. I bite down on it while sucking for a second before taking off his pants.

I slowly kneel down in front of him, pulling his red plaid boxer with me. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'll see.

Soon, Jace's hands were tangled in my hair. I feel like I'm doing this wrong but the tightening grip tells me otherwise.

Jace pulls me up by my hair and drags me to the bed. I didn't think I'd be into this but my body was fluttering. Jace lays down, getting ready to get on top of me, but instead, I get on top.

"Stellina," Jace groans.

I roll a condom onto his dick, then going up to kiss his lips. I slowly sank down on his dick, moaning out. Jace covers my mouth from my loudness.

I collapse next to Jace with my legs literally shaking. The bed was shaking from my legs, and my head was spinning.

"Now, are you sore, stellina?" I glare over at him.

"What does stellina even mean?"

"Starlet."

"Starlet?"

"Yeah, one day you're going to be a star."

I smile at him, kissing his lips. I stand up, but my legs were like jelly, so I had to hold on to a dresser. I walk into Jace's closet, and my jaw drops. Jace's collection of clothes and shoes is ridiculous.

"You have way more money than I thought you had..."

Jace comes up behind me, stroking my hair. He grabs a Versace t-shirt, throwing it at me. I'm still in my swim suit, but the shirt adds extra coverage.

We go back downstairs, realizing the party is getting way more intense. A bunch of famous Youtubers were here, probably heard from a friend of a friend that there was a party at Jace's house.

I start drinking more as I chat with random people. I introduce myself to everyone as Lora's sister since it's better than the girl in the song.

I was drunk by eleven, dancing and singing on a table with Lyn. Karaoke is always my favorite party addition.

"I don't know if I could ever go without!" Lyn and I sing.

"Watermelon sugar high! Watermelon sugar high! Watermelon sugar high! Watermelon sugar high!" the whole room erupts.

"I just wanna taste it," I sing.

"I just wanna taste it," Lyn sings.

I get pulled off the table by someone, falling on my side. I look up and see a girl grab my hair. Oh, she messed with the wrong bitch.

I punched her in the face, hearing a crack sound.

"Never go for the fucking hair!" I yell, punching her in the face.

"That's it! Everybody out!" Jace yells, pulling me away from the girl.

"You're an asshole, Jace," the blonde girl with a spray tan says through her hand covering her nose and mouth.

Everyone exits until it was just Jace, Lyn, Brent, and I. Even Cayden and the rest of the boys left.

"So who was that?" I ask, fixing my hair.

"Some girl who wanted to date me this school year. She sucked me off, and then, I never talked to her again."

"That was brutally honest," Lyn laughs.

"I'm not going to lie to Maxie. Did she hurt you?"

"Nah, I beat the shit out of her, didn't you see?"

"You had a really fast reaction," Brent says.

"Yeah, I used to take kickboxing classes back in Georgia."

"Sheesh. Remind me to never fight you."

"I'm also very drunk, so I'm not quite sure how I did that..."

"Let's get you to bed, Stellina. You two, here's the keys, so choose a bedroom and unlock it. I'll see you in the morning."

I take one more jell-o shot as Jace pulls me up the stairs.

I fall on the bed in the Versace shirt and bathing suit. I try to get up, but it doesn't work as my head falls back on the pillow. Jace laughs at me as I keep lifting my head.

"It's not funny!" I yell, throwing a pillow at him.

"It is though," he laughs, kissing my forehead.

Well shit. This one is going to hurt.

I smile at him, turning into the pillow. My face drops once it's engulfed by the pillow.  Yeah, he's definitely going to break my heart.

"Stellina, I put boxers on the nightstand next to you," Jace whispers next to me.

"Ok..." I reply.

I got up and went to the bathroom to change. I look in the mirror, seeing a hickey on my chest. I rolled my eyes and put on the Versace shirt and look at the boxers. My vision is a little bit blurry, but I'm pretty sure these are Versace boxers.

I check the tag looking on the inside since the print is blurry to me. Yup, this is the Medusa Versace boxers.

"Jace! Are you kidding?" I yell with the silk boxers on.

"What? Oh yeah, I got those from a photoshoot," he says casually.

"These boxers are probably more than my bank account."

"They're only 575 dollars..."

"Only? I must be broke as hell."

I fall into the bed, getting under the covers. I keep rolling around the bed, trying to get comfortable. I was making the most annoying noises possible.

"What the fuck are you on?" Jace asks.

"Nicotine, alcohol, and adderall," I answer.

"Uh, I don't think- Is that allowed?"

"Does it look like I care? I'm not letting my ADHD get in the way of me partying."

"Touché..."

