“….We knew it’d happen eventually! La la la la la la la….”
My head shooting in the direction of where Jackie sat on the couch, scribbling furiously in a well worn sketch book, I frowned.
“Turn that off!” I snapped.
The same ever present look of ‘I give absolutely zero fucks’ on her face, she scanned the caller ID quickly, before hitting decline.
It was just the two of us in the room.
All the One Direction boys were visiting a children’s hospital, while Luke, Charlie, Michael, Jess, Calum, Grace and Gabby who had gone with Jay, went to see the musical version of American Idiot. Something I would sacrifice a toe to see, however Destiny had woke up in the middle of the night puking her guts out, so I had done the good boyfriend thing and stayed back with her.
“Destiny is sleeping.” I snapped, in Jackie’s general direction.
“Sorry.” She muttered.
“Whatever,” I grumbled, turning back to the TV and flipping idly through the channels.
“They’re two, they’re four, they’re six they’re eight. Shunting trucks and pulling freight red and gre….”
“I’m just a kid who’s fou…..”
“Far away, long ago, things I’ll always remember. Things my heart, used to know, once upo…..”
“Timmy is an average kid who no one und….”
“You get the limo out front. Hottest st….”
“Somewhere deep in bear country…..”
“Clifford needed Emily so he chose her for….”
“House….. tree…… big fancy house! Say it with me, house, tree, big fan….”
“Crunchy, munchy honey cakes, they’re fun to eat and they’re fun to ma….”
“Come play with us.”
“I won’t let go Jack. Jack? Jack, a boats coming! Jack!”
“Hey! I’m Dylan Sprouse, and I’m Cole Sprouse and you’re watching DI…..”
“Unacceptaaaaaaaaaable!”
“…. The doctor….”
“’You are…… the father!’ ‘I told you! I told you! I told your bitch ass I told yo…..’”
“Seeing all these homless starving orphans makes me feel kind of like, blessed. #blessed, #TheKardashiansANDJennersAreTakingOverChinaOrJapanOrIndonesiaOrWhereverTheHeckWeAre #WereNotKardashiansWereJe…..”
“You guys are cops? But you got us taco bell! What about this friendship bracelet you made me?” I’m taking it of….”
“On this episode of sixteen and pregn…..”
“Alright everyone, be kind to one another…..”
Sighing, I tried another channel.
“Go back!” Jackie cried, “That was Ellen!”
“It was over.”
“I want to watch it!”
“Go back to your own hotel room.”
“She’s cleaning it.”
“Go sit in the hall.”
“Go shove your thumb up your ass.”
“Oh my God!” I laughed, snapping off the TV, “What the hell is your major malfunction?”
“Nothing.”
“No,” I snapped, “Why are you such a damn bitch all the damn time! Like oh my God, people are starving in Thailand or wherever the heck the Kardashians went and yet here you are being a moody, melodramatic, emo bitch!”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me!”
Muttering under her breath she turned back to her phone.
“What was that?” I demanded.
“I said, I don’t know why your fans all think you’re such a damn hero!” she spat, “You have more dick in your personality then in your towel boner at the TCA’s and that was a lot of dick!”
“Excuse me!” I yelped.
“Yeah,” she laughed, “I know it’s exciting winning your first award but damn, did you really have to stab everyone’s eye out with your shlong your first time on national TV?”
“At least I won an award!”
“Your band did buddy, you know the guitars, and the base and the lead singer, it wasn’t you just busting out a bongo ballad and winning an ugly ass surfboard, handed to you by Acaca or whatever the hell her name is!”
“It’s Acacia.” I snapped, “Why are you jealous?”
“Of her? Hell no!”
“Well you’re obviously jealous of someone or else you wouldn’t parade like a bitter, younger, female scrooge!”
“That’s rich coming from you!”
“Oh is it?”
“Yeah! You are the biggest jerk I have ever met!”
“I’m so sure!”
