Chapter 6.

Ashlie just lied in bed and leaned her head on John's shoulder as he was sleeping. Her sidekick just vibrated on the table, so she grabbed it. New text message, of course. She opened it and clicked read now.

I just wish things can go back to the way they were, before I fucked everything up.
-Paul

She clicked message, and messaged him back.

I don't want to deal w/ Ur shit now. I don't need u.
-Ashlie

She closed her sidekick, and put it back on the table by the bed. She got out of bed and started to get undressed, but instead, she grabbed a pack of cigarettes from her nightstand and her phone and headed outside.

Ashlie got in the elevator, and went down to the lobby, and outside. She sat right down by the door, and took one of her cigarettes out from the pack and lit it.

It was a nice and cool December night in Florida, and unfortunately, she won't be home for Christmas. A few puffs later, her phone rang. She checked who it was, and it was John. So she answered it.

"I'll be up in a few minutes. I just needed air." She said and hung up.

Continuing to smoke her cigarette, Chris walked up from his car, from a long night of partying. He saw Ashlie sitting on the ground in shorts and a tank top.

"Ash, aren't you cold?" Chris said, just semi stumbling, so he sat down next to her. "Can I bum a cigarette off of you?" She nodded and handed him one, and her lighter.

"No, actually I'm pretty damn hot." She smiled, and then flicked her cigarette, and got up, and grabbed her cigarettes, her lighter, and her phone. "Do you want me to stay with you until you finish, or do you want to be alone?"

"I just want to be alone, Ash, if you don't mind." Chris got up and hugged her, and she walked back into the hotel.

She sat down in the lobby on the couch by the elevator. She opened her sidekick, because she totally ignored the vibration while she was smoking. She clicked read, and she did.

Ash I'm srry. Wat don't u get? U can stay w/ John, I wanna b friends.
-Paul

She replied back to him, even though she didn't want to.

Friends, n friends is all Paul. Just don't fuck w/ John n I.

-Ashlie.

She just sat there, waiting for his reply. A few minutes later he replied finally.

Fine. I'm happy with that.

-Paul

She got up off the couch with her cigarettes, lighter, and phone in hand and went into the elevator. She pressed 3, and went upstairs, and walked all the way to room 320.

She opened the door, and seen John lying on the bed clutching a pillow. She walked over to the bed and set down her belongings, and pulled the pillow from John, and laid right next to him. He smiled, and pulled her close and held her.

"You smell as if you were smoking. You could have brought me with you if you were. I need one." John laughed just a little bit.

Ashlie lie there, and fell asleep.

-------------------------

In the morning, John woke up with Ashlie gone, and a note left on the pillow.

Sorry babe. It's 7:30 when I left this, but I had to go, unfortunately. I'll call you when I get back!

Love you.

John read the note, and got up off the bed and paced around the room for a minute, and then he checked the clock, and it was 10:30 and left the room.

Ashlie was already in her car, making her way to her house, in Raleigh NC. She had to get out of that hotel room, even if it meant she had to drive all night from St. Louis, to get back home, she would.

She pulled off on a ramp, so she can get more gas. She just came to Nashville TN, and she needed gas. She found the nearest gas station, and filled up her tank. She also got coffee, chips, and snickers, in which she was craving. She came back to her car, and put on her Bright Eyes CD.

I want a lover I don't have to love.

I want a boy so drunk he doesn't talk.

There is the kid with the chemicals

I have a hunger and I can't seem to get full

I need some meaning I can memorize

The kind I always seem to slip my mind.

She sang along, and just kept driving. By the time she got into Raleigh it was around 7:30. And by the time she got to her house, it was already reaching 8. She pulled up her driveway, just really happy to be back home. She missed being there, in the comfort of her own house.

She drove up the driveway, and seen someone sitting on her steps, and her jaw dropped.