~Ashley's POV~
We were playing a show tonight and Andy was so out of it. Once we actually started the show, he was fine. I thought.
It was the fifth song in and we are having a really good show. All of a sudden, Andy just stops singing. Before anyone can react, he falls to the ground, not moving. I stop playing and immediately run to him. Jinxx, Jake, and CC all join me, surrounding Andy. He is breathing faintly, but unmoving otherwise.
I pick him up and take him backstage to the dressing room. I lay him on the couch and the other three guys walk in, being very silent. Jinxx was on the phone with the paramedics and I had just gotten my phone out to call Juliet. She deserved to know about this and it would be her decision to tell Hope or not.
"Hello?" She answered. I heard background noise as well.
"Juliet, it's Andy. He collapsed on stage and was barely breathing. Jinxx called the paramedics, and I just thought you deserved to know." I don't hang up because I hear a large crash.
Then, a vioce speaks and I hang up immediately. Hope. Hope was with Juliet. She is probably living with Juliet, and I shouldn't let the guys figure that out. It would be best if only I knew, because they would probably end up telling Andy and he would go try and see her.
~Hope's POV~
I end up picking out dark grey and red for my room colors. I get black furnature to match better.
"Ok, so we can go home and paint now if you want, then you can just sleep on the couch for tonight. Then we can put the furnature together tomorrow. Also, tomorrow, I need to take you somewhere." I just nod and smile, agreeing with the plan.
We get in the car and drive back home. As we unload the things into the garage, Juliet looks worried.
"Is something bothering you? Is it that call from Ashley? What did he need?" I watch her nervously glance around and then look at the floor.
"Ashley called... and he said that during the show they were playing earlier... something happened." I start to let my mind wander to different ideas about what could have happened.
"What happened Juliet?" I can't take the silence. I need to know what happened.
"It's Andy. He collapsed and was barely breathing. No one knows why and I haven't gotten any farther messages or calls." We had started painting, and I was stopped now. I can't believe it. My Andy collapsed on stage for no known reason. I go to reply but then I hear a faint knocking.
"I think someone is at the door. I will go check." I get up and wipe the paint from my hands and the tears from my eyes. I open the door.
"W-what are you d-doing h-here?" It was someone I didn't really expect to see for a long time.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't stay away. I had to know you were okay. Did Juliet tell you?" It was Ashley. I didn't know what to do. He came here, wanting to know if I am ok.
"You had to know I was okay? Do I seem okay? To me, having my sister kiss Andy while they are both way drunk, then him refusing to just let me go, to me having to sneak away from him, move in with his ex-girlfriend, and now finding out Andy collapsed on stage and is at a hospital, isn't fucking okay! I am too fragile for all of this. I could barely keep myself alive without your music, then I got to meet Andy, we fell in love, then my sister kissed him, breaking my heart even more. Ashley, I am not okay. I don't think this pain can ever go away. I am far too broken to ever be healed." I break down and fall into his arms.
"Shhh. It will all be fine. Hope, you don't need to be sad. Just know, Andy still loves you, he never meant to hurt you. And wait, you have a sister?" I nod and then feel a hand wipe away the tears streaming down my face.
"I have a twin sister named Tilly. We were separated at birth because our parents didn't want twins. She was given to another couple and then I ended up meeting her at school. We became best friends and just found it funny that we looked alike. I had invited her over to my house and my parents told me everything. I told her a little while later. I also told her about my self harm and she immediately left, not wanting anything to do with me. We had just gotten back in touch. She must have been at that bar with a fake ID, and I saw her kiss Andy. And Ashley?" I tell him about Tilly and then I want him to stay here for a little bit.
"What is it, Hope?" He looks down at me, still hugging me. Juliet had come out and heaard everything. We knew she was there, and she just chose to not say anything. She must have known how much I needed him right now.
"Will you stay here for a little bit. I don't want to be alone." I was speaking of how Juliet had to go somewhere for a few hours and she didn't think it would be the best if I went.
"Of course. I don't want you to be alone either." I smiled and then he released me from the hug.
"I have to go now. Maybe you two can finish up the painting while I am gone." We nod and watch as Juliet leaves.
"So, you are painting? Does that mean you plan on staying here for a while?" I nod and see a sad look cross his face.
"Ashley, I need time. I do miss Andy, but I just need time away. He needs time, too. I guess I am just too young to be involved with that right now." I see him nod in understanding.
"Shall we paint?" He motions to the hall and I nod, leading him to my room. One wall was painted red already.
"I want it red on those two and dark grey on those two." I had the idea to do the two opposite walls the same color, so it wasn't too vividly different. It spaced it out better.
"Nice choice of colors." For the next few hours, Ashley and I just talk and laugh while we paint. Part way through, we turned on My Chemical Romance and had an emotion-fest from the sadness of their breakup a few months ago.
"Wait, so it was March 2013 when they broke up, and it is August 2013 now?" Ashley might have had a beer or two or four, and I might have had one or two since we finished painting.
"Ya. So it has been about 5 months. It is so sad. They were sassmasters, especially Gerard. He is hawt." Ashley and I both laugh at my comment.
