252Chapter Fifteen: Take This To Heart
One more night
And we'll go spinning around the room
And dance with our hearts on fire
Cause every song is ours tonight
And if you love me so,
I'm gonna tell the whole world
That it's the greatest thing that happened to me
I've finally found a good reason to come home
-Mayday Parade
"I officially hate Christmas. I never understood how people could hate Christmas, but now I do! It's just a ploy to get us to spend all of our money. They couldn't care if, because of Christmas, we live out on the streets. They don't care that my baby won't have any clothes! My baby will by naked! It'll go through life with it's little private parts hanging out for the world to see. They couldn't care that-"
"Oh, for fuck's sake Janie! Shut the fuck up!"
"Don't tell me to shut up! I'm pregnant! With child. I'm allowed to be crazy."
"No. You're not. Seriously. Shut the fuck up."
Ash sighed and elbowed Paige's side. "You're upsetting her. Look. She's about to cry."
"Good. Teach her a lesson. Someone needs to stop spoiling her. Quinn needs to get some balls."
"We all know he has balls. After all, Janie wouldn't be with child if he didn't have any."
Janie waved her handkerchief, which she had been vigorously blowing her nose with, in the air. "Please stop talking about Quinn's balls. And stop making fun of me! I feel like we're back in high school."
They each plopped down at their regular table at Suzy's. A group of twittering prep school girls eyed them with disgust and started to whisper to each other behind their hands. Paige stuck her tongue out at them.
"Girls," She said acidicly. "Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em."
"Paige…"
"I'm not a lesbian! You know what I mean. Do you? I hope you do."
"I do," Ash said and rolled her eyes. "Thanks for helping me pick out something for Kira."
"Anything pink, expensive, and girly would do," Paige said with a shrug, referencing to the Juicy clothes Kira would receive for Christmas.
Ash hated Christmas shopping. It put way too much stress on her. Stress that she didn't need. In fact, if she had anymore stress put upon her, she was certain she would just snap in half like a tree branch.
"What are you getting for Tee?" She asked Paige while rifling through her bags, and then plucked out a bridal magazine.
"Dunno. What are you getting for Aiden?"
"Dunno."
Both girls laughed. In reality, Ash and Aiden had promised each other that they wouldn't give one another any presents. In their eyes, they had everything they needed.
"I think I'll get Tee something like…an old record. Even though we don't have a record player. But there's that great shop down on-"
"Eighth Avenue?"
"Yeah! I love that place!"
Ash nodded and thrust a picture of a wedding dress out to Paige. "Yes or no?"
"No."
"Good. It's hideous."
She flung the magazine down onto the table and headed to the cash register. So far, she had blown five hundred dollars on gifts. The only one she had yet to get something for was Ollie. She was still undecided on that one.
Janie took out her own magazine. A parenting one, of course. She was humming, and had one hand on her protruding stomach. She was absolutely radiant. That's how I want to look and feel, Ash thought, hearing the bottle of pills rattle in her purse hanging from her arm.
"Ready to go?" She asked the girl who had filled in for her. All she received was a nod before the girl scurried into the backroom to clock out.
Paige squinted up at the sky outside the window. "Looks like snow. I love snow. I love it even more then chocolate, I think. Drinking hot chocolate while it's snowing? Orgasmic."
Janie snorted and struggled to get up, but plopped back down into her chair. She didn't like to admit it, but it was getting harder for her to walk without someone supporting her. At the rate she was growing, it looked like she was having twins.
"So what are we doing for Christmas?" She asked Ash, who was tying her apron around her neck.
"I don't know. I didn't know 'we' were doing anything."
Janie scoffed. "Oh please. Of course we are! We should have a party or something."
"Janie," Paige interrupted. "The boys have that show in Hoboken."
"On Christmas?"
"Yup."
"No! Not on Christmas. That's a sin!"
"Playing a show on Christmas in Hoboken is a sin?"
"Or just the Hoboken part," Ash added with a laugh.
Janie sighed angrily. "No, it's a sin that we aren't spending time with friends and family during Christmas. We're going to be at some smelly club with a bunch of punks in studs bumping into my stomach. I'm not going."
Paige rolled her eyes. "You don't have to come."
"If I'm not going Quinn's not going."
"But if Quinn's not going then Tee's not going!"
"And if Tee's not going you're not going!" Janie gloated, smirking.
Paige huffed. "Fine. No show. Partypooper."
"At least I have boobs."
"At least I'm not knocked up!"
"At least my boyfriend isn't mildly insane!"
"At least-"
"Both of you, shut up!" Ash yelled over there bickering. The two girls lapsed into momentary silence, pouting and looking in opposite directions. But it was only momentary.
"Boy alert!" Paige yelled, pointing out the window.
Tee and Quinn stumbled in, elbowing each other and laughing.
