Hey guys, sorry for the long delay. Summer has been going by too fast! I hope you're all enjoying the summer, and school break, and to help keep you entertained, here's another chapter of 'Rescue Me'. Reviews are more than welcome! I'm heading away for four days to camp, so give me something to read when I come back ;).
Chapter Five: You And Me
My eyes fluttered open slowly as the realization of daylight hit me. I lifted my arms above my head and stretched, lowering them to the spot beside me, where all I felt was empty air. Alarmed, I sat up quickly, only to see that the bed was empty. I felt my heart drop and I threw the covers off before swinging around. My feet touched the carpet, and I jumped off the bed, making my way into the living room.
I heard the water running in the kitchen and I walked in, feeling a broad smile take over my face as I saw Spencer standing there with Kyla. She looked like she had just showered, and stolen some of my clothes. I didn't mind.
"Hey, sleeping beauty," Kyla said, nodding her head towards a brown bag on the kitchen table. "I brought you back a taquito, but it's probably cold by now." She turned back to the eggs she was making and turned to Spencer. "Can you pass me the milk?"
Spencer grabbed the carton of milk and passed it over to Kyla. She twisted her head to look at me, and saw that I was staring at her, still smiling. Her cheeks turned a little red and she turned back to Kyla, playfully picking at the eggs from the pan. Kyla nudged her the other way, laughing.
I crossed my arms and leaned against the table, watching them as they interacted. That was one of the best things about Kyla. She could become friends with practically anyone, and treat them like a good friend. I was glad Spencer and her were friends.
And Spencer. She looked happy. I felt a sense of happiness as I watched her and Kyla playfully pushing each other. I walked over to the other side of her and placed my hand on the small of her back as I watched them make the eggs. She leaned into me a little, resting her head on my shoulder. I could smell the faint scent of my strawberry shampoo, and closed my eyes, savoring the scent.
"Aiden! Breakfast's ready!" Kyla yelled, taking the sizzling pan off the stove. She took it over to the table and scooped a couple spoonfuls of eggs onto a small plate.
"Aiden stayed over?" I asked.
Kyla looked up at me and smiled, now putting the rest of the eggs on a bigger plate. "Yeah, it was really early by the time we got home, so I just invited him to stay the night...or morning." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Aiden! Come and get it before Ashley eats it all!"
"Hey!" I snapped, and Spencer chuckled a little. "You think that's funny?" I asked, looking at her. When she nodded, I wrapped my arms around her waist and dragged her over to the couch, practically throwing her on it. She screamed a little, barely managing to hide her laughter, and I jumped on top of her, my fingers running over her sides.
"Ash, stop!" She screamed out, laughing so hard I could barely understand her. I leaned in and kissed her forehead, my fingers finally resting on her hips.
"Better?" I asked. She nodded and shifted underneath me. I realized then that I was practically straddling her, and I moved to get off, but she grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. Our eyes locked for a moment before I leaned down and kissed her on the nose. She wrinkled up her nose and pushed me back, and I almost fell off the couch.
Laughing, I started to get off her, and grabbed her hands to stand her up with me. "Let's go get some breakfast," I suggested, wrapping her arms around my waist.
"Like old times?" She asked.
I nodded. "Like old times." I assured her. I looked myself over and felt my cheeks get hot. "Just let me go change first." I unwrapped her arms from mine and jogged into the bedroom, nearly knocking Aiden over as he came out of Kyla's room, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Long night?" I asked.
He nodded and opened his mouth, letting out a loud yawn. "Your sister is a wild child."
I held up my hand. "I don't want to know." I shut the door in his face before he could get another word in.
After having a quick shower and getting dressed, I jogged out to the living room, where Aiden was sitting on the couch with Kyla and Spencer, stuffing his face with eggs. In between bites, he was trying to tell them a joke, and failing, from the looks on the girls faces. I decided to go to Spencer's rescue.
"Hey, Aiden, chew your food before you swallow. I can't believe you kiss my sister with that mouth," I said, slightly disgusted by the way eggs were dripping from his mouth.
