Chapter 4-Ashley

It's not done yet, just started

One month later…

As I sat in the parking lot of the airport, waiting for everyone to arrive, I began to look through my unread texts.

One new one from Mom, probably wishing me luck. Another one was from Anna, telling me that Dan and her were on their way to pick up Jon. Which meant I had to wait here for another thirty or so minutes. Man!

While I waited, I listened to my jam. Fall Out Boy! Hell yeah! I got so lost in the song “America’s Suitehearts” that I didn’t notice my phone buzz for another five minutes.

It was Danny, probably saying he was here or something about how him and Anna couldn’t make it ‘cause they were making out in a gas station bathroom. I looked at the text and my jaw almost literally dropped to the floor. Holy s**t! This is what it says and I quote.

Did you know Jon smokd weed? Uh, NO! WTF?! I mean, we haven’t talked in a while...oh no! This is probably my fault! He was so distraught that he couldn’t have this that he took up weed! You know, he could’ve had me! But he decided to fricken friend zone me! I guess I’m too much for him to handle.

I quickly called Danny, scared that Jon may be dying or something. “What do you mean he’s smoking weed?!” I practically screamed at him. The person parked next to me gave me a weird stare before slowly exiting his vehicle and practically running away.

“Geez woman, blow out my eardrums, will you?! And I meant exactly what I said. He’s smoking weed. To ‘cope’, he claims.”

“Cope?! For what?! A small intellect?!” ‘Cause anyone with a brain wouldn’t resort to weed to cope with the fact that he rejected me!

“I don’t know, he won’t go into details. He may be bluffing for all I know! His door is locked, and I know he’s smoking ‘cause I called him. And he didn’t even have to say he was smoking, just the way he was talking clued me on it. It was either that or he was drunk off his balls. Maybe both, I don’t know.” I put my head in my hands, wanting to cry. If only I had never made my move on him! He wouldn't be so distraught and possibly drunk then!

“I’m on my way!” I immediately hung up and started the car. I probably broke, like, fifty speed laws, but f**k laws! They’re restricting! Nobody tells me what to do.

I made my way there in record time, about 20 minutes and ran over to the door. I didn’t even bother knocking, just barreled through the door and raced upstairs. Pushing past a surprised Danny, I pounded the door hard screaming.

“Jonathan Adams, you open this door right now before I get a bulldozer and bulldoze your face off!” No response.

“Don’t make me come in there,” Holy s**t, I sound like his mom… But the b*****d won’t open the bloody door! I have no choice! I pounded on the door again. Still no response. I was pounding on the door like a maniac. What the f**k is wrong with him?! Finally he says,

“What...” in slurred speech. That mother f****r!

“Open. The. Damn. Door.” I screamed at him. Tears began streaming down my face. Damn it tear ducts! I don’t even know why I’m crying! I should hate him!

Anna came racing up the stairs, some keys jingling in her hands. “Found them!” she said, between sobs. I took them and frantically tried each one on the door until one finally worked. I pushed the door open to see Josh, looking thirty pounds lighter, lying on his side, facing the wall. He was holding a bottle of booze, sloshing the liquid around. He didn’t even seem to notice that I was standing there.

“Excuse me?!” I screamed at him, “What do you think you’re doing?! Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?!” He turned over towards the ceiling, and I gasped. He had a stubbly beard growing in, bags under his eyes and...had dyed his hair. Instead of his usual brown hair, he had dyed it a fiery red. Almost the color of my hair. Okay. creepy.

“Huh?” he murmured. He took a swig from his bottle, and tried to sit up. Needless to say, he failed. He fell back onto his pillows with a sigh.

“I take it things aren't going well?” Danny said, leaning against the door frame. Uh, you think? I mean, look at him! I’m never going to get through to him at this rate. He probably can’t even hear us, he’s so drunk and high! I walked over to him and slapped him. He just looked at me as if he was looking right through me.

“You know you have pretty eyes.” he said sluggishly. Oh my god. This is so bad...he’s resorted to compliments.

"Jon!" I exclaimed. Tears began to pour down my face uncontrollably. What is with him that makes me so emotional! I mean, I’ve had lots of other guys fall in love with me, and I them, but never was I upset about breaking up. Not that Jon and I are together, it’s just that...for a year or two now it felt like we were in some kind of relationship. We always hung out and did most everything together.

Danny came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulders, pushing me behind him. “Pull yourself together, man. What’s your problem?!” he said, hatred in his voice. I gasped, ‘cause they never have spoken to each other like this. Danny is usually pretty easy going, but I guess this was the last straw for him.

Jon began giggling uncontrollably, almost falling off the bed. The bottle fell to the floor, and broke on impact, spilling the rest of its contents on the carpet. I’m not cleaning that up. He looked down at the broken bottle for a moment and then, just reached for another one. I grabbed his arm before he could reach the next bottle, and he stared at me, “Stop,” I said, looked straight back at him, tears blurring my vision. “Why would you do this to me?!” I said, my voice ragged.

He slowly stopped laughing, and slowly tried to sit up. I helped him into a sitting position