Last Hope

I took a sip of the pop and almost choked. There was no way that those five—no matter how much I trust them—would be able to win against Carson. He’s mean, and he’s fast…
I shook my head trying to dislodge the thoughts that were swarming around in my head. Matt will win, he’s gonna win…He has to win! I could feel my breathing get a little shaky, but calmed it down just as quickly. I stared at the phone for a while and blinked harshly as my eyes began to sting. I got up and chucked the can of pop in the garbage can; I needed something stronger. Finally I grabbed a shot glass and a bottle of whiskey, taking one of the shots I coughed slightly as it burned on its way down.

Carson was going to try some underhanded thing I knew it, there wasn’t any reason for him not to, either way he was going to be in prison for life when they found him again. If they found him again…Or at all.
“Sweetie getting drunk won’t solve anything,” Kara pointed out I grabbed another shot glass and handed it to her.
“Yeah you’re right, you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em,” she laughed cheerily and downed a shot. She then looked at the bottle and saw how empty it was
“Sweetie did you do all that,” I glanced up and noticed she was right, it was low. I shrugged; at this point I couldn’t really remember where it was when I started drinking.
“Damn girly you can hold your liquor,” I shrugged again; I wasn’t in the mood to talk. Kara sensed this and left the kitchen. I don’t know what she was doing, weather she was telling them she’d found me or that I was drunk…Which I wasn’t.

Chewing on the inside of my lip I grabbed the cordless phone, the bottle of whiskey and walked out onto the porch. I quickly dialed and waited for it to ring
“Hello,” Jordan’s familiar voice came through the phone
“Hey, Jor, it’s AJ,” I mumbled; there was a rather loud thump, many strings of profanities and something broke.
“Holy fucking…Shit…You okay baby-doll,” he asked finally getting a hold of himself.
“…Yeah,” I mumbled before taking a swig right out of the bottle. I pulled my knees to my chest and let the bottle hang from my left hand.
“Where are you,” he asked, he was really only asking if I was okay; I hadn’t seen Jordan in…Years, I think.

“I’m fine Jor, I’m in Huntington Beach,” I sighed rubbing at my bleary eyes with my hand that still held the bottle.
“You’re fine, you’re fine…Do you remember the last time you said that to me,” Jordan’s infamous temper came screaming to the forefront. I knew it was only because he was freaking out that I wasn’t dead…But still it was scary.
“Yeah, Jor, I do, but I’m really fine this time,” I sighed trying to reason with the guy having a nervous break down on the other end of the phone.
“Ok, so you’re fine…You’re not on your own are you,” he asked worry slipping back into his voice.
“No, Jor, I have people here,” I mumbled “they took me in after I…Ran away from Carson,” I tacked on the end while avoiding the fact they found me nearly dead on the side of the highway.

I heard Jordan breathe a sigh of relief and I could almost see him calming down.
“Baby-doll you cannot keep doing this to me,” he mumbled”
“I know…But you changed…A lot, and I didn’t know what to do, and I couldn’t get to you, and everything was falling apart, and, and finally I just gave up, and they showed up,” my breathing hitched and everything I said started to come in one big rush.
“Baby-doll, calm the fuck down,” Jordan stated his voice calm, even though I could tell he wasn’t as calm as he portrayed. I sniffled and obeyed
“Now look, I want you to give the phone to one of the people you’re with, I want to explain some things to them, very calmly and very rationally.” Jordan said his voice tight with leashed anxiety and most likely anger. I dutifully stood up from the cement slab that served as the patio and walked inside, walking up to probably the calmest out of all of them—Grey—I tapped her on the shoulder and handed her the phone without a word.

Turning I left the room and went back up to the room I’d first woken up in. I could still remember that day—granted it wasn’t very long ago, but still. I smiled sadly and flopped down on the foot of the bed, you see me plus drinking equals a very…Emotional me. Everything tends to spin out of control and I swing from one mood to the next almost like a pendulum.

