Desiree's Star

This is my first shot at writing, so please feel free to leave comments and let me know what you think.

Thanks.

~*~

Chapter 1

"Ma, I'll be right back!" Desiree yelled into the kitchen as she grabbed her keys off the hallway table.

"Where are you going?" Her mother emerged from the kitchen wiping her hands on the dishtowel. "You're not leaving like that are you?" her mother said with a sigh.

Desiree glared at her mother. "There is nothing wrong with sweatpants and a t-shirt."

"You look like a slob. You will never find a boyfriend in those clothes. You could be such a pretty girl if you just dressed right."

"Maybe its not a boyfriend I want." Desiree smiled at the shocked look on her mother's face. "Bye mom."

Desiree shut the door before her mother had a chance to respond. She knew that pretending she wanted to be a lesbian would get her mother to leave her alone. Her older sister is a lesbian, and it drove her mother insane although she couldn't care either way.

As Desiree started her pickup truck, which was another sore spot with her mother, she glanced in the mirror. She hated using makeup, and didn't feel there was a reason to. Why put on a fake face and then have to worry if someone will like the real one? She shrugged it off and took of for the store.

Desiree should have known that for a Friday night, the local electronics store would be busy. She walked to the DVD section, started at the A's and already found a movie she liked.

"That's a great movie." Desiree didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Shouldn't you be stalking someone who likes you Gabriel?"

He chuckled. "C'mon Dee, we all know you've got the hots of me."

"Whose we?" Still not turning around, Desiree kept scanning the shelves.

"Your brother for one. He tells me all the time how much you talk about me when I'm not around." She felt him, brush up against her from behind. Her insides tightened and her breath caught in her throat.

"That's usually because I want you to drop dead. Where's your newest pop-tart Gabe? Skills gettin' rusty?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"I'm lookin' at her."

"Nice try. But I make a habit of not sleeping with animals."

"Don't flatter yourself Dee. I don't want you. I'm talking about Amanda." Desiree whipped around. "Amanda Desiree, Desiree Amanda. Desiree here is my best friend's kid sister." Gabriel smiled at the shocked look on Desiree's face. Finally he had gotten some rise out of her. It was starting to get easier and easier,

"Where's her makeup?" Amanda said to Gabriel as if Desiree wouldn't hear it. Desiree took in Amanda's looks. Short with huge fake boobs a small waist and ice blue contacts. She looked just like all of Gabriel's other girlfriends - even down to the bottle blond hair. The complete opposite of herself.

"Oh no, I think there is something on your face." Desiree said in a mock concern to Amanda, making her panic. "Oh. Nope. My mistake, but I think these hot lights are getting to you. Your face is starting to melt." Desiree smiled at the shocked look on Amanda's face, and the amused smile Gabriel had.

Desiree put down her movie and left the store. So much for movie night.

~*~*~

Desiree parked her truck next to her brother's in their parents drive way and hopped out. She took a deep breath knowing Scott was going to be pissed at her for not getting a movie, and she didn't think he'd be sympathetic at all towards her meeting with Gabriel in the store.

Gabriel and Scott had been friends since middle school and not much had ever come between them. They fought like all friends do, but always made up knowing they were the best of friends and near nothing would change that. Gabriel and Desiree on the other hand were a totally different story. She thought he was arrogant and pompous and he knew she was obnoxious and intolerable. For Scott's sake, they tolerated each other in his presence.

Desiree dropped her bag and keys on the foyer table and walked into the living room. "Ok, before you get mad -", the look on Scott's face made her stop. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Scott didn't look up. His face was pale his clothes were wrinkled and he smelled like stale beer.

"What the hell could have happened to you in the 9 hours since I last talked to you?"

"Candy broke up with me. She told me that I'm a loser and I'm terrible in bed." Scott had no problem being frank with Desiree knowing she would always tell him the truth if he asked for it. "She's been fucking some guy she works with for the past two months. She thought now would be the best time to tell me since she's moving in with him. Wasn't that nice of her?" Desiree caught the sarcasm in Scott's voice and couldn't help but smile. She and him were so much alike now that there were older and they let the 5-year age difference between them go.

"Well I'm not sure what you expected from a girl named Candy, Scott. I mean really..." She walked over to the couch were her brother sat and plopped down next to him. She'd never seen him like this. He was always the strong, tough one out of all her brothers and sisters. He never let anything faze him - he was her protector, and now she felt weird having to comfort him.

"I know. It's just that now that I'm 25, I was thinking about the future and stuff. She was the one. She was the one I was prepared to spend the rest of my life with."

"Did you tell her that?"

"Yea, and you know what she did?" Desiree shook her head. "She laughed at me and shut the door in my face."

