An Angel and a Demon

I can't breathe in this house, feeling as if I never have a moment to myself. There are always eyes on me. I can't go anywhere without a bodyguard, or "chaperone" as my mother says. Everyone knows who I am and honestly, I don't give a shit. I really don't give a shit.

"Valery! I am not calling anymore, if you do not come out of your room I will have Will knock down this door and drag you to the cinema! You better be dressed and if you aren't wearing what the stylist set out then you are going to ruin my entire premiere!"

I rolled my eyes in response to my mother's habitual shriek. Everyone knew my mother and father. My mother was a rising actress in the TV drama world, the kind of shit that midlife crisis women watch at two PM on Oxygen while they stuff their faces with rice cakes and diet coke. She recently got a role as a supporting actress in some new movie that I had never heard of and had no interest in because it was a shitty mid budget film that wouldn't ever be talked about except by two bored office workers comparing the shitty films that their wives dragged them to.

She already knew that I wouldn't be wearing the ruffled party dress in blush with matching heels one of her stylists set out for me, or carry the clutch and whatever else accessories laid out. I smirked as I walked to my closet and removed the tight, corset fronted black dress with white lace skirt. I pulled off my oversized Fit for Rivals tee shirt and kicked it over to my pile next to the hamper. It pissed me of when they all called me Valery. That might be my first name but I love my middle name, Elvira. It's weird and different. I stepped into the dress and pulled it up to my bust and grabbing the white ribbon and pulling the front corset tight. My feet slid into the black heels and strutted to the door, smirking at my bodyguard William who must have been trying to pick my bedroom lock again.

William's forehead wrinkles were beginning to show under his neatly combed hair. "You know next time I will just remove the lock on the door or the entire door, right? Your mother's going to have my head thanks to you. You and your sisters are already fifteen minutes behind schedule. Now, would you please?" he asked with a motion of his hand to the stairs.

I walked down the stairs, my heels clacking against the hard wood. My sisters Clair and Madilyn stood with their arms crossed by the front door. Clair, with her long blonde hair and hot pink tea dress, glared up at me, creasing the edges of her mouth, “Mother is going to be very upset.”

“Like I care,” I laughed. I walked out to the Cadillac Escalade that was prepared for us and climbed in.

The driver glanced at his watch as Madilyn closed the last door, “Your father is surely going to fire me.”

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, my dad is the governor of Nevada. He is also hoping to run in the next presidential election as the Republican Party candidate. I almost laughed at the thought of my dad running the country. He couldn't even run his own home. Both of my sisters were a parent’s wet dream. Clair and Madilyn were one year apart, both attending Harvard during the school year, but were currently on winter break. Both were going to graduate early with honors. Clair was going to be an oncologist and Madilyn was going to be a lawyer. Me? I was failing out my first year of community college. My parents paid off the school to put me as passed for my first semester. They could have bought be into any university they wanted, but they even knew that was a waste of my dad’s campaign money. I didn't know what the hell I was even supposed to be lying that I was studying. I think my mom claimed I was going to be an English major. As if, I can’t write for shit. I really wanted to be a tattoo artist or something like that. Something simple and satisfying. I already had two tattoos. I had a tattoo of the misfits logo on my foot and another of the Alkaline Trio heart with the skull in it on the other foot. I was supposed to always keep them covered, not today.

We pulled up to the premiere. My sister Clair exited first, smiling brightly as she waved to the photographers. Damn this premiere is a lot bigger than I thought. Madilyn stepped out next and was swarmed with microphones in her face. I almost froze. I didn't like being in front of the paparazzi. I didn't like people like this. The driver shoved me out the door and I stumbled in my heels. Fuck. I was blinded by all the lights. I brushed a loose strand of my straightened red hair back. I just played it cool and walked by all of the reporters. I walked past my sisters who were eagerly answering questions.

My arm was grabbed and an interviewer with a huge camera behind her pulled me toward her. “Valery! I’m here with Valery Dirkson, daughter of Governor Robert Dirkson. Valery, your outfit tonight is very…unladylike, aren't you worried about the negative effects this could bring on your father’s campaign?”

“I…ugh-“

“There’s been speculation about your whereabouts. It’s been reported that you frequently skip your classes and have been seen in some very undesirable areas and with drugs users. Is this true?”

“What? How would you-?” I stammered.

My father appeared next to me, “Those are purely rumors. My daughter doesn't condone any use of drugs, and associates herself with very respectable people. These erroneous accusations are very insulting to my entire family. We would appreciate it if the press would not further these rumors. They are pure false.” He grabbed my wrist so hard and dragged me inside. The moment we were in the safety of the theater he turned on his heel, his face with red and the vein protruded from his neck. “Why in the world could you not follow the simple instructions and wear what your stylist assigned tonight?! You are an embarrassment to this family. It was agreed that you would never speak to the press unless practiced.”

“She dragged me in front of the camera!” I spit back. “Sorry I’m such a fuck up in your life. Should have used a condom dad. I’m such a disgrace to you that maybe I should go kill myself so you don’t have to deal with me again!” I stomped off and found my way to the empty rear of the theater. This place I've snuck off to before because the back of the theater is hot spot for the local rock scene. I made my way to the empty back venue and walked onto the dark stage. I held my head in my hands and screamed at the top of my lungs. It felt good. I pulled out my iphone and dialed my friend Rex. His real name was Robert Alexander Conner. I preferred to call him Rex. Everyone called him Rex. His dad was one of the state representatives. We had met at a state dinner when I bummed a smoke off him when we were both 16.