“You are! You make me want to jump off a bridge!”
“I’m not stopping you!”
“Great, maybe I’ll go do that!”
“Go ahead, I don’t give a shit!”
“That’s lovely Ashton.”
“You said it not me.”
“You’re a real asswip you know that? I’d call you an ass hole! But you don’t deserve that title, you’re the crusty wipe that’s been balled up in the bottom of some soccer Mom’s purse that she dug out so she can wipe her kid’s ass on the side of the highway!”
“Just get off my tour!”
“Your tour? Your tour! You’re the damn opening act!”
“You know what?” I spat, “Leave!”
“Gladly!” Rising to her feet, Jackie stormed out of the room.
“Don’t come back!” I called after her.
“Don’t worry I won’t dick!”
“Bitch.” I muttered.
Suddenly I heard a rustle in the next room. Sighing, I rose to my feet and my way over to the bed where Destiny was lying, a brown curl clinging to her sweaty forehead.
“Hey,” I greeted softly, “How are you feeling? Any better?”
“No,” she whimpered hoarsely, “Worse.”
Sighing, I crossed over to the bed, and brushing her hair from her face, placed my pal over her forehead, wincing at how warm she was.
“You’re burning up,” I noted.
“I’m freezing.” She whispered, pulling her blanket up to her chin.
“Can I get you anything?” I asked, kneeling down so we were at eye level.
“No,” she answered, her voice scratchy.
“What’s bothering you?” I questioned, running my fingertips gently though her damp hair.
“My head,” she answered, “And it’s hard to breath, and I still feel nauseous and now my throat hurts.”
I sighed, as a single tear rolled out from the corner of her eye bore gently wiping it away. It was undeniable that Destiny cried a lot, but I figured now was one of those times when it was actually acceptable.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“Just go away,” she replied, “I don’t want to get you sick.”
Ignoring her, I kicked off my shoes and crawled into bed beside her, pulling her closer to me, so her head was rested on my chest.
“I love you Ash,” she whispered.
“I love you too baby,” I replied, “Get some sleep.”
Rubbing her arm up and down gently, I kissed the top of her head gently, humming the All Time Low song Somewhere in Never land until she fell asleep. Not wanting to move an wake her, I moved into a more comfortable position and fell asleep beside her.
(*^*)
“….We knew it’d happen eventually! La la la la la la la….”
Startling awake I looked around hurriedly, and finding Destiny, curled up next to me, I rubbed my eyes before carefully climbing out of bed so as not to disturb her and making my way through the dark hotel room to the couch where Jackie’s phone was ringing loudly.
My brain barely functioning since I had just woken up I didn’t really follow the whole, ‘don’t answer other people’s phones or open their mail or look in their purse because that’s hella rude’ rule your Mom tells you about from the time you’re old enough to understand it.
Ignoring the contact name which said dipshit, I pressed it to my ear.
“Hello?” I sighed groggily.
“he…. Who the hell is this?”
“Ashton.” I answered slowly, a little more awake.
“Ashton who?”
“Ashton um…. Ashton…. Ashton Kutcher.”
“Who?”
“I’m an actor.”
“I don’t give a shit, why are you answeinr this phone?”
“I uh…. I found it.”
“Where?”
Looking out my window at the large sign reading ‘Welcome to Philly!’ I swallowed nervously, “Mexico.”
“What?”
“Mexico?”
“Why the hell is my daughter in Mexico?”
“Wait what?”
“You’re not Ashton Kutcher are you…. Where the hell is my kid?”
“I’m sorry I have to….”
“I am looking for Jacqueline Marie Johnson where is sh….”
“Wha….I….so….b….d….co…ec….tio…I’ll….ve….to…..call you….. bac…..by….”
Quickly hanging up the phone I tossed it on the couch.
“Shit,” I muttered, wondering just what kind of mess I had gotten myself into.