Ten minutes and a lot of profanities later Grey showed up in my room and handed me the phone—which I assumed Jordan was still on.
“Hello,” I asked trying not to reveal that I’d completely lost it in the time I’d handed him over till now.
“Baby-doll, first and fore most you’re going to that trial, secondly once everything is over and that creep is locked up you’re going to come stay with me for a while, thirdly I love you so don’t you dare do something like this ever again, and fourthly: I’m not one for mushy shit—you know that…But here…” there was a small pause before someone else came to the line.
“Girly…You may be coming to visit us, but I swear if you don’t return to however the fuck many people were in that room I might have to kill you…Or shank you at the very least,” Jordan’s girlfriend Abby stated deadpanning her voice. I laughed and told them that I would indeed be returning to Huntington Beach.

“Goodnight baby-doll, sleep tight, I’ll see you next time I see you,” Jordan said as we hung up
“You too Jo-jo,” I laughed at the offended noise he made at the nickname I’d given him so long ago. Jordan and I had always had an odd relationship, Jordan was the older brother I should have gotten, he was always there for me. Sure he drank a lot, and smoked probably too much, but when you needed him he was always there, either with a baseball bat or a box of tissues; most of the time both.

Abby and Jordan were made for each other, she balanced him out and he made her have fun, she took care of you, Jordan took care of those who made his girlfriend have to take care of you. I really couldn’t see them not together…I think the whole damn world would explode of they broke up…Good thing Jordan told me he’s purposing soon. I would have had to have kicked his ass if he didn’t.

Anyways…That night I fell asleep with worrisome questions buzzing about in my mind, nagging and chewing in the furthest reaches of my subconscious. I woke up some time later and stared at the clock on my nightstand. I really didn’t want to sleep alone right now…Not with everything that was going on. Creeping from my room to Matt’s I knocked softly on the door. There was no response from the other side so I knocked again. This time I heard a little movement, but nothing more, so finally I decided it was safe and entered the darkened room. Crossing the short distance to the king-sized bed I crawled up and under the covers next to Matt.
“What…Aj?” Matt asked blearily waking up, but not really
“Can I stay in here tonight,” I asked timidly, I didn’t get a verbal response I merely got Matt’s arm wrapped around my body pulling me towards him. I snuggled in, took a deep breath and fell asleep faster than I had ever thought humanly possible.

The next morning I woke up to someone leaping on the king-sized bed.
“Get…Fuck…OFF,” I mumbled tiredly flailing my arm about to try and swat at whom ever was stupid enough to wake me up when I’d been sleeping finally
“Time to wake up, time to wake up, time to wake up in the mooooorning!” Grey screamed loudly while the bouncing continued.
“I swear to god I will shank you in the face dead if you do not stop that fucking bouncing,” I mumbled as threateningly as I could while still this asleep. Which wasn’t very threatening, but hey I tried!
“Nooooooo,” Grey and someone else chimed…It was then that I heard two bodies come in contact with the carpeted floor very quickly.
“What the fuck I didn’t even know you were awake,” the new girl Nicolette grumbled…Ah so she was the one bouncing/screaming.
“Yeah…Well you woke me up, now get out,” Matt growled I sniggered and buried my way back under the pillows and mass of blankets.
“No! Get up! Now!” Payne screamed storming into the room…Damn they brought the cavalry.

Fuck. My. Life.

“Matt…Make the people go away,” I mumbled incoherently still trying to stay asleep.
“If you do not leave you’re going to regret it, I’m not sure how yet, but you will,” Matt mumbled still keeping his arms around my torso and his face pressed against my shoulder/neck.
“Fine,” Grey huffed, then suddenly all the fucking blankets were gone.
“Oh that’s it!” I screamed leaping up and tackling all three to the ground…Needless to say we all landed in a heap of blankets and other people…Matt just went back to sleep…Some help he is!

Once everyone was awake we went downstairs and ate breakfast…I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell Carson was planning…Seeing as he would never follow what he’d set up with Matt and the boys.

