No Happily Ever After

ELLA POV

I hopped out of the shower, quickly drying myself and trying in vain to make my hair do some sophisticated.
I hated my mother’s choices, and her lifestyle but did I hate her? No. She was my mom. Without her, I’d never have met Jack, and for that, I was forever in her debt.
I didn’t want to believe that she was in hospital. With shaking fingers, I swept foundation over my face, trying to hide the effects of a night with no sleep. I dragged a brush through my damp hair and checked out my stubby nails. I could be considered presentable.
Hurriedly pulling the oversized faded sweatshirt over my torso and pulling a pair of tights on, I slipped out. Rian and Alex were waiting, prepared to bombard me.
‘Ella, you can’t leave!’ Alex grabbed my arm and pleaded. His tone was harsh but his eyes were sad.
‘My mom’s in hospital, Alex!’ I wiped my eyes. ‘You think I want to leave you guys? Leave Jack? I don’t!’ I clenched my fists. ‘Please, I’ll be back. I promise.’
‘Please, Ella. Don’t do this to Jack.’ He whispered, wrapping his arms around me and hugging tightly. I buried my face into his shoulder, too cold and exhausted to hug him back.
‘Come to the airport with me.’ I mumbled. ‘Say goodbye then. I’m not ready.’
‘And you’ll be ready in an hour?’ He shook his head, and went off to tell the driver.
‘Oh, Ella. I hope your mom get’s better.’
‘Thanks, Rian.’ I smiled. ‘I’ll tell Kara how much you miss her, I promise. And your mom.’
‘Aw, you’re too kind.’ He grinned and linked arms with me.
‘We’re on our way,’ Alex swung through to the back and grimaced at me. His face softened after a while. ‘It won’t be the same without you.’ He shook his head. ‘Come back to us, Ella?’
‘I said I will, didn’t I?’ I grabbed a pair of shoes and laced them up, careful not to look at them directly. I didn’t want to cry.
‘How’re you gonna say goodbye to Jack?’ Rian mumbled, awkwardly playing with something from the floor.
I crumpled. Alex automatically reached out to catch me, but in the end, just sat there holding me as I buried my face into his shoulder and sobbed. Rian’s arms wrapped themselves around me consolingly, and so I sat there, being held by half of All Time Low and crying.
‘I don’t want to leave.’ I whispered. Rian stroked my golden hair softly and Alex rubbed my back soothingly. They were trying to make me feel better, but I knew they felt just as broken and confused as I did. ‘I can’t. Not now. I finally feel at home..’ I wiped my eyes. ‘I don’t want to leave. Please, don’t let me.’
‘You have to see your mom.’ Alex replied. It was weird hearing my own argument used against me, but I didn’t care. He knew me well enough to know that I had to do this.
‘You’ll be with us soon, Ella. She has Mason to take care of her.’
‘A week at the most, right?’
‘Right.’ It was Jack.
I sprung away from his friends and stood awkwardly on the other side of the room. I didn’t know what to do. I stood there, transferring my weight from the side of one foot to the other, tongue tied and tired.
‘Jack..’ I begun. Alex and Rian used my voice as an escape, and sprinted for the door. The second they were gone Jack strode over to me, and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, the way he did. A tear fell down my cheek, and landed on his arm. I smiled weakly.
‘It’s ok, Ella.’
‘I’ll miss you.’
‘It seems like everything started to work and suddenly you’re going. Come back to me soon, okay?’
‘Okay. A week.’
He groaned, and rested his cheek against my head. ‘I love you.’
‘I love you too.’ I wrapped my arms around his back and was about to kiss him, when we were interrupted by a horrible bang from the door.
‘You’re going?’
‘Zack, I h-‘
‘No, you don’t!’ He yelled. Jack curled around me protectively, but Zack threw him to one side. ‘She left you for weeks to go screw her new boyfriend, and suddenly, when she’s ill.. You can forget that? Forget how she abandoned you? She abused you, and suddenly because she’s ill, you think it’s a good idea to go back to that?’ He grabbed my arms and shook me.
‘She could be dying!’
‘And she could be perfectly fine! She wants you back, and maybe this is what she’s doing to get you back.’
‘She’s not like that!’ I screamed. ‘She’s neve-‘
‘Do you really know her, Ella? You’re too dazed by Jack to really see her, but even I can see what she’s like.’
‘You’ve known her for a year, and you think you’re a big expert on her?’ I snarled. Jack’s armed wrapped themselves around my waist, trying to keep me from slapping Zack in a whirlwind of fury.
‘I know her well enough to know she cheated on your dad.’ He retorted.
Alex whistled, and Rian shuffled awkwardly.
‘What are you talking about?’
‘That got a civil response out of you, didn’t it? She didn’t love your dad. And how do I know? Because she wears a ring around her neck saying her stupid name and Mason’s entwined with a date that goes back to just after you were born.’
‘How do you know about her ring?’ I pressed a hand to my mouth. ‘D-Dad bought it for her before he left for the army…’
‘He never left for the army!’ Zack hissed, angrily. ‘You are clueless, Ella. I saw the ring when I was using your bathroom. It was lying there, on the counter, in a small dish. I knew right then your mom’s a fake.’
‘Zack…’ Alex reached over and grabbed his shoulder. ‘You can’t say that about Ella’s mom…’
‘You know it too, Alex. Tell her.’
‘Za-‘
‘Tell her.’
Alex looked at me pleadingly. ‘Ella, I heard this by accident. And if you don’t believe me, I understand.’
‘Say it, Alex.’ I whispered.
‘Your dad left a message for you. I know it’s his voice because you showed us the old videos from when you were a kid, remember? It was his voice. He wanted to know how you were and if you wanted to live with him…’ Alex trailed off. ‘I’m sorry, Ella.’
Zack stared triumphantly at me.
‘I don’t believe you. Now let me go.’
‘What other proof is there, Ella?’
Rian. The most logical, and the more determined of the group. Recklessness and lies weren’t in his nature. If Rian said something was true, it probably was. I knew him well enough to know that.
‘But…’
‘Ella, listen to me. Zack’s right. And you know how I know? My dad’s in the army too. And when you’re in the army, you’re given 2 sets of dog tags. Your mom doesn’t have his dog tags. They stay at home, it’s a law. And your mom doesn’t have a set of dog tags.’ He paused. ‘Your sister, Mary.. I guess she knew. And your mom kept you in the dark because you’re all she has left.’
The world shook, my knees felt heavy and if my life had depended on it, I wouldn’t have been able to stand properly in that single moment.

