in between all things

Chapter Twelve

"That boy is always in trouble. He cracks me up, Ashy."

"Same." I said, smiling at the thought of Jace and his rebellious attitude.

"What, no complaints about me using your nickname this time?" Mum teased, ruffling my hair. I pushed her hand away and scowled.

"I was just getting there; MY NAME IS ASH, SO USE IT." I whisper shouted.

Mum just rolled her eyes at me, and asked, "How was your day?"

"Perfect!" I said, thinking back to what happened between Jace and I, while pushing down the thoughts of Macie and I fighting earlier.

"That's good." Mum told me, giving me a stern look. "We need to talk about you not going to your father's."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Not now, Mum."

"Yes now. I don't like your father contacting me, so it would be easier if you just went. Okay? And what's this I hear about you not coming home last night?"

"I was at Macie's!" I said, defensively.

Mum shook her head. "I don't care where you were. Andrew was worried sick, Asher!"

"Maybe I should get into trouble more often; it's the only time you use my real name!"

"Do that and I'll send you to live with your father!"

"Whatever." I mumbled, getting up from my chair and making my way up to my room, not caring that I was acting like a brat. No one seemed to get that Dad was a horrible person who had hurt everyone in our family. Didn't Mum and Drew see that?

And she wasn't serious about sending me to live with Dad, right?

I sighed and jumped into bed, pushing my thoughts away. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to call Jace. He picked up after three rings.

"Hey, Ash!" He said happily through the phone. I was glad at least one of us was happy. Although, he did sound a bit tipsy, so that was probably the reason for his happy tone.

"Care to meet me at my window with your fake ID and a bottle of vodka?" I was in the mood to get wasted, kiss and just have fun.

"Always am." He said. I could tell he was smiling, which boosted my mood a little.

"See you in fifteen?"

"Yep. It's a date!" Jace slurred, then groaned realising what he had just said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

I laughed, brushing off his apology. "Yeah, Jace. It's a date."

Maybe everything was going to be alright after all.

~~~

"So, what happened?"

I sighed and looked up from the ground, looking at Jace instead. He was looking forward and swinging a vodka bottle in his right hand. After we met at my window, Jace had suggested we just go to the park and drink our problems away. And I was more than happy with that.

"What makes you think something happened?"

Jace stopped in the middle of the road, and looked me in the eye. "Drew's the one who calls me up out of the blue to drink and go clubbing, not you, so something must have happened to make you call me up to go drinking."

I smiled a little at Jace's words. You could see how he was trying. How he was struggling to keep his walls up, and continue being the rebellious, carefree Jace I knew. It made me bitterly happy.

Jace and I reached the park, sitting down at the bottom of the twin slides, and I explained everything that had happened. Jace sat and listened, not interrupting me, which I was grateful for.