Common Girl

Time seemed to slip away from them, Audrey had stubbornly insisted she didn't get in the way anymore and stayed on the tour bus. All day and night until they theft to get back on the road.

"Ronnie are you sure you don't want me to talk to her.... I mean I feel bad she has to stay in the bus, I could like... stay in the other room so she feels better" Ella offered once more.

"No she's just being stubborn and embarrassing herself" Ronnie sighed in frustration.

"Yea.. She's nice though... other then... that" Ella tried looking down at the ground trying to create a compliment "And she's really pretty!" Ella said looking at Ronnie's face.

"Yea... Anyway.. Lets talk about something else" Ronnie said pushing his back against the head board of the bed, Ella fallowed curling to his side.

"What would you like to talk about this wonderful evening kind sir?" She asked tiredly, her words muffled by his shoulder.

"Hmm, anyone new in you're life" He asked suspiciously.

Her head shot up to give Ronnie an "are you fucking kidding me" look shaking her head. "What do you think?"

"Better not be, I'll kick anyone's ass trying to get there hands on my elf" He muttered cracking his knuckles.

"Whoa easy there" She said taking his hands "I am sworn to loneliness for eternity don't worry"

"Love fucking sucks Ell you won't miss out on much" He kissed the top of his young friends head lightly brushing his thumb over the back of her tattooed hand.

Downstairs parked outside the hotel sat the Falling in Reverse tour bus, inside on the couch was the angry girlfriend of Ronnie laying watching TV. Then accompanied by Jacky Vincent who sat down on the edge of the couch, she flicked off the TV with the near by remote and looked to Jacky silently telling him to speak.

"You're jealous" He stated.

"No I'm not, They are keeping secrets" She snapped making Jacky flinch.

"Listen, Ronnie and us all met her one night backstage. She was only 14 and was living in foster care getting abused by that family. Her real family abandoned her when she as like... 10 I think, after her dad died. Anyways easy to say she was still on drugs when we met her. She looked up to Ronnie because he over came his addictions but he had rehab she didn't. I can't tell you what happened after that night but a week latter Ronnie came to us with her, She was sick and needed us... She was so broken and we helped her all the while she was helping us. She taught us, and especially Ronnie that not everyone can help themselves and not everyone's life can be perfect."

Audrey felt sympathy and her own heart breaking at this story.

"Ella was on cocaine and heroine... She wasn't sober into she was 16 Audrey, 16 and she is only 17 now. Her life has been terrible not to mention the fact she has been in four different detention centers since she was 12" He continued "Ella has wen't through enough and we are all she has for support now. Ronnie doesn't let just anyone meet her, he is freakishly over protective of her because he is terrified something will happen to her... He needs her just as much as she needs him"

Jacky sighed "What I'm saying is she is impotent to us and don't make this any harder for her or for Ronnie because as sad as it is... given the choice I know he'd pick her over you because she is his own little creation and needs him for life support. You can stand on you're own two feet.. she can't"

Jacky's own voice breaking and tears threatening to leak from his icy blue eyes. He remembered her bruises, cuts and scars all over her body when she was 15 right before she ran away from the foster care system. Audrey had yet to speak and Jacky was about to leave standing from the bed.

"Wait. Tell them I'm sorry... That I was just jealous and I'm sorry..." She said softly, Jacky nodded before exiting the bus.

When he arrived back into the hotel suite where he had left Ronnie and Ella in he found the lights off and her asleep on Ronnie chest peacefully dreaming of a perfect world where she was safe from all the things that threaten to destroy her.

"Hey jacks" Ronnie whispered.

"Hey I take as they all wen't to sleep in the other room?" Jacky whispered taking off his shoes and jacket.

"Mhm" Ronnie responded "Isn't she pretty?" He asked staring down at Ella, Her eyelids closed still stained with black make up, pale skin glowing even in the darkness of the room her think pink lips half covered by their joined hands. Ronnie smiled down at her.

"Yes Ronnie" Jacky said walking to the bathroom to change his attire to pajamas.

Ronnie softly chuckled, "So beautiful" he thought. The fact his girlfriend was alone in an empty tour bus probably waiting for an explanation from him really didn't bother him. He would rather lay here peacefully with Ella. It seemed like every time she was at peace so was he.

"I'm sure she wont appreciate you're staring" Jacky joked climbing into the empty bed opposite to Ronnie and Ella.

"C'mere, look how pretty she is though!" Ronnie whispered and motioned for Jacky to come over. He reluctantly got up rolling his eyes and padded in his bare feet across the floor.

"Yes Ronnie she's beautiful, whats up with you?"

"Remember when we met her? how young she looked, how broken..." Ronnie asked finally taking his eyes from her to meet with Jacky's chilling ones.

"Yes, she had bruises all down her arms and her lip was busted" Jacky replied kissing her temple and returning to his bed.