My final comfortable position was laying my leg across Jace's stomach. I heard him chuckle as he laid an arm around my shoulder to my back.

A few days passed after the party when Lora sat me down. This talk wasn't one I expected.

"Mom and Dad were in some sketchy shit. They never told us, and I would like to keep it that way with Tyler. He can't know about any of what I'm about to say," Lora says.

"Ok, carry on. I won't tell a soul," I whisper.

"Mom and Dad used to be apart of a gang in New York. It wasn't a big one, but Mom and Dad left, which is treason. The police knew about it since Mom had a criminal record on possession of weed, but it was cleared since she was young. Claudia's parents were apart of a protection service that ended up helping Mom and Dad stay undercover, so when-"

"Claudia moved away, they became a vulnerable target?" I ask with tears in my eyes.

"Yeah..."

"Thank you for telling me."

I got up from the chair, turning away.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I was just informed when I figured out they passed."

I nod instead of speaking,

"I'm going to hit the gym," I simply state.

I got into black biker shorts and a sports bra, grabbing my airpods and water bottle. My phone was already in the side pocket of my shorts as I went downstairs to get preworkout.

Mackfit was a popular gym since so many celebrities go, but that also makes it safer. I had already gotten a personal trainer to help me before with proper positions for lifting, so I now knew how to properly lift.

I'm going to kill those sons of bitches.

After 30 minutes of lifting, I moved on to a 15 minute run on the treadmill. I was exhausted, but I still kept pushing by taking a water break then going back to running another 15.

"Maxie, don't kill yourself," Warren says.

"Well, I was doing just fine until you got here," I laugh, wiping sweat off with a towel.

"What are you training for?"

My eyes went dark in the mirror.

"Nothing. Just in case I need to haul your dead body," I smirk, playing off my change of expression.

I had taken a shower and dressed in a cream criss cross halter top with a pair of green pants. I was invited to a small modeling event, so I tried to look good. I'm not sure if it's good enough though, but it's not like I've modeled before.

I had put a green Coach purse that was a perfect color match with the light matcha green colored pants I wore. Hopefully, this works out. I try to have a sense of style, but I'm bad at keeping up with what's in and what's out.

I walked into the lobby of the hotel after showing my ID to the guards. I saw a bunch of famous models and singers clumped together around the room talking. I straightened my outfit after seeing Bella Hadid and trying to act natural.

"Oh, you're Maxie, right?" Yolanda Rocket asks.

I recognize her from pictures with my sister, and I know they're friends.

"Oh thank God I recognize one of my sister's friends. Yes! I'm Maxie," I say, holding my hand out.

"Yolanda, but you can call me Yo," she says, pulling me into a hug.

"I'm so nervous for no reason."

"Just relax. Here's some champagne."

She passes me the thin glass from a tray. I sip it, not knowing how to properly drink from it. I smile awkwardly taking my seat in the venue, which was away from any actual models.

I got about halfway through the show before I made an excuse to leave. I called Jace, biting my lip in anxiety.

"Hey," I softly say.

"Hey!" he says with some enthusiasm.

"Can you come pick me up? I'm in the arts district of LA. I'm by Hera's Tattoo Shop."

"How'd you get there?"

"Invited to something."

"You can't just leave an LA party."

"Good thing it's just a fashion show."

"That's also bad. Did you at least get a goody bag?"

"Of course I did."

"I'll see you. Also do you want to go on a date tonight?"

I stop for a second confused.

"Uh sure?"

"Ok, I'll meet you. Nobu at 8."

"Cool."

I hung up, waiting. He pulls up in his Tesla a couple minutes later, startling me from how fast he got there.

"You ok?" he asks.

"Yeah, I was just feeling anxious in there."

"So, do you still want to go on the date? You didn't sound too sure."

"Yes, I want to go. It was just random, I guess."

I see flashes in my peripheral vision and realize cameras are on us. I hide my face with a bucket hat that was in the gift bag from the show.

"Do you have to deal with this all the time?" I ask in annoyance.

"Not all, but most, yes."

We drive fast back to Lora's house, which Jace drops me off saying he had business to attend to.

"Jace asked me on a date," I tell Lora.

"Where?"

"Nobu."

"Oh, so he basically wants to go public."

"What? No way."

"That's where everyone goes to come out as a couple like Megan Fox and Colson Baker plus a bunch of other celebs. Remember that time Kim and Pete dated: Nobu."

"I don't think we are anything serious."

"Have fun anyways. Be sure to choose out one of the dresses I bought you today that are on your bed."

"Stop buying me stuff."

"Then go cash out this paycheck."

"What paycheck?"

"The one from being on Chasing Sonora."

"I wasn't getting paid though."

"Well you did, and it's a hot check."