He gave me a half smile, his right cheek puffed out from a mouthful of eggs. "Ha ha." He replied in boredom, going back to his eggs.
I threw Spencer a jacket and she shrugged it on as I reached for the car keys. I twirled the keys around in my hands as I waited for her to say goodbye to Kyla and Aiden. As soon as she was ready, I reached for the door handle and opened it for her, letting her go out first. "Where do you want to go?" I asked as I closed the door behind us, and locked it.
Spencer shrugged. "Wherever you want."
"There's this great place downtown, serves some of the best eggs." I smiled and nudged her playfully with my hip. She laughed and rested her head on my shoulder.
"I'll go wherever you are," she replied sleepily.
I kissed the top of her head as we made our way out to my car. Spencer unlinked our arms and started to the passenger side. She slid in as I opened the driver's door. My cell phone suddenly burst out the newest tune of Christina Aguilera. I held up my cell phone and looked at Spencer. "One second," I said, slightly annoyed, before I flipped open my phone and held it up to my ear. "Yeah?"
Spencer waited patiently, twirling her fingers. She jumped a little when she heard my scream echo throughout the parking lot.
"No way!" I screamed, jumping up and down a little. I heard Spencer jump out of the car and come to my side, concern on her face. "Thanks a lot!" I cried and hung up the phone. I twisted to her and grabbed her hand. "Guess who just got a spot to open up for Altec?!"
Spencer started to smile brightly, but it faltered, and she cocked her head. "Who's Altec?"
"Some local band. But, the most important part is that the news will be there to cover their concert. And I get to open for them!" I jumped up and down excitedly, holding her hands.
"Ash, that's great!" She cried, wrapping her arms around my neck. She pressed against me, squeezing me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her waist and squeezed back. "I'm so proud of you." She pulled back and kissed me on the cheek.
My arms refused to let go of her waist, though, and I pulled her back, my lips connecting with hers. I felt the sweet taste of her lip gloss. Kiwi Strawberry. My favorite. After a few seconds I pulled back, letting my arms fall off her waist. I waited for her reaction.
She smiled and leaned in, pecking me once on the lips. "Come on, or they'll stop serving breakfast," she said, waving me over to the car.
I couldn't help but smile as I slid into the car, and pulled the car out of the parking lot. "Your wish is my command," I said, laughing a little.
This day couldn't possibly get any better.
**********
"Ugh, this could not get any worse!" I yelled, throwing the pieces of paper out of my hand. They flew up in the air, scattering the papers in different directions. They fell on the floor by my feet and I stepped off the chair and stepped on the pieces of paper, stamping them to the ground with my feet.
Kyla came into the living room, a glass of water in her hand. She passed it over to me, a look of sympathy on her face. "I'm sure it's not that bad," she offered.
I gestured to the scattered papers now crumpled at my feet. "Every lyric I've written so far has been crap." I took a large gulp of water, trying to calm my nerves. Kyla placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I shrugged her off. I swallowed a mouthful of water and turned to her. "How am I going to be ready for tonight's show? Why did I even agree to do it, if I wasn't prepared?" I looked around frantically. "What if I mess up and-"
Kyla put a hand over my mouth, shutting me up. I bit her hand softly, and she let out a yelp. She moved her hand away, inspecting it. "You're going to do great! They wouldn't have offered to have you open up for the band if they thought you were going to suck." She placed both hands on my shoulders and shook me gently. "You're a great songwriter, and I know you're going to come up with something for tonight's show."
She sat down on the couch and picked up the pieces of paper I had so carelessly discarded of. She looked them over, her eyes grazing the page for a few seconds, then moving on to the next one. "I really like this one," she said after a few seconds, holding out one page.
I hesitated for a few seconds before taking it from her. "Oh." I replied. "This was just one I've been working on for a while." I folded it into a small piece and tucked it into my back pocket.
"You should use it, you've got at least three minutes of song there," she went on, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her lap. "Who's it about?" She suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.
I bit my lip and shook my head. "No one. I wrote this months ago, when I..." I trailed off, and suddenly decided to stare at my hands for an excuse.
