(Ashton's P.O.V.)
The next morning I wake up and walk out to the living room. Lauren is sitting on the couch, I'm assuming Harry is still at his friend's, and my mum is making breakfast. I sit down next to my sister and watch the news. I notice that the news-woman's eyes have changed.
"Congratulations to her," sarcasm intended.
"What?" Lauren asks.
"Did I say that out loud?"
"Yeah," she laughs.
"Oh," I laugh too.
I walk back to my room to grab my phone, I click the lock button, and notice five texts from Luke, Michael, and Calum each. I unlock my phone and read through.
Luke:
-Dude we need you it's Dylan again
-Come on man where the hell are you
-aShToN
-You shit
-Whenever you wake up come to Aubrey's: Followed by her address.
Michael:
-Ashton I've called you like 20 times get up
-Dylan has just about lost her shit man
-Dude I'm fucking scared, but holy fuck she's hot
-I never knew a girl could throw shit that hard
-Come over to Aubrey's, Luke sent you her address, hurry the fuck up
Calum:
-Hey man, it's Dylan again. Aubrey's parents are out of town and Dylan got into their liquor cabinet...again apparently.
-Dude we seriously need your help, you're like mature and shit
-HELP US
-ASHTON WAKE UP WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH DRUNK GIRL 2.0
-SERIOUSLY DUDE I WILL MARCH MY ASS TO YOUR HOUSE AND DRAG YOU OUT OF YOUR BED
These were all sent about ten minutes ago.
"Shit," I say under my breath.
I rush back to my room and throw on a pair of jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and my converse. I go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and try to make my hair presentable. I walk down the hall and my mum is placing breakfast on the dining room table. I grab my keys off of the counter and head towards the front door.
"Ashton Fletcher Irwin, where do you think you're going?" My mum asks.
I turn around to face her, keeping my hand on the door handle, "the guys need me."
"For what?"
"One of Aubrey's friends needs help."
"What do you mean 'help'?"
"She's not sober, I'm just going to say that," I turn back round and head out the door.
I got in my car, put Aubrey's address in my phone, and began driving.
...
I pull into Aubrey's driveway and quickly get out of my car. I knock on her front door, and she immediately opens it.
"Hi, Ashton," Aubrey says.
"Get the fuck off of me you prick!" I hear a female yell, then a splash.
"What the hell is going on?" I ask.
"Just, come in first. I'll explain," she says, opening the door wider for me to enter.
I walk into Aubrey's house, and move towards the stairs.
"Can, um, can I explain first?" She says pleadingly.
I turn my head, and walk towards her, "yeah."
"Okay, so basically I invited Dylan over because she didn't want her parents to come home and find her hungover. No, they do not know she got drunk last night. But, my parents are out of town so she thought it was a good idea to get back into my parents liquor cabinet. She got drunk at like, five this morning. I was still asleep, then I heard glass shatter about two hours ago. I woke up, she was throwing glasses and the wine bottle she had finished. I called Calum as soon as she threw something at me, it was almost like she had gone mad. She was crying and saying all of the same things she was the night before. Calum called Michael, Michael called Luke, and Luke now has her in the tub."
"Why the hell does Luke have her in the tub? Is she like..."
"Naked? Yes. And apparently it helps with calming nerves."
I feel slightly uncomfortable, and angry, "has she always been a heavy drinker?"
"No, she only drank at special occasions. You know, weddings, New Years, stuff like that. When adults were around. She's never gotten herself drunk before. Well, until about one-or-two months ago. She drinks whenever she gets depressed."
"Oh, I feel like I should wait down here. I don't want to see a girl I've never met before...naked."
She nods, "I understand. I'll got, um, check on her."
"I just want to go to bed! I just want to make my fucking family happy! Why can't this bitch called destiny just bring me my god damn soulmate? Get the fuck off of me you creep!" I here, who I'm assuming, Dylan yell. Her words are slurred.
"I think you should," I agree with Aubrey.
She quickly runs up the stairs. A few minutes later, Michael, Luke, and Calum, walk down the stairs. I turn around on the couch, their clothes are dripping wet.
"New rule: next time we have to deal with a drunk girl-which I hope is never- we don't listen to Luke," Michael announces.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I just thought it would ease her and-if you didn't notice- it did. She stopped splashing us like two minutes in," Luke defends.
"Shut up, Luke."
"Wait, didn't you guys meet this girl yesterday? Like, all of you?" I question.
"Yeah..." Luke says.
"So you think it's a good idea to just, strip her down, and give her a bath?"
They were silent.
"Luke, I know you like sex, but you need to chill the fuck out. A drunk girl? Man, that is too damn far," I stand up from the couch and walk to Luke.
"Dude, you need to chill. I'm not going to fuck her, she's too fucking intelligent when she's hungover. She isn't even drunk anymore, she's just hungover. I'm not that low either man. You know that. And when did you start caring anyway?"
I shake my head, "I don't know."
Aubrey walks down the stairs before I can bash Luke's head in for laying one of his filthy fingers on a drunk girl.
"Is she drunk, or hungover?" I ask quickly.
"Neither, she's asleep," she responds.
