Real Care : A Sal x Travis Fan Fiction

Waiting..

December 29th, 1993

8:00 P.M.

Larry Johnson's living room:

Sal, Larry, and Lisa watched as Ashley paced in the kitchen, muttering to herself like she always did when she was angry. Though she hated to admit it, ashley had tremendous difficulty communicating with people when she was upset. Sal guessed she was raised like that, how else would her family end up so..well...fucked up? Lisa had made hot chocolate, and continued doing the laundry while watching the Tv. Though she looked normal, Sal could tell- like the rest of the people in the building- that there was something wrong. It was like the light was being drained from everyone within the apartments. everyone in town. Sal knew it was because of the cult, and the fact that the apartments and the cult are connected. It was scary, but he knew that a final plan would be put into action when the people of the cult would come together on new years night. Sal could only hope that their plan would work, since they very obviously had no idea what the fuck they were doing. It was war with children as the soldiers, children that had their own worries. 

Lisa finished her laundry, and looked to Larry. "You should go say something Larry, Shes your girlfriend...What on earth happened at dinner to make her so angry?" she asked. larry shrugged nervously. "I-I cant, she just needs her space...its more than just dinner.." larry said, and Lisa looked between the three teens "Well that's very descriptive." she said sarcastically, taking a sip of her coco. Suddenly, there was a couple of sniffles. Lisa (as her mom instincts kicked in), went over. "hey..oh, oh dear honey, whats the matter?" she asked gently as Ashley leaned against the kitchen counter, head in her hands. "I...I dont..I.." she whispered. Lisa looked back at the two boys. "how about we go into my room for a second..maybe we can talk about it?" she asked, and Larry's' face seemed to lose color. Ashley slowly nodded, and walked with Lisa to her room. "Go sit on my bed Honey, Ill be there in a second with more CoCoa okay?" Lisa said, looking to Larry and Sal. "i think that maybe you two should go up to sal's apartment while I talk to her, she looks really upset.." Lisa said, and larry shook his head. "I-uh- i don't know, we should REALLY just give her some space to get it out." he said, knowing that when Ashley was upset, she blabbed. Sal didn't know if there was any sides to be on, so he looked to Larry. "Lets just go Larry, whatever happens is going to happen." Sal said, and quickly took him out of the apartment and up the elevator. "Oh god..oh god..oh dear fucking god.." larry whispered. His hands were shaking violently. Sal helped walk him down the hall and into his apartment. 

the moment Larry walked in, he rushed to the bathroom and promptly threw up in the toilet. "shit Larry-" Sal winced and covered his ears at the sound of gagging. Sal let out a sigh and waited until he heard the toilet flush. Sal promptly went to get a glass of water, taking it to the bathroom, where larry leaned against the sink, sitting on the floor. "T-thanks.." Larry whispered, brushing his hair back, and sal slowly slid down against the sink to sit down beside him, despite his phobia of vomit. Sal slowly unclipped his broken prosthetic, and looked over it anxiously, feeling over the hard surface with the tips of his fingers, something he grew fond of. It was almost the equivalent of a teenager still sleeping with his childhood blanket, or stuffed toy. "I know Ashleys gonna Tell her...its not like shes gonna tell her anything else. Everything else sounds fucking crazy..and w-with the cult shit going on...isn't it fucked up?? That i can't even trust my own mother and tell her???I know she wouldnt understand..but...Shes all i got Sal, if you and Ashley go...my moms all i have..." He said, his voice shaky. "I just...I don't know how shes gonna react. I know it'll come out eventually, but its so soon and i cant even process it..ay dios mio.." he said, brushing his hair back, and sipping on some water. He swished it in his mouth, before spitting it out into the grimy-ass toilet bowl. "Lisa...shes usually really accepting, i mean- look at me, and travis...i mean, if she can accept gay people i'm sure she can be okay with a baby..right??" sal said, though he was questioning his own words. "Sal...usually you make a shit ton of sense but..even you cant give me advice with this...I just...gotta wait and see." he said. Sal looked to him, and scooted closer, wrapping an arm around his head and pulling him into a hug. larry let out a shaky sigh, holding onto him silently. Larry never really cried for serious shit. He'll cry in frustration over a painting or during a cheesy romance movie, but Larry was more the person to try and joke during a tense situation. Seemed this time, it was different. 