In ten minutes, his black Porsche pulled up the back door of the venue. The car jumped to life as he slammed his foot in the gas and we made our getaway. I grabbed a cigarette from my bag and took his lighter from the center console. I took a deep drag from the lite and exhaled out the cracked window. “Shit. I needed a cig all day.”

I looked over to see Rex smiling widely. His light brown hair was neatly spiked up, “Hey Vi, I have some better stuff if you want to try it.”

“Fuck yeah, hit me.”

Rex pulled off the road and we pulled up alongside our friends. Most of us were the rejects from “high society” families. He hopped out of the car and shouted, “Who wants a hit?!” The trunk of the Porsche opened and he pulled out one of the five labeled bags of greenery and one of the bongs he always had. Someone turned on their speakers to their car. I took a huge hit right after Rex and felt like I was high as shit. I recognized the song was “Teenagers” by MCR. I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

“They're gonna clean up your looks
With all the lies in the books
To make a citizen out of you
Because they sleep with a gun
And keep an eye on you, son
So they can watch all the things you do

Because the drugs never work
They're gonna give you a smirk
'Cause they got methods of keeping you clean
They're gonna rip up your heads,
Your aspirations to shreds
Another cog in the murder machine

They said all teenagers scare the living shit out of me
They could care less as long as someone'll bleed
So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose
Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me.”

I took another hit as the bong got passed to me. This shit was good and strong. I coughed at the itch in my throat. I felt alive. I felt good for once. I leaned over and rested my head on Rex’s lap. My back was on the still warm pavement. I stared up at Rex’s green eyes and at the stars behind them.

He helped me up to my feet and he turned my back to the Porsche’s hood and leaned in, kissing me deeply. This happened all the time. We can’t find anyone we actually care about so whenever we need physical things we use each other. We aren't fuck buddies though. It’s basically gone to the point but never actually happened. Neither of us felt like we wanted to. I heard someone yell, "Look at Rex and Vi!" I wrapped my arms around him as I laid myself down on the hood of his car. He climbed over me, deepening the kiss and his tongue begged me for entrance. Being high and doing this was always a great distraction.

“SHIT!” someone yelled.

Rex and I glanced around and then we both saw, flashing lights. I shoved him off me and we jumped in the car. I strapped on the racing seat harness. He brought the car to life, tires screeching as we drove off. I glanced over at the speedometer. We were approaching 100 mph. The curve ahead was approaching too fast.

“REX!” I shouted too late.

I didn't even know what happened. I didn't know if it was because I was so high or that weird thing people say where things go slower in dangerous situations. I watched the front end of the Porsche crumple from the impact with the guardrail. I glanced over to see Rex’s face still straight ahead in a futile attempt to still turn the car. I could see the airbag pop out of the steering wheel. I looked forward and the impact of the airbag smashing into me at 90 mph brought everything back to real time. The car rolled over twice and landed on its side. My side.

My chest was heaving. I felt a hand grab mine. “Rex?” I whispered.

“Huh?” he sighed.

“Are you okay?”

“I think so. Are you?” he asked.

I didn't want to move. I looked at the deflating airbag and saw in the moonlight the white bag was stained. “I don’t know, Rex.” I grasped his hand tighter. I could hear the sirens in the distance. They got louder and louder and finally I heard tires screeching to a halt and the blue and red flashing shined into the car. I could hear people shouting.

“Stay still! We have an ambulance and fire rescue on the way!” someone shouted.

I think it was two minutes later I heard more sirens. Thank god for this harness. We were still sideways, but I just rested my head against the frame of the door. The glass didn't shatter on my side. The windshield was broken, but didn't splinter inward. A firefighter broke out the rear window and climbed in to strap a neck brace on both of us. They turned the car right side up. They were able to get Rex out and right onto a stretcher. My door was jammed shut. They had to get out some huge thing with two teeth on it and break open the door. They cut the harness off of me and placed me on a gurney.

I was rushed to the hospital. They gave me an MRI and said I didn’t have a concussion, but might have whiplash. They advised heat, muscle relaxers, and pain medicine. Turns out the blood I saw on the airbag was a result of last night. Last night I had cut myself and the impact broke open the cuts and made them start to bleed again. Some of it was from Rex’s head. The glass shattered on his side and he had to get some stitches in his forehead and arm.

They discharged me and I had to call a taxi to take me home. Rex would have to stay overnight since he had a concussion. I handed the dude a $100 bill and walked to my front door. The guard looked pissed off at me but I was in no mood for this shit. Sure enough my fucking parents were waiting for me. My dad motioned to the empty chair across from my mom and him. I sighed and stood in the doorway.

“We know what happened,” my dad said bluntly. “I can’t believe all the phone calls I’ve received this evening. You are high. You and Robert were indulging in sin, on the hood of his car in a crowded area no less! You ran from the police and wreck a very very very expensive luxury sports car. The paparazzi will go insane with this! Do you know how much trouble you’ve put on me?”

“I’m glad I’m okay too,” I huffed before walking up the stairs and locking my door behind me.

Notes

Hey guys! This is a new series I started! You might know be as the writer of "I'm a Loaded Gun". I decided I needed a new series and this story started unraveling in my head. My other side stories I lost interest in and deleted.

I hope you guys like this first introduction chapter to the character Elvira.
Please comment and let me know what your first impressions are!