Here and Now

Her eyes and City lights

Ashley's P.O.V

Taylor's apartment wasn't what I thought it would be. Alie made her give  us a tour of everything while she went out to pick up some Chinese food.
"And this is my kitchen which is connected to the dining room and living room." Taylor explained.
It was actually a pretty basic living area. The kitchen was fairly small with a black and white theme. There was a light above the silver sink fixture that illuminated a small window looking out into the city. The dishwasher, refrigerator, and microwave were all a simple black color, that complimented the white walls and black and white tile floors. Right next to the kitchen was the "dining room" as Taylor called it. But really it was just a room with a sliding glass door next to a small black dining table and chairs. The living room was pretty much the same basics, with a few exceptions. Taylor had vinyls hanging all over the walls. She also had a decent size TV with CD stacks next to it. There was a small pullout couch seated in front of the TV.
"And here let me show you upstairs." Taylor said leading us up the black layered stairs.
Along the walls going up the stairs were more vinyls. I was actually impressed that I knew a lot of the records.
"Ah AC/DC is fucking great." I remark , taking a second to appreciate the piece of work.
"You like AC/DC?" Taylor asks.
"Of course. They're amazing." I say looking back at her.
She pauses and smiles before turning back to go up the stairs. I blush a bit but I have no idea why. It is something about the way she looks at me I think...
I quickly shake my thoughts away before walking up the rest of the stairs and let Taylor finish the tour.
"So this is my room." Taylor says opening the door.
There's a big window that lets moonlight shine down onto Taylor's kingsize bed.  She had an acoustic guitar that sat up on the wall next to a record player and more vinyls.
She closes the door and we walk down the hallway. Taylor and Kayla continue to walk into the next room but I pause to examine a picture on the wall. It was Taylor with her family.  Well that's who I assume it is. She's standing next to her mom and dad, holding her baby sister. But what really attracts me to the picture is how happy Taylor looks. I wonder why she doesn't look like that anymore...
"Ashley you coming? The guest room is really nice."
"Be right there!" I say looking at the picture one last time.

Taylor's P.O.V

"And I guess this is the last room to show." I say opening the door to my small music studio. I was very proud of it actually. There were Beatles records hanging around the 6x6 room. The walls were a light black color that was brought out even more by the dim lighting. My guitars were neatly set up on their holders next to my microphone. It was my perfect escape from the world...
"Wow Taylor this is so cool."
"Oh, thank you Ashley." I reply with a nervous giggle.
All the sudden the front door opens and Alie's voice comes through.
"Heeey food's here bitches."
Kayla and Ashley laugh as we make our way downstairs.
Alie, Ashley, and Kayla take the couch to settle down with their food. I sit across from them on the cozy boy recliner. Alie flips on the tv and of course  the first channel  to come up was the news channel reporting on the burned down bar. Alie quickly flipped the channel and continued to search.
There was a faint awkward silence that I decided to break for once.
"So you weren't on tour right Ashley?"
"Nope. I was just coming home from Texas and trying to play one gig but I think it's time for me to take a rest. How about you Taylor? What are you doing right now?"
"I'm just relaxing at home until our Album releases."
"Oh that's cool." Ashley says back to me with a smile.
I smile back and get caught in her eyes for a moment...
"Alright screw this I can't find anything on TV I'm going to go to bed now. I'll see you guys in the morning!" Alie interrupts as she turns the TV off and heads upstairs.
"Goodnight!" I holler back.
"Goodnight! I'm taking your bed."
I chuckle. " Guess it's the pullout sofa for me tonight."
"We can sleep here if you want I mean I'd hate to take your other bed." Kayla interjects.
"Hey no it's all yours. We invited you here so make yourself at home."
"Thank you again." Ashley answers back.
"Anytime."
The two head upstairs and I get comfortable on the couch and start flipping through the channels again before falling asleep.

                                                                                          ...

I wake up to the sound of the sliding glass door shutting. Still in a hazy state I get up slowly and turn to look at the door.
Ashley was sitting there looking out into the city all alone. I debate on whether to go out there for a good five minutes before I finally suck it up and get up to talk to her.
I open the door and she glances over her shoulder, then I slide the door back and sit next to her and also look into the city.
It was my favorite thing to look at. The way the buildings rose over everything and seemed to light up the entire world. The way there were still a few people out at 2 AM rushing around with their busy lives. But yet everything else around it seem to be a comforting silent abyss. Which is probably why it feels so much like home.
"Taylor... Why did you come to me? I mean you don't even know me."
At this point I would usually be nervous but looking into the city gave me  strength and it's almost like I let the city speak through me.
"I don't know, that night behind the bar I saw something in you... And when I saw you were in trouble for some reason I felt responsible."
"Why did you run away that night then? I mean if you saw something in me doesn't that mean you would've stayed?"
"I haven't had the best life. Any new human interaction makes me nervous but when I see someone that.... that..."
"That what?"
"I don't know...  I don't think I've ever felt this way before." I say faintly. Ashley looks over at me. I  begin to wake up and realize what I've been saying. What have I been saying? I glanced at her than stare back into the city before speaking again. "Well what about me? Why did you invite me to the show in the first place?"
"I don't know... I guess I just thought you were beautiful and really cool. I kinda just wanted to talk to you for a while. But honestly I haven't had great human interaction neither. I can barely go outside without having a panic attack now."
"Oh god Ashley... I'm so sorry."
"This guy I was with for a year turned on me in the worst way. We were on and off even though I've always felt like I was on. He would tell me he loved me and the next day he said he hated me. But I always kept falling for him because of his kiss... I always felt like it was only for me and he would always be there. And then there were the drugs. He did so many all the time. I would partake in these drugs sometimes too though. He would  just leave me on the bathroom floor of the parties we would go to. I would lay there all night wondering why I was trash. When I tried to come back home everyone knew about what I had been doing. I was constantly looked down on and talked badly too. I couldn't even be around the people that knew me before. And I guess a year of all that just really messed me up... Now I'm forever wondering when I'll stop thinking about the past and move on to my, hopefully, inevitable future."
Ashley finishes her story and begins to cry. I was so dumbfounded. How could this happen to such a beautiful girl? What kind of monster would do this?
I move over to her and crouch down so I'm face-to-face. She keeps looking down at her lap,  not being able to meet my gaze. I gently wipe her tears and she starts to slowly look up.
"And I bet everyone tells you everything's gonna be okay . And they think that's enough for you, they think that should just do it and you should be okay  forever. And it's bullshit. Awful things happen sometimes and sometimes people don't get better. Sometimes the pain is too much to leave behind... But you're going to get through this."
"And how do you know that?" Ashley asks sternly.
"Because there's no way a girl as beautiful as you can be this sad forever... I won't allow it."
A smile breaks through her tears.
"How are you going to help me though?" Ashley asks.
"Anyway possible. But step one is making you forget about that monster that hurt you." I reply.
All of the sudden everything got tense. Our breath was in sync and it felt like everything else around us was gone. Nothing else exists but us. She leaned in and our lips met. I had never felt such a hard electric shock go through my body. And I've been to AC/DC concert.
We breathed in each other's essence as we turned our heads without our lips ever disconnecting.  All my thoughts slipped aside and I fell into her.
We finally pulled back and our eyes met.
Her  bright hazel eyes lit up the world around me. They seemed to go on forever. They are so beautiful...
I realized her eyes are my new favorite thing to look at.