Hollow Crown

May 20th, 2011 4:18 am

After Marley and Danny left, the remaining boys found girls to lay and went off their own ways leaving Ainsley and James alone but, neither minded. They left the Dead Sailor at three am. Ainsley has not had too much luck with guys because they used her to get to Marley but, James hadn’t even asked about Marley.

“Danny is totally in love with Marley.” James told Ainsley as they walked to the nearest Starbucks for coffee.

“Is that why he spazzed when she first got there?” Ainsley asked looking up at James.

“Yeah and that was weird. He’s usually just like ‘Hey, I’m Danny, you’re hot, let’s fuck.” James laughed as they walked into Starbucks.

“I knew that. One of the models I worked with was neurotically obsessed with him and Ben. He would show me all of their interviews and stuff.

“Hi welcome to Starbucks!” The chipper young lady behind the counter said to them with a brilliant smile on her face.

“Hi.” Ainsley nearly whispered.

“What can I get for you?”

“Uhm…” Ainsley looked up at James.

“I’ll pay for it, consider it a first date?” He smiled at her and her cheeks flushed a light pink.

“You don’t have to do th-“

“I insist.”

Ainsley scanned her eyes over the menu for something to catch her eye.

“Well I would like to try the pumpkin spice latte… Does that come with whipped cream?”

“It does but we can make it without.”

“Oh great! Thank you.” She looked back at James who was also scanning the menu and already had money in his hand. She smiled a little bit.

“I just want a straight black coffee.”

“Okay! That’s going to be six dollars and fifty two cents.”

James paid the girl and they sat down to wait for their coffees.

“Why no whipped cream?” James asked Ainsley.

“Oh. Well I’m trying to watch what I eat and drink.” She said.

“You’re not fat if you think that you are.”

“I don’t.” She laughed “I just prefer to be healthy is all.”

“I have a black coffee and one pumpkin spice latte with no whipped cream.” The girl behind the bar called. James was quick to his feet to get both of the drinks.

“So have you heard any of our songs?” James asked after taking his seat and handing Ainsley her drink.

“I heard When Everyday’s the Weekend and Hey There Mr. Brooks. They were both really good.” Ainsley said.

“So, what do you listen too?” James asked leading them to a table in the back corner of the restaurant.

“Punk, pop punk and dub step. A few of the metal bands out today. What about you?” Ainsley asked.

“Classic and hardcore and dub step.” James said grinning at her.

“So how long have you known Marley?”

“Since I was sixteen. Her mom, her and her step dad, and brother moved in to the house next to mine and we just sort of clicked.”

“Cool.” James said then sipped his coffee and a comfortable silence settled over them. It was a bit odd because the only comfortable silence she knew was the ones she shared with Marley when they were watching TV or had something to do on their laptops. Ainsley liked it and she let it flow. “This sort of reminded me of Pulp Fiction. Two people sharing a comfortable silence.” James said grinning at her.
Soon, they were walking down the street and Ainsley was thankful she had put her foot down on the heels and gone with a pair of converse instead.

“So, where do you live now?” James asked catching a hold of Ainsley’s hand lightly. Ainsley was thankful that they were between lamp posts so, that James wouldn’t see her blushing.

“In Paris, I’m here for my older sister’s wedding.” Ainsley said.

“Oh. How many siblings do you have?” James asked sounding faintly disappointed.

“Four, all of them older than me.”

“You’re the baby huh?”

“Yup.” Ainsley said, they had spent hours talking to each other and it was nearly six in the morning but, Ainsley wasn’t anywhere near tired. Her phone rang showing Marley’s icon.

“Yeah?” She asked.

“Je suis perdu. Pervouz-vous venir me trouver? (I’m lost. Can you come find me?)” Marley slurred in French.

“Oui. Est Danny avec vous? (Yes. Is Danny with you?)”

“Oui. (Yes.)”

“Qu'est-ce que votre environnement ressemble? (What do your surroundings look like?)”

“Je pense que je suis dans un parc. (I think I’m in a park.)”

“Bon, je suis venue pour vous attraper. (Okay, I’m coming to get you.)” Ainsley said and hung up her phone.

“Um, Danny and Marley are in a park somewhere.” Ainsley told James.

“That sounds like Danny. This may sound kind of weird but, is Marley into heavy drugs or anything?” James asked as they turned around.

Ainsley sighed and watched her feet move as they walked. “Yeah. I knew something was up when she left with him.” Ainsley said pushing her hair out of her eyes.

“Danny was heavy into that too for a while. He says he’s been clean but, none of us are sure.” James said. Ainsley nodded.

“Are you alright?” James asked.

“I guess. Why?” Ainsley asked looking up at him.

“Cause you’ve got a crease between you’re eyebrows.” James said lightly poking her between her eyebrows. Ainsley laughed, her face smoothing out.

A few blocks from the Dead Sailor was a small run down park, if they had been closer it wouldn’t have taken them long but, they had been walking around aimlessly. It took them an hour to get to the park.

“Marley, hvor er du? (Marley, where are you?)” Ainsley called out loud.

