Lingered To A Fling

Okay, so this is my first Max Green story, so I'm sorry if it's not that good. In this I will include both Ronnie Radke and Craig Mabbitt. The same things happened with Ronnie going to prison and Craig taking his place, but they won't be as bitter with each other, Anyways, this takes place when Max was still in Escape The Fate, so I hope everyone enjoys and feedback is much appreciated.

Chapter One

The sun shone brightly through Ashley's window as she hugged her blanket closer to her, the guy next to her, draping his arm possessively around her. Heck, she didn't even know what his name was. She just assumed that she had gotten drunk last night and grabbed the first guy she had laid her hands on. She sighed in regret like she did every Saturday morning when the memories of the night before came flooding back. She could remember collecting yet another drink and dancing with a guy who was sitting with a group of friends. The last thing she could remember was dragging him into a taxi with her as their lips interlocked.

Well, there's no point in living with regrets. It's not like this was the first time. She attempted to slip out of his arms and go to the bathroom to get changed into something that wasn't the leather jacket that she was wearing last night, but his arms tightened on her and pulled her closer to him. This was a first. All of the guys she had ever brought home with her knew that when morning came, they would just wake up and roll out. Ashley liked it that way. She didn't like the thought of the awkward conversation when they woke up.

"Hmm, where are you going?" He asked, burying his head into her neck. Yes, this was definitely a first. He seemed to show an interest in her even though it had only been mindless sex and nothing more. Ashley had made that clear last night, but he still didn't seem to understand.

"Um, I'm continuing with my life" She answered as she pulled her hair into a messy bun and stared at him, finally able to actually realise what he looked like. His hair was long, black and pretty scruffy, but it was attractive. He had numerous tattoos on his neck and arms. Ashley's favourite being the octopus that had six tentacles. Someone had made a screw up. His deep brown eyes were encompassed by thick eyeliner and his nose held a small hoop. "And so are you. You can show yourself out. Goodbye, um, I don't actually know your name."

"It's Ronnie" He replied, his voice gruff in frustration. "C'mere, just spend some time with me." His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back to his bare chest. Ashley didn't like the closeness one bit. She had just assumed last night that he would be like her. She thought he would enjoy the one night that they would spend together and then that would be the end of it. She hadn't expected him to want more than his one night of glory.

"No, this was a one-time thing" She retorted, scrambling back out of his arms taking a seat at the edge of her bed. "We're never doing this again and we're never going to talk again." He raised his eyebrows at her in humour and sniggered.

"Okay, we're never going to do this again" He agreed as he got up from the bed, retrieving his shirt from Ashley's floor. "Come on, I've got a day off and no one to spend it with and I intend on carrying on with the alcohol from where I left off last night." As much as Ashley's mind screamed at her to say no and kick him out of her flat, she nodded and pulled on her jacket. This guy emitted danger and Ashley knew that going with him was only going to bring her trouble.

"Which bar first?" Ashley asked as they walked through the streets of Nevada, keeping their eyes open for a bar that was actually serving at this time. "It doesn't look like anyone's open"

"I know a guy" Ronnie assured. "He'll open up for us." The last thing Ashley wanted was to sit in a bar alone with Ronnie and get drunk again, but she couldn't seem to refuse him. She felt as though she was the marionette and he was the manipulator. He pulled her strings and she just allowed him. Just as she was about to attempt to get away, she crashed into a man who looked oddly like Ronnie.

"Hey, watch where you're going, dude" He chastised, fixing her with a glare like thunder. "S'up, Ronnie, I didn't see you there."

"Hey, Max, you coming to the bar with us?" Ronnie asked. This was just getting worse for Ashley as the moments wore on. "We're going to Joe's."

"Uh, might as well." He shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do. Who's the chick?" Ashley's cheeks burned a deep crimson as she turned away from him. This Max guy was hot. He had less tattoos than Ronnie, but he did have them covering his arms. He had one on his bicep of a green plus that had been beaten with the words 'Escape The Fate' wrote next to it. She recognised it as a band name, but she couldn't remember any of their songs.

"The chick has a name" Ashley defended, crossing her arms in anger. Her biggest hate was when people dismissed her. As selfish as this may sound, she liked attention and she liked being seen as the strong girl who could fight for herself.