"When you and Spencer broke up." Kyla finished. Her face softened and she attempted a small smile. "Around the time when she started dating Carmen." When I nodded, much to my reluctance, she took a deep breath and stood up. She walked past me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Use that song." She looked towards the front door, where Spencer was just coming in, a bag of takeaway in her arms. She gave my shoulder one last squeeze and started off into her room, shutting the door behind her.
"What did you bring me?" I asked, following Spencer into the kitchen. I decided to be some help and reached up into the cupboard to grab some plates. Setting them on the table, I turned to her as she grabbed a few containers of Chinese food from the brown paper bag.
"I thought you might like some of your favorite Chinese food before you perform tonight." She opened a container and poured some noodles onto my plate, being generous with the amount.
I picked up the plate when she was done with it, and stuffed a forkful of noodles into my mouth, realizing then just how hungry I was. I heard Spencer laugh, and turned to her. "What?" I said, my voice slightly muffled by the noodles.
She reached over, a napkin in hand, and wiped a piece of noodle off my mouth. "There, all better," she said, tossing the napkin into the garbage. She grabbed herself some noodles and leaned against the table, cradling the plate in her hands. "Are you nervous?" She asked, taking small bites.
I nodded my head and set my plate down. Rubbing my stomach, I replied, "I'm not so hungry anymore."
Spencer grabbed my plate and headed out to the living room. I followed, and we both sat down on the couch. She turned to look at me.
"You'll do great. And Kyla, Aiden and I will be there to support you." She passed my plate to me, and even though I wasn't hungry, I took it. "We'll be cheering in the crowd, holding up candles, the whole deal."
I gave her a blank stare. "Please don't." I said plainly, and she laughed. "No, I'm serious." I said after a few seconds.
She snorted, covering her mouth with her hand. "Okay, I promise I won't." She picked at her noodles with her fork. "Do you still want me there?" She asked shyly, looking at me from the corner of her eyes.
"Of course I still want you there!" I exclaimed. I reached over and grabbed her hand. "You're my good luck charm." I saw her blush slightly, and ran my hand over her cheek. "I wouldn't be at this point without you."
She smiled and took another bite of her noodles, as I sat and watched her eat, barely able to keep from grinning the whole time.
Kyla came out of her room half an hour later, dressed in a tight black skirt and a sweater to match. She modeled for us quickly before dragging Spencer off the couch to grab her some clothes. I sat back and picked at my noodles, which were now cold and hard.
My thoughts drifted back to the piece of paper in my back pocket. I set my plate down and reached into my pocket, retrieving it. I folded it back open, looking at the scratched off words, and the scribbles on the margin's. I picked up a spare pencil from the table and started scribbling on it again.
Thirty outfits later, we were making our way to the club. I pulled into the parking lot and put the car in park. Turning around in the seat, I looked at Kyla and Aiden in the backseat. "No funny stuff tonight, okay? I want this night to go perfectly."
Kyla and Aiden both put their hands over their chests and smiled. I rolled my eyes and turned to Spencer. I reached over and grabbed her hand in mine.
"You ready?" She asked, squeezing my hand ever so lightly.
I threw a smile at her, trying to reassure her that I was fine. She wasn't fooled, however, and she squeezed my hand a little tighter, and I felt a little better knowing she was there. "I'm nervous," I admitted, opening my car door.
Spencer got out and came around to the drivers side. Kyla and Aiden slid out as well, already making their way to the club, with their arms wrapped around each other. Spencer smiled and linked her arm in mine. "You're a great singer, Ash. Always have been." She leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek, and I felt my cheeks grow hot as she pulled away.
As we entered the concert hall, crowds of people swarmed past us, eager to get to their seats. Kyla turned to me, grasping Aiden's hand as he started heading towards a group of teenage girls. Scowling at him, she said, "We'll go find a seat, are you coming, Spencer?"
Spencer threw a glance at me, and I nudged her with my hip, un-linking our arms. "Go on ahead, I have to get ready."
She smiled and nodded, already heading towards Kyla and Aiden. "See you on stage," she winked, and I felt myself flush deeply.
