Rain Feeds the Flames

I knocked on the door. No one came to answer. I knocked louder and faster. Finally the door swung open and there in the doorway was Ashton’s little brother. Most normal people would have freaked out that there was a pale soaking wet girl on their stoop while a hurricane was going on. Sadly Shane wasn’t the brightest light bulb in the box, but he had enough sense to know why I came. He called Ashton and Ashton walked lazily to the door until he saw me and then came running.

He opened the door and started shooting questions at me but they all sounded slurred and I couldn’t understand them no matter how hard I tried to concentrate. He opened the door completely and I stumbled in grabbing onto a kitchen chair, my converse shoes slipping across the tile. I looked up at the lights, my eyes tearing and I could hear someone yelling. I fell to my knees and then to the floor, rolling myself into a ball. Everything was so cold and warm at the same time and my head couldn’t seem to catch up with what was going on around me. It was like when my video game lagged. I could feel my hair sticking to the back of my neck and everything I was wearing was soaked. The fact that everyone there could probably see right through my shirt and see my purple bra didn’t enter my mind at that moment but later it did. Then, just like my video game, everything froze and then shut down and the screen went black.

When I woke up I was sitting on a stiff but mildly comfortable couch. I took a deep breath in and it felt like I had been holding my breath. My ribs ached and I noticed the strong scent of all spice. I switched sides and faced the other side of the coach. I felt dry felt rub against my skin. I fell back asleep.

I was rudely woken up, actually woken up, by a deep and sadly familiar voice. I recognized it as Ashton’s friend, Jamie’s voice. I didn’t move one bit, I just listened.

“Dude, you’re telling me she just showed up at your door in that fucking storm?” Jamie asked, walking into the living room and running on the lights ignoring the fact I was sleeping…or fake sleeping.

“Yeah. She was just there soaking wet and totally disoriented,” I could hear Ashton’s voice getting louder, he was nearing the coach. I felt the coach cushion by my head shift and I realized Ashton had sat down by me.

“That’s weird as fuck dude. Why do you think she came?”

“Not sure Jamie I haven’t had a chance to ask her, she’s been asleep since yesterday,” Ashton’s voice seemed to get closer and closer.

“Didn’t her parents call to check on her?”

“No I think they are on vacation,” suddenly I felt Ashton’s warm fingers on my face. He traced around my eyes and moved my now dry hair from my face. I couldn’t take it anymore and I opened my eyes quickly. Ashton pulled his hands away and got up. I pulled the blankets off me and got up.

“Oh, your *cough* up,” Ashton stuttered a little.

“Yeah,” I clenched my hands into fists around the sweatshirt I was wearing…Ashton’s sweatshirt. I guess they changed me out of my wet clothes. But then what was I wearing…

“Dude she’s not wearing pants…hot,” Jamie was such a creep! I pulled the sweatshirt bottom over my boy short underwear and luckily it was big enough. It made it halfway down my thighs.

“Where are my clothes?!” I screamed at Ashton. He just pointed to the bathroom. I ran in and quickly changed, pulling my jeans on but not bothering changing the sweatshirt. It was soft and comfy. I rummaged behind their bathroom mirror and found what I was looking for: an Aspirin.

I popped two in my mouth and gulped them down easily. I decided I needed to face Ashton and Jamie at some point and came back outside into the kitchen. Both of them looked at me and stopped talking.

“It’s okay keep talking about me I’m fine,” I snapped.

“We weren’t talking about you. Sit down I heated up some pasta, sorry there was no sauce,” Ashton pulled out a chair. I sat down and quickly shoveled down the entire thing.

“So, why are you here? Or do you just come to random boys doors so you can show off your panties?”

“Shut the fuck up,” I was not in the mood. My head was still pounding and the medication hadn’t kicked in yet.

“Wow pretty snippy for a bitch who just gave us a good look at her ass,”

“Leave her alone Jamie. Go up to my room and get my IPod. It’ll give you something to do while we talk,” like a dad talking to a child Ashton gave Jamie an alternative to annoying us. Jamie nodded and went upstairs. Ashton got up and walked into the living room, taking a seat on the coach. I followed and sat down next to him.

“So,” Ashton started. He looked at me obviously expecting answers. I couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears started falling.

“H-help,” I sobbed out one word before falling into his chest. I pulled at his shirt and clung to him like a baby monkey. I pulled him as close as I could get him clawing into his back. I didn’t know whether this was angry, depression, or a sick mix of both. As I rolled myself into a ball Ashton pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me.

“Shhh…It’s okay everything is okay now. Just calm down its okay I’ve got you now,” I could feel his breath against my neck and it made me shiver. Flashed like lighting of memories striking my brain played back scenes of the rain...the walking...things I didn't want to think about. Ashton started playing with my hair, pulling at the strands, the way he knew calmed me down. I stopped sobbing and I just went into a daze, staring out the window as the last of the storm streaked across it.

“Guess what?” Ashton asked after a few minutes of silence.

“What?” I answered slowly.

“I love you,”

“I love you too,” I replied. I turned around and looked at Ashton. He leaned in, his lips brushed mine, his heat flowing into me. I pulled away.

“Don’t ever leave me,”

“Never,” Ashton pulled me in for another kiss as he whispered his words over and over.

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I need some help whoever is reading this. I'm wondering if the way i wrote this is too confusing. If you read farther in i switch between flashbacks, real life, and i reveal a lot of weird and random memories. But, at the end it all comes together. But is it too confusing?