"My women!" Tee announced, opening his arms. "How art thou doing on this fineth day in New Yorketh Citieth?"
"That isn't old English," Janie told him, one eyebrow raised.
Tee waved his hand in the air, brushing her comment off. "Oh be quiet. No one listens to pregnant women anyways."
"Hey!" Quinn snarled and pounded Tee's shoulder with his fist.
"Ouch," Said the other boy, sticking his lower lip out into a pout. "Put your club away caveman."
Both boys sat down at the table.
"Jesus," Quinn exclaimed. "Did you buy out the whole store or what?"
"Shut it or you won't get your present," Janie said and pointed at something in her magazine. "Ooh! Look at this, honey! Wouldn't baby just love this?"
Paige rolled her eyes at the couple. "Sickening." Then she turned to Tee. "Promise me we won't act like that?"
"Promise." He said, like the whipped guy he was and kissed her cheek. Paige grinned.
"The only thing missing in this picture is Aiden? Where is that dude, Ash?" Tee asked, looking threw her discarded bridal magazine.
"Not sure," She replied, wiping down the counter. "Work."
"And why aren't you sitting here with us?"
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm the only one working. Charlie's MIA and Ollie's…" She trailed off and gripped the rag in her hand a little bit harder.
"In case you haven't noticed, darling, there aren't any customers."
Ash made a face at him and looked around the empty shop. Even the sidewalk outside was empty. Only occasionally did a car whiz past. The Christmas weekend had definitely begun.
After an hour of no customers, Ash gave up and closed early. She and her friends sat inside for a while, talking and discussing, mostly about the upcoming birth and wedding. And, of course, plans for Christmas.
In the taxi on her way home, she grew ansty to see Aiden. He hated going out, but she knew that he would love the idea of going to Ashmore, the newest hip club, for a Christmas party. Ever since she had been hit on by Pete Doherty at MisShapes, he wouldn't go out to any club. It was a sore subject between them.
Twisting the key quickly into the door, she opened it and called out his name.
"Aiden! Are you home?"
"Yeah," Came his reply. "One second."
"Alright. I can't wait for Christmas! Now I know you hate being out at night, but this will be so fun! I promise! Just a nice party at Ashmores…very low key. No Pete Doherty's here! At least…I hope not. "
She heard him and someone else laugh.
"Aiden? Whats going on…"
Her voice trailed off as soon as she walked into the kitchen. Sitting there was her mother, father, Kira, and Travis. Aiden stood in front of the stove, stirring something in a big metal pot.
Kira grinned at her. "Did you say something about a party?"
"I look so fat," Kira groaned and tugged on her dress borrowed from Ash's closet.
Ash rolled her eyes but squeezed her sister's hand reassuringly. "You look great."
Kira snorted. "Easy for you to say. Skinny McSkinnyton."
"Oh shut up."
Aiden shook his head and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Behind them, Paige and Tee were fighting with each other while Janie and Quinn talked in hushed tones. Travis walked on the other side of Kira, frowning at her dress, which he deemed inappropriate for a girl her age, even though it went below her knees. Their parents had opted to go to a colleague's party, and let their youngest daughter go with the older one. They trusted that Ash would keep her safe. It was just another layer of stress put upon her.
They had managed to get Charlie out of her house. She had been hiding in her apartment, with tissues clutched in her hands. That's how Ash and Paige found her.
"It-It's j-just s-s-o horrible!" She howled and buried her face into Ash's neck, herbody convulsing with tears. Ash could practically feel Charlie's heart breaking in half.
"Maybe if I paid more attention to him…gave him a chance…" She wonderedmiserably, shivering in her big sweatshirt.
"I don't think it would have mattered," Ash said and soothingly rubbed her back.
But they were able to get her up and out the door. She was already at the club withsome of their other friends, and sounded mildly happy. It didn't take much for her to recover. It made Ash jealous.
The didn't have to wait in line to get into the club. The bouncer, a drag queendressed as a slutty , somehow knew Paige and waved them in right away with a "Have a fantastical night, darlinks!"
The club was drenched in red and green and gold, music pumping from the speakers. Trendy people danced with there arms in the air, while others clinked champagne glasses together. Kira observed everything with an open mouth and wide eyes. She grasped Ash's arm.
"This is so much better then the parties at home!" She yelled into Ash's ear. Her breath was hot and minty.
Ash smiled at her. "Remember…"
"Stay with you or Janie or blah blah blah," Kira yawned, then squealed. "Omigosh! Is that?..."
"Yes."
"Is that!?..."
"Yup."
"Omigod! I have to call Chels!" Kira ran over to where Janie was and glued her phone to her ear.
Ash shook her head and looked up at Aiden. "Was I ever like that?"
"No."
"Good answer." She kissed him hard, and then pulled away, ignoring his groan of protest.
