Dirt

"So what happens now?" I asked Matt as we walked into the warehouse the day after our friends had gone. He asked what I meant. "Well, the creeper is gone. Does that mean your job is finished, and you'll go back home?"

"Trying to get rid of me?" I laughed and shook my head no. "That's good, because my job wasn't to look out for you until the creeper guy was caught. It was just to simply look out for you. As far as I know, we're in this arrangement for the foreseeable future."

I tried not to smile as I nodded my ascension. We separated then as I greeted my band and started doing some vocal warm ups. We weren't really going to be practicing much, considering we were kind of in trouble with the label and they didn't have anything planned for us for a good while, but I knew we were going to at least do a couple songs.

"Would it be wrong of me to throw a party in celebration of the failed show last night?" Oscar asked with a smirk.

I laughed. "I'd be disappointed in you if you didn't." I proceeded to tell them all about the visit to the police station. "I'm just glad Matt was there," I told them, shooting a glance in his direction. He smiled. I copied him.

"Whatever," Tyler mumbled. This time I couldn't help but roll my eyes. He was really starting to annoy me.

I leaned over and whispered to Oscar that I wanted to play the new song. He raised an eyebrow as if to ask, 'Are you sure?', but nodded his head and went to get his guitar. I smiled over at Matt when I stepped in front of the microphone. Oscar started strumming the first few chords on his guitar and Matt's face lit up. I couldn't contain my cheesy grin. I sang the song to him since he hadn't heard the new and improved version. The band and I really worked out a lot of kinks, and I had revised the ending some. In my opinion, it was better than before, but I wanted Matt to think so, too. It was his song, after all. After I finished the last line, Matt gave me a thumbs up. It was at that point that I heard Tyler scoff and stop playing. He took off his guitar, shaking his head.

"What is your problem today?" I asked him as the rest of the band died down.

"You really want to know?! He's my problem!" Tyler practically yelled and gestured over to Matt. "Ever since you decided you needed a bodyguard, you've had your head up his ass. I don't know what's going on between you two, but I don't like it, and I want my friend back. This isn't you."

"What the hell are you even talking about? You have no clue as to....okay, newsflash. This IS who I am. Maybe you just never really knew me. How about that?"

"You're being a bitch," he told me coldly.

I just laughed. "You're absolutely right. Let's call a spade a spade, here, and why don't you tell me what you're really pissed about? You think that because Matt's here, that I suddenly don't have romantic feelings for you. Well that's just stupid. I didn't like you like that long before Matt got here." Gabby let out a loud 'Ha', before she covered her mouth and stifled a laugh. "You're really pissing me off today. For your information, I didn't just decide I wanted a bodyguard. I was informed that for my safety, I needed one. That fucking creeper was in my apartment." Everyone's faces fell. There was suddenly a very serious tone in the room. "You get it now? Great. The next time you feel the need to throw a bitch fit about something, don't."

"He's changed you," Tyler accused. "I would've taken care of you. I would've protected you."

"Really? Cuz I don't remember seeing you trying to help me out on that stage the other night. You need to leave Matt out of whatever the hell it is you got going on in that brain of yours. Our lack of relationship has nothing to do with him. If you can't handle the fact that Matt's going to be around for a while, then maybe you should find another job."

"You're firing me?" he asked incredulously.

"No," I shook my head. "I'm telling you how things are, and how they're going to be. I like having you around, and yes, you are my friend. But that's the only thing you're ever going to be. That's all. If you're not okay with that, then you might as well find someone else to play for."

Tyler looked around the room. He huffed out a 'whatever', before packing up his guitar and walking out the door.

After a couple minutes of silence, Travis stood up from behind his guitar. "So...free day?"

Matt and I were silent in the car. It wasn't until we were almost back to the apartment that he spoke. "Umm...so, thanks for sticking up for me." I didn't respond. Only nodded to him. "Uh, is there anything you'd like to do for the rest of the day?"

"I kind of need to go get some guitar strings, and maybe run a few errands. You coming along?"