I waited until they all disappeared into the building until I made my way to the back door. The stocky man there, his hair in a neat braid, crossed his arms over his chest as I made my way there. Giving him a smile, I pulled out my backstage pass, and he immediately stepped aside, a small smile creasing his face. I muttered a half thank you and walked into the room, feeling the air conditioning cool my skin as soon as I stepped inside.
A small guy, his black hair greased back approached me. He was wearing a tight fitting black vest, the sleeves cut off. He pushed his glasses up his nose a little and smiled. "I'm Jonathan, lead singer of Altec." He held his hand out and I took it, shaking it gently for a few seconds.
"I can't tell you guys how much I am looking forward to opening for you," I said, a little too cheerfully.
Jonathan released my hand and he nodded. "You're on in five. You cool with that?"
"Five minutes!?" I squeaked, making him jump a little.
He must have seen the look on my face, because he backed away a little. "Hey, are you sure you wanna do this?" He asked, looking towards his band mate, the drummer I was guessing, mostly because he was contently twirling a pair of drum sticks in his fingers. He looked over at us, indecision lining his dark features.
I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Yeah, I'll be fine." I muttered, and I had to repeat myself so he could hear what I was saying. He was nice enough to bring me a glass of water, and I took it and chugged it down, feeling my throat tighten up.
Handing the glass back to him, I shook myself down, wiggling my arms and loosening myself up for the show. Jonathan looked at me, confusion easy to seek on his face. He decided not to ask, and instead, shook his head and turned around. He started making his way towards the drummer, who was talking with another band mate. They were chatting happily, laughing even. I felt a pang of envy, wishing I could be that easy going before a show.
The guitarist, a young guy in his early twenties, walked over to me. His brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he dropped his black guitar case to the ground as he approached me. Placing a hand on my shoulder, he gave me a comforting smile.
"You're Rafe Davies daughter, right?" When I nodded, he made a small sound in his throat. "Great man, he was." I was about to ask him how he knew, when his mouth opened and he continued. "That man was nice enough to let us open for him, and look where we are now." He gestured around him, and I followed his hand, my eyes grazing the leather couches, the wide screen TV, and the PS3 on the table.
The man patted me, giving me a slight push before lifting the corners of his mouth up into a smirk. "He'd be proud of you tonight, Ashley." Nodding his head, he stepped back and picked up his guitar case. He placed two fingers on his head and saluted to me, before turning back to his band mates.
I sat down on one of the leather couches, feeling myself sink into it. My arms shaking, I wrapped them around myself. I suddenly jumped as I heard my name being called over the PA, and I looked around for support, but the band was already gone. Curious, I looked at my watch and realized that four minutes had passed.
The PA called my name again, and, with wobbly legs, I stood, balancing myself out by holding onto the table in the center. I walked over to where my guitar was being held, and bent down, snapping the case open. I pulled out the brown acoustic guitar, and strapped it over my shoulder.
Letting out a long breath, I turned towards the door and made my way to the stage.
Claps and cheers echoed through to the backstage as I finally made my way to the center of the stage. I walked up to the microphone and leaned into it, letting out another loud breath that echoed through the club. I opened my mouth to speak, and stopped, my stomach dropping as I realized how many people were in the crowd.
I wanted to run. I wanted to just turn around and bolt off that stage. And I would have, if it wasn't for a certain voice that broke through the claps and cheers.
"Go Ashley! You can do it!"
My eyes grazed over the crowd until I made out the figure of Spencer, clapping her hands excitedly. Aiden and Kyla were beside her, holding each other. Aiden gave me a thumbs up, and I rolled my eyes. Keeping my eyes on Spencer, I opened my mouth to speak again.
"This one is for someone very special to me." I winked at Spencer before I started strumming the guitar, getting into the first verse.
