part 25:

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i wake up and there is a note on my bed beside me.
ashley,
come downstairs when you're ready, i already loaded all of your stuff into the van. There is breakfast in the kitchen. We are leaving for the airport at 10. Love you.
-Zach.
i smile and throw on some comfy clothes, brush my teeth, and throw my hair into a high pony. i walk downstairs and everyone is in the kitchen eat.
"good morning sleepy head." jack pats the seat next to him and i sit down. Traci hands me my breakfast.
"good morning, noodles." after breakfast we all say goodbye to Traci, Kerry, Molly, and Drew.
"don't do anything stupid." Drew says as he hugs me. i smile.
"i won't, don't worry." i walk over to Molly to give her a hug.
"promise you'll be okay without me?" she nods and hugs me tight.
"i'm just glad everything is sorted out now, i'll miss you."
"it's only going to be 2 weeks. text me if you ever need anything." next is Traci, she's crying. i'm not sure why, we won't be gone that long. She's a very emotional person though and she loves us all a lot.
"aww, Traci, it's not like i'm moving away!" she sniffles and gives me a tight hug.
"i know, i just love you guys a lot and it's going to be boring without all your giggles!" we both laugh. Kerry comes and gives me a hug and smiles.
"be safe, kiddo."
"of course." i grab the last few things i need and all six of us load up into the van. There wasn't enough seats so i got stuck sitting on Breckin's lap.
"ouch your butt is sharp." i laugh.
"sorry, b." the car ride to the airport was decently short. after we get through security and all that junk. we sat down to wait for our plane to be called.
"hey ash, you wanna go get smoothie with me while we wait?" i jump up at the thought of smoothies.
"of course!" Breckin and i walk over to get our smoothies. we both order the most basic smoothie order ever, strawberry banana. yes, it's basic, but it's sooo good! we wait for a bit more until our plane finally gets called.
plane for the Bahamas boarding now!
"that's us babe." Zach grabs my hand.
"wait, we're going to the bahamas?" i was shocked, i've always wanted to the bahamas. he smiles.
"yep, surprise!"
"omg, i love you!" i jump up and down. he laughs.
"i love you too, now let's go." once we board the plane and settle into our seats i can't help but smile. i was sitting between Breckin and Zach. i couldn't be happier.
"what are you smiling at babe?" Zach giggles.
"i'm just really really happy right now, i can't believe i'm going to the Bahamas with my best friends. life is so good right now!" he smiles and plays with my hair sending goosebumps down my spine.
"i'm glad you're happy, you're so cute."
"ew." i turn and see Breckin pretending to gag.
"oh shut up Breckin, you and Daniel are 10 times worse." she raises her eyebrow.
"mhmm, sure." we all giggle. i put my headphones on and listen to some music; mostly consisting of why don't we (duh), one direction, rex orange county. NBA youngboy, forest, surfaces, lil skies, and tyler the creator. i like so many different artists i tend to listen to a bit of everything. i drift asleep pretty fast. after what feels like 5 minutes i wake up to screaming. i jerk awake and see everyone in a state of panic and tears in almost everyone's eyes.
"guys, what the hell is going on?" I'm practically shouting over the screams and cries of the people around us. i start to shake and my palms become sweaty.
"the pilot lost control of the plane, and we're falling out of the sky at a very fast rate." i start to have a panic attack. my eyes become so full with tears it's almost impossible to see. my breathing becomes very very fast and my throat chokes up, the air feels as thick as smoke. like it's eating away at my lungs by the second. everything is sweating and i feel as if i can't control my body.
"t-this can't be happening, no, this isn't real. everything was finally going good for once. i was finally happy, i'm not ready to die!" Zach wraps his arms around me followed by Breckin, it basically turned into a big group hug.
"i know, i know. this isn't the way i wanted to go either. just try to look at the bright side, at least if we're all going to die, we're going to die together. let's try to enjoy these last few minutes of life on earth." i can't, i try to listen to what Zach is saying to try to calm me down but i can't. i've always had anxiety. i was clinically diagnosed at a very young age, but i've worked really hard to make sure i take the medicine i need to reduce it and try to live my life as if it were never a part of me but in this very moment it feels impossible. i try to tune out my thoughts and listen to what he was try to say but it feels as if my ears are closed off, closed off only to my thoughts. i feel lost and my breathing becomes even quicker. we were falling, falling fast. too fast, there was nothing i could do. or the pilot could do. i was going to die. i never even got to experience my own wedding or watch my siblings get married, i would never be able to raise a family. this was the end. the end of me.
ashley
ashley!!
i jerk my eyes open and everyone was staring at me.
"are you okay?" it was Zach. no one was screaming or crying anymore everyone looks calm.
"w-what?" i feel my forehead and there was what felt like gallons of sweat dripping from my hairline.
"ashley, you had a bad dream. are you okay?"

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how will the vacation turn out for the group?
will it be as fun as they hoped?
find out in the next chapter!

unexpected changes//zach herron Where stories live. Discover now