Ashley sat on the end of Lisas bed, curled up with her knees to her chest, Lisa shut the door and sat down beside her. "Do..you wanna talk it out..?" she asked, offering a mug to her. Ashley sniffled, furiously wiping her tears. "I don't know what the hell I want.." she whispered, and released her legs before placing her feet on the carpet. "I know i'm not your mom but..sometimes its just better to talk with a girl about things ya know..? boys don't always get it..". "I consider you more of a mom than my own mother..I feel better being here than anywhere else.."  she said, looking to Lisa. "There's just..there's so much going on right now, and its all too much. I..I cant tell anyone anything, I Just have to...go through it and hope it'll be okay. But its not okay, It'll never be okay!" she said, breaking down again. Lisa set down the two mugs of hot chocolate down on her dresser. "Is there anything I can do..?" Lisa asked gently, with the sweet, motherly voice that made her into a mother of four instead of a mother of one. Ashley was quiet for a minute of two, before she cried quietly "please don't hate me, I don't want you to hate me like she does.." Lisa was confused for a second, before asking. "Your mother? Sweetheart, your mother doesn't hate yo-" "she does! I know she does! I always do everything wrong, I'm never good enough for her! I try, and I try, and I try- and no matter what I do, no matter how much I work i..Shes gonna disown me, And she'll throw me out." "No matter what you did, Im sure she wouldn't throw you out Ashley.." "She kicked me out over a toy car! A toy car, and she always kicks me out. she doesnt ground me, she doesnt beat me, she just pushes me out and locks the door and expects me to just...go. she never wanted me, and after this..shes been looking for an excuse to kick me out for good, and once she finds out-" "Ashley, sweetie, you're breathing really fast hun..lets center it in, take a few deep breaths yeah?" Lisa offered, and Ashley hiccuped a few times before nodding, taking a few deep breaths with her. It takes a few minutes, ashley still crying when lisa finished leading the measured breaths. "Okay...here, ill get you some tissues" lisa said, looking around before finding a box inside the cabinet of the bedside table. Ashley wiped her tears and blew her nose. Lisa let out words of affirmation while she did so. When Ashley was done, she let out a deep sigh. "You're a really good mom.." Ashley whispered, smiling weakly at the woman. Lisa smiled back at her "I will always try." she said, and used a hand to rub the teenagers back. Ashley looked down her hands, dry from the Indiana cold. 

"Do..you wanna tell me anything? No matter what you've done or will do, I'm still gonna be here- and you will always..always. have a place here.." she said. Ashley looked at Lisa, a desperate look in her eyes. "just...please don't be mad at me.." she begged quietly, and lisa side hugged her, kissing her temple gently. "I can't make guarantees, but were gonna figure it out- cuz im your mama, and no matter what goes wrong, were gonna make it work." She said. Ashley was quiet, before taking in a deep sigh. "Im..Im.." She started, and scooted away from her, looking down at her torn up sneakers. "I took a test...I took like, five...and i didnt...i.." she rambled, having a hard time telling her. She was so scared, and it showed. Lisa didn't get it at first, but the moment she heard tests, she knew. her eyes were wide, before looking to her. "I..see..Whos the-" she started, before realizing. "oh...Okay..." she said quietly. Ashley sobbed out. "Im sorry, Im sorry Lisa-" "hey! hey! ShShShh, its okay.." Lisa whispered, taking her hand. "I'm not mad..Im..surprised, really surprised. But, It doesn't make me love you any less. I'm really proud of you for telling me- Oof!" she said as Ashley wrapped her arms around her second mother figure. "Thank you.." she cried. Lisa hugged her tight. "I'm so proud of you mija..." 

Larry and Sal were waiting for what was going to happen, sitting in Sals room, Sal strumming on his guitar, playing a calming riff. His room was littered with all the maps and papers, pictures and descriptions...it was a mess, and it was always on sals mind, but he needed to be doing something with his hands.. he needed to keep himself busy. Sal wondered if he could teach travis how to play the guitar...imagining his tan fingers pressing against the metal chords, the soft pads of his fingers adjusting to the playing of his guitar. Sal liked his soft hands, considering his harder personality- his touches were always soft and gentle toward him..Sal missed him, fuck did he miss him...their romance was so quick starting and it was so recent, but his constant presence throughout the last few months left an obvious emptiness within the empty apartment. Eventually, there was a call on the chunky phone in the kitchen. Sal went to answer it. "Hello?" Sal asked, and Lisa's voice came over the line. "I need you two back downstairs please, i'm not mad, I just want to sit down with all of you and talk...Okay? Lisa said, and Sal turned to Larry, who once again started to look physically ill. "okay, we'll be down in a minute." Sal said, before hanging up. "W-What'd she say??" "she said shes not mad, that's good right??" sal said, shrugging his shoulders. "shit- she definitely knows-" "larry, its going to be fine, Lisa is always honest, its not like shes gonna trap you" sal said. 

Eventually, the teenagers made their way downstairs, and sat down at the kitchen table with lisa. "Okay everyone- family meeting."