You're Not Alone

These Words are Knives

(Austin's POV)

Luckily, Jen was released from the hospital fairly early. Surprisingly, our tour wasn't set back and we wouldn't miss any shows. We were on the road once more.

However, I did get a call from an online magazine. One I'd never heard of before, asking to interview Jen over the phone. I wasn't sure. I wanted to protect my sweet baby girl. But Jen seemed all for it.

"You sure you wanna do this? It's not too late to call it off..."

Jen rolled her eyes, smiling. "Why the hell not?" I kissed her cheek gently and she stuck her tongue out at me.

My phone buzzed. I answered the call, turning on the speaker. The others gathered around, just as excited as Jen was.

"Hi, Jen! This is Corey and I'm with All Things Bands online!" A man's cheery voice rang through the speakers.

"Hey!" She beamed. I noticed her hand shaking a bit, so I grabbed it. She was so cute when she was nervous.

"Alright, I'm just gonna ask you some questions, all you have to do is answer them honestly and to the best of your ability. Ready?" Corey asked. I liked this guy. He sounded pretty chill and cool.

"Yep." Jen said, popping the 'p'. I squeezed her hand a bit, and she gave me a knowing smile.

"Alright, so how's tour life been? Pretty hectic, huh?"

Jen giggled a bit. "Yeah, you could say that. But it's really, really cool. I don't think I've ever been so happy, honestly."

Corey chuckled. "That's great." His demeanor suddenly changed. "So, I heard that your biological mom isn't as happy as you are."

Jen's smile slowly fell. I tapped her shoulder to ask if she wanted to stop, but she just held up her index finger.

"Pardon?" She asked, trying to keep her voice as upbeat as possible.

"Well, we heard that your mother paid you a less than pleasant visit about a month ago, correct?" Corey asked. I began to feel anger bubbling inside me.

"Um, yeah I guess. Can we move on?" Jen shifted in her seat, crossing and rubbing her arms. She was uncomfortable and it was as plain as day.

"What were you thinking when you saw her? Or better yet, what were you thinking when you saw the razor in her mouth?" I clenched my fists.

Jen looked mortified. Tears quickly filled her eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. I looked around at the others. Tino and Aaron looked as furious as I did. Alan and Phil had their hands on Jen's shoulders, trying to calm her down some.

"What the hell kind of crap is that?!" Jen snapped. "I was thinking, 'Hey, did I turn off the TV on the bus?'"

Her tears finally spilled over.

"I thought, 'Hey, maybe we should make cookies tonight.' What the fuck do you think I was thinking, you prick?! I was thinking, 'Wow. The only reason my own mother cares about me is because I'm the only way she makes money.' I was thinking, 'I just got to a place where I felt safe and happy, and just seeing her once took away that security.'" Jen hissed at Corey, her voice wavering from crying.

I couldn't take it anymore. I picked up the phone, ready to throw it at a wall. "This interview is over, you asshole." I hung up.

We all sat in silence for a minute. Jen continued to cry, her breathing heavy.

"Kid, you alright?" Tino asked, all of us still on edge.

Jen put on a brave face. She smiled a bit, still crying. "It's not a big deal. You should see my Twitter." She muttered. As soon as she realized what she said, she shot up and covered her mouth with her hand.