"And what is that name?" Max asked, a hint of annoyance lurking in his eyes at the thought of someone actually standing up to someone. "Answer the question, hun"

"It's Ashley" She snapped, pulling her hood over her head and following Ronnie into the bar. "Ashley Dawson." The room was dark exempt of a few lights hanging over the pool table. The place reeked of stale beer and cigarettes. It had been a long time since Ashley had been in a bar that she could smoke in. Just as she lit her cigarette, an old man came hobbling in.

"Can I help you, Ronnie?" He asked. This must be the Joe guy that Ronnie mentioned to Max. "Want me to get your pretty friend a drink?" Ashley smiled at the compliment, feeling as though it was the first genuine one she had received since she started visiting bars and clubs.

"What do you want to drink?" He asked her.

"Rum and coke" She answered, ordering her usual that got her hammered within half an hour if she drank enough of it. "I can pay for my own drink" She hated the thought of others paying for her. This was the only way she would ever be noble.

"Hey, a girl who can actually drink" Max said, pride marking his voice. "She's a keeper."

"Would you stop talking about my like I'm not fucking here?" She growled, taking a sip of her drink, falling into her schedule that was usually saved for a Friday night. "If you want to compliment me on my drink choice then say it to my face."

"So, why did you bring your fuck buddy to the bar?" Max asked, smirking at Ashley as though he had just won the lottery. "Couldn't you have just left her in her shithole flat?"

"I am not his fuck buddy!" Ashley shouted, taking another sip of her drink. "And believe me, I wanted to be left in my shithole flat."

"Can't we just have a drink in peace and then go on a bar crawl when they start opening?" Ronnie asked. "You guys are acting like five year olds."

"I just want to have a fucking drink without some whore crashing it" Max whined. Ashley rolled her eyes as she took a drag from her cigarette. Being called a whore from some kid didn't bother her, but she'd still rather have her drink and cigarette in peace.

"Can you shut the fuck up?" She sighed. "Bars are shit if there aren't any people to dance with and bitches to fight with." Max gave her a sideways glance, grinning ever so slightly as Ronnie shook his head.

"You really are one of a kind" Ronnie commented as Joe went into the back, presumably to prepare for when this place got full in the evening. "It's rare that I meet a girl as feisty as you. I like it"

"You're not getting in my pants again" She warned, stubbing her cigarette out and leaning back in her seat. "You've only known me for a day, I can get a lot worse than this. I'm going. I want a new piercing."

"Are you really that random?" Max asked as he chuckled at her. She simply frowned before nodding as she pulled her leather jacket back over her shoulders and smiled.

"Well, it's either that or I try to be discovered." She shrugged. Max gave her a confused look as he drained the last of his drink.

"What the hell do you mean by 'discovered?'" He asked as he slapped down a tip for Joe and lit a cigarette. "I can't tell if you're trying to be dirty" His face was a little too close to hers, making her feel a little uncomfortable.

"No, I'm not being dirty" She scoffed. "I sing a lot when I'm drunk and apparently I'm pretty good at it. I figured maybe I could try and make a living off of it. I've got no other direction in life."

"You're so negative, though" Ronnie laughed as he took her hand and led her out of the bar. "So, where are you going to sing?"

"God knows" She laughed. "I'll just wait until tonight and I'm smashed." The trio walked out of the bar and back into the sunlight, shielding their eyes from the harsh glare. "God, I love the Strip."

"Hey, I'll pick you up at eight tonight and we'll go on that bar crawl, okay?" Ronnie asked as they headed to the bottom of a street. As much fun as Ashley had just had, she had to ask Ronnie this one question and she had to ask it away from Max. She took his hand and led him over to the back of an old tattoo place.

"Why are you even bothering?" She asked. "We had sex once and that's all it was. I'm not your responsibility. I've been on plenty of bar crawls on my own and I've been fine. You don't need to do all of this for me."

"I know I don't" Ronnie assured as he grinned at her. "I'm bothering because I like you. Do you really find it that hard to just accept that some people might actually want to be friends with you?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of a loner" She laughed. "All of my friends only last a day and it's always the ones I meet in the bars. I don't need anyone."

"Well, you're stuck with me, got it?" He asked as he took a step back as though he wasn't even going to bother letting her answer.

"Yeah, I got it" She sighed. "I'll see you at eight."

Well, this is a lot different to any of my other characters I've ever created, so I apologise if it's bad. Hope you enjoy though anyways and feedback is much appreciated.