Not Good Enough For Truth In Cliche

How Does It Feel When Tears Freeze When You Cry?

"What's up, bitches?" I asked, directed at everyone but Monte.
"What's up, Ash?" Max replied. "The hell are you wearing? Putting out at the prison?"
I looked down at my skinny jeans, black tight-fitting crop top, and Converse. I walked up to him. "Max, I don't want to have to deck you."
"So you did visit the murderer, you whore."
"Call me a whore one more time and I swear to God, you won't live to get clean." I threatened.
"Hey, chill." Came an unfamiliar voice. "Max, don't engage. I don't know who the hell the chick is, but she needs to back up off of my bassist."
I whipped around. "You're Craig Mabbitt."
"Yeah. And you are?" He took a couple steps closer.
"Ash Charles. Best friend of the singer you replaced." I studied him.
"Oh, so you're Ash."
"And you're arrogant. Who the hell do you think you are to just walk in here, think you own the place?" I took out a cigarette and lit it, inhaling.
"You're a cocky little girl. Definitely something I'd expect from someone who grew up with Ronnie, though." He grabbed my wrist.
"Get your hand off of me, Mabbitt."
He continued to hold on. "You can't tell me what to do."
"Oh, really?" I asked, hating him already. He was a challenge. And a pain in my ass.
"Max, out. Close the door." Craig ordered. Max did. Craig pushed me up against the wall, pinning me down. The cigarette fell from my hand and he crushed it out. "Listen. I don't know what princess kingdom you came from, but now that I'm here, shit is different."
"I'm not scared. I don't get scared." A thought flew through my head.

*flashback*

"Never let Craig Mabbitt anywhere near you. He's a manipulative asshole and I don't trust him."
"Yeah, I don't either." I said.
"God forbid he touches you. He knows how to get what he wants, using any means necessary." Ronnie took a sip of beer.
"I won't get scared. I don't get scared."

