Life According To Amber Lynn Haner

*Amber's POV*

Later that evening after Ash went home, Dad and I were sat in the living room, he was watching something on the tv while I was "doing my English lit homework" (I was really listening to Full Frontal and staring at the same Romeo and Juliet page while pretending to read it).

"That Ashton kid looks familiar, what's his last name?" Dad asked, pausing the tv while I took out the ear bud that I had in.

"Bailey, why?" I replied.

"Are his parents Daniel and Ashleigh Bailey?" I nodded, and he sighed. "He's the image of Daniel, I knew I'd recognised him."

"So you know his parents?"

"Yeah, we all went to the same high school. Lets just say, we didn't get along well."

"Oh..I see."

"Just be careful around that kid, won't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means nothing, as by what I can tell, he's nothing like his father. But I've only met him once, so I can't say."

"He's a sweet kid, he couldn't hurt a fly."

"Just be careful, ok?" I nodded and went back to reading Romeo and Juliet, thinking about how that book reflects my current situation. Be careful around Ash? Why?

-----

I lay awake in bed that night thinking over and over about what Dad had said about Ash; "he's nothing like his father". What was his father like? Is there something serious I should know about?

I knew at this point I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, so I grabbed a blanket and went to sit out on the roof of the kitchen-extension, which is just outside my bedroom window. I find the strangest pleasure sitting on rooftops and watching the lights that go on for miles.

"Can't sleep?" Dad asked, frightening the shit out of me and coming to sit next to me.

"Nah, I've had too much coffee." I replied, laughing a little.

"Id guessed as much. You drink way too much of that stuff for your own health."

"It's what keeps me going, I'd pass out if it wasn't for coffee!"

"So what's the other reason you can't sleep, besides overdosing on coffee?"

"It's just what you said about Ash. That he's nothing like his father. I don't get what you mean."

"His dad..he just wasn't a good person back when I knew him. That's not to say he hasn't changed. But I'm just warning you, his dad's dangerous."

"How?"

"Back in senior year, he was done for selling drugs in the school. Nothing major, but he was caught. They kicked him out, just before graduation. I was relieved slightly, as he was a bit of a bastard to everybody. But he's always blamed the guys and I for getting him arrested. This was way back before we knew Arin, and Jimmy was still with us. He hated poor Jimmy the most, and Johnny got a months worth of detention for getting into a fight with Daniel after he began picking on Jimmy."

"I wish I could've met Jimmy.."

"So do I, he would've loved you."

"The stars are really pretty tonight." I said, changing the subject.

"Yeah, they are. Your mom and I used to sneak out late at night to see the stars, back when we were together." He replied, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"I used to do that back in Denver. Larissa used to just forget about me. So I'd run away for a few hours and just look at the stars. Most of the time I'd just go to Gramps's place and hang out with him, as he used to love me coming over."

"Yeah? How's he doing?"

"He's doing great, he still plays tennis, and he loves that. He always spoke highly of you, and he always said he hoped to see you again some day."

"He did?"

"Yeah! He loved you like a son, even after what happened."

"That man never hated anybody."

"Nope." We sat watching the night sky for a while, not saying much apart from how nice it looked.

-----

"It's two on the morning, I'm pretty sure you should get some sleep." Dad said after a while, checking the time on his phone.

"I guess you're right, I've been out here for three hours. I replied, sighing and grabbing my blanket.

"Make sure you're up in time for school, ok?"

"I will, I promise. G'night."

Notes

Ooh you guys, I got "Waking The Fallen: Resurrected" in HMV today, but like I nearly didn't bc it wasn't in the section I thought it was in, and I wouldn't go and ask one of the (very punk) assistants to find it, (bc I feel all awkward and nervous and my anxiety plays up) so my dad did it for me (and now he's teasing me bc I was nervous lol). But I got it and that's all I care about (and I'm getting a new A7X tshirt next week)

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