"Well you seriously can't be worried that you will never find another girl. I mean my friends would give their first-born child to spend one night with you Scott. You have an amazing body, your funny, a little shy but then again so am I, but you are wonderful. And you are certainly not a loser. She was a whore anyway. Candy is a stripper name. I wouldn't want my children asking me 'where aunt Candy went'." Scott laughed.

Desiree studied her brother for the first time since she was little and noticed things had changed. A lot. He was about 6'3 with shaggy brown hair and bright hazel eyes. He was a tall guy that prided himself on his body and looks, and all his work in the gym definitely paid off. He had the body of a god and all her friends knew it.

Scott smiled at his little sister. He almost felt bad that he used to torture her with Gabe when they were little. He sighed and laid his head on the back of the couch and let out a frustrated sigh.

"Whatever, I'm over it. Where is the movie?" Desiree knew he wasn't over it, but he would be.

"Well, don't be mad at me but I didn't get it." Desiree kept talking before he could ask her why. "I was in the store looking and then Gabe came up behind me and made me so mad that I said fuck the movie and left." Scott smiled like he knew something she didn't. "What?" she asking innocently.

"Don't you think you are too old for this crap now? You just turned 20 like a month ago."

"Me? Me? It's him. He's always making fun of me and he's just an asshole. Isn't that enough? It's always been him - you just don't wanna admit it because he's your pal."

"No, I think it's both of you. You should get over yourselves - both of you. I'm more pissed that you didn't get the movie. It's been our thing every Friday night to watch a movie together since I can remember and he made you mad enough to say fuck it."

Desiree lowered her gaze. "We have movies here."

"Not the point Dessie." Scott only used that nickname when he was either very happy or very mad at her. She guessed it was the latter.

"I can go back."

"No, don't bother I don't feel like watching a movie anyway. I'd probably just end up thinking about Candy anyhow." Desiree punched him in the arm.

"You are such a fucking asshole. You made me upset for no reason."

"You deserved it," Scott said rubbing him arm. "Anyway, there's a bonfire tonight that I really wanted to go to. You up for it?"

Desiree said yes. Scott looked at his watch and told her to go get ready. He got up off the couch and punched her hard in the arm and ducked her swing before running to his old room to change.

"You're lucky you don't live here anymore asshole!" she shouted towards his room.

"Don't use that fucking language in my house!" Way to set an example mom. Desiree got off the couch and headed for her room.

~*~*~

"Are you wearing makeup?" Scott asked sounding astounded. Desiree only wore make up twice in her life - her senior prom and her graduation.

Desiree shut the door to Scott's truck. "Its just mascara and lip gloss. Not that big of a deal."

"Whatever." Scott started the car trying to think of reasons Desiree would put on makeup to go to a bonfire. It was already 9:23 and it was already pretty dark outside.

"Whose gonna be there?"

"You know, the old crew, Brooks is back from the Marines and Andy is home from Cali. And I think Gabe is bringing his new girlfriend." Scott laughed to himself before adding, "I think they met in a strip club."

Desiree entire body tensed. "Why didn't you tell me he was gonna be there?" Scott answered the way she knew he would.

"Because you know he goes where I go, and I go where he goes. Try to be civil - for my sake. I can't deal with the Candy thing and you guys fighting tonight." Desiree shrugged and said she couldn't make any promises.

Desiree followed her brother up the winding trail into the very dark woods toward the bonfire. At the top of the trail, it veered off the right and then the left. If you weren't careful you'd miss it and spend the next half hour looking for a way out. She pulled the sleeves of her zip-hoodie tighter around her hands and she felt the breeze move through the trees. The smell of burning wood was getting closer.

Scott stepped first out into the clearing where the bonfire was and Desiree followed suddenly remembering that she was probably going to be the youngest one there. Although she never had any problems with any of Scott's other friends, she still felt a little nervous until she spotted the beer.

Desiree stepped away from Scott, as he was already engrossed in a conversation with someone. She wandered around the fire chatting and saying hi to people she hadn't seen in a while. With her away at school most of the year, she missed a lot. She made her way to the keg and grabbed a cup. She looked around and spotted her brother talking to a tall brunette and smiled. Now he was over Candy.

Time flew as Desiree drank and laughed, looked at the stars and talked about old times. She plopped down on the ground facing the small lake that was enclosed by the woods. She sat staring at the dark water watching as the wind made its ripples on the surface. She glanced at the moon thinking it seemed so large, and so bright.

She wasn't sure what time it was but she knew it was late and the beer was really taking its toll. She felt hot. Way too hot for the chilly night. Desiree unzipped her sweater and slid it from her shoulders and lay back in the grass. She wasn't sure how long she had been lying there but the stars had her hypnotized until something blocked her view.

