Stuck in the Middle

I let out a deep shaky breath as I reached the front of the bus, my head was pounding, and all I wanted to do was shower and change. I could hear the guys laughing and joking from inside. I smiled to myself as I thought about how happy being in a band again made Ronnie, and he couldn’t have better guys in the band. They all support him and his issues and they aren’t afraid to tell him when he’s fucking up, or when his ego needs deflating. I reached for the door handle and my smile quickly faded when I noticed dried blood on my hands. I slowly pulled the shirt away from my head and cringed as the dried blood was ripped away from the wound. I reached my hand up and gently touched the cut grimacing as I pulled my hand away and noticed my fingers coated in blood.

“Do you have any idea why Ashley wanted us to get all this stuff?” I heard Ronnie ask from inside the bus. “I mean what the fuck do we need 100 balloons for?” He questioned.

“I don’t know she’s your sister.” Ron replied. “I’ve learned not to question the two of you.” He added as a second thought.

I chuckled at Ron’s remark as I opened the door to the bus. “There you are. Care to explain why I had to buy all this crap?” Ronnie asked with his back towards me as he gestured to the bags sitting on top of the counter.

“I wanted to have fun tonight.” I replied shrugging my shoulders. “Plus I need a way to keep the guys entertained while you and Emily sneak off.” I added pushing past my brother.

“Jesus Ashley why the fuck aren’t you wearing a shirt?” Ronnie asked when I pushed past him. This caused his four band mates to shift their attention from the TV to me. Smiles quickly found their way onto the guys faces as they stared at my chest. “Dude that’s my sister you’re staring at!” Ronnie warned as her came behind me and draped a towel over my chest covering it.

They guys looked up from my now cover chest and their smiling faces soon turned to looks of shock. “Ashley what happened to your face?” Ryan asked as he stood up from the couch and walked towards me.

“Get stuck in the mosh pit?” Derek joked.

“What the hell are y’all talking about?” Ronnie asked as he turned me around to look at me. “Holy shit Ash you’re bleeding!” He screeched as his eyes went wide from shock. “Who the hell did this to you?” He demanded crossing his arms over his toned chest.

“Thanks Caption Obvious and nobody did this to me I did it to myself.” I grumbled to myself crossing my arms over my chest causing the towel to fall off.

“Oh my God Ashley will you please refrain from doing that you’re popping out of your bra.” Ronnie groaned with a look of disgust on his face. “And it’s obvious you didn’t do it to yourself. Who are you trying to cover up for? It was Max wasn’t it?” He accused. “I’m going to fucking kill him!” He growled.

“Ronnie no one did anything to me.” I groaned rubbing my hands over my face and flinching when I touched the gash above my eyebrow. “Why must you always jump to conclusions and try to place the blame on people? I was running away from Emily screaming how much she hates me right now and I jumped off the bus and landed on my face.” I admitted sheepishly as I looked at my feet.

Ronnie chuckled “You never were a graceful one. You can’t blame me for wanting to kill Max. I mean he’s given me plenty of reasons, the most recent him sleeping with you.” Ronnie retorted giving me a stern look.

“Please Ronnie don’t start…” I pleaded. “My head is killing me, and I’m covered in blood. Will you please just drop it? I fucked your arch nemesis … I’m sorry, but it happened.”

“Eww Ash don’t say it like that … it sounds so dirty!” Ronnie whined scrunching up his face in distaste.

“Well what do you want her to say? That they bumped uglies?” Derek asked.

“Did the dirty?” Ryan added with a smirk.

“Played a game of hiding the pickle?” Ron laughed.

“Smashed pissers?” Jacky added with a snort.

“Oh … they shagged!” Derek smiled triumphantly.

“They did the giggity giggity!” Ryan shouted a proud smile on his face for making a reference to the most watched show on the bus. I couldn’t help but laugh at that one.

Ronnie groaned in annoyance. “I swear to God I’m going to kill the next person who says anything.” He warned looking at the guys.

“I’m gonna go take a shower.” I said as I motioned to the bathroom.

“No you’re not. Go put on a shirt and come with me.” Ronnie replied as he pushed me towards the bunks.

“Ronnie I reek of sweat and I’m covered in blood I’m going to go take a shower.” I groaned in annoyance.

“You’re not taking a shower. You need stitches and you might have a concussion, just put on a damn shirt and come with me.” He argued as he moved to stand in front of the bathroom preventing me from taking a shower.

