On The Line (Ashton Irwin)

Chapter 4- Now

Chapter 4- Now

-Madison's POV-

Waking up, I realized two things:

1. It was slightly chilly in here.

2. This was not my room.

Seriously, where the hell am I?

"Hello?" I asked, sitting up from the ground I had previously been sleeping on.

"Hello," a voice said calmly, and I turned to see a young man that seemed to be sitting on air cross-legged, a young man I hadn't noticed before. Looking at him closer, I recognized him as somebody that I knew very well.

"Luke?" I asked in disbelief.

"Luke?" he asked. "No, I'm not Luke."

"Well... you sure look like Luke." I told him.

He shook his head, never once leaving his position from sitting in the thin air. "If I look like somebody you know, I'm pretty sure it's just for comfort. My name is Milo, and I'm the guardian of this area."

"This area?" I asked. "Well, not to be rude, but... where the hell am I?"

"You're on the line." he said.

"On the what now?" I asked.

"The line," Luke, I mean Milo, I mean, whatever his name was, said, getting off his nonexistent chair and walking over to me, extending a hand to where I sat and pulling me up onto my feet.

It was weird, having Milo here. Especially since he took the form of Luke, the guy I was closest to besides Ashton. Luke had become like a little brother to me over these past couple years, and I trusted him completely.

"What's the line?" I asked him.

"The line between life and death." Milo told me. "Basically, you're dead."

"Dead?" I asked him, shaking my head. "No, no I can't be dead! How could I be dead?"

"Well, Miss... umm..." he said, trailing off.

"Madison," I told him,

"Well, Miss Madison, you're not exactly dead yet. You're in a coma, result of a car accident a couple days ago."

"But... Ashton," I said.

"Ah, yes, the boyfriend." Milo said. "Would you like to see him?"

"Yes," I said. "Please, let me see Ashton," I pleaded.

"Look down," he said, and I noticed for the first time that the floor was clear, allowing me to see what was beneath my sneaker clad feet.

It was a hospital room, with one person in it. The one lying in a hospital bed who was obviously me.

"Ashton's not down there." I said to Milo.

"Wait for it," he said, and the door opened, Ashton running through it and taking a seat next to where I was, taking my hand.

"Ashton!" I yelled, collapsing to the floor and pounding on it with my fists, trying to reach him. "Ashton!"

"He can't hear you," Milo told me.

"How can I get closer to him?" I asked him.

"You can't," he said simply.

"Please!" I begged. "There must be a way,"

Milo sighed, extending a hand and gesturing for me to take it, which I did eagerly. "Alright," he said. "But, first you must agree to the terms."

"Alright," I said. "What are the terms?"

"Just know that no matter how loud you scream for him, or reach out to him, you won't be able to touch him, and he can't see, feel, or hear you. You still want to go?"

"Hell yeah," I said, "Let's do this."

In an instant, we were in the hospital room, and I now know what it's like to have a twin. Somebody who's in the same room as you, and looks exactly like you. However, it wasn't a twin lying unconscious in a hospital bed, it was me.

 "Maddy," Ashton  said, lifting up my hand to his lips and kissing it. "It's me, Mad, it's Ashton. I love you so much, baby girl. Please wake up, for me. Please wake up."

"I'm right here, Ash." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Well, trying to, anyways. My hand, like the rest of me, looking slightly transparent, passed through his body when I tried to touch him.

"You know, Maddy," he said, tears still streaming down his face. "I remember the first day we met. It was your first day at Richmond. You were my locker neighbor, and then you were stolen away on a welcome tour by Jordan Kaplan. I'd only seen you a few other times that day, in the few classes we had together. Those were my favorite."

"Perky Jordan," I said. "But seriously Ash, I'm right here."

"I told you he couldn't hear you," Milo said.

"Shut up Luke," I said.

"Milo," he corrected, taking a seat in one of the chairs against the wall.

Ashton quickly took his phone out of his pocket, and I looked over his shoulder to see him reading a text from Luke, saying he was in the cafeteria. So, Luke was here... and so was Milo.

"Everyone at the school was so afraid of me. I only ever talked to teachers when they asked me questions, otherwise I was silent. I had just ran out of things to say. But you were lost, after school. You heard me playing the drums, and followed the sound until you found me. And then I spoke to you. I knew from that day that I was completely in love with you." Ashton continued.

"Ashton, you were so misunderstood." I told him, even though he couldn't hear me. I turned to Milo then. "Hey Milo, follow me,"

Before waiting for a response, I ran out of the room, trying to get to the cafeteria, but I stopped in shock when I saw who was sitting outside my room.

My parents.

"Holy shit," I breathed, stopping in my tracks.

"What are you doing, Maddy?" Milo asked, stopping next to me.

"My parents are here," I told him. "They're never here. I haven't seen them since I was eighteen. And I've only talked to them a couple times on holidays."

"How old are you now?" he asked.

"I'm nineteen," I told him. "It's been awhile."

"So where are you taking us now?" he asked.

"I just need to see Luke and Mrs. Irwin quickly. Please, and then we can come back so I can see Ashton one more time before we go back."

"Alright," he sighed. "Just let's make it quick."

"Why?" I asked. "What are we in such a hurry for?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Just being down here gives me the creeps, I guess."

"Oh well," I said, passing through the door to the stairwell. "Follow me,"

Running down the stairs, step by step, I finally reached the basement, and then the cafeteria, where I found Luke and Mrs. Irwin immediately, and I ran towards them.

"See Milo, that's Luke." I told him. "That's who you look like."

"I look like him?" Milo asked in disbelief, then shrugged. "Not bad."

"Alright, well, can we go back now and see Ashton?" I asked him.

"Alright, we'll go see your boy toy," he said, and we walked back up the steps, seeing me and Ashton still in my room, same as they were when we left five minutes ago.

"Ash," I said, standing next to where he still sat, tears falling steadily from his eyes. "I love you so much babe, and I promise this isn't the end. I'll come back to you when it's time."

Kissing his cheek softly, so soft that I barely passed through his cheek, I pulled away, looking back at Milo and taking his hand. "Alright Milo, I'm ready." I said. "Let's go back to the line."