The rest of the day past in a slow moving blur…If that makes any sense…Probably not.

Payne and Brian were spending alone time at his house, Nicolette and Matty B were off somewhere, Grey was off talking with Jimmy…About something…Drapes I think. And I honestly couldn’t tell you where anyone else was…I think they were at the studio which left me home. Which I was honestly okay with, I needed some time alone to think about everything that was about to drop very shortly.

The day was almost done, and no one was back, although this wasn’t odd I was being paranoid…HEY you would be too! Don’t judge me…

I walked into the large kitchen looking for something to munch on, or to drink at the moment I wasn’t being picky I really just wanted something to snack on…Drink. Whatever. I felt a soft breeze coming from the back patio door so I moved forward and shut it, I didn’t like having open doors when it was just me in the house. I think you can guess why I didn’t like having open doors, but still at the same time I feel the need to point it out.

“Where’s your little fuck buddy,” a low sinister voice sneered from behind me I whirled on my heel and came face to face with a snarling…Spitting mad Carson. He looked like a cobra ready to strike, calculating and ready to kill. I wanted to scream, but my voice box just wouldn’t work…It wouldn’t…Couldn’t. It was like so many times before.

“Get out Carson,” I finally managed, my voice was soft, but still held an edge to it. “They’ll kill you if they find you were here,” I tacked on just to try and scare him.
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that AJ I’m your older brother you’ll respect me.” He spat stalking forward; I scampered away and around the center island.
“Get back here you little bitch,” he snarled reaching for me I slunk away and searched for any sort of weapon.
“Oh no you don’t,” he spat and grabbed a fistful of my long dark brown hair yanking me back to him. I stared into his cold lifeless eyes before spitting in his face; this action earned me a backhand which caused me to go into the cupboards to my right. Carson wiped at his face and grabbed the vase that Grey had filled with flowers and chucked it at the entrance of the kitchen. He then threw more glasses on the floor; effectively cutting off my escape routes.

“Now, now AJ,” he tsked my actions “be a good little slut and stay still,” he snarled grabbing my wrists and hair and throwing me into the wall opposite him…The one right beside the glass covered exits. I landed hard on my left forearm, the tiny shards of glass cut into my arm causing pain to sear up my whole arm. Carson grabbed me and slammed something hard into my head, dazed and confused I was pulled across glass shards and back into the kitchen. I was then thrown a cupboard/counter hard enough to rattle what was sitting on top it.

All through this I realized I hadn’t made a single sound of pain, guess I was used to it.
“Do you think they’ll cry when they find you dead,” Carson asked sick delight slipping into his voice.
“Do you think Matty boy will move on shortly,” he asked his voice just ask sickly sweet, my head was throbbing and I could feel warm metallic blood seeping down my arm, from my hair line and into my mouth. I wasn’t in pain…I was merely not even there anymore.
“Carson,” I started my voice ragged
“Yes love,” he purred happily
“Go fuck yourself,” I said tiredly before spitting the mouthful of blood I had at him.

“AJ!” I heard someone scream from not to far to my right, I blearily opened my eyes and turned to see my family standing there…Not my actual family, but the Sevenfold gang. I felt like I was very sleepy, but I hurt, and then it clicked. Not just in my head, but the hammer on Carson’s Colt .45, I didn’t really even think, I just jumped.

The white hot agony hit me long before the realization Carson had just shot me did…But for once I felt like I’d done something good. Sure I was going to die…But I’d just given Matt and everyone a chance to get out…A chance at life.

If that was my purpose in life…Well then I’m glad. Someone grabbed me, someone slammed into Carson; the rest was just a flurry of activity that I didn’t…Couldn’t comprehend. I heard someone screaming at me to stay awake I felt foreign hands take me, weird distorted voices talking all around, flashing lights, sirens, noises that I couldn’t figure out. I saw a blurry figure and reached, my heavy fingers coming into contact with fabric I forced them to clench. I let my arm drop pulling the person close.
“Get……them…ou-“ darkness took hold.