‘Ella?’
‘Shock.’ An unfamiliar voice reminded him. ‘Do you know where her next of kin are?’
‘She doesn’t have any, Em’ Zack. I recognized that voice. Em? Short for Emily? Was she my doctor?
‘Zack?’ I mumbled.
‘Yeah?’
‘Where’s Jack?’
‘He’s trying to contact Mason…’
‘Mason?’
‘Don’t worry.’
‘Zack?’
‘Yes?’
‘Don’t leave.’ I fumbled for something and relaxed slightly when I felt his hand squeeze mine. ‘Thanks.’
‘It’s ok, Ella.’ He paused. ‘I’m sorry. I was just mad.’
‘Mad? Why?’ My eyes were still closed and it hurt to talk, but Zack didn’t often offer his feelings.
‘That you were leaving.’
‘It’s okay, Zack.’ His hand tightened protectively. ‘I understand.’
‘You really wouldn’t.’ It was supposed to be quiet but I heard it anyway.
‘Why?’
‘What?’
‘Why wouldn’t I understand?’
‘It’s personal, Ella.’
‘Persona-‘
‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ His hand slipped from mine, and I felt it replaced with another.
‘Ella! You’re awake?’
‘Just sleepy.’ I smiled weakly, and opened my eyes. Jack was the first thing I saw, his normally happy face replaced with a face resembling something you’d see after an all-nighter.
‘I’d bet.’ He kissed me quickly. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘Sorry? Why do people keep apologizing?’
‘Your mom…’
A thousand painful memories. I closed my eyes, hoping something would replace this bitterness. Nothing did. As if by clockwork, my lungs couldn’t establish enough oxygen, and my breathing quickened. Jack’s hand tightened on mine as he whirled around trying to attract medical attention.
‘Her bre-‘

‘We’ll look after her properly, doctor.’ A female voice. There were no other females on tour, were there?
‘Thanks, Mary.’
‘Mary?!’ My eyes flew open, and I automatically shifted so I was upright.
Sure enough, my blonde, 5’6 almost 19 year old sister stood before me. Mary Dawson was the female legend at school, with long hair falling to her elbows, bangs almost covering her eyes, and large green eyes that were aware of every little thing you did. Like stealing sweets from the jar in the linen cupboard…
‘Ella.’ She was as stern as ever.
‘Why’re you here?’
‘Your boyfriend called me… Ella, what happened? He said you fainted or something..’ She perched herself on the edge of my bed.
‘I can’t remember.’ I frowned. ‘Can you get Zack here? I want to know what happened too… It has something to do with mom.’ I smiled proudly, but her usual mask of calm cracked.
‘Right. Which one’s Zack?’
‘The one with the sort of afro..’ I gestured wildly to my head and winced. The drip in my arm ached.
‘Right.’ She repeated, striding out, her gaze stone hard and her tone brisk. Something about her was different. She was more… Independent.
‘Ella?’ Jack. My face slipped into a relieved smile.
‘Jack..’
‘How do you feel?’
‘Awful.’ I mumbled. ‘What happened?’
‘You kinda of just fell… In my arms. We waited like 20 minutes but nothing happened so Alex got the driver to get you to the hospital and here we are.. And then you sort of passed out again. Scary.’ He shuddered. ‘Don’t do that again.’
‘I won’t.’ I promised.
‘What did you say to her?’ Mary hissed, dragging a weary and tired Zack to me. I smiled encouragingly but he shook his head, exasperated.
‘About your mom. How stupid she is and how she’s a cheat and a liar.’
My face fell.
That wasn’t a dream then.