Retreat (A.I.)

30. Words

Lots of pov shifts this chapter. Try to keep up!

---Kelly---

"Mr. and Mrs. Becker. I'm really sorry. We did everything we could."

The entire room started to cry. Ashton, Michael, Luke, Calum, Mali, and of course Mom, Dad, Mark and I.

This can't be happening. He was 10 years old! Killed by my ex-best friend. Because of me.

I collapsed on the floor right where I was, brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms tight around my knees, rocking myself front to back, tears streaming down my face.

---Ashton---

Charles called Tom, Kelly's manager at Hot Topic to explain the situation. He told Charles for her to take as many days as she needed.

She's been in her bed for the past two days, and she hasn't moved. Literally. I have been with her just about the entire time, and it's really worrying me. The guys come by to visit her every chance they get, and I keep hoping that something someone says, anything, will get some kind of reaction, emotion out of her. But there is nothing. She shows absolutely no emotion.

I can't say I blame her. So much has happened in such a short period of time. In a matter of only two weeks, she got a job, moved to Altoona, lost her best friend, and lost her brother. I don't think anyone could go through all that in such a short period of time without breaking down. Not to mention, the funeral is coming up, and the investigation into Kenny's death. It's never ending.

I hope that she comes out of this though. It hurts so much seeing her like this. She won't move, she won't talk, she won't eat. She reminds me of one of Lauren's baby dolls. There's no life in her. She isn't crying, or grieving. She's just... here.

"How's she doing?" Mali asks from the door.

"Exact same. I'm worried about her Mali." I hate talking about her as if she's not even here, but mentally she isn't.

"She's strong, Ashton. She'll come out of this. I think it's too much for her to handle right now, a lot's happened lately. She just needs to come to terms with it all."

"I know. But there's so much more that she has to deal with now, with the funeral, the investigation, and... Life doesn't stop, you know? The longer she's like this, the more she'll have to deal with later and I don't know if she'll be able to handle it."

"You mean London."
"Yeah."

We got called into a meeting this morning with Sony Music Publishing. Supposedly, when Louis Tomlinson tweeted about us, it caught the attention of someone at Sony. They signed us to a recording deal, but there's a catch.

"I can't just leave her like this, Mali."

"I know it's hard to see her like this Ashton, but this is the band we're talking about. This is your career, your dream. This is why you went to Colorado in the first place, remember? I know things are different now. Kelly's made her way into all of our hearts and lives. But you can't give up on your dreams. You know that she'd never forgive you if you did, right?"

"I know. Without a doubt! But I can't stand seeing her like this! It's tearing me apart."

"How about we get through the funeral, and go from there? One step at a time."

---Kelly---

There's nothing but an empty darkness surrounding me. I feel nothing, see nothing, hear nothing. I'm empty.