I look at the four digit number with wide eyes.

"This is more than what I ever made at that shitty little coffee shop back home."

"I know. Have fun and don't spend it all."

I watched some movies while I picked out a dress and makeup. I settle for a black sequin halter neckline dress and a smokey eye with red lips. My shoes were the same colors as my lips and were chunky.

By the time I was finished getting ready, it was 7:40. I borrowed Lora's red 1969 Mercedes 280SL to go to Nobu and ended up paying valet.

"Table for two please. Under Jace."

"Yes! I'll have you seated in one moment."

I was walked back to a corner table of the restaurant and sat in the left chair.

"A drink to start? Sake?"

"Yes please."

"No problem."

I sit patiently for a few minutes. I started getting the jitters waiting for him. A few minutes turned into thirty, which turned into two hours.

My eyes started to well up as the owner of the store informed me that they would be closing soon.

I left fourty dollars on the table, leaving hungry and feeling bad they had to deal with me for the night.

I was sober enough to drive, but I was informed that valet had already closed, and I will be able to pick up the car at six the next day.

I walk and walk until I end up at a bar and restaurant called The Belmont. I don't know what I'm thinking at this point, in shock of being stood up by my own neighbor.

I drank some drink a guy bought me and a drink that a girl bought me until I was left with a mojito, sipping in a blank stare.

"And why would a famous lady like you be here alone?" the female bartender asks.

"I'm not famous. My sister is, and I got stood up. Now, I'm just drinking away the pleasure I had three hours ago."

"Technically, I should call the cops on underage drinking, but I hate the police anyways."

I smile at her with the straw in my mouth. Her hair was in a mullet with pink and blue in it. She had a septum ring and a small stud on the side.

"Maxie."

"Aster."

I held my hand out, taking hers.

"I need to call an Uber, but I don't want to go home."

"I can drive you home. My shifts ends in 30 minutes."

"That's too much to ask."

"No really. It's fine."

I finish the last sip of my mojito, letting Aster take me through the back door.

The alcohol in my system was making me think irrationally. I really wanted to kiss her, but I knew she was at least two years older than me, which would make her legally an adult.

I did anyway. I kissed her against the brick wall of the building. She kissed me back, entangling her hands in my hair.

"What if I just go home with you?" I ask.

"I can't. I just can't. I'm eighteen and you are sixteen, which is illegal in California."

"Who is going to find out anyways?"

Her piercing blue eyes met mine.

"Get in the car."

We go to her apartment in downtown LA.

"I worked my ass off for this place. My parents weren't exactly accepting of having "she/they" pronouns and also being a lesbian."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. My parents were accepting of my bisexuality, not caring who I dated."

"I wish."

Aster kissed me, pulling me onto her bed. I unzipped my dress, letting my almost bare body be freed from the bodycon dress.

Aster takes off their black work t-shirt, throwing it somewhere out of vision. I start unbuttoning her jeans as we make out. We were both naked not too long after.

She throws me back onto the bed, short nails lightly clawing my skin. I lay back and smile out in pleasure as they added more pressure.

I wake up the next morning with the sun in my eyes. I slowly grab my dress, slipping it back on. I walk out barefoot with heels in one hand and phone in another.

"Hey, Lora?"

"You didn't come home, so I thought you were at Jace's, but Jace also didn't come home last night. I thought you were dead, Maxie. You can't do that to me."

"Uh, can you pick me up? I walked to Sunset Boulevard by the Roxy."

"How the fuck did you get to the Roxy?"

"I don't want to talk about it. I just want to go home and take a shower."

"I'll be there in ten. Do not talk to anyone."

"I won't."

Ten minutes later, I see the four door black Jeep she sometimes drives.

"I do not want to talk about it."

"You smell like sex."

"Because I did."

"Did Jace get a hotel?"

"No. He never showed up. It was in fact not a man."

"He never showed up?"

"Yep, and he didn't bother to text me yesterday or early this morning."

"What the fuck is he up to? That's beyond a dick move."

"I know, but hey, at least someone took care of me yesterday."

"Was she pretty?"

"Very. Better than the people back home."

"I say you ignore Jace until he apologizes. That was so shit of him."

"I was planning to anyway because each time I think of it I want to cry. It's like his stupid little song and writing sessions with me just went down the drain. Maybe he just forgot, but I highly doubt it."

"Dude, you are on the snapchat news headlines," Tyler says when I walk in.

"What do you mean?"

"Latham sister sits alone waiting for beau, Jace Cordova, who never showed up."

"I'm mortified by it all. He couldn't even let me know he wasn't going to make it. I embarrassingly sat there, just crowd gazing. Nothing. No one I recognized either."