“I don’t need stitches and I don’t have a concussion. What I need to do is take a shower and get all this sweat and blood off of me.” I retorted as I made my way to my bunk and grabbed my pajamas and a towel. I smiled at Ronnie as I walked past him with my belongings.

“Where are you going?” He asked following after me.

“To shower somewhere else.” I replied over my shoulder not bothering to look at him. The next thing I knew I was being lifted into the air and thrown over his shoulder, dropping my pajamas and towel in the process. “Ronnie put me down!” I screamed banging my fist on his back.

“I’m not putting you down until you get checked out.” He replied as he adjusted me on his shoulder.

“Ronnie put me down I can walk.” I whined.

“Ashley I’m not stupid if I put you down you’re just going to bolt in the opposite direction.” He replied sounding a little annoyed with me.

“Ronnie I’m fine, I swear.” I huffed as I stopped beating my fist on his back. “Will you please put me down? My tits and nearly popping out of my bra.” I pleaded with him.

“It’s your own fault. You should have put on a shirt when I told you to.” He replied.

“Look I swear I won’t bolt if you put me down. I give up, you win.” I grumbled.

“Fine… but I’m only doing this because you said I win; I still don’t trust you.” Ronnie replied as he gently put me down onto my feet, but quickly grabbing my arm as I tried to dart in the opposite direction. I let out a groan of annoyance before falling into step with Ronnie. “I know you like the back of my hand child; you’re not going to be getting away that easily.”

I scrunched my face in distaste. “Please refrain from calling me child you’re only 6 years older than me, and it was worth a try.” I replied with a shrug.

“Oh my, what happened to you sweetie?” A middle aged woman dressed in blue scrubs asked as we approached the medic tent.

I looked over at Ronnie and gave him an evil smile, before answering the lady. “He hit me in the head with his guitar. He does it all the time.” I replied as I slowly stepped away from Ronnie and closer to the nurse.

I couldn’t help but crack a smile when Ronnie’s face turned ghostly white and he began stumbling over his words trying to tell her the truth. “I … I … I didn’t do that!” He exclaimed. “I don’t even play guitar, I sing.” He defended himself. “She came onto the bus looking like that, she said she fell.” He explained. By this time I was dying of laughter as was someone else from the back of the tent.

“Oh my God that was great!” Craig exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. “You should have seen your face.” He added as he limped over to where I was standing.

“That wasn’t funny!” Ronnie growled apparently not happy with me.

“Well that’s what you get for forcing me to come here.” I replied sticking my tongue out at Ronnie before turning back to the lady. “I decided it would be cool to jump off the bus instead of walking down the steps, and my face broke my fall.”

“Well come back here with me and let me see what we can do for that cut. It looks pretty bad we might need to send you off for stitches.” She said as she led me into one of the makeshift exam rooms. “And Mr. Mabbit if I have to tell you to stay off that foot one more time I’m just going to cut it off myself.” She scolded Craig making sure he sat back down on the cot before attending to me.

“What did you do to your foot?” I asked Craig who was sitting on the cot next to me as the nurse cleaned up my face.

“Much like you I came bounding off the bus trying to run away from the wrath of Emily and tripped over a dumbass who decided sitting on the bus steps was a great idea.” He grumbled. “I landed on it wrong.” He replied with a shrug.

“Let me guess it was either Max or Monte.” I replied grimacing as the nurse rubbed some alcohol over the wound. Ronnie was playing the role of the protective older brother and hovering over me, reassuringly squeezing my hand every time I flinched or groaned, and telling me everything would be okay.

“It was Max.” Craig replied with a slight chuckle.

“Figures he never was a bright one.” I mumbled to myself causing everyone to laugh.

“Why do you say that?” Craig questioned.

“The reason this cat didn’t land on her feet is because there were two bodies blocking the way.” I replied with a smirk.

“Did you just refer to yourself as a cat?” Craig questioned raising a brow.

“Sure did Caption Cragifer.” I replied with a smile.

“But you’re my chipmunk, you can’t be a cat.” Craig replied with a slight pout on his face.

“Wait, wait, wait just a minute. So are you telling me the reason you’re going to need stitches is because of Monte and Max? I’m going to fucking kill them!” Ronnie yelled clinching his fist, his face quickly turning red with anger.

“And you wonder why I never tell you anything.” I grumbled to myself.

“Well how do you want me to react?” Ronnie yelled at me causing my death glare to intensify. “Would you like me to go and shake their hands for doing such a great job of hurting my sister?” He sarcastically asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Don’t you dare yell at me Ronald fucking Radke. I didn’t tell you because I knew you would over react. I was stupidly not watching where I was going and I tripped over Max and Monte. They did not push me down the stairs. They offered to take me back to the bus and clean me up. They didn’t do anything wrong.” I argued with Ronnie.