Aubrey is holding three shirts and, three pairs of sweatpants. She gives one set to each of the guys.
"You can change in the bathrooms. There is one over there, the one upstairs, and one in my parents room," she points around the house.
They all go to different rooms, and soon come back wearing dry clothes. Aubrey throws their wet clothing into the dryer. She orders us a couple pizzas, a two liter of pop, and breadsticks. The food arrives and we start eating. I hadn't eaten anything all day, and by the time the food gets here it's one o'clock. Another hour goes by of conversations. I can't keep my eyes off of the stairs. I'm waiting to see this mystery girl.
"Dylan is hot as fuck, Ash," Michael says.
I direct my gaze at him.
"Would she appreciate you calling her 'hot as fuck'?" I ask.
Michael's eyebrows furrow in confusion, "dude, I say that about girls all the time. You seriously need to loses up."
"No. I don't. When you first saw her, was she..." I have a hard time getting the word out, naked?"
"No, I got here when she was throwing shit still."
I hadn't even noticed the mess in the kitchen, "good."
"I'm just saying, she's really hot. Like, damn. I can see why Luke would want to fuck her."
"Shut up, you prick," this unknown anger is boiling at my skin.
"Jesus, sorry."
After another fifteen minutes, I've had just about enough of these people.
"I'm gonna go get some air," I say standing up from the table.
"Ashton, where are you going?" Calum asks.
"None of your damn business."
I walk out the door, get in my car, and start driving. I don't know where I'm going, but I do know that I needed to leave. My head felt like there were a thousand pounds of pressure on it. I cracked my window, and clicked the CD button on my radio. The new Angels & Airwaves album was in and it was slightly relaxing. I went to a Waffle House and ordered a coffee and sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit. After I finished my food, I got back in my car, and began driving back to Aubrey's.
When I pull into Aubrey's driveway, it's three. There is also a white Prius in the driveway. I get out of my car, and head up to the house. I knock on the door, and Calum answers. He lets me in, and I follow him into the living room where everyone else is sitting.
"Why in the world would you think that getting drunk is a good escape plan?" I hear a woman from upstairs say.
I sit on the couch and turn to Aubrey, "who is that?"
"Dylan's mother," she whispers,
I raise my eyebrows and nod, "how long as she been here?"
"About five minutes."
"I don't know mom. Maybe I'll become a hooker and meet my future lover there," this girl is sarcastic.
"Stop talking like that! How did you become so messed up? Your father and I raised you so well!"
"That-actually- isn't for you to decide!"
"Don't raise your voice at me!"
"Why the fuck not? You're yelling at me!"
"I'm the parent! And do not swear!"
"I don't give a shit what you are! And haven't you heard of freedom of speech?"
"That is it, we are leaving! Now!"
"You are leaving! I'm staying here!"
"Dylan Iris Carter, you are coming home!"
"To hell I am!"
That's when I heard the horrifying sound of skin hitting skin.
"Don't fucking touch me again, you bitch!" She was crying, I could tell.
"Come with me now!"
"No! Get your shit covered hands off of me! Stop pulling me! Mom!"
I heard the steps coming down the hall. My chest hurt.it was becoming hard to breath. Everyone else in the room was uncomfortable. Michael even went outside.
"Mom, please! You're hurting me!"
The steps stopped.
"I'm hurting you? Are you serious? I did not raise a bad mouthing slut!"
"I'm not a slut!"
"Then how do you explain the three boys downstairs?"
"They're Calum's friends!"
"I don't give a crap who they are! You aren't coming back here again!"
"Fuck you!"
Another smack.
That's when I lost it.
I stood to my feet. My anger boiling, causing my face to turn red. I was not going to let this woman beat her daughter. I've heard enough to know that she's fucking insane. Not only from the previous conversation, but from the people sitting on front of me. My hands are balled into fists, ready to punch a wall. Aubrey's eyes meet mine, giving me a please-do-not-go-up-there look. She was begging, but I didn't care. I marched up the stairs, preparing for the worst. I reach the top, and saw an older woman with short, brown hair pulled together in the back, a few pieces falling into her face. She wore a red shirt, black slacks, black shoes, black and silver earrings, and a necklace to match.
That's when I saw her.
Her hair was long, wavy, and brown. It looked dark in the light, and it went down to the bottom of her back. She had beautiful plump lips. She wore a black and while baseball shirt, black jeans, solid black converses, four rings,-one on her left middle, mid-left pointer, left thumb, and right pointer- two silver necklaces,-one longer than the other- and a silver stud in the left side of her nose. There was not a drop of makeup on her face.
She is the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.
The older woman turned to me. She furrowed her eyebrows.
"Get out of my way!" She pushed me aside, her hand still around her daughter's wrist, dragging her down the stairs.
Dylan looked back at me from the bottom of the steps. We made eye contact.
And I swear, it was like looking in a mirror.
---
Hello! I haven't out an author's note on this story before, but I am now. I just wanted the say hi, and I really hope you're enjoying the story as much as I am enjoying writing it. I'm not really good at these, so I'm sorry.
But if you are reading this, just leave a comment letting me know.
Thank you, ily.
-Kat