On the Run [a.i. au]

12. Wanted (Dead or Alive)

Ashton's POV

"Wake the hell up!" I hear Michael yell as he pounds on the door of our motel room. "I have shit for you."

"Fuck off," I mumble, throwing a pillow in the direction of the door.

I feel the other side of the bed dip. When I open my eyes to see what's going on, I quickly shut them again. It's way too bright in here.

The door creaks, letting in even more light. I groan in frustration as I hear the sound of Michael's boots on the floor.

"Be quieter next time," Thalia growls, crawling back into bed with me. I bury my head in my pillow to block out the light.

"I brought you some stuff you might want," Mikey says to us. "Take a look."

I raise my head up, squinting. "What is it?"

"You need your glasses back," Michael muses with a chuckle. "You're as blind as a bat."

"You have glasses?" Thalia asks groggily as she crawls over me. "What a dork."

I roll my eyes. "Shut it, guys. Don't gang up on me."

Thalia laughs with Michael and runs a hand through my hair. "We only do it because we love you."

Her head falls onto my shoulder and I try to ignore my racing heart. Hopefully she doesn't feel it.

"Well," Michael begins. "You said that you needed medical supplies, so I got you a first aid kit. I also got one of my dad's old wrist braces for your sprain, Ashton. For both of you, I managed to get some more clothes."

Thalia shrieks with excitement before she throws herself into Michael's arms. "Thanks, Mikey!"

I bite the inside of my cheek and look away as he embraces her. I'm not jealous, I just don't want him touching her.

Why the hell do I care anyway? She's only around to save my ass.

As I watch Thalia laugh at something Michael said, I think back to everything I've learned about her; everything I've memorized that she probably doesn't even know.

She's the reason I haven't given up. This girl has kept me sane, and kept me going. When I'm with her, I can sleep at night without the dreams. I feel almost as if I'll survive.

Since I ran away from home, she's one of the only people I've truly cared about. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

"So, do you just wanna stay here for the day?" Michael asks us. "I'll be more than happy to show you guys around for the day, if you want."

Thalia glances at me. "What do you wanna do, Ash?"

I pause, thinking for a moment. Being out and about probably isn't the best thing for us, considering the fact that we're in a bigger city. At the same time, we're starting to get away from where Stone Skull hang around the most. They're in the western part of the country the most, but by the time we're in Sydney, they'll be gone.

Hopefully. They've been known to make occassional exceptions.

I shudder as I think about what could happen. This isn't a good idea. It's too risky.

Then, I look at Thalia.

Her blue-grey eyes are so hopeful and pleading, I can't help but say yes to her. A lump forms in my throat.

"Okay," I croak. Quickly, I clear my throat.

"After Thalia gets a shower, we'll go," I say with surprising authority.