i've given up on you ➣ ashton irwin a.u.

➣0.2

"lately, my dog's the only one around

that listens to my problems."

➣ october

"i wish you would just listen to me for once, october." my mother says with tears in her eyes.

"why do you keep acting like you're the victim here?" i yell at her.

"i didn't want it to happen the way it did, october. just hear me out, please." she pauses before she says the last word.

why am i still standing here? nothing she says, or is ever going to say, will ever make me forgive her. there really is no point in arguing with her. all it really does is piss me off. i should just leave. that's exaxtly what i'm gonna do. grabbing my car keys and my jacket i storm out of the door, making sure to slam it in the process.

i hope that got my point across.

while i walk to my car i see my dog sitting on the driveway scratching his ear.

i wonder if he's sick of my moms bullshit too?

"phantom. wanna go for a ride?" i say to the huge husky my father had given me about three christmas' ago. i laugh as he hops with excitement at what i had just asked him. he's just so stinking cute.

as soon an i open the door to my car phantom hops in crawling over to the passenger side. he thinks he's a lap dog i swear.

i throw my bag in the floor below him and slide in the car, the houston heat is killer. i stab my keys into the ignition roughly, i back out of the driveway as quickly as possible.

when i get on the road is when my emotions catch up with me. i feel the tears behind my eyes threatening to fall. i feel like if i let them fall then she's winning. i don't want someone who ruined everything i've ever cared about to affect me. the problem here is deep down, way deep down, i care about her too.

i just need to talk to someone.

"phantom." i say slowly, "i can talk to you right?"

his ears perk at the sound of his name. he looks at me as if to say, 'duh'.

"you think mom is a bitch too right? i mean i know that she apologized and everything, but how do i know she's sorry or just sorry i found out? she was only thinking about herself. she wasn't thinking about me, dad, or even you."

i felt the need to make him feel included. he was a huge part of our little family unit we had going on. some people think i'm way too considerate of my dogs feelings, seeing as how he is a dog. to me he is more than 'just a dog' he's my best friend.

my mom tried to take him away from me too. i guess making my father leave us wasn't enough, she had to try to take the rest of my happiness away too. she didn't win though. i told her if he left i would never forgive her and the day i turn 18 she would never see me again.

it seemed to do the trick because almost a year later phantom is still here.

when i look over at him is when i feel the tears leaking out onto my cheeks.

"do you wanna go see uncle calum?" i ask him. phantom says nothing or even moves, giving me the impression that he isn't too thrilled about the idea.

"please?" i ask him, "amberly will be there."

as soon as the word 'amberly' leaves my mouth phantom is excited, too excited. he's turning around and around in his seat as if he's uncomfortable.

amberly is calums poodle that he got a couple of years ago. phantom has a little crush on her, and she has one on phantom as well. calum and i can't leave them alone unless we want puppies on our hands. i'm all for the puppies, but calum has commitment issues.