Oh Life
Twenty.
Ashley POV:
I stood up from the couch, avoiding eye contact with Alex. I was a bit ashamed because of my parents reaction. His parents had reacted so well, why couldn't my parents be happy for us? I followed my mother into the kitchen, leaving Alex alone with my dad in the living room. My mom closed the kitchen door so they wouldn't overhear our conversation. I stood against the counter and didn't even look at her, I was so annoyed. "Ashley, have you thought about this decision?" My mom started. When I didn't answer, she got very angry. "Ashley, answer me. And look at me when I'm talking to you!" I rolled my eyes, looking up at her. She needed to calm down and stop yelling at me, I didn't want Alex to hear us. But I couldn't help it, when my mom starts yelling at me, I do the same at her. "There wasn't really a decision to make, mother, it was an accident, okay?!" I saw that my mom was trying to calm down. "An accident?! I thought you would never be this stupid, Ashley!" She sighed and ran her hand through her shoulder length hair. She took place on a chair and buried her face in her hands. After I had calmed down a bit myself, I took place on the other chair. "Mom.. It may have been an accident, but Alex and I are truly happy about this. We want this baby. We love each other and we can do this." She sighed again and looked me in the eyes. "I know that. He is a good guy, you're very lucky to have him. It's not about that, Ashley. I'm not mad that you're pregnant. It's just.." I took her hand in mine. "Then what is it, mom?" I asked. I didn't understand why she was so angry at first and now she is telling me that Alex is a great guy and that it is okay to be pregnant. "I just wonder if you've thought about what's going to happen once the baby is there." She said. Her voice was almost a whisper, making sure Alex wouldn't hear us. I gave her a confused look. "Ashley.. Alex isn't the same Alex you used to know. He isn't that little kid anymore that you used to go to school with and play with everyday. He is in a band now. And when people are in a band, they go on tour. A lot." She wasn't done talking, but I interrupted her. "He is going on tour next month, but after that he will take a break. He wants to be there for me and our baby. It's going to be fine, mom." she shook her head. "Oh Ashley, don't be so foolish. Of course he is saying now that he'll be there for you and his kid. But he is going on a break. He is not going to step out of the band, darling. After 2 years, maybe less, he'll go on tour again. It's what he does, it's his job, his life. He isn't ready to give that up yet on the age of only 26, Ashley. I think you're ready for a baby, but not to raise it on your own for most of the time." I was quiet when she'd finished her sentence and thought about all that for a while. And then it sank in that she was probably right. Whenever Alex would go on tour, it would be me who would have to be there for our baby 24/7, all alone.
Alex POV:
On our way home, Ashley had fallen asleep in the car. I tried to concentrate on the road, but I couldn’t help but think about our weekend. It had supposed to be fun. You know, getting away from everything, just the two of us in New York. But after we visited her parents on Friday night, Ashley had been acting distant. Her parents hadn’t reacted all too well when we told them the news. I don’t know what her mother told her in the kitchen, but whatever it was, it was bothering her. The conversation I had with her dad while she was talking to her mother, was probably the most awkward ever. He had avoided the whole subject about Ashley being pregnant and had just asked me about the band. When we got to our hotel later that night, I didn’t bring up the subject and neither did she. So whatever it was, it seemed like she didn’t want to talk about it to me. I had hoped it would be better the next day, but it wasn’t. She acted distant towards me and we even had a fight yesterday night. We never had fights about stupid little things. I’d thought she was just in a bad mood and decided to sleep on the large couch that we luckily had in our hotel room. Something was really bothering her and I wished she would tell me what was on her mind. But I didn’t want to push her and figured she would tell me if she wanted to.
“Ashley.” “Hm, what?” she mumbled when she opened her eyes slowly. “We’re home.” I answered. She looked outside through the window and then turned her head to look at me. “Actually..” she began. “Can you drop me off at Emily’s?” There it was again. I looked away from her. “Sure.” I said and started the engine again.
