Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Will You Help Me?

AJ's POV

Ashton froze and stared at me in shock. I smiled nervously and looked down.

"Y-your Triple D-D?" he asked.

I slowly nodded and blushed in nervously. Someone finally knows I expected it to be Andy. I was planning to tell her soon, maybe we would have gone to the beach an I would have told her. I really didn't expect Ashton Carter, Midwest's resident bad boy to know first.

"You destroyed school" he realized.

"I swear it was an accident, I didn't know the chemicals would do that" I cried.

"Triple D's the reason my family is dead. . . You're the reason she's dead" he blinked.

"I'm sorry, I really should leave before you die too." I got up and opened the door. "I'll protect you if I have to."

I left and went to my room and packed my stuff. I haven't spent much time there over the past two days. The couch became my home for that time. I refused to be in there, not wanting to be reminded about what happened and who's fault it is. I don't expect Ashton to even acknowledge my presence anymore, better yet I expect him to call the police and report that the culprit was me all along.

After a bit, all my stuff was back into the original bags that I brought them here in, I finally lugged the bags downstairs and got to the door. How am I gonna get there? Maybe if I make multiple trips with my bike then I could get the job done. But I don't want to have a run in with Ashton.

"Need some help," someone suddenly said.

I turned to see Ashton there. I mumbled a small 'thanks' and carried my bags to his car. He followed me home and when we got to my house I took my luggage and practically ran to the garage. I slumped down on the garage door and looked at my parent's cars. My eyes welled with tears as I thought about them. I buried my face in my arms as I brought my knees to my chest. The waterworks started and I just left it.

Time faded away and after a while, I got up but suddenly shrieked in pain and fell on one knee. Pain exploded in my shoulder and I held in a scream. It felt like my skin was burning all over again like when I just got it. I held my shoulder and felt blood on my hand. I shook my head and tried not I focus on the pain but tried to get up, it must have grazed more deeply than I expected. Honestly, I didn't even check it. I leaned on the door and groaned. Well great! What now?

"Do you need help?" A deep voice asked.

I turned and saw Ashton leaning on the garage door. He's just showing up at the right moments. What's with this guy?

"You stayed?" I forced out surprised.

"I-I waited for you," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"I wanted to talk. I needed to know some stuff. . . "

I got up and walked to him holding my shoulder. He stepped forward and I stood in front of him, trying to look ok but that failed.

Wait! Did the world just flip, or am I tripping?

"Good. . . " And everything went dark.

*Ashton's POV*

AJ fainted and I quickly caught her and lifted her up. I can't believe I lived with Triple Dare, the Triple Dare. If what happened, didn't happen then I would be insanely happy and bombard her with a million questions, I was really impressed with her. I finally got to meet 'my true love' what Zayn said. But I need to get to the bottom of who exactly killed my mom and if it was 100% her fault if there is any chance of me forgiving her.

I looked at AJ and sighed before smiling a little. Why am I smiling? I shook my head and carried her in the house and to her room. I laid her on the bed and looked at her arm which was covered in blood. So that is a big graze. Wow. Did she actually get shot at and have this happened. It looks OK but it needs proper cleaning.

I went to the bathroom and got a wet towel and a gauze. I cleaned up her shoulder and wrapped it. She looked distressed in her sleep. I wiped off the tears on her face and fixed her properly on her bed.

I sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her to wake.

After a while, AJ finally woke up. She thanked me for wrapping her arm when I got her some water.

"Who are you? Why Triple D? How much did you lie to me? What happened with my mom? Who killed her" I immediately asked her.

"Listen, Carter, I'm sorry about your mom but this stuff is dangerous. I can't have another person killed ok? The more people around me, the more deaths I have on my shoulders." she said softly yet sternly.

"I have the right to know? My mother is dead because we got mixed up in your life ok. Tell me so that I don't have to immediately pin you as the bad guy. I really like Triple Dare, help me see the good in her." I pleaded.

She sighed and looked down in her glass before putting it on the nightstand next to her bed.

"So are you going to tell me about Triple D, and this situation?" I asked hopefully.

She sighed again and began. The more I listened the more intrigued I became. But also the more angered I became at the X Hunters.

