I've Got This Friend

"Goodbye, you all!" Anne Marie waves to us. Ashton's family had a meeting today with a therapist. She thought that since Ash was hurting enough to try and end his life, maybe it was time to get help.

So that leaves me in the same car as these three idiots. "Move, Calum!" Luke whines shoving him to the back of the car. "I want to drive!"

"Then I call shotgun!" Calum shouts.

"Guys this is my car." Michael laughs. "Since I'm too lazy to drive myself, Luke you get to drive."

"What?!" Calum screeches. "I thought you liked me better than him!"

"You said that to him?" Luke questions, butt hurt.

"Guys, can you please just take me home?" I call from the backseat, sighing.

"Didn't know you were the one to make the decisions." Luke scoffs, but files in the car nevertheless.

"Because I'm delusional, right?" I mumble and roll my eyes.

"Watch it Montgomery." He warns. "Remember the talk we had?"

"What talk?" Michael wonders from beside me.

"Do you?" Luke presses.

"I do, Luke." I drag it out, to show him how much I didn't want to be there.

"Then let's not make any rational decisions."

I groan and lay back against the seat and watch my surroundings pass by me in a flash. I hear the murmurs of the boys' conversation, but I'm too focused on looking out my window to listen to what they have to say. After a while of speeding through the lights, Luke takes a sharp turn into my driveway.

"Get out." He harshly speak.

"What the fuck did you think I was going to do? Sit here and wait for you to follow me in?" I scoff, and slam the car door so hard it shakes the whole car.

I groan like I've been doing for the last few days and walk up to my front door. His voice is what makes me stop. "Jess, I think you forgot something!" Michael calls, running up to me.
"Nope. I think I've got everything here." I say checking my bag.

"Would just act like you're taking something from me? I need to tell you something."

"Well speak, Clifford." I say, mimicking his actions.

"I'm coming over to your house later today. I'm going to explain everything to you and that way you can stop hating Cal and I."

"Who says I'll let you come in?"

"Jessica I really need-"

"Mike let's go!" Luke calls from the car.

"I've gotta go, but I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Fine." I nod, and enter my home.

"Hey Jessica." My sister smiles sitting at the table.

"Hi Emmy, what are you doing here?" I ask, confused.

"Well I haven't seen you since the wedding and I'm on break with my college classes so I wanted to stop by." She smiles. "So how is it with Travis?"

I shrug, "I don't know. I mean it's just like having a dad here except he's not my dad, and never will be."

"So you don't get along?"

"I mean, yeah.." I draw in a breath realizing what I'm about to say is true. "We do get along. And I'm happy for mum that she was able to find such an amazing man. He truly does love her. Plus he's been here for me during this hard time."

"What hard time?"

Then I forget that she didn't know. "Um.. Ashton was in the hospital for a good two months. He overdosed on meds, and put himself in a coma."

Emmy gasps and puts her hand over her mouth. "He's okay now, right?"

I nod and smile. "Oh yeah, he's doing a lot better. He's getting help now, and well I think we're both pretty happy."

"Why's that?" She scoots to the end of the chair awaiting my response.

"Ash is my boyfriend." I smile from ear to ear.

"Jessica! Oh I'm so happy for you!" Emmy exclaims and jumps up to wrap my in a hug. "How did Travis help you?"

"He predicted that there was something more to the way Ash was acting before everything, and he helped keep the faith that he was going to be okay. I think I was the only one-except his mother-that didn't give up on him."

"I'm so happy for you, love." She smiles once more.

"Thanks. But anyways, I've got to get this stuff back in my room. I've got company coming over later. "

"Okay. Well I'm taking mum and Travis out tonight so if Ashton comes over, don't do anything I wouldn't do!" She calls, whilst I laugh.

===

Whilst mum, Travis, and Emmy were out, Michael had come over just like he said he was going to do. "Hey Michael." I greet him at the door.

"Hi, Jessica." He slightly smiles. I kind of smile back and motion for him to come in. "So look, I'm really sorry for everything, and I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you."

"Michael, I think I've heard enough sorry's. The least you could do is just tell me what the hell is going on with you all."

Michael sighs, and sits on the couch. "While Ashton was in the hospital, Luke was becoming not like himself. He was staying out late at night, disrespecting his mum-"

"He disrespected Liz?" I interrupt in awe.

"Sure did." Michael nods and continues his explanation. "Anyways, he was doing all this bad stuff and when Calum and I tried to understand what was wrong he would push us away and carry on with all this bad stuff. Then we would try to take him to the hospital and visit Ash, but he said that he couldn't do it. That he couldn't see Ashton like that. And sooner or later when he found out that you were investing all your time in Ashton he kept getting worse and worse. He kept saying that you were just as dead as Ashton and that we couldn't speak to you anymore."

"Michael this makes no sense. Why would he do that?"

He stays silent for a moment then says, "I think Luke is grieving like he really did lose Ashton. I think he's still got this mindset that Ashton is gone. But when he sees you, he knows that you were the one who practically saved him and he feels guilty. I think he battling with his own-self here."

"But why would he make you guys not talk to me?"

"Because in his mind, you're dead Jessica. So is Ashton."

"But he still speaks to Ashton." I argue.

"Do you remember how close him and Ash were, before you guys got closer?" I nod. "I think Luke felt neglected, but at the same time wanted to be noticed so he stayed."

"You're saying that Luke was never really my friend." I say. I start to feel my eyes watering up.

"He's still holding on to the small piece of Ashton even though he can't see that he's still alive. And since you're practically dead, there's no reason to pretend unless Ash is around."

"Michael this isn't Luke." I say, letting a tear fall down my face. "The Luke I once knew was pretty content. Has-has he gone mad?"

"He's never been right. Don't you remember all those times he had to go to the doctor, and he would get really excited because he got to see a 'special doctor'?"

Then it all clicks. The times when he would get angry for the simplest things, and leaving for those periods of times, only now I know that it was because he was seeking help. "Oh my god!"

Notes