After I had dropped her off at Emily's I texted Jack.
To: Jack
Can I come over?
Jack replied almost immediately.
From: Jack
Only if you bring alcohol.
I rolled my eyes and drove to his house now that I knew he was home. I knocked on the backdoor and waited for Jack to open it. "Where's the alcohol?" Jack asked when he saw my empty hands. "I'm not here to get drunk with you, Jack. I need someone to talk to." I said while following him into his living room. We sat down on the couch. "What's up?" he asked. This is what I liked about Jack. He was always being funny and making jokes and acting like a child but whenever he knew that I had a serious problem, he always listened and tried to help me. "It's Ashley.." I began and Jack sighed. "Girl problems, tell me about it.." "So we went to New York this weekend to tell her parents we are expecting a baby. But they didn't take it well and her mother wanted to talk to her and now she is acting distant and strange and she gets easily angry with me. I don't know what they talked about, but she's different." I explained to him and he nodded. "Just ask her what her mom said to her. Talk about it." "I don't want to force her, if she wants to tell me, she'll tell me, right?" I said. "But whatever it was, it's bothering the both of you. You should talk about it." He was probably right, I had to talk to her about her strange behaviour. "Okay. I will. Thanks man." He shrugged and I saw something was bothering him, too. "And now what's wrong with you?" I asked him. "Oh you know.. Emily." he sighed. "I still love her, man. I would do anything to get back together with her." "Have you told her that?" I asked. "Yeah.. She says she can't give me another chance because I hurt her too much." he said. "But you are friends again, right?" He nodded. "Well, just be a good friend to her and don't push anything. If she's ready, she'll let you know." "If she's ever going to be ready.." he mumbled.
I stood up from the couch, avoiding eye contact with Alex. I was a bit ashamed because of my parents reaction. His parents had reacted so well, why couldn't my parents be happy for us? I followed my mother into the kitchen, leaving Alex alone with my dad in the living room. My mom closed the kitchen door so they wouldn't overhear our conversation. I stood against the counter and didn't even look at her, I was so annoyed. "Ashley, have you thought about this decision?" My mom started. When I didn't answer, she got very angry. "Ashley, answer me. And look at me when I'm talking to you!" I rolled my eyes, looking up at her. She needed to calm down and stop yelling at me, I didn't want Alex to hear us. But I couldn't help it, when my mom starts yelling at me, I do the same at her. "There wasn't really a decision to make, mother, it was an accident, okay?!" I saw that my mom was trying to calm down. "An accident?! I thought you would never be this stupid, Ashley!" She sighed and ran her hand through her shoulder length hair. She took place on a chair and buried her face in her hands. After I had calmed down a bit myself, I took place on the other chair. "Mom.. It may have been an accident, but Alex and I are truly happy about this. We want this baby. We love each other and we can do this." She sighed again and looked me in the eyes. "I know that. He is a good guy, you're very lucky to have him. It's not about that, Ashley. I'm not mad that you're pregnant. It's just.." I took her hand in mine. "Then what is it, mom?" I asked. I didn't understand why she was so angry at first and now she is telling me that Alex is a great guy and that it is okay to be pregnant. "I just wonder if you've thought about what's going to happen once the baby is there." She said. Her voice was almost a whisper, making sure Alex wouldn't hear us. I gave her a confused look. "Ashley.. Alex isn't the same Alex you used to know. He isn't that little kid anymore that you used to go to school with and play with everyday. He is in a band now. And when people are in a band, they go on tour. A lot." She wasn't done talking, but I interrupted her. "He is going on tour next month, but after that he will take a break. He wants to be there for me and our baby. It's going to be fine, mom." she shook her head. "Oh Ashley, don't be so foolish. Of course he is saying now that he'll be there for you and his kid. But he is going on a break. He is not going to step out of the band, darling. After 2 years, maybe less, he'll go on tour again. It's what he does, it's his job, his life. He isn't ready to give that up yet on the age of only 26, Ashley. I think you're ready for a baby, but not to raise it on your own for most of the time." I was quiet when she'd finished her sentence and thought about all that for a while. And then it sank in that she was probably right. Whenever Alex would go on tour, it would be me who would have to be there for our baby 24/7, all alone.
