Radiant Eclipse

As he drove them through the streets of Los Angeles, Johnny kept stealing glances at Ash who just stared out of the window. It had been a week since she confessed her tryst with Chris Torres in Vegas, and the week since he talked to her. He drove them through the hills, until he came to a stop atop a cliff overlooking the city. Johnny got out to help Ash out of the car, and let her over to a nearby picnic table, where they sat in silence before he finally decided to talk.

"You know I have to be honest with you, I briefly considered never talking to you again."

Ash, still under a complete vocal rest order, took her  phone and typed:

"Wouldn't have blamed you if you did. "

"Yeah but then I realized that there was no way that I could've done it. When you told me what you did, I didn't know how to react; I only knew how to feel completely betrayed and let down. I talked to Jimmy the other day about it, and he pointed some things out to me. One was how much it must have taken out of you, to come to me and tell me what you did, instead of letting me find out in some other way, shape, or form. And two, now that it has happened to me, I know how my last girlfriend felt when I did that to her. You know, I can't forget what happened, and I definitely can't excuse it, and I also can't say that things will go back to the way they were before. But what I can say, is that we can at least try. Maybe not try to be a couple right off the bat, but try to be friends first. And if it leads to being a couple again, then we're a couple again. But if we stay just friends, then I guess that's not so bad either. "
Ash smiled at him, before she started to type out a rather long message on her phone. Five minutes later, she gave Johnny her phone to read.

"First off, I'm still really really sorry. I know I'm sorry can never take back what I did or just magically fix everything, but I do hope that we can move past it, whether it be as a couple or friends. And second, I completely agree with the trying to be friends first. I think that maybe that's what went wrong with us; that we moved too fast right off the bat. Actually I think we all did, and I don't really think that helped anyone at all. We didn't get the benefit of really getting to know each other first, and when you take that out of the equation, it makes it seem like we were doomed to implode from the start. Again, I know simply saying I'm sorry will never take back what I did, but I really wish that it could and I wish that I can turn back time, one week and I can do that day over again. And like you said if we're meant to be a couple again, then we're a couple. And if all we're meant to be is just friends, then I'm more than okay with that. So, friends? "

Johnny handed Ash back her phone, and smiled. 

"Friends. "

Ash held out her arms for a hug, which Johnny readily accepted.

"Do you really feel like going to Denny's or IHOP or wherever the fuck everyone is at?"

Ash shook her head no, and started to type out another message on her phone.

"I think we passed one of those mom-and-pop type greasy spoon diners on the way up here. Want to go get a coffee or something?"

"Sure let's go. "

Johnny helped Ash back to the car, and they were on their way again. As they waited at a red light, Ash got a tweet from Zack of All Time Low asking where she was. Ash giggled, and she decided to have a little fun with him.

@zackalltimelow: hey @ashE_RE I'm being forced to inquire about your location so ... where are you?

@ashE_RE: @zackalltimelow tell them I'm on Skid Row trying to pick up a John.

Her shoulders shook with laughter, which left Johnny to wonder what was going on. She showed him the tweet, and he couldn't help but crack up himself. Ash's phone started to ring off the hook, so she looked at Johnny as if to ask them what should she do. He decided to take her phone from her and answered it himself.

"This is Lord Smithington. I regret to inform you that your friend cannot come to the phone right now, due to the fact that my cock is in her mouth. So, ta ta and cheerio. "

Johnny said, in the most ridiculously fake British accent that he could muster before he hung up. Ash wiped tears from her eyes, as she opened the window in the hopes of cooling down her face, which was now red from laughter. Once you calm down enough, she tweeted

"@ashE_RE: oh God, it's been a hot minute since I've laughed that hard. *snicker* Lord Smithington. XD :P" 

Her bandmates, who sat in the restaurant with the rest of Avenged Sevenfold and All Time Low, weren't too pleased when they saw the tweet.

"It's nice to know that Ash having a laugh at our expense."

Grumbled Jess, who showed her tweet to everybody else. This time Zacky V took the time out to tweet her. 

@Vengenz1: @ashE_RE alright, seriously, where the fuck are you? And none of this Lord Smithington BS. 

@ashE_RE: @Vengenz1 dammit. :P I'm not telling. 