"So to sum it up: you were bored and decided to become a carefree vigilante. And having two lives were more fun and while doing so a gang wanted you to join them and you said no and know they have hunted you down and will kill anyone who gets in there way" I said.

"Yep." she looked at me with a sad smile. " Pretty messed up."

I looked into her eyes and realized that they were shiny, not I'm crying shiny but plastic shiny.

I pointed to her eyes. "Do you have contacts?"

She paused and then said, "yes."

"Why?"

She bowed her head and took out the contacts. She slowly lifted her head revealing the most gorgeous stormy grey eyes I have ever seen. They had some silver in them which intensified them.

"Protects my identity. Triple D is a mysterious vigilante so I kept the eyes but Adajante could pass off a bright-eyed teen."

Wow, she looks amazing.

What I didn't realize was that my mouth was hanging open. I closed it and looked away.

"Yep, pretty dangerous stuff, kinda fun but yeah," she shrugged. " Which is why you have to leave"

"I'm not leaving, I want to stay," I insisted.

"No Ashton do you want to die?"

"My mom is dead and I have no other close family so I basically have a free plate. Besides did you not see the school. Free plate. Besides if I can learn more about you I can give Triple Dare another chance."

"I don't need another chance. I need you to hate me so that you leave me alone. If I was in the same room with the reason why my family is dead then they'd be dead. Leave Ashton." she snapped.

"AJ. . ."

"Thanks for the bandage, and the ride, but you need to go," she said a little gentler.

I got up and walked toward the door slowly, but I stopped. "No, I want to stay with you!"

"Come on just-"

"I'm not leaving, I want to help you, I want to be here for you. And even though you don't think you need anyone. I am here. I want to give you a chance. Please let me give you that chance" I pushed at it.

"Will you help me?" She asked.

"Yes," I nodded.

"And you won't leave, you'll stay during all the chaos and not want to run at the first sign of danger?"

I sat back down looked at her, getting lost in her beautiful eyes. "I' ll never leave you. I promise."

"But maybe I should tell the guys you know. More heads and hands?" I suggested.

She looked hesitant but agreed. "If they die then that's not my problem."

I called up the guys and gave them a brief version of what happened. They soon came and everything was explained better to them.

"Your Triple D, Ashy's long lost love!" Zayn exclaimed.

"Shut up. By the way, this is Zayn, Andy-oh"

"It's OK" she waved it off.

"Zachary and Callum" I finished.

She nodded and smiled.

"So you guys wanna help?" I asked.

"HECK YEAH!" They shouted.

AJ chuckled and got up she went downstairs, got her bags and we helped her carry them to her room.

"So when we went to the movies and you left and we were talking, you actually got shot?" I asked.

"Yup." she nodded.

She took out a bag and pulled out 10 cans of spray paint and a hoodie, skateboard, and an art journal.

"Cool." the guys said and picked up her stuff.

"You look better with your natural eyes," Zayn said and the guys agreed.

"Thank you," she said.

"This stuff is amazing" Zachary exclaimed looking through her journal.

"Yeah" she nodded.

We continued gawking over her stuff but I noticed she was done. I walked downstairs and saw her in the kitchen on the counter drinking water.

"Hey," I called softly.

"Oh, hey" she nodded.

I'm sat next to her and we sat in silence and for once it was not awkward but it was perfectly peaceful. She was drinking out of a blue mug with a cat on it. Weird cup.

"It was Andy's," she said as if reading my mind. "It was her private cup, she would flip out if we used her cup and if we used it and put it back. . . she would know." she chuckled and smiled, biting her lip a little bit as she does.

She's so beautiful. How have I not paid attention to that? This girl is something else!

She traced the side rim of the cup and sighed. "I miss her, our last conversation was an argument. . . me and my big mouth" she frowned.

I fiddled with my fingers and said nothing. She slid the cup down the counter and it was gonna hit the wall but it ricocheted off it and went in the sink. AJ's facial expression was blank so I'm guessing she did it often.

"I-I never thought you would be so, you were known as the quiet girl and now your Triple D. That's awesome!"

She cracked a smile and jumped off the counter.

"I have to go" she suddenly said.

She ran out of the kitchen and a few moments later ran out of the house with her Triple D stuff and she disappeared down the road on her bike.