Alex POV:
On our way home, Ashley had fallen asleep in the car. I tried to concentrate on the road, but I couldn’t help but think about our weekend. It had supposed to be fun. You know, getting away from everything, just the two of us in New York. But after we visited her parents on Friday night, Ashley had been acting distant. Her parents hadn’t reacted all too well when we told them the news. I don’t know what her mother told her in the kitchen, but whatever it was, it was bothering her. The conversation I had with her dad while she was talking to her mother, was probably the most awkward ever. He had avoided the whole subject about Ashley being pregnant and had just asked me about the band. When we got to our hotel later that night, I didn’t bring up the subject and neither did she. So whatever it was, it seemed like she didn’t want to talk about it to me. I had hoped it would be better the next day, but it wasn’t. She acted distant towards me and we even had a fight yesterday night. We never had fights about stupid little things. I’d thought she was just in a bad mood and decided to sleep on the large couch that we luckily had in our hotel room. Something was really bothering her and I wished she would tell me what was on her mind. But I didn’t want to push her and figured she would tell me if she wanted to.
“Ashley.” “Hm, what?” she mumbled when she opened her eyes slowly. “We’re home.” I answered. She looked outside through the window and then turned her head to look at me. “Actually..” she began. “Can you drop me off at Emily’s?” There it was again. I looked away from her. “Sure.” I said and started the engine again.
After I had dropped her off at Emily's I texted Jack.
To: Jack
Can I come over?
Jack replied almost immediately.
From: Jack
Only if you bring alcohol.
I rolled my eyes and drove to his house now that I knew he was home. I knocked on the backdoor and waited for Jack to open it. "Where's the alcohol?" Jack asked when he saw my empty hands. "I'm not here to get drunk with you, Jack. I need someone to talk to." I said while following him into his living room. We sat down on the couch. "What's up?" he asked. This is what I liked about Jack. He was always being funny and making jokes and acting like a child but whenever he knew that I had a serious problem, he always listened and tried to help me. "It's Ashley.." I began and Jack sighed. "Girl problems, tell me about it.." "So we went to New York this weekend to tell her parents we are expecting a baby. But they didn't take it well and her mother wanted to talk to her and now she is acting distant and strange and she gets easily angry with me. I don't know what they talked about, but she's different." I explained to him and he nodded. "Just ask her what her mom said to her. Talk about it." "I don't want to force her, if she wants to tell me, she'll tell me, right?" I said. "But whatever it was, it's bothering the both of you. You should talk about it." He was probably right, I had to talk to her about her strange behaviour. "Okay. I will. Thanks man." He shrugged and I saw something was bothering him, too. "And now what's wrong with you?" I asked him. "Oh you know.. Emily." he sighed. "I still love her, man. I would do anything to get back together with her." "Have you told her that?" I asked. "Yeah.. She says she can't give me another chance because I hurt her too much." he said. "But you are friends again, right?" He nodded. "Well, just be a good friend to her and don't push anything. If she's ready, she'll let you know." "If she's ever going to be ready.." he mumbled.
Notes
So I just rewatched All Time Low perform at Rock Werchter, music festival in my country Belgium, and now I'm sobbing in a little corner because it was so awesome and I miss them.For those who haven't seen it yet, here is the link to their interview at Rock Werchter, here in Belgium :)
And this is the link to their interview at Rock Werchter 2 years ago, in 2011 (I haven't seen them perform back then, I was too young to go to the festival..)
ENJOY
I couldn't let it end like that haha, first chapter will be posted tonight :)
10/22/13