So take one word, you said
You put it in your bed
You rest your tiny head on your pillow
You wonder where you're going next
You've got your hair pushed to my chest
And now you're hoping
That someone will let you in
Well, I swear I'll let you in
You know I'll let you in
Oh Kelsey, you
So don't let anyone scare you
You know that I'll protect you
Always, now through the thick and thin
Until the end
You better watch it
You know you don't cross it
Because, I'm always here for you
And I'll be here for you
I know, I know, I know
I know how it feels
Believe me, I've been there
And I know, I know, I know
I know what it feels like
Tell me, Kelsey
And I'll swim the ocean for you
The ocean for you
Whoa, Kelsey
And I'll swim the ocean for you
The ocean for you
Whoa, Kelsey
Oh you, darling
Now it's gonna get harder
And it's gonna burn brighter
And it's gonna feel tougher
Each and every day
So let me say, that I love you
You're all I've ever wanted
All I've ever dreamed of to come
And yes you did come
I want you so bad, can you feel it too?
You know I'm so, I'm so in love with you
I want you, so much
I need you, so much
I need your, I need your, your touch
And I'll swim the ocean for you
The ocean for you
Whoa, Kelsey
And I'll swim the ocean for you
The ocean for you
Whoa, Kelsey
And I'll swim the ocean for you
The ocean for you
Whoa, Kelsey
And I'll swim the ocean for you
The ocean for you
Whoa, Kelsey
And you never, ever let me in
(Let me in)
And you never, ever let me in
(Let me in)
And you never, ever let me in
(Let me in)
And you never, ever let me in
As I slowly ended the song by slowly strumming the guitar, I heard a round of applause tear up the club. Whistles, cheers and shouts met my ears dead on, deafening me. I smiled and held up my hand, waving to everyone, before making my way off the stage.
As I took my guitar off, feeling relieved that the weight was literally off my shoulders, Jonathan met me, his hand raised for a high five.
"You did great, kid," he said as I high fived him. He strapped his own guitar on and winked at me. "Now go enjoy the rest of the show." I watched as he disappeared onto the stage, the three other band mates following him, all waving to the crowd as they greeted Altec with cheers. Shaking my head slightly, I made my way into the club.
Kyla, Aiden and Spencer met me at the backstage door. As soon as I stepped out, I felt Aiden pull me into a hug, crushing me.
"You did amazing!" He shouted, trying to be heard over the band, who had just started.
I smiled and Kyla walked up to me next. She pulled me into a hug as well, this one more gentle than Aiden's. "Dad would be proud," she whispered, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, squeezing her lightly.
Next up was Spencer. She approached shyly, shuffling her feet along the ground. Kyla cleared her throat and pointed over her shoulder.
"We're just going to go get a drink."
"We are?" Aiden asked. One look from Kyla, and he nodded. "We are," he affirmed. Grabbing Kyla by the hand, he pulled her off into the massive crowd.
I turned my attention back to Spencer, who was now just a few feet from me. I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer. We backed up into a corner, and I grinned at her as she leaned against me. "Enjoy the show?" I asked, and my grin brightened as she nodded, leaning her head up towards me. I kissed her lips softly, and she mumbled against my lips. I pulled away. "What was that?"
"Who was it dedicated to?" She asked, twirling a stray piece of my hair in her fingers.
"Just this girl I'm totally obsessed with. I think her name was Sam? Or was it Kelsey?" I grinned as she smacked me lightly in the shoulder. "I had to change the name to Kelsey, or it would have been too sappy, if people knew I was singing about you."
"You're lucky I sappiness." She leaned into me again, and I wrapped my arms around her waist as she cradled her head on my shoulder.
I raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I should write more songs with you in them." I nuzzled my cheek against her head. "Roses are red, violets are blue-"
She placed a finger on my lip, shutting me up. "Not that sappy." She laughed and replaced her finger with her lips.
"Am I intruding?" Someone asked, and I lifted my head away from Spencer.
"Actually you are," I snapped, then stopped, tensing up. "Carmen." I hissed through clenched teeth.
Carmen stood a few feet away from us, her arms crossed over her chest. Her friends stood behind her, measuring up to about five of them.
The bitch is back.
I know that the song I used is sung by a guy, but hey, let's pretend she sang it. And if you're wondering, the song was 'Kelsey' by Metro Station.