I walk back upstairs, starting the shower. I strip from the dress and grab makeup remover starting to uncover the inflamed skin from slept on makeup.

I hop in the shower, using a sugar scrub and scented body wash for my recovery. I throw my hair up in a bun when I get out changing into some low waisted ripped shorts and Deadly Doll baby tee.

I make avocado toast absentmindedly, eating it while staring off into space. I lay on the couch, watching Black Widow on Disney+.

The bell rang at the door, rapidly.

"Damn, shut the fuck up. I'm coming!" I yell in annoyance.

I ran to the door, looking through the peephole.

"Oh my God!"

I open the door to Jace being carried in by Peter and Kalin. Warren trailed behind. He was covered in blood. He had a split lip, his eye was swollen shut, and blood ran from an unknown source. He honestly looked awful.

"What the fuck!" I yell in shock.

"This idiot decided to piss a guy off at a party," Peter says.

"Wait, that's what I got stood up for? A stupid house party?!"

"No, Maxie. It wasn't a house party. It happened to be a party of MMA fighters, and it was supposed to be a quick stop before I went to Nobu," Jace whispers, ashamed.

"I have never been so embarrassed in my entire fucking life! Ok? I can't just forgive you, even if it was an accident. I have to deal with your stupidity. Oh, and I fucked a girl last night too."

I walk away from the couch to get a pineapple coconut drink from the kitchen. I stayed there, trying not to cry, but ultimately failing after I started aggressively shaking.

I grabbed a glass cup from the freezer, pouring my juice into it. I grab a glass straw to accompany my drink. I grabbed some Malibu from Lora's bar, adding about two shots to the drink.

"Did you really fuck a girl last night?" Kalin asks me.

"Yeah. Better company than the forty dollars in sake I drank at Nobu," I remark.

"I wasn't asking in a homophobic way. I can't say much, but Jace really would have been there if he could have. There was some kind of movie or show deal he needed to work out with one of the fighters and that fighter happened to think Jace was fucking with him."

"It doesn't eliminate my feelings in the situation. He could have texted anything. I was less scared of being stood up and more scared that it was a prank that he asked me out. Even thought about the fact that maybe something really bad happened to him. He needs about an ice pack, some hydrogen peroxide, and Neosporin filled bandaids."

"Can you please help him? We always fuck around when we clean his wounds."

"Does this happen often?"

I saw an emotion I had known well flash across his face. Panic, guilt and about to tell a lie that would make sense since the truth is no better.

"Yes and no. Not in the same sense. Just him pissing people off along the way."

I nod, not wanting to have anything else that could make me explode.

I walked over to Jace's half stabilized body.

"Bathroom," I simply say, hand out.

He takes my hand, giving a pained smile. I tug him behind me as I made my way to the first level bathroom, drink in the other hand. He opens the door since the drink was in my hand.

I push him onto the toilet seat, taking a sip of the drink. I grab the first aid kit from under the sink. I grab a couple bandaids, Neosporin, and some hydrogen peroxide.

"You're a fucking idiot," I softly say, putting a hydrogen peroxide infused cotton ball on his lip.

"Fuck! Ow. I know," he says lowly.

"I looked like a bigger idiot."

I started cleaning the gash from under his eyebrow, which he probably got from the punch that gave him a black eye.

"I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, you better fucking be."

I move the cotton ball to the dried blood drippings, finding the source at his hairline. I hear him wince and suck air through his teeth sharply.

"Is there anyway I can make this up to you?"

"Let me be."

"I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because I actually really like you."

I stopped moving my hands, looking in his eyes. I saw true sincerity.

This was the moment I knew I had fallen for him.

"Fuck you."

I started putting neosporin and bandaids on him. I made sure they perfectly covered all the cuts on his face.

"Wait, what?"

"It's an endearment thing. It means I believe you."

"Well, I was going to make it official last night, so can I do it here?"

"Fuck no. Not in a bathroom. Maybe the pool."

I was being very suggestive when I said the pool. He caught on, smirking with an eyebrow raised.

"Ok, Miss Georgia. I broke you."

"Yeah, but I kind of like it."

"So, all is forgiven?"

"Mostly. I cannot deal with the walk of shame plastered all over Snapchat, but that's ok."

"Well, we can make it official on social media."

"Yeah, and I'm gonna marry Pete Davidson. We don't even have good photos of us."

"We have two very good photos."

He whips his phone out to show me a photo I was unaware was taken of me playing guitar in his lap. He flips to another one of us kissing in the kitchen from the party.

"I didn't know those existed."

"Because I'm selfish."

He posts the photos with "me and stellina" as the caption. I smile lightly at him, digging my head into his chest.

My heart's gonna be sore after him.