"Let's go get drinks. We can do more of that later."
She pulled him up to the bar and asked from champagne. Aiden's arm snakedaround her waist and his fingers pressed comfortingly into her stomach. She smiled to herself and snuggled into him, drumming her fingers onto the illuminated surface of the bar.
"Is that the beautify-ical Ashlynn Greene?" Someone said next to her.
She looked to her right, eyebrows raised. Then she smiled and let out a little squeal.
"Do you remember lil ol Jack Higgins?" He asked, looking as scruffy as ever.
"Of course!" She pulled him into a hug. When they separated, he was smiling like theCheshire cat at something over her shoulder.
"And who is this?" He asked, tickling her stomach.
She looked over her shoulder to Aiden coyly, then back to Jack. "This is Aiden. My fiancée." She wiggled her left hand in front of Jack's face.
"Fiancee!" He exclaimed. "When did this happen?"
She only laughed and looked at his face as he studied her ring.
"Gorgeous," He finally said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Shall we dance, madam?"
"Go ahead," Aiden said, smiling at her.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded and she was immediately dragged away by Jack.
"Oh my." Jack said, fanning himself. "Where did you find a man like him? Hunks R Us?"
She shook her head, laughing, all while dancing. "He's my neighbor from home. It's a very long, dramatic story."
"Well, I must here it sometime. I love dramatic love stories."
Bodies were packed together, moving like a wave to the music. The rich, the famous, and people like her all combined. Alchohol was poured and the air was filled with laughter, music, and voices. Then she heard it.
"Get away from me, you loser!" She recognized Charlie's voice.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked as she looked over her shoulder worriedly. All she saw were masses of people.
"Um…all be right back."
"I'll come with."
They held each others hands as they pushed themselves off the dance floor. Ash could see the back of Charlie's blond head weaving through the crowd. And she heard her voice.
"Just stay away from me! Leave me the fuck alone!"
"Charlie…" Someone called out to her.
"Go. Away."
"Charlie!" Ash called over the heads of everyone in her path. "Charlie?"
They made there way outside. What Ash saw made her stop dead in her tracks. Jack bumped right into her.
Ollie was pleading with Charlie while she pushed and pushed at him.
"Are you deaf? Are you high right now? I told you to get away from me! I don't want anything to do with you. Get the fuck out of my face!"
"Charlie, please. Just listen to me. I can-"
"Explain?" She laughed. "Can you? Explain to me why you made me and Ash worry. Why you broke her heart and then mine. You broke mine even more. You told me you wouldn't do this anymore. You told me!"
"I know I did!"
"You promised!"
"I know!"
"Then why are you doing this!" She screamed.
"I don't know! I don't fucking know!" Ollie screamed back.
They stood in silence, seething. Charlie's tears were splashing onto her ivory dress, staining them with dots like ink. Ollie's shoulders shook under his dirty oxford.
Janie and Quinn came out next. Janie looked worriedly at Ash's face.
"Just give up," Charlie whispered and turned away from him.
Ollie grabbed her wrist. "What if I don't want to give up?"
"You don't have a say in this. You gave that up the second you gave in."
"It doesn't have to be like this!"
"Yes it does, Ollie! It's either me, or the drugs."
Ollie stayed silent.
"Me or the drugs! Goddamnit, make up your mind! Say something!"
"I can't do this."
"Then neither can I."
Everyone on the sidewalks were staring as she clattered away, tripping and shaking. Ash felt Jack grab her hand, and then Aiden rub her back and grab the other hand.
Then Janie shifted and gasped, clasping her belly.
"Janie?" Quinn asked, supporting her, but she only groaned loudly and let out a cry. "Someone call an ambulance!"
Tee bustled out of the club. "Guys! Guess what? The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, midnight show, tonight, at Grecco! Can I get a 'Fuck Yeah Yeah Yeah!'?"
"Uh…guys?..."
A/N- Wee! An update! For those of you who thought that note was stupid...oh well. Honestly, it was just easier for me to do it like that. Boo fricking whoo. Anyways...
I can't believe I updated! Honestly? I'm very proud of myself. After three pots of coffee, five bowls of wonton (sp?) soup, and a hyper girl (yes Weetzie, thats you) jumping up and down on my bed, waving a bar of chocolate, shouting out ideas for this chapter, I finally finished. So you all better review. I'm doing a mean face at my computer right now. It's pretty intimidating.
I hope ya'lls summers were good! Mine was. I went to Warped two times, became friends with bands like Paramore and The Matches, got a new super cool boyfriend, was named captain of the swim team, and visisted California, becoming a guinea pig for my tattoo artist cousin so I now have five tattoos that are the flippest things.
And yes, this is the coffee talking.
Got questions? Thoughts? Critiques? Ideas?
Drop me a review or message and I'll answer ya!
Peace.