Upsets and Downfalls (The Ready Set)

Chapter 6 Cry me a river, and let me be you bridge

Jordan's POV

things were going great.  i told Ari i was crazy about her and thankfully she felt the same.  after i came at peace with myself and accepted the fact that i could not deny my feelings for her, everything became clear. 

 i dropped her off at her house and i walked her to the door, partially because i was going in with her, but really cause i could not stand being away from her when she was within reach.  before i knocked on the door she stopped my hand.  i thought she wanted to sneak one more kiss in, but she had other plans.  "Jordan, we can not tell Charlie."  she looked serious.  "Charlie cannot know anything about what really happend today. okay?"  i nodded. and continued to knock.

"There you guys are!"  Charlie let out a sigh of relief.  "i was going to call the cops!"

"Relax char-char, we just stopped at starbucks."  she said flawlessly.

"For two hours?"  he questioned suspiciously.

"Charlie, do you really think i would let anyone hurt your sister?"  i stepped in.  i could hear Andy and Deryck snikering behind me.

"Whatever.  good new Jordan, we got a gig right here in scarlett."  Charlie looked so excited.  "its at 'the beat factory' not too far from here."

this was great, that ment that Ari could come see me preform.  "When?"  i asked.

"yeah, about that...its tomorrow.  so we better get practicing.  like, ASAP." 

the last i saw of arianna was her slipping up the stairs.

"ARI, DO YOU MIND IF THE GUYS AND I PULL AN ALL NIGHTER?" Charlie yelled up the staris.

"NO."  Ari replied back.

and off to practicing we went.

Arianna's POV

just to think that 24 hours ago i had convinced myself that jordan diddnt like me and i diddnt like jordan.  boy was i way off.  i opened twitter and checked my mentions.

@Andy_John: well, jordan might have other plans cough cough @AriFoxSays RT @thatderyckguy: date with the band.

i replied, @AriFoxSays: @Andy_John @thatderyckguy nope. he's all yours.

i sat back and waited for one them to reply, but instead my phone rang, it was my aunt beth.

"hey aunt beth!"  i said, she was probably just calling to inform me on any up coming shows ryder's playing.

"hello Arianna."  he tone was serious, almost scratchy, like she had been crying.

"Aunt Beth, whats wrong?"

"it's ryder."  her voice broke.  "he's in the hospital."

"oh my god,  what happened?  is he okay?  please tell me he's alive!"  i could feel the hot rush of tears welling up in my eyes.

"Yes, yes, he's alive.  but he's been in a terrible accident and they're not sure if he's gonna make it."  at this point she was full on bawling her eyes out.

"Oh aunt beth!  what do you need me to do?  i'll do anything!"

"no, no, i don't want you or your brother to see him like this."  probably becasue thats how my parents died, and thats how they looked.  she was saying this for my own good.

"okay, sure.  but i have to go inform charlie.  okay? i gotta go, but stay strong, everything will be okay."  just a few tears escaped as the wind from me going down the stairs pushed them back.  i found the guys in the living room in the middle of a song.

"Charlie!" i screamed over the music.  "Charlie!"  finally he turned and saw my tears.  the song diddnt stop.  i reached up as he leaned down to hear me clearly.  "Ryder's in the hospital!  they're not sure if he's gonna make it."  and with that charlie dropped to his knees.

"no, no NO!  this can't happen, not to another Fox! NO!"  he cried as the music stopped.

i diddnt want the guys seeing me like this, so i padded charlie on the back and ran up the stair back to my room.  it wasn't until i had tripped going into my room had i relized jordan had followed me.

he caught me and sat me down in his lap.  we were sitting up agenst my bed and i was facing him.  my arms automatically drapped around him and i burried my face into his neck.  i diddnt hold anything back.  he just held me and rubbed my back as he repeated 'it's okay' a million times.  when the tears slowed i pulled away to look at him. 

"do you want to tell me whats wrong?"  he asked in total seriousness.

i nodded.  and tried as hard as i could to form audiable words.  "it's ryder, my cousin.  the one in the band."  my voice broke and he held my hands in his.  " he was in a car accident.  and they're not sure if he'll make it!"  the tears came back now.  and he pulled me closer.  "if he dies then the only person i'll have left is charlie!  ryder's my best friend.  he can't die.  not now!"

"shhhh shhh, its okay, its okay.  everything will be okay."  he tried to comfort me.  if anything, this just made me like him more.