Adopted by Ashley Purdy (Complete)

Chapter Twelve

"Hey, Iris. It's Anatasia." The voicemail says. "I would like to say sorry for my drunken ass. I treated you like shit." Anastasia says, sniffing. "I'm happy that you've got your life together and that you have a boyfriend that loves you." She says, almost breaking down.
"I really don't want to worry you, but I don't have a place to stay." She says. I shake my head.
She might have been a bitch to me, but she was my best friend. We love each other like sisters.
"I really want to stay with you. But I can't do that to you." She says. "I love you, always will." She says, ending the voicemail.
I quickly call her.
"Hello?" I hear her ask, her voice sounding as if she's crying. "Ana, where are you?" I ask. "I don't want you to find me. I don't deserve your help." She says, breaking down. "Babe, listen. I want to help you. And you don't have a choice." I say. "Where are you?" I ask. "I'm in Virgina." She says. "Near the gas station that we used to go to?" I ask. "Yes." She said.
We're in Chicago. I go onto my laptop and book the closest hotel.
"Go to*enter hotel here* and tell them your name. They'll give you a key to a room." I say. "I'll be in town tomorrow." I say. "Okay. Thank you." She says. "No problem, Ana. Travel safely please." I say. "Okay, love you." She says. I smile. "I love you, too, Ana." I say, hanging up.
I quickly book a plane ticket and pack a weeks worth of clothes and some extra money.
The flight leaves in 5 hours, so I need to tell everyone that I'm leaving, and then get going.

"Bye, babe." I say to Tony. He gives me a confused look. "Why?" He asks. "I have to help a friend. But I'll be back in a week." I say. He nods. "Okay, babe. I love you." He says. I kiss him. "I love you, too." I say.

I knock in her door. She opens the door and smiles.
"Hey, Iris." She says with a teary smile. "Hey, Anatasia." I say, hugging her.
"I missed you." She says. "I know. I missed you, too." I say.

"Do you have any clothes?" I ask. She shakes her head. "Lets go shopping, then! You're going to be living with me, so you're going to need clothes." I say, throwing her shoes at her. She smiles.

"Thank you for paying. You didn't have to." She says. I shake my head. "You are like a sister to me. Imma also spoil the shit out of you." I say with a laugh, falling onto one of the hotel beds.
"Anatasia, what happened?" I ask. She looks at me and sighs. "My parents found out about Jimmy." She says.
Jimmy was her sugar daddy, by the way.
"I never loved him. And I'm okay with other females, but this other girl he brought home hurt me a lot. I ran. And he called and said that he was dropping me." She says, tears going her cheeks. I get up and hug her. "I was going to live with him, even though I had no feelings. I just needed a place. Now I don't." She says.
"Yes you do. You're going to live on the bus with me, then you're going to move into my room when tour's over." I say. "Thank you."

1 week later

"Here we are. Time to go find dad." I say, grabbing Ana's hand as we walk onto the venue.

"IRIS!" I hear Tony yell from behind me. I let go of Anastasia's hand and got ready to be tackled by my boyfriend. "TONY!" I yell back. He tackles me in hug.
He pulls back and kisses me. "I missed you." He says. "I missed you, too, babe." I say.
We let go and I turn to Anatasia. "Tony this is my best friend, Anatasia." I say with a smile. They smile. Tony hugs her. "Nice to meet you, Anatasia." He says when they pull back. "Nice to meet you, too, Tony." She says. I grab their hands. "Lets go to everyone else, introduce them to you, and say hi." I say.

We are all in the green room, and Anatasia is being antisocial. I laugh and walk towards her.
"Come on! It's a party! Have fun!" I say. "I don't want to do drugs, drink, or have sex." She says. "Then don't. We have a vape table, if you'd like to check it out." I say. She raises her eyebrow. "Lead me." She says.
She's never tried a vape, unlike me. She thinks that it'll give lung cancer or something. Or she used to.
Once we reach the table, I turn to her. "Do you actually want to use a vape?" I ask. She nods. "You only live once." She shrugs. I laugh and hand her a vape with Lung Candy in it. "This is my personal favorite." I say.
When she tries, she coughs, which makes me laugh a bit. She keeps doing it, and her coughs stop. "It's relaxing." She says. I take a bit from mine, nodding.
"This is why you did it." She starts. "It's relaxing. Knowing you, you would focus on the vapor, not your problems. You'd forget for a while. It's safer than a cigarette, drugs, cutting. It's like it kills your thoughts." She says. "And I guess this is a 'sometimes to stay alive, you gotta kill your mind scenario." She adds. I nod.
"Most people don't approve, but I could give less of a shit. It calms me down, killing my mind for a while, as you said." I say. "Also, what you said was deep as fuck." I add, making us laugh.
"I need one for personal use." She says. "You can use my old one. It's fully functional, you just need to change the tank." I tell her. "Thanks."
"Babe, you vape?" Tony asks. I nod. "And Anatasia?" He asks. "I just started. It seemed cool." She shrugs. He nods. "Well, your stuff came in. And your boss wants you to call him as soon as possible." He says. I thank him, kissing him. He returns the kiss, then pulling away.
"Ah, yes, your special effects makeup." She says as Tony walks away. "Yeah, I was just hired, but I'm excited for the projects that I'm going to get." I say. She smiles.
"I'm proud of you. You used to be lonely, sad, in your shell. But now you song on stage, you have a crazy amazing job, a boyfriend, more friends, a family, and happiness. I'm truly happy that you are alive. A long time ago, of I would be said that you had an amazing life ahead of you, you would laugh. But you've come so far and I'm proud to call you a friend, and my sister." She says, smiling at me. I smile back. "Please, say that speech at my wedding, I'm begging you." I say, making us both laugh.

"So I have to share a bunk?" Anatasia asks. I nod. "I have to share. Jinxx might let you. Or dad." I say. "Not Jake?" She asks. "I cuddle with Jake. My buddy." I say. She giggles. "Okay, Ms. Purdy/Perry." She says. As she says that, a lightbulb goes off in her head. "If you married to Tony, your initials would be the same." She says. I laugh. "Get your sleepy ass to bed." I say with a giggle. She laughs. "Kay, mom." She says. I pat her head, heading to Jake's bunk. "Night, Ana." I say. "Goodnight, Ris."