Running From Reality.

Chapter four

   He watched as she swayed on her feet. He wanted to pick her up and carry her to his apartment and nurse her to health. However he had a feeling her little boyfriend wouldn't approve. 20 minutes ago, he was just looking for wood to make a fire, now he wanted to help a stranger. 

  There was something about her, the way she talked even after ramming into him on accident. Her boyfriend was asking her all these questions but she stared at him blankly. Like she didn't understand English. Finally she says something. 

  "No"

   The boyfriend seemed to relax a little, but kept watching Ash. He didn't know who these two were, and he shouldn't want to know, but the girl, there was something about her. Something different. Like she was a book with tore out pages that she kept in her sock drawer or something. 

  "What do you usually do when she gets like this?" Ash finally asks, breaking off the boyfriend and his questions. 

  "What?" The boyfriend looked so confused and dumbfounded it pissed Ash off. How can you be with someone and not know what do do in situations like this. 

"Give me her" Ash mutters, scooping the girl in his arms, his  annoyance clear so the boyfriend let's him take her. Walking towards his apartment the boyfriend follows. 'Of course, the lost little puppy'

Opening the door to his apartment, Ash lays her down on the couch and goes to the kitchen. He was gonna get her a warm washcloth but she's sweating bullets, yet so cold. 

Getting a warm and a cold, and a bowl to trade them out, he goes back into the den. Laying the cool rag on her forehead. Her boyfriend stands at the edge of the couch, staring. No doubt being a self centered judgemental prick. 

 "Did she have any symptoms earlier?" Ash asks, trying to keep his cool.

"How am I supposed to know?" 

"Are you not her goddam boyfriend?" 

"I wish. I hint it that I like her but she's to dumb to get it" 

"Are you fucking serious? Your gonna talk shit on her while she's obviously having an episode of some sort? What kind of shitty person are you?" Ash had never been one for losing his temper, but this guy was seriously starting to piss him off. 

"I'm not shit talking, I'm spilling facts" 

"Go sit outside, you can wait out there or you can go, I don't give a fuck just get out" 

 Getting up, Ash watched him leave, closing the door behind him with a bang, the girl stirred. "Asshole" Ash muttered under his breath. 

 "He really is, though he is right, I had no clue he thought of me as more than a friend" The girl mumbles, barley loud enough to hear, but Ash heard it.

 "I wouldn't call him a friend" 

A little smile appears on her face, God how beautiful it was. Her eyes open, brown, just like Ash had thought. Her hair was a darker brown, like his, only tainted with red at the ends. 

 "Whats the name of my big hearted hero?" She asks, butterflies dance around Ash's stomach.

He clears his throat, "Ashton Cooper, my friends call me Ash. And you are?" 

There's hesitation in her eyes, like she's calculating if she should trust him or tell him to fuck off. "Janice, Janice Myleen. And I'm sorry about Sammy, he's been a little out of it" She says, sitting up. 

"It's alright. How'd you meet him anyways?" 

 "Working for the Claytons" She stops, like she cut herself off. He wonders why.

 "Like Macy Clayton? Or a different set of Clayton's?"

 "The one and only" 

"I couldn't imagine, having to work for them and be stuck with him... how old are you anyways?"

"I.. uh- 16"

This through Ashton through a wtf loop. '16, with a job for assholes with an asshole, wtf' He thought, but didn't say it out loud, watching his mouth. 

  "How come your working already? At sixteen" 

  "To get by, avoid going to the orphanage. Keep in school and such." She pauses. "How come you helped me?"

  This question caught Ash off guard. Why did he help her? Because it was the right thing to do? Or maybe because he couldn't stand the thought of her episode getting worse cause the asshole she was with couldn't help her. 

   "Mostly cause it was the right thing to do." He pauses, his voice lowering as he adds, "and I would have hated to leave you out there to suffer with the asshole" 

  The door opened, a breeze entering the apartment, Ash's teeth clench together. The asshole couldn't leave well enough alone could he? 

  "Jaaaan, we should go, parties over in an hour" He calls in, Ash rises, helping steady Janice to her feet. She was light not heavy in the slightest, strong for a girl who just had an episode. 

   She fit in his arms like it was were she was meant to be. Slinging an arm around her, he steadies her and walks her to the door, where Sam waits for her, if that was his name. Ash didn't care enough to remember. Letting her go, Ash watches as she shoulders past Sam, who's jealousy is evident. 

  Watching as Janice walks back towards the forest, Ash senses Sam's eyes on him. When he looks over, Sam is staring at him with envy filled eyed with a dash of anger and hate. 

"Stay away from her, don't fuckin think you have a chance with her" 

 "How about we let her make her own decisions. She's a big girl, not a baby who needs their hand held. If she wants you, she'll go to you, if not, you'll get over it" 

"I'm not scared to kill you for her" 

"Mhm, and would it be for her or for you that your killing me for? You'd be killing me to keep her, your own selfish reason" 

"She's mine"

"Is she?" 'Keep your cool Ash, he wants you pissed off' Taking a breath, Ash waits for an answer. It never comes. "That's what I thought" 

Sam turns, jogging to catch up to Janice, who walks with pride in her step. Ash puts his hands in the pockets of his jeans, hearing a crumble sound. Pulling it out, he realizes it's paper in neat folds. It's her number. 319-677-8281 in neat handwriting. Neater than his at least. 

 He'd call later. Maybe in a couple hours. He looks up, the two are in the forest, he looses sight of Janice first. Then he heads inside. 'What a day' Ash thinks to himself. An hour later, he dials the number and it rings. One time.. two times...