“Why do you always have to defend them Ashley? If Max hadn’t of chosen for you, you would be on their side.” My stomach dropped when he said this and I looked down at my feet trying to fight back tears. It hurt that he felt the need to bring up Max choosing drugs over me, when in reality Ronnie did too.

“And here I was beginning to think you had changed, but you’re still as hot headed as ever. Do you ever stop and think about what you’re going to say before you say it? You did the same exact thing that Max did to her, but what makes it even worse is you’re her own brother.” Craig remarked shaking his head at Ronnie’s stupidity.

“Don’t you even start with me Mabbitt.” Ronnie growled through clinched teeth.

The nurse looked over with a worried expression on her face. I gave her a reassuring smile, silently telling her that everything was alright. “Excuse me for a second.” I said to her as I stood up from the cot and grabbed Ronnie’s hand dragging him out of the tent.

Ronnie opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off. “I don’t even want to hear it Ronnie. You nearly started a fight in there. Just go … I’ll go to the hospital and get checked out, but just go.” I said as I pointed in the direction of the busses.

“Ashley I’m sorry I just …” He started to apologize but I cut him off.

“I know Ronnie… but look what you have to realize is there are no sides to choose for me. I am where I want to be. I love you and I love those guys too. You can hate them for whatever reason you want, but I won’t, I can’t. I didn’t tell you because I knew this is how you would react.” I ranted never looking up from my feet. A habit I had started as a kid. Whenever I was afraid of hurting or disappointing someone I wouldn’t look at them; I couldn’t stand to see the pain and hurt in their eyes.

“Ashley please look at me …” Ronnie said as he gently tilted my chin until I was looking him in the eyes. “I’m sorry about what I said. I went a little overboard, but you’re my only sister and I can’t stand to see you hurt whether it’s physical or emotional. It’s my job to protect you and I’ve done a pretty horrible job at it so far. I just …” He paused for a moment and looked at me with a sad smile on his face.

“I get it you’re a little hot headed, hell I am too. Just go out there and find Emily. I’m pretty sure me and Craig will be at the hospital for a few hours. I’ve got two demands though … number one I want a dozen s’mores by the time I come back, and number two make me some Jell-O balloons.” I said with a huge smile on my face.

“Oh so that’s why you made us buy Jell-O, a funnel, and balloons.” He replied as I look of realization coming over his face. “It’s been forever since I’ve made some of those.” He added with a mischievous glint in his eye. “I’ve taught you well.” He said as he pulled me into a hug.

“I’ve got my phone on me so I’ll call you when we’re on our way back.” I mumbled into his chest since he was nearly a foot taller than me.

“I love you Graceful.” He replied as he pulled away. “Here take this we don’t need thousands of people seeing your tits.” He laughed as he took off his shirt and handed to me.

“I love you too.” I mumbled as I put on Ronnie’s shirt. “Why do you insist on calling me that?” I groaned as I finally got the shirt on.

“Well that gash right there on your head is enough proof.” He replied as he pointed to my face.

“That’s kind of an oxymoron I am far from graceful.” I thought out loud.

“That’s exactly why I call you that… you’re an oxy-MORON!” Ronnie replied with a laugh before taking off in a mad dash back to the busses.

“Asshole!” I screamed in reply before walking back to the tent.

“Oh you here just in time the ambulance will be here in a minute to take you to the hospital.” The nurse said looking up from the stack of paperwork in front of her. “I just need you two to sign these forms stating that you will not hold the venue responsible for your injuries.” She stated pushing a pen and paper in our direction.

“Why do we need an ambulance?” I asked as I signed my name to the paper and passing the pen off to Craig.

“Well your head is split open and you more than likely have a concussion, and his foot is possibly broken. I don’t think it would be a great idea to let either of you drive.” She replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I opened my mouth to say something, but Craig cut me off. “Ashley please don’t argue with her.” Craig said with a pained look on his face.

“I wasn’t going to argue.” I lied crossing my arms over my chest. “It was just going to be a heated debate.” I added with a nod of my head. Craig scoffed at my remark and gave me a pointed look. “Fine, fine, you win.” I said throwing my hands up in the air in defeat.

“Oh yea, you definitely have a concussion. You never give in that easily.” Craig joked with a smile on his face.

“Don’t make me step on your foot.” I warned with a glare.