What do you mean 'Austin Carlile is my dad'?

Go pack, we're going home!

Rebel’s P.O.V.

She woke up early in the morning. The sun was just rising and the streets were almost empty. After the funeral she, Austin and the rest of the band had gone home to her apartment. They had started a movie but she fell asleep and someone must have carried her to bed, ‘cause she was still in her black dress. She was too upset to change when they got home and the dress was comfortable enough to watch a movie in anyways.

She trotted out into the livingroom and saw Austin and Phil on the floor and Alan on the couch, everyone still asleep.  She figured Aaron and Tino must have gone home, not wanting to sleep on the floor. The thoughts in her head were racing but she couldn’t make them out, everything was just a blur. She decided to take a shower, in hope of clearing her head.  

She stepped into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She hated what she saw. Her skin was pale; almost gray, her once beautiful brown hair, flat and lifeless and she had large bags under her eyes.

‘Like anyone is going to want to take you in, look at yourself!’ she tried to push the thought away, but more followed. ‘You’re so worthless! What a loser! Not even your own father want you!’
“He doesn’t have a choice. He’s too busy.” She whispered and tried to convince herself with the words her mother had used when she explained why Austin wouldn’t take care of her after she died.

‘I know this is hard to understand, Rebel, but try seeing it from his point of view! He has a very demanding career, and he travels most of the time. That’s no life for a teenager like you! I know you want to stay with him, even though you don’t know him, but he’s a busy man. I am sure he won’t mind if you call him once in a while, if you feel lonely in your new home. He’s going to make sure it’s a good home, okay. Don’t be mad with Austin, it wasn’t his choice not to know you that was my decision, okay? Don’t worry, everything will work out!’

Her words were burned into her mind, as if it was the most important memory she had of her mother. She shook her head and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash away the bad thought and the worries about the future, only leaving the comforting voice of her mother.

When she walked out of the bathroom, she was wearing an oversized hoody and sweatpants. She noticed that Austin was no longer on the floor. He was standing in the kitchen making something that smelled like either pancakes of waffles. It smelled great, and it made her stomach growl, which made Austin tur around.

“Someone’s hungry! I hope you like pancakes!” He chuckled. She just smiled bright at him and sat down by the table. He turned around and continued to cook. Her smile turned into a frown when a thought popped up in her head.

“Do you think anyone is going to take me? I mean like, be my foster family?” her tone was calm and she felt like it was something she had to ask.
“What are you talking about? What foster family?” He sounded surprised.

“Well, you aren’t going to take care of me.” She didn’t say it like it was his fault, more like an obvious fact. “So I figured I would be placed in foster care. Or am I going to an orphanage?” her tone was still normal, like that was the most normal thing she could ask him. Austin stopped what he was doing and turned to face her with a shocked expression.

Austin’s P.O.V.

That would explain why she didn’t want to speak to him that much, or why she kept to herself. She didn’t want to get attached to him! He was so busy dealing with everything; he forgot to tell her that he was going to take care of her. That she was going to stay with him. Poor girl must have been scared out of her mind about the future!