@Vengenz1: @ashE_RE Ash...

Ash sighed before she decided to DM Zacky.

DM Vengenz1 I'm with Johnny, talking. Well he's talking and I'm typing. 

DM ashE_RE oh. Are you guys cool now?

DM Vengenz1 we're going to try and be friends first and see where it goes from there.

Zacky put his phone away, and assured everyone else Ash was safe and sound and not with Lord Smithington. Ash and Johnny ended up staying at the diner and enjoying each other's company so much that they didn't even notice the sunrise, and the early morning news start. Johnny paid the tab and then drove her back to Vengeance Manor, where Ash was able to enjoy about two hours of sleep, before Matt came to pick her up for the appointment. Matt had just pulled out of the driveway, when he decided to interrogate her.

"Lord Smithington? Really, Ash, really?"

Ash rolled her eyes before typing out,

"Z didn't tell you? There is no Lord Smithington. I was with Johnny all night."

"I should've known. How's that working out?"

"We're going to try and be friends first."

Matt didn't bother her about it anymore, and the rest of the drive was silent. Larry met them at the doctors office, where they were seen right away. The doctor poked and prodded Ash for about 10 minutes, before he spoke.

"Before I give my diagnosis, it is my understanding that you use the provided to screaming vocals in your band. That is correct?"

Ash nodded yes, before Matt added that she also provided some clean vocals.

"Well, Ms. Enriquez, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Matt before. Your vocal chords have become severely strained over the years. If you want to continue to sing and scream in your band, and not lose the complete use of your singing abilities, I'm going to prescribe complete vocal rest for the next month. Because, if you keep going at the rate you are now, we may have to resort to surgery. And even then, I couldn't guarantee that you would go back to normal. The surgery could actually cause you to lose your singing abilities."

Ash nodded, before she mouthed "thank you" to the doctor. He prescribed her some medication to help the slight swelling in vocal chords to go down, before he cleared them to leave. Ash, Matt and Larry, all thanked them again, before Larry went back to his office, and Ash and Matt went to get her prescription filled. When they got back to the Manor, they found the backyard had been taken over by the members of Avenged and All Time Low, who had a full barbecue and pool party in effect. 

"So what's the verdict?"

Jess asked, when Matt stepped into the backyard.

"She's on antibiotics and complete vocal rest for a month. And she needs to go see the doc again when you guys come back from the Three Days Grace tour."

After a short European tour with Avenged, the girls of Radiant Eclipse were going back home to Canada, for a short cross country jaunt with Three Days Grace. 

Ash was in her room, as she changed into her bikini, when her phone beeped with a text message. And it was from the person she least wanted to talk to. Chris Torres. 

"Hey baby girl. ;)"
"Do me a favour and lose this number okay?"
"That's not what you said last week."
"Well, last week was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. And I'm not going to make it again. Now seriously, lose this number."

Ash scowled at her phone, as she pulled on a pair of shorts and headed outside. She was accosted by her bandmates, the second she stepped outside, as they wanted to know everything that had happened the night before. They were interrupted, when everyone decided to play water volleyball and needed to pick teams. Ash, Anne and Jess ended up on a team with Zack, Alex and Jack from All Time Low, while Rian, Zacky, Corinne, Johnny, Mateja and Brian made up the other team. They played for the next forty five minutes, until Zack and Ash bumped heads as they both dove for the ball. 

"ALRIGHT, food is ready!"

Jimmy yelled, from his spot in front of the grill. 

Everyone got out of the pool to dry off, before helping themselves to the delicious grub. 

"Are you okay?"

Zack asked Ash, and he stood by the lounger she sat on, while she dried off. She nodded yes, and accepted the hand he held out to help her up. After eating, a few more games of water volleyball, which involved Majesty getting in on the action, and jumping into the pool, they moved the action inside, where a Fast and Furious marathon had just started. Halfway through the third movie, the All Time Low guys decided to call it a day, as they had to head to the studio the next morning. Everyone exchanged information, and Anne and Ash walked them out to their cars. 

"Don't be a stranger eh?"

Zack said to Ash, as he hugged her again. She laughed, as Zack had to pull Jack away from Anne, and pushed him towards the car. They waved goodbye, and then went back inside to finish the movies.