"I hate those fuckers"

"Ronnie, go to sleep..." Jacky said adjusting himself in the sheets.

"Can't we take her with us?" Ronnie asked hopeful.

"What you mean? on tour? Where would she sleep? and her job? and you're girlfriend is already with us dude..." Jacky mumbled sleepily.

"Next time" Ronnie whispered once more before kissing her cheek and letting Jacky get to sleep.

He silently made up his mind, he would take her with him everywhere's after this your she won't leave his sight. He wasn't sure the the reasoning for this but he felt like it had to happen.

Was it fate that brought them together on that bridge? What business did Ronnie have there anyways? Ella unknowingly saved him from a huge mistake as well as he saved her from a sudden death. Ronnie didn't even tell his band mates why he was at the bridge that night because he really shouldn't have been. If Ella hadn't been there then he would have made a huge mistake, destroying everything he had worked for since he was released from prison. He felt like he had forgotten what being on drugs did to you and the people around you.

He saw Ella and came back to his senses. He saw a girl, stumbling to stay standing on the ledge of the bridge he was crossing, she held tightly to the street lamp desperately trying not to fall. He called to her but she wouldn't turn around, he slowly approached her cautiously

"What are you doing?" He asked, it sounded like echo's in her head.

"Dying" She replied.

"Why would you do that?" He asked stepping closer.

"Well if I don't jump soon these drugs are going to make it painful" She said simply. She was now sitting, she dropped a bag at Ronnie's feet not turning to face him "I met you earlier Ronnie, you're truly inspiring" he mumbled. He picked up the bag seeing a dirty needle, a small white baggy and an empty bottle of prescription drugs.

"How long ago did you take all this?" He asked dropping at and rushing to the creepy calm girl.

"Not 5 minutes... I'll give it 5 more 'cause I'm used to it"

"Please let me take you to a hospital?" He asked touching her arm. No responds. Tears in his eyes "You making a mistake, trust me I know so just let me get you to a hospital please whats you're name?"

"Ella Moore, I make lots of mistakes trust me" She said, spinning to see him. Panic clear in his face what was he to do? "Walk away, you don't need this" She smiled "And get off this bridge drug addicts come here... like me" she touched the side of his face and something inside Ronnie came to life.

"No! No don't tell me to walk away holy shit! you're going to die if you don't get to a hospital! Please Ella!"

"I feel like I'm flying... up up..." Her focus was lost and she started to lean back closer to the edge.

"No!" He grabbed her from falling off the bridge. "Kid I don't know you but I'm involved now!" He picked her up and began walking to his car.

"No! I have to do this! I have to or it will get worse! I need to!" She screamed but didn't struggle because her body didn't feel like it worked. "Just stop! let me die!!!" she sobbed as he put her into the passenger seat of his car.

He took her to the hospital and forgot completely about why he was at the bridge. He realized how badly drugs can effect a person and those around them, he stared down at the unconscious young kid he had just saved and thanked her. Thanked her for saving him. At that moment he knew he owed her and he would help her to live right again.

If he was hurt seeing a stranger go through this imagine the feeling for someone who know her. He thought back to his drug days... The pain he feels seeing an undeserving stranger suffer must have been worse for the people in his life. He couldn't believe he thought about going back to that.

A tear pricked his eye and he looked down at his best friend, he stroked her hair out of the way of her face.

"Ella, I love you and thank you... For everything and for saving me" He kissed her head "Thank you" He didn't expect an answer because she had been asleep for a while now.

"Ronnie, I love you too and thank you..." She patted his head "Thank you" She paused "and good night"

He chuckled softy "Good night Elf" he mumbled before going to sleep.

The next morning was extremely sad for them. Ella didn't want them to leave so she was alone again, but she knew it had to be this way.

"Goodbye Ron! Goodbye Derek! Goodbye Audrey! Goodbye Jacks! Goodbye Ryan!" She hugged each one until only Ronnie was left standing on the sidewalk with her.

"Goodbye Ronnie" she mumbled into his neck. He held her for a little longer then necessary in Audrey's eyes.

"As soon as the tours over I'm coming over, I don't care if it's two in the morning I'll be there" He said giving her cheek a kiss.

"I'll hold you to that" She replied kissing his cheek too and letting him walk off.

She watched as he entered the tour bus and drove off, he watched through the window until he saw her go inside her apartment.

Even though he slept more then perfectly last night he couldn't think of anything else to do but go to sleep. Ella had the same idea inside her apartment knowing she had work but not until latter in the day.

Ronnie sighed flopping into his bed with his hands above his head and legs stretched out. Ella sighed flopping into her couch laying in a small ball. Missing each other already was a terrible feeling especially when there was still two weeks of tour left.

But if you asked them, their only friends.