After pacing around the room for a while, I picked up the phone, and sliding on a pair of tennis shoes, checked on Destiny quickly before making my way out of our room and down the hall to the room Gabby and Destiny shared.
Sighing since I was dreading the conversation which would ensue I raised my hand to the door and knocked.
(IDK how this works but I’m just going to go ahead and say this is a Trigger Warning )
Receiving no answer I knocked harder.
Still no answer.
“Jackie!” I called out.
Nothing.
“Jackie, I’m sorry, okay, I acted like a total ass hole, I um… I have your phone and some guy called, I think it was your Dad, I don’t know can you just open the do…..”
Before I could finish the door was thrown open in front of me, revealing Jackie.
“What do you want?” she whispered.
“I um…. Your… your Dad called.”
Immediately her face, which was already alarmingly pale palled, and she took a tiny step back. I reached out a hand to steady her in case she fell, however clutching onto the door she managed to stay upright.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she replied, her eyes looking at everything besides my own, “I…. I’m just tired I’m gonna…..”
Trailing off, her knees buckled, however tightening to the grip she managed to keep herself upright.
“Are you alright?’ I demanded, “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” she slurred, trying to close the door, however I stuck my foot in the way.
“Ashton go, please.” She muttered, looking like the small task of standing up was draining her.
Looking her up and down my eyes wandered from her trembling legs, to her pale, terrified, face to her hand clutching the door, to her arm, and the large, red stain soaking through her sweatshirt sleeve.
“What did you do?” I cried, ripping the door open.
Losing her grip on it, Jackie took a small step forward before falling forward. Hurriedly I reached out and caught her, gently sinking to the ground with her in my arms.
“Dammit Jackie!” I gasped, rolling up her sleeve and nearly puking at the sight of her arm underneath.
“Sorry,” she whispered, her eyes dropping.
“Hey, hey, hey, no, it’s okay!” I said quickly, shaking her a little, as I pulled her sleeve back down and placed my hand firmly over her, “You’re going to be just fine.”
“I tried….” She mumbled.
“What?” I asked, fumbling to get her phone unlocked.
“I tried,” she repeated, “To do what you said.”
“What?” I panicked, nearly dropping the phone.
“Th…there weren’t any bridges.” She mumbled tiredly.
“Jackie I didn’t mean that! That’s a figure of speech I didn’t think you were actually…. I didn’t think you’d….”
“You didn’t think I was psycho enough to kill myself? Guess again.”
“It doesn’t make you a psycho……What you did….I just…. God… What is your password.”
“I’m not telling.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want you to save me.”
My heart sinking, I tapped away at her phone madly, rocking her back and forth slightly, until finally an emergency call screen popped up.
Silently thanking all the religions I could think off, I dialed 911 and told them where we were before turning back to Jackie.
“They’re coming.” I informed her.
“mmm,” she replied.
“It’s gonna be okay,” I assured her, “You’re going to be fine.”
Ignoring me, she turned her head slightly so she was looking out the window at the stars, and the large full moon.
My heart broke as I watched a tear roll down her cheek.
“Can you…. Can you just let me go?” she whimpered.
“No,” I answered, “I can’t I’m sorry, because we’re not done till we say it’s over, we won’t fade away. The sun will rise and the moon will fall because you know what? Tomorrow never dies. You’re always going to have a tomorrow. And you don’t know, maybe tomorrow is the day everything gets better you can’t give up tonight.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“Why what?” I questioned, softly kissing the top of her head.
“Why do you care?” she mumbled.
“You are extremely important to more people than you think.” I answered.
Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me and the next thing I knew, Jackie was ripped from my grasp and take away.
Left alone, sitting on the floor I sat in stunned silence for a while, swimming in my own tears and guilt, thinking, before pulling my phone out of my pocket and composing a tweet.
@Ashton5SOS : Every single one of you are extremely important to more people than you think.
Thank you for reading. I'm sorry for the late update I've been working on my real book all day. I'll try to update earlier tomorrow.
<3