Craig stared at me. "Huh. That's new."
"What, me not being scared?" I tried to free myself, but he was too strong.
"Is it true that you sucked his dick?"
"We were high on coke and weed."
"Is it true?"
"Yeah."
He shook his head. "Stupid girl. Ronnie's a player."
"You think I don't fucking know that? I grew up with him."
"Pathetic." He released me.
"You owe me a cigarette." I glared at him, pissed off.
"Smoking's a bad habit. You should quit." He said, suddenly compassionate.
I took a swing and connected with his right cheek. "That was for Ronnie, you jackass."
Max came rushing in. "The hell's your problem, Ash?" He grabbed me and held me back before I hit Craig again. "You're a fucking psychopath."
"He's an asshole!"
"Calm down, Ash." Craig said condescendingly. "Anger's not a good look on you."
I ripped my arm from Max's grip. "None of you talk to me. I'm going."
I stormed off into another room. Monte looked at me. "What happened?"
"Fucking Craig Mabbitt."
"You fucked him?"
"No!" I grabbed a pair of scissors. Sawing at my hair, I sighed. "I can't believe him."
"What happened?"
"He's an asshole."
"Okay, what are you doing?" Monte asked.
"Sawing off my hair." I finished. "I need my labret bar and the diamond nose ring."
"You're not."
"I am." I took out my lip ring and replaced it with a barbell. I then took the nostril retainer out of my nostril and replaced it with a stud. "I most definitely am."
"Max is gonna be pissed."
"He already is." I looked at myself in the mirror. "Do I look like her?"
"You could be the cover of Dying Is Your Latest Fashion." I could've been his exact opposite, with my raven black hair, him with the brightest bleached hair I had ever seen.
"Perfect." I applied red lipstick, then stormed out back into the room of traitors.
"Tell me that's a wig." Omar said. "For the love of God, Ash, that's a wig, right?"
"No. I cut my hair."
"You did not. You are not the cover of Dying Is Your Latest Fashion." Max called. "You're not pissing us off like this."
Craig came up to me. "Other room. Now." He demanded.
"I'm not scared of you."
"Go." He stared at me.
I walked off, and Craig followed. "What the hell do you think you're doing, you bitch?"
"I'm doing what I have to."
He slapped me. "You don't have to do anything." He growled. "Especially not for him."
I stared straight ahead, unwilling to let him see me affected by this. "I can do whatever I want. I'm an adult, have been for a while."
"You seriously think that will excuse your behavior?"
"Do I have to outright say it? I don't like you, Craig. I never will. It'll be easier for both of us if you just accept that and let me be. You obviously don't like me."
"Ash, you think I don't like you?"
"All you've said pointed to it."
"That is the complete opposite."
"The hell do you mean?"
"Figure it out."
"What the fuck do you mean?"
"Do you honestly think I'd say those things if I didn't like you?"
"This is crazy."
"Ash-"
"Don't talk to me." I said. "Stay away from me, Mabbitt."
"Babe-"
"Don't call me that." Flashback to every single time Ronnie and I playfully called each other that. "Go away."
"I have to practice my singing, huh? The situations are irrelevant now. She loves the way that I tease, I love the way that she breathes."
"Don't butcher Ronnie's song like that!" I elbowed him in the gut and started running away from him. I didn't stop until I got to the alley behind Max's apartment. Shaking, I sunk down onto the ground and tried not to cry. Craig Mabbitt just made a pass at me.
I had to go home. Sadly, mine and Ronnie's apartment was a few buildings over, so they could find me if they really wanted, but... I had nowhere else to go. I checked to make sure I had my keys and my phone, then walked over to my apartment. Letting myself into the living room, I realized I'd have to pay rent by myself. That sucks. I saw a bag of cocaine and tossed it into the trash. It was Max's, so to hell with it. I collapsed onto the couch. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door. "If you're not from Escape The Fate, let yourself in." I sighed.
Monte came in. "I know I'm from ETF, but..."
"You're the exception." I sighed.
He sat next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "I'm sorry about Craig."
"He's a fuckin' pervert."
"That must be your favorite word lately, fuck. Or any variation."
"Yeah."
Monte kissed my hair. "I can fight him. I will. I'm like your responsible younger brother."
"Then what's Ronnie?"
"Irresponsible older brother."
"So I'm the middle child?"
"Yeah."
I sniffed. "Thanks, Monte."
"Of course." He said, then paused. "Craig's an asshole. I will fight him, just say the word."
"I'll wait on that, I need more reason."
"Wait a couple years, Ronnie will go back to prison just for the honor of beating the shit out of him."
"I know."
"Need anything? I'll run to the store."
"No, I'm okay."
"Alcohol? I can drink."
"Haha, nah."
"Just tell me if you need anything." He turned on the TV to a cooking channel.
There was a knock on the apartment. "Whatever, come in." I groaned. "As long as you're not Max Green, TJ Bell, or Craig Mabbitt."
Sure enough, Craig came in. "Monte! What are you doing?"
"Comforting my friend?"
"It looks like you're flirting with her! I told you guys how I felt about her, and-"
"She's like an older sister to me, Craig, so fuck off." Monte replied, holding me closer. "You cannot treat her like this. Oh, and by the way, you're in Ronnie's apartment."
"Ash, I want to talk to you. Civil. Alone." He glared at Monte.
"Anything you want to say, you can say with Monte." I replied.
"I want you to be mine. I swear, I'll treat you right."
"Nothing you've done before leads me to believe that."
"I swear, I'll change."
"That's what they all say."
"Ash-"
"You berated me and my best friend. You turned my friends against me. You humiliated me. Get the fuck out of mine and Ronnie's apartment. If you liked me that much, you would've been nicer. Go."
Craig stormed off. "I'm sorry." Monte said after a minute.
"Whatever." I turned the TV up louder. "It's whatever."