Marching The Line: The Newbie

Chapter 10

(A.N: Hey guys! I'm sorry but I gotta make some changes. Nothing huge, just the whole two different P.O.V things are getting harder to flow. I'm still doing them, just not as frequently. Mak's Pov is a little more important so it's gonna be a lot of her's. But I'll still throw Asher's in! Thanks for reading and enjoy!)

I slammed the front door behind me. Tears filled my eyes but I tried to ignore them. I was telling myself it all had been a dream, none of that had happened. I gritted my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut, frozen in the entry way still. My book bag hung useless on my shoulder. I could feel my hands start to tremble and the shaking moved throughout my body. That fine line was breaking from under me. I curled my hands into fists and screamed. "God damn it!" I cried. "You're a fucking idiot!" I was cursing to myself. Wanting to wake up. Without another thought I raced up the stairs and into my bedroom. I slammed the door shut, rattling the pictures on the walls and trophies on the shelves. I stared through watery eyes at the trophies from our band competitions. Suddenly it seemed like those trophies were mocking me, like they wanted me to see that I was being naive and lame. I dropped my book bag on the floor next to my feet. I stared at the trophy that stuck out in the front of the smaller one. It was metallic and painted blue with gold statutes of music notes and two snare drummers. "Best Percussion" it read. Asher and I had worked so incredibly hard to achieve that. It was the first trophy percussion had gotten in years. Days and nights had turned into weekends and months, getting the drumline and front ensemble together to get our parts down. We spent hours in rain or the heat of summer working our asses off trying to achieve something great. And we had. But now that trophy made those good memories turn sour. "What happened..?" I wondered aloud, my voice shaking.

"We let it get to our heads...."Asher's whisper made me go tense. He walked up behind me.

I shut my eyes. I shook my head. "No...I tore us apart." I said quietly my voice cracking. "My stupid pride and stubbornness broke us apart."

"That's not true." Asher said, his voice filled with pain and concern.

I began to shake more. I was fighting to not break. The only thing I wanted to do was collapse into Asher's arms and just cry. Cry till I was sick, till I couldn't breathe. I wanted to know he was there and I hadn't done what I was so afraid of.

"Makenna.."Asher whispered.

I swallowed hard. The lump in my throat was almost painful. I was fighting to keep my composer. I took a deep breath.

"Come here..." Asher whispered.

I spun around on my heel and buried my face in his chest. My shoulders shook as tears began to stream down my face. Asher wrapped his arms around me. I balled some of his shirt into my fists, tears streaming uncontrollably. Anger, hurt, confusion..it was all boiling in my blood. I was choking for breath and shaking horribly. I knew Asher had tensed up.

"Makenna listen to me..." Asher said in a hushed voice. "None of this is your fault."

"If I hadn't gotten in that wreck..."I sobbed. "I wouldn't be such a god damned burden."

"Hey, hey. Listen to me." Asher said and leaned down a little in an attempt to meet my gaze. I hid my face. "You are not a burden to anyone. It was that bastard's fault for hurting you like he did. You had no control over it and hey maybe this was suppose to happen."

I looked up at him. "What?" I sobbed.

"Things happen for a reason. Maybe that wreck was suppose to. I mean, it brought us even closer didn't it?" Asher gave a small smile.

I looked over at the trophies. "But things were so much easier before the accident, when I didn't have to worry about my spine snapping and me getting paralyzed. The thought scares me half to death but I still can't quit."

"And I'm glad, even though I don't act like it, I'm glad you haven't given up. Giving up would kill everyone. We've all watched you go from the bottom to the very top in such little time. I know you want to go far. And if you really want to go far you're going to have to keep reaching and pushing. And believe me when I say this. I will always be there by your side Mak. Okay? Always." Asher said cupping my face in his hands.

I stared at him, my lips quivering. I felt so childish crying like I was. But everything just built up. All the blame and guilt I felt. It was all too much for me to handle. I thought Asher would hate me after everything I said. But I thought wrong. Here he was, holding me, talking to me. Treating me like I was on the edge and I was. He knew what to say and what he was saying was sinking in to my brain. "Okay." I murmured. I put my face in his chest again.

Asher gave a faint smile. "Good." He breathed into my hair. In a calming and caring gesture he kissed the top of my head. I felt his head turn as he glanced at the trophies sitting on the shelf.

*

I walked into the living room, a bowl of popcorn in my hands and sat down next to Asher. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him. I adjusted myself so it was more comfortable and sat there quietly watching T.V. with Asher. "Sorry about earlier today." I said quietly. "I don't know why I said all those things."

"No need to apologize Mak. Really. It's okay. I know you meant well and had a lot on your mind." Asher said into my hair and kissed the top of my head again.

I sighed. "If you say so." I said quietly.

Asher went to reach for the popcorn and I pulled away from him. "Not so fast buddy." I smirked.

"Are you teasing me?" Asher smirked. His eyes grew dark with desire and humor.

I stuck up my chin and leaned up next to his lips so mine were close to his. "Maybe I am. What are you going to do about it?" I whispered my lips brushing his as I spoke.

His eyes narrowed, sparkling and dark. His lips formed a mischievous smirk. Without warning his lips brushed quickly and lightly against mine in a teasing kiss. I grinned and crushed my lips against his. Fire and electricity shooting throughout my whole body. Asher angled his head more, deepening the kiss. He pulled away. "That's what I'm going to do about it." He said huskily.

I gave a quiet chuckle. "That's a good way to deal with it." I said sounding stupid.

"Goof ball." Asher chuckled deeply.

"Yeah, but I'm your goof ball. Just like you're my loser." I said teasing him.

"Oh I'm a loser." He narrowed his eyes still smiling. "Look who's talking."

"Yeah you are." I laughed.

"Quit doing that." Asher groaned smiling.

"Doing what?" I asked confused.

Asher smiled bigger. "Being so damn cute. It drives me nuts."

I laughed. "I think that's the intention." I said.

He ruffled my hair making me yelp. "Not cool dude." I muttered. I put on a false annoyed look.

Asher chuckled and grabbed a handful of popcorn. "Dropped your guard." He smirked.

"Loser." I shook my head and leaned myself against him again, putting the popcorn between us.

We sat there quietly watching a lame movie that I didn't even know the name too. It was nice. Just letting the T.V. kill the silence. I had felt so alone until Asher came along. I never realized how happy I was to have him around. He was amazing and so nice. Yeah we had our disagreements but we always fixed things. He knew my temper and was careful, just like I was with him. We both knew things were going to be said when one of us was angry or hurt and we never let the words spilled reach our hearts. I had read about relationships like this, ones in fairytales and story books. I wasn't one to believe in a happy ending but if there really was one, Asher was going to be the key to that. And for once in my life I was truely happy with him. He'd always have my back and I was always going to have his. Just like the rest of the drum line. We were a family.