“Danny! Where the fuck are you?!” James’ deeper voice echoed around the park a lot better than Ainsley high pitched little girl’s voice.

“Shut the fuck up.” Someone groaned from a park bench. James turned around and found Danny with his arms around Marley’s shoulder and her head on his shoulder.

“Is she okay?” Ainsley asked Danny who was glaring at her, more than likely for waking him up.

“Fine. She’s just sleeping.”

“Ainsley?” Ainsley froze when she heard Tom Sykes voice.

“Oh hey, Tom. I didn’t know you guys were in town.” She said with a forced smile. Tom and Lee were walking up the pathway of the park.

“Yeah, there back in the studio recording again.” Tom said rubbing the back of his neck, keeping his eyes off of Marley.

“What are you doing here?” Tom asked giving her an awkward smile.

“Katie is getting married the day after tomorrow and you know, um, family.” Ainsley said blushing a little bit at the apparent stutter in her words. “I have to get Marley, back to her hotel and stuff. See you around
Tom.” Ainsley said forcing a grin.

“Yeah, you better get that skank to her hotel.” Lee muttered. Ainsley had turned her back to help Marley off the bench. She turned back and glared up at Lee.

“Excuse me, but you need to shut the fuck up, Lee. You don’t know Marley or what she’s been through.” She spat. Everyone was staring at her but, for once, she didn’t care.

“Ainsley, je veux aller à mon hôtel maintenant. (Ainsley, I want to go back to my hotel now.)” Marley said.

“That’s a good fucking idea because I’m going to punch a guitarist in his fucking face.” Ainsley muttered pulling Marley up from the bench and letting her lean on her. Danny could walk on his own but, he stumbled every now and again.

“Danny can stay with Marley. She won’t care.” Ainsley told James as they walked back to Marley’s hotel.

“Alright, and angry Ainsley was fucking sexy.” James said. Ainsley blushed making James laugh at her.

“Thanks, I guess.” Ainsley said.

They quietly walked through the park in the opposite direction that Lee and Tom had gone in. When they reached the streets a few taxis and buses were humming along to their destinations. Soon James was carrying a passed out Marley because Danny was obviously not fit to carry the girl. Ainsley had tried to lift her but almost killed them both. Ainsley considered waving down a taxi but the tall building was already in sight.

They soon entered the building receiving a few strange looks from the lobby dwellers and the staff.

“Smells like that have breakfast going.” James said with a smile. His mouth watering at the scent of bacon.

“Let’s get them in bed and then we can come back down and feast!” She giggled getting a laugh out of James. Danny was still walking feet in front of them but suddenly stopped.

“You okay Danny?”

He turned around. “I have no fucking idea where were going.”

They both burst into laughter

“What?” He cried.

“Room ten ninety six.” Ainsley said.

“Oh… Well then. Away we go!” He continued to walk in front of them until they reached the elevators where he waited for them.

“According to her room key it’s on floor ten.”

Danny stepped into the elevator and pushed the two button, then the six, and finally the ten.

“Sorry… About that.”

No one said anything. They finally arrived to the right floor. And Danny lead the way to room 1096.

“It’s a fucking luxury suit!”

“She’s spoiled… Rotten this one!” Ainsley pointed to Marley who was still asleep.

She inserted the key and the door opened. They all walked in and James lied Marley down into one bed.

“Can I have sex with her while she’s like this?”

“NO!” Ainsley raised her voice.

“… Can I sleep in the bed with her?” He asked awkwardly.

“Don’t touch her coochie!”

“I wish.” He face planted into the fluffy pillow next to Marley.

“Well I guess we can go have some eats now?”

“Of course! Let’s go”

They walked down the hall silently and stayed silent half way through their meal until James spoke.

“So, what did you mean when you said nobody knows what Marley’s been through?” James asked taking a big bite of pancake.

“Okay, but, if Marley finds out she’ll kill me.” Ainsley said and took a deep breath.

“When Marley was seventeen and I was sixteen her and her family moved in to the house next to mine. They were pretty normal, you know. Mom, Step-Dad, older Step-Brother, the works. We became friends like instantly because we both hated it here when were teenagers.” Ainsley looked up at James, whose full attention was on her, and took another breath.

“We stayed for the last two years of high school, well almost, about two months before we graduated, she told me that her step-brother had been molesting her forever pretty much and she asked me to run away with her and so I did.” Ainsley said skipping through the long parts and summarizing it.

“Wow… Sad to hear. So that’s why she’s like that?” James asked.

“Yeah, pretty much.” Ainsley said through a yawn. This made James yawn too.

“It’s nearly eight in the morning. Do you think it’s time for bed?”

“Yeah.”

The walked back up to the room making small talk. When they arrived to the room Danny and Marley were cuddled up in a rather ridiculous way. They both laughed.

“You’re pretty cute you know that?” James said to Ainsley getting her to blush a little bit.

“You too.” She smiled.

Ainsley said kicking off her converse. James also kicked of his shoes and climbed in the other bed. He patted the spot beside him and grinned.

Ainsley grinned and blushed a little before climbing in the bed beside him