"Donnie?" she said sitting up spilling beer on her wife beater. "Donnie Matthews is that you?"

"It sure is Desiree. How are you? It's been forever." Desiree stood and wrapped her arms around the tall man she hadn't laid eyes on in 4 years.

"I'm great, just home visitin my folks, how are you?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. School is good and everything is good." Desiree knew she was starting to babble and tried to stop herself. She also couldn't help but notice that Donnie wouldn't stop looking at her chest. And why not? She thought. I'm hot. Thinking back on the conversation she had earlier with Gabe, she put on a little show for Donnie. She drew her hand down the slope of her neck fiddling with her necklace knowing his gaze would be drawn to the tops of her breasts.

"So I heard you had a crush on me back in high school." They must have been talking for a while because now they were both lying in the grass looking up at the stars.

"Haha, yea I did. I had a big crush on you. I thought you were the hottest guy." There she was babbling again.

"Why didn't you ever say anything? I was friends with your brother, I was over your house all the time."

"Because you were a senior and I was a freshman. What was supposed to happen?" Desiree wasn't prepared for his reaction.

"This." In an instant he was on top of her in the grass crushing his lips to hers. Surprised and drunk, she didn't think fast enough to fight back and he took that as a sign to kiss her harder.

"Stop," she finally managed to get out. "Stop Donnie! I can't breathe," she gasped in between trying to fight for air.

"Shut up. You've been asking for this all night. The way you were lookin at me, and lettin your tits hang out. Just enjoy it baby."

He forced his mouth to hers as she struggled to get her hands in between them. He pushed against her lips so hard her teeth cut into her lips, and now he was trying to force his tongue into her mouth. His hands clawed at her flimsy wife beater. Desiree no longer felt warm and cozy, but cold and damp. She could feel the sweat starting to bead on her forehead as she tried in vain to get Donnie off of her.

When she gasped for air again he jabbed his tongue into her mouth and she bit down. He yelled, and raised his fist. Desiree yelped and closed her eyes trying to cover her face as she waited for the blow.

~*~

Gabriel had been talking to Scott when he saw Donnie go over to Desiree and start talking. He hated the guy when they were in high school and he hated him now. Gabriel had seen when Donnie moved on top of Desiree and as much as he hated to admit it, it didn't look like Desiree was objecting.

"Donnie is over there mauling your sister." He said to Scott. Suddenly Gabe wasn't worried about Amanda. He wasn't even sure where she was.

"She's a big girl. She can almost take me. Besides, that's probably what she wanted. She's wanted him since the 6th grade." Scott turned around to finish his conversation with the others he was talking with, but Gabe couldn't take his eyes off Desiree and Donnie.

Now it looked like she was struggling a little, but maybe she likes it rough Gabriel thought to himself. He felt a stirring in his groin at the thought of her under him telling him how she wanted it. But he knew something was wrong when Desiree yelped and Donnie raised his fist. Gabriel didn't even remember rushing over there.

Desiree felt the punch that Donnie had landed on the side of her face but thought it hurt much less than it should have. Almost as if someone had pulled him away as he was striking her. Then she realized the weight of his body wasn't on her anymore. She uncovered her face to see Gabriel in a blind rage kicking the shit out of Donnie's ribs. Gabriel picked Donnie up off the ground, marched him to the lake and tossed him in.

"That should cool you off fucker. You touch her again and I will kill you. Do you understand me?" Gabriel spat the words with such venom that Desiree didn't doubt he would do it. Gabriel didn't wait for an answer and he marched back to Desiree.

"Are you okay?" he asked in the tenderest voice she had ever heard him use with her. She could only nod still amazed that Gabe was strong enough to pick up another grown man almost his own size. "What the fuck were you doin' with that asshole?" his tone immediately changing to one of rage. Desiree couldn't look him in the eye, and they had already drawn a crowd.

"Don't yell at her Gabe." Suddenly Scott was at her side helping her up. Gabe and Scott turned as they heard Donnie getting out of the water. Scott waited until Donnie thought no one was paying him attention before he jumped on him. Bruising his face and bloodying his nose. He knocked him down and kicked him in his already sore ribs. "Touch her again and I'll rip your fuckin' dick off."

"C'mon Dessie, I think its time to go." Scott pulled Desiree's ripped shirt tighter around her and drew her closer to him. He could feel her shivering as he walked her through the crowd and back down the winding trail to his car leaving Gabe staring after them with his hands jammed in his pockets.

"I'm sorry Desiree. I should have been paying more attention."

"It's not your fault," she whispered into her brother's shirt. Scott was almost positive he could feel her tears soaking through the fabric of his shirt and he hugged her tighter.

What a day this turned out to be Desiree thought as he cupped the side of her quickly bruising face.