"Well, duh." Matt turned the car around with a smile. "So, are you going to tell me why you went all agro on Tyler? Was it just because he was annoying you?"

"Let's not go there." He asked why. I eyed him warily. "You know why." I tried my hardest to look serious, but I could help the small grin that slipped out.

"Oh, I think I do know. You're totally in love with me." I laughed loudly. "You do," he accused. "You love me, you want to date me, you want to kiss me!" he taunted in a sing-song voice.

"Wow, you're really annoying, did you know that?" I asked him as I climbed out of the car, Matt hot on my heels. "Any feelings I MIGHT have had for you seemed to have suddenly disappeared. Why do you think that is? Oh! I know. It's that stupid song you just sang."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You keep talking shit. I'm gonna crack you one day."

We spent the rest of the afternoon teasing each other and laughing at our stupid jokes. We stopped and had dinner at a diner around the corner from the house that I love going to. Once we finished eating and were back in the car, Matt grabbed my hand. I let him hold it all the way home. We got home, watched TV, and generally had a good time until I was too tired to crack another joke. We said goodbye and I slipped off to my bedroom to sleep.

It was about one in the morning when my cell phone rang. It was my father's ringtone. I picked it up, half asleep. "Hey, Pop. What's up?"

"Ash, Princess, you need to come home." I hadn't heard that tone of voice in a long time. Not since my mother passed. My throat tightened up, but I managed to ask him what was wrong. "It's Wolf, honey. There was an accident." That's all he needed to say. I understood. "And it's Erin. She's not doing so good. Brian took her to the hospital to see her dad, and she's....she's not handling it well. Something went wrong with the baby. They admitted her. That's all I know. I need you to come home."

Tears were rolling down my face as I nodded into the phone. "Okay. Soon as I can," was all I could croak out.

"I love you, Princess. Be careful coming home."

I hung up the phone and just sat on my bed for a while. I guess I was in shock. Everything seemed far away. Sounds became muffled. I didn't even realize I had gotten up from the bed until I was opening my door and was halfway across the apartment. I softly knocked on Matt's door. He answered with his phone to his ear and a sad expression. He took one look at me, and told whoever it was that he had to go. He didn't say anything, he simply wrapped his arms around me and led me into his room. I had never been in it before, and as I scanned the room, I noticed that it looked very similar to the one in the house he had in California.

"I just talked to Johnny," he told me. "I'm so sorry, Ash. I'm so sorry."

"We have to go home," I sobbed out.

"I know. I was just thinking that we could drive, and I'll drive all night if I have to, or we can try to get a plane first thing in the morning. Either way is okay with me, I just want to make this easy on you."

I nodded. "I hate to ask, but can we leave tonight? I'll split the drive with you, if you want."

"We can leave tonight, but I'll drive. I'll be alright. No arguments," he warned me. "For now, though, why don't you lean back while I pack up some of my stuff. Then we can pack some of your stuff." I only nodded while sniffling as I let him tuck me into his bed. His bed was comfortable, and warm, and smelled like him. I didn't realize it, but I had fallen asleep. I was woken up a little bit later by Matt gently shaking my shoulder. "Hey, it's time to go. You looked really peaceful, so I went ahead and packed some stuff for you in a bag. I hope you don't mind." I told him I didn't, so he helped me out of bed and we made our way to the car. After Matt loaded our bags into the trunk, we were on the road.

We were both silent for a long time. Matt had suggested that I take another nap, but I suddenly wasn't tired. "I can't believe it," I told him quietly. "Wolf was like my second father. I loved him like an uncle. Did you know he was there at the hospital the day I was born? He's been in my life from day one, and...now he's gone." I tried to gather up all the thoughts racing through my brain, but it was hard. Then, one in particular stuck out at me. "Oh, God. Poor Erin. Not only did she just lose her father, but there's a possibility she could lose the baby. I couldn't imagine."

Matt reached over and grabbed my hand. I had stopped crying for the most part, there were just a few errant tears that would escape. I tried to focus on what was happening there in that moment, but my mind was already at home, trying to figure out how to comfort my best friend who just lost her father, and possibly her child in the same night.