Subliminally Taken

19. say goodbye

A/N: I apologize for the two time skips in this chapter but it had to be this way. Don't forget to vote.

2 days later

Zayden got home yesterday. She's different, so different it freaked me out. Suddenly she's smiling, being nice to me, venting about how beautiful life is. She's either in aftershock, faking that she's okay, or the therapists she's started seeing are really helping. Either way, it's nice having her back home. We've been trying to keep our normal schedule going as the nurses told us to do but there's this constant elephant in the room and I'm always scared I'm gonna say something to set her off.

"I wanna drop out," I groan, rubbing my hands over my face.

"Don't even get me started," Zayden shook her head.

"Oh hush, you're like a math genius," I rolled my eyes.

"So let me help you," she told me, grabbing my laptop from my lap.

"You'd do that?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, her eyes scanning the math displayed on my screen. Zaydens strongest subject is math and even though she's younger than me, she's finished all her math. Like, she's completed all her grade 12 math.

"Okay, this is where you're going wrong," she pointed to a random number on the screen.

She began helping me out with the math problems for a few hours. As I said, she's completely changed since coming home from the hospital. Before that, she would've never helped me with math, in fact, she wouldn't be sitting on my bed next to me just to keep me company.

"Mady," I heard dad's voice echo from downstairs. "One sec," I told Zayden before running out of my room and down the steps. Dad's were both sitting on the couch and told me to sit down. What's happening now?

"So, we've been tracking your math and it doesn't look so good."

"I know but Z is helping me now and-"

"Maddison you're gonna have to do summer school," dad interrupted me with an apologetic face.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm sorry sweetie," Papi frowned.

"I can still go on tour with Billie right?" I ask in a whisper, a tear trickling from my eye. Maybe it's a little extreme that I'm getting emotional over this but it's been an emotional past couple of days and I've only let myself cry once. All I've been looking forward to was getting away with Billie.

My eyes darted back and forth between their faces and before they shook their heads 'no' I already knew what the answer was. I rushed out of the house, hearing both dads shout my name but I ignored them and ran into Billie's house. "Hey Mady," Maggie greeted me.

"Um, hi," I sniffled, wiping a tear from my cheeks.

"What's wrong dear?" She asked sympathetically, a frown on her lips. Without a word I opened up my arms, wanting a hug, and Maggie caught on right away engulfing me in one. Her hugs are always so comforting and motherly.

I heard her phone start to ring and pulled away so she could check it. "It's your dad," she told me.

"You can answer it. They're probably just making sure I came here," I let out a sad chuckle.

"Want to tell me about it instead of hearing it from them?" The phone stopped ringing and I nodded my head. "I'll just text them that I'm talking to you," she told me and quickly did so.

"So, I've been failing in math and now I have to do summer school and can't go on tour," I told her and I could almost see her sadness flash on her face.

"That shit was fucking fire- Mady?" Billie walked in with a loud and overpowering voice until she saw me. "Baby what's wrong?"

Obviously aside from my dog passing away and my sister attempting to take her own life, I can't go on tour with you.

"Come to my room?" She questioned quietly, reaching out a hand. I sent Maggie a small smile before taking Billie's hand and following her to her room. She closed the door behind us, sitting at the edge of her bed, holding her arms out. I shook my head, keeping my feet glued to the floor.

"Please," she begged, her arms still out. I choked back tears, trying to find the words to explain that I won't be able to spend the summer with her.

"I can't come on tour with you," I whispered, my voice cracking as I watched her face morph to confusion.

"Why not?"

"I have to do summer school."

~~~

"You need to come home."

"Dad, please I-"

"Maddison," he warned.

"Fine, just five more minutes?"

"Five minutes," he confirmed before ending the call.

"Hey, I'll still be here tomorrow," Billie told me, her hand still trailing through my hair.

~~~

1 Week Time Skip

~~~

"You're not even going to say goodbye to her?" Joey asked, shaking me slightly. "She's literally about to get in the car, we have to leave."

For the past week, I've been in my bed. I've yelled at my dad's and slept, that's about it. I'm exhausted and done. All I've wanted is Billie but she's been so busy with tour prep and now she's leaving. Of course, she's come to see me as much as she can but I haven't exactly been to the most fun person to be around. The worst part about this is even Joey is joining Claudia on some of the tour...

"I don't want to," I shook my head, pulling my blankets over my head.

"Danny is getting upset, stop holding her up and come say goodbye."

"No," I muttered.

"Fine," she scoffed, leaving my room and slamming the door. The tears immediately fell and the thought hit me that Danny won't even let her come up here to say goodbye. I can't let her leave without a hug. I ripped off my blanket to display my oversized shirt and PJ pants before running down the stairs.

I met her halfway down the steps and jumped into her arms, the tears continuing to fall. "I love you," I cried in her arms as she lifted me up.

"I love you too baby. I'll be back," she sniffled.

~~~

A/N: Next chapter is the last one. How we feeling?