New Kid: Ashton Irwin

Chapter 19

"Do you even have money to buy the apartment?" I ask Ashton as he packs up all his clothes.

"I've been saving ever since you moved in." Most of the tension in my gut softens.

"Why?" I giggle and walk over to him. All my stuff is already packed because I'm basically living in a suitcase.

"I don't know. A part of me wanted to live with you from the very beginning."

"But I thought you hated me." A second after I say that he lifts me onto the dresser and looks me dead in the eye.

"How many times do I have to prove to you that I never hated you?" He teases.

"Okay I believe you." I cup his face and kiss him. It's such a lovely feeling.

I still can't believe I'm getting to live with him alone. I'm still 17 and that makes it a little more nerve racking. Anne was barely here anyway, so it might not even feel that different.

I hop off the dresser just as she walks in. "Fletch, the apartment is ready for you two to move in, if you're ready."

"We're not going to go look at it?"

"If you want to schedule a tour, it was going to take another week and I didn't think you would want to wait any longer." She laughs and goes back to the kitchen.

"Wow, we're actually doing this." I whisper and he turns around to me fast.

"We're gonna be okay." I pull him into a tight embrace and bury my head in the crook of his neck.

"Yeah, but I'm still 17." I mumble.

"I'll take care of you."

"I don't want you to worry about me, though."

"I'm required by law to now, so..." I laugh and walk over to grab my suitcase. "No, but really, you're going to be safe. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you." I smile because I know he's telling the truth, or at least I hope.

"Are you going to miss your room?"

"Eh, not really." We stare at each other for a few more seconds until Anne calls us to leave. To be honest, I don't know if I'm more excited about getting a new place because Ashton and I will be alone or my mom won't be able to find us. I guess being out of her reach is a bonus.

The whole drive there is making me anxious until we roll up to a set of brown and white apartments. There's only about three buildings and they all look run down, but as long as we're together, it doesn't matter where we live.

Once we settle in and Anne leaves, we plop on the couch and take everything in.

"It's so weird, we've been dating a little over a month and we're already living together." I say.

"I just don't want your Mom knowing where you are." He hesitates.

"So you're okay with this? I feel like we're going too fast."

"Yeah we are, but you don't want to move to Melbourne and I feel like this is the only way to keep you away from her."

"Yeah that's true. I just hope she doesn't guilt Anne into telling her where we are." The apartment is only about a mile from Ashton's home, so we can always go back if we need to.

I haven't been to school in almost 2 days and I'm scared to go back. Ashton and I have yet to tell people we're together because things came up. To be honest, I don't even know if Tori would care. I know she shipped us the most, but she's been spending so much time with JD and new friends that I feel like she forgot about me. I don't want to loose her, she makes me happy and understands everything I go through, but I am joyous that she found someone and more people to support her.

"What do you want for dinner?" Ashton asks and I don't remember the last time I actually ate. I'm truly surprised I haven't faced the consequences you would go through from lack of food or I'm hoping that I won't.

"I'm fine, but thank you." A second after I reply, stars appear and my head lightens. The room starts to spin and I can't tell if it's my imagination. Wow, even after I said that I haven't gotten any of the side effects.

"Carmen, please eat." His little voice begs and I'm too dizzy to process what he's saying.

"I am eating."

"No you're not. I can see it in your eyes, you're not."

I stand up and try to walk. "I'm fi-"

Ashton's POV

"Carmen?" Her tall body falls to the ground immediately after she tries to stand. "Carmen?" I walk and try to shake her awake, but no reply. My heart picks up as a hundred pound weight falls. "Carmen! Wake up!" I put my ear next to her mouth and she's still breathing. I take her into my arms and run to the hospital down the street.

It's cold and the feeling in the air is foreign and uncomfortable. A couple older woman give me dirty looks, but I don't give a shit. I start to loose feeling and power in my arms as I try to support this helpless girl.

"Someone! Please help, she won't wake up!" A few nurses rush over to me as doctors run a gurney. A knife stabs my gut over and over as they lay her unconscious body and I can't do anything to help. Please be okay.

"What happened to her?" A really short woman in a nurse uniform asks while writing on a clipboard. Everything is happening so fast, I'm almost lost for words.

"Lack of food." The feeling in my heart is something I wouldn't wish on my greatest enemy. She starts to write a novel onto the white piece of paper and I just want to know if Carmen is okay.

"Alright...we're gonna take her blood to make sure it isn't too thin and pump food into her stomach." She starts to walk away, but I stop her.

"Pump...food? How does that work?" Her ghostly blue eyes roll and I can tell she doesn't want to explain that to some kid.

"She'll be better. Don't worry about it." She walks away faster than before and leaves me frustrated and annoyed. I sit down on stiff chair in the corner and I can't stay still.

Hours go by and she's still not out. I stroll to the counter and talk to the lady at the computer. "Uh I was just wondering how Carmen is doing?"

"Last name?" She dances her short fingers across the keyboard.

"Wesley. W-e-s-l-e-y."

"Uh it looks like they're going to keep her overnight and release her when they think she'll eat."

"We live together, I can make sure she eats."

"Is that why she's here?" Her remark adds to the flame in my chest and I slam my hands on the counter, but she doesn't budge. I scurry out of the hospital and back to the apartment.

I know I didn't try hard enough for her to eat and I'm kicking myself. Of course I don't want her this way, but I know how it feels to have people help you when all you want them to do is shut up and mind their own business. I took my own advice and look where that got us. I don't understand why she hates herself so much.

I fall asleep on the couch after a few more hours with the mental battle in my mind.

I decide to actually go to school despite all the stuff going on, but I keep my phone on the loudest ringer just in case the hospital calls. Why is all this happening? Carmen is such a strong girl and I honestly didn't think it would go this far.

Sitting in English isn't the same, especially with this gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. My phone goes off during the warm-up and heat rushes to my cheeks because I'm terrified of what they could tell me.

"Irwin! Phones off."

"It's important." I hurry to the hallway and answer.

"Hello?"

"Is this...Ashton?"

"Yeah. Please tell me Carmen's alright."

"Well, there's some good news and some bad news..."