"'DESTROYA DESTROYA DESTROYA DESTROYA DESTROYA DESTROYA!!!'" Ashley started singing along to Destroya, which was currently on. I heard the front door.
"Guys, I am back!" Juliet walks in and laughs. The room was fully painted, and it looked amazing. She was laughing at the partly drunken people sitting on the floor with My Chemical Romance blasting very loudly.
"I am guessing you went snooping in the garage fridge... Alright then. Ashley, you shouldn't drive, and I can't leave Hope here to drive you back home. Looks like you will be staying the night." I can't stop giggling and Ashley just nods with a gigantic grin on his face as if he did something.
"You two are trouble. Plus you aren't the smartest. Ashley, I am partially disappointed in you for letting an 18 year old drink two beers." He frowns before being helped to his feet and led to the living room. I get up and follow them.
"You get the couch, Ashley." She helps him out of his pants and shirt so he doesn't have to sleep in leather and skinny jeans. She then has him lie on his side on the couch and covers him with a blanket.
"Now for you. You will just have to sleep in my room. I don't trust the two of you together in the same room." She leads me away and helps me into my pajamas.
"Wait, what are these?" She points to my wrists and thighs. I am drunk, so I don't know what I am doing.
"I cut myself." She gets a little mad and lies me down on the floor with a blanket and pillow.
~Ashley's POV~
I know I should have stayed at the hospital, but I couldn't sit there and watch my best friend until he wakes up.
I wake up to some banging and good smells. I open my eyes to find myself on a couch. I blink a few times then see Hope walk out of the hallway.
Oh ya, I came over and got drunk with Hope last night after painting her new room with her.
"Morning Ash." Hope grumbles. I laugh as she trips over her own foot.
"Good morning." Juliet also tells us she made breakfast. I get up, figure out I am only in boxers, and then just continue to walk and get some food.
"Thank you very much for letting me stay last night and thank you for breakfast. I better get going though. I need to change and then meet the guys at the hospital. And don't worry, I won't tell them that Hope is here." I talk to Juliet while Hope left to get some clothes on. Juliet apparently had a surprise for her.
"No problem. And thank you for not telling them. I think it is best if they don't know and you don't visit too often. We don't want them to question where you go. Hope needs some separation for a while. Plus she is starting school in two weeks." I nod while Juliet explains some things, then I leave.
"Where were you? We tried calling and Jake even went to your place." CC meets me at the door to Andy's hospital room.
"I went out." I can't let them know about Hope.
"Doing Ashley things?" I nod and he chuckles.
~Andy's POV~
I was in my world of blackness again. I remember what happened last time something like this happened. The nightmares never ended, and I am guessing they will make a reappearance.
*Andy's nightmare*
"So, you got yourself a girlfriend, huh?" My dad was next to me. I was in a hospital room, but I didn't know if this was even real.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I try and sit up, but I am restrained.
"Finishing what I should have a long time ago!" He shouts as a slap is delivered to my cheek.
"You are worthless! You deserved to loose Hope! You didn't think it would last with her, did you? What a fool you are!" This time it was a punch. Why didn't this hurt me?
"Why aren't you crying anymore? You used to cry and cry for me to stop because I was hurting you." I understood. I finally understood.
"You can't hurt me." It was a whisper at first.
"What did you say, bitch?" He slaps me. No pain.
"You can't fucking hurt me. You've hurt me too much already, and I've grown stronger and tougher because of what I did for myself. I made an army, I found love, and though I don't have her now, I will eventually. I can feel it. And you can't do anything to me. I am too strong for you to hurt me anymore. I have let go of the past and I have moved on. You can't hurt me because you are weak." I bust through the restraints.
*end of Andy's nightmare*
{[( 2 months later )]}
I wake in a hospital room.
"Andy! You are finally awake!" The four guys were sitting around the room.
"Finally? How long was I out?" They look nervous. How long had I been out?
Ashley hands me an issue of AP Magazine. The cover was me, the story inside read 'Lead singer of Black Veil Brides, Andy Biersack, pronounced comatose for two months. It is unknown when or even if, he will wake up. The BVB Army is praying that Biersack wakes soon so he can continue his legacy.'
"Two months?!?" I had been in a coma for two months.
"We haven't been able to play a show and the fans are getting worried. The BVB email for fan mail is overflowing with letters to you, hoping you get better and wake up. They are scared. They think they've lost their Army leader." The other guys were very silent.
"What about Hope? Have any of you seen her? Has she come by?" By their looks of sorrow, she hasn't.
"No, she hasn't. None of us have seen her, though I did see Juliet. She texted me on occasion, asking if you're awake yet, but she stopped after six weeks of the same answer. I actually should let her know that you are awake." I watch Ashley type quickly on his phone.
He then sets it aside, and then we all jump at his phone, ringing with notification of a new text.
"'Ok. Thanks for letting me know. Hope he gets better. Bye.'" Ashley read the text aloud. No mention of Hope. Fuck.
"Andy, if you get your strength back quickly, we'll be able to start the US tour on time. It was originally planned to start next month, so hurry up and get better, because then we won't have to re-schedule." CC speaks up after being silent.
"That's just it though. I don't want to tour. I don't want this anymore. I'm done."