Cigarette Ashes

Chapter Five

*Currently listening to "We Don't Have To Dance" and "Stay Alive" on repeat. If you're seeing Andy on the Homecoming Tour comment what date, because I'm going and I wanna know if anyone is going to the same one as me so maybe we can meet up!*

"Baby girl... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." Andy whimpered into my shoulder as he continued to hug me. "This is all my fault." I untwined Andy out of my grasp, breaking the hug. I lifted my hand up to his right cheek and gently rested it there. 

"You had no idea Juliet was going to do that. I should of trusted you instead of storming off like I did. This isn't your fault, so please don't beat yourself up over it." I placed a kiss on the cheek opposite of my hand. "I know, but I should have known better." He sighed and looked down at his lap. "I should have, too." I lifted his chin up with my pointer finger and pulled his face towards mine, our lips connecting.

When our lips detached, Andy gave me a serious look. He took both of my hands in his. "Alex, I need to know who did this to you. What is his name? Do you know him?" I was reluctant to answer. "Alex, please." Andy pleaded. "His name is Damon. He's my ex, I tried telling you that I saw him in the crowd, but Juliet got to you before I could." Andy was very curious and began to bumbard me with questions that I didn't know how to answer. 

"Andy please! I don't want to talk about Damon anymore than I have to." I fiddled with my fingers. "Why is this such a senesitive topic? Why is it hard for you to talk about him?" He was pushing me towards my breaking point. I sat silently. "What did he do to you?"

"He raped me, okay?" I don't know what got into me, but I snapped. I stood up and began to pace, running my hands through my short hair. "And you didn't tell me? Alex, we're in a relationship. We're supposed to tell each other everything. You know things about me that my parents don't even know!" Andy stood up with me, waving his arms around in the air as he screamed at me. 

"I've never told anyone before! He told me if I did, he'd hurt me!" I screamed back at him. "Well clearly you told somebody if he came back to try and finish the job!" Andy now had me pinned against the wall, his voice boomed all around me. I could of sworn the bus was shaking "Stop yelling at me!" I grabbed the side of my head, trying to block out his voice.

"Who did you tell? Because it wasn't me!" He took a step closer, I had never seen Andy so mad in my life, not even when we were neighbors. "Andy you don't understand, he's going to come back for me! He wants to hurt you too!" I was hysterically crying . "Stop dodging the question! Tell me!" He screamed and lunged at me, his hand in the air. I quickly reacted and threw my hands over my head to protect myself. 

"Andy stop!" I cried out. A few silent moments passed. "Alex-I'm sorry... I don't know what got into me." Andy stepped back and slowly rubbed his hands over his mouth in shock, tears pricking his eyes. "I have to go to sound check." His voice cracked as he threw his jacket over his shoulder and ran off the bus.

Andy's POV

"Andy stop!" Everything had happened so quickly, it was like I blacked out and lost control of my entire body. All I saw was Alex cowering in fear. "Alex-I'm sorry... I don't know what go into me." Tears threatened my eyes as I held my hands over my mouth in disbelief.

Did I hit her? I don't even know what just happened. "I have to go to sound check." I mumbled and grabbed my jacket from the coat hanger, throwing it over my shoulder. As soon as the bus door shut behind me, tears flowed from my eyes. What did I just do?

-o-

I showed up to sound check with a fake smile on my face, the guys began to bumbard me with questions. "What's his name?" "Where can we find him?" "What are we gonna do to him?" Overwhelmed by all the shouting, I snapped. "We aren't finding anyone! The plan is off..." I sighed as the guys dispersed to their spots on stage. "Alright, let's go. 1,2,3-" We started sound check off with "Faithless."

As rehearsel went on, I couldn't help but think of Alex and how I yelled at her. She looked so... scared. I was so focused on Alex, that I didn't realize that I had stopped singing. "Andy, are you good? You've been out of it since you got here. You're not even singing in the right key." Ashley asked from stage left. "Oh- yeah i'm fine. I think the heat is getting to me, I just need a little break. Take ten." I shook my head, trying to regain my train of thought. I walked off of the stage and pulled out my phone, dialing Alex's number.

Alex: Hey it's Alexandria-

Andy: Alex, listen-

Alex: Sorry I couldn't make it to the phone right now, leave me a message and I'll call you back. Thanks!

I called her twice more, but she still didn't answer. I became worried and headed back to the stage. "Hey guys, sorry to cut sound check short but I need to go find Alex-" I was interupted. "Andy, stop. Enough with the whole saving Alex bullshit. The band and I have been talking, and we all agree that she's holding you back a little. You need to let her do her own thing every once in a while. She's not a baby." Ashley spoke up, the rest of the guys just stood there silently. "I'm sorry you guys feel that way, but I have never felt this way about anyone, and right now might be the only chance I have to fix what I broke a long time ago. I'm sorry, I'll see you guys later."