Ryder McKnight
Nineteen ♠ Single ♠ w/ Ashley Jacobs
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Nineteen ♠ Single ♠ w/ Ashley Jacobs
♠ ════════════════════════════════════ ♠
Ryder Storm McKnight
Mood: Intrigued
Crush: Ashley Jacobs
Girlfriend: N/A
Bestfriend: Ashley Jacobs
Location: Tour Bus
With: Ashley and the Band
Ashley smiled, suppressing a laugh. "I was kinda sorta talking to my foster parents about going to a public school for a little bit."
Public School? Admittedly, Ryder was almost aghast at the idea. To him public school, even being a 'normal teenager' meant being shoved into lockers and laughed at between classes, and during them. After Lady A had gotten big, he'd become more confident, but he still couldn't imagine any high school welcoming him with open arms. Still, unlike the other two band guys who had already finished their schooling, Ryder had never finished his senior year. The idea was intriguing. He furrowed his brow and closed his eyes, thinking intently. Ashley continued.
"You know, take a break from the tour and see what's it's like to be an average teenager, but then the 'troll' began to freak out over the idea, but not because of the possibility of being crowded by multiple other people, but for my career. He threatened to take me away from the band, like you know, force me to quit."
Ryder shook his head. They couldn't make Ashley quit! Could they? He wondered for a minute... It was true, Ashley wasn't yet 18 but still. Surely it was a hollow threat.
"Then it all went downhill from there...me telling him he couldn't do that then him saying he was my father and could do whatever he wants. So then I decided to play the 'you're not my father' card. He once again flipped. Then before you know it said 'no wonder your father doesn't want you.' And then that's when I hung up."
Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke and when she looked at him it was with distraught and helpless eyes. For the first time Ashley, strong, confident, beautiful, reminded him of something fragile. Like a beautiful piece of glass or a baby bird. He wanted to hug her, but wasn't sure if now would be appropriate. Suddenly he felt protective of her, his voice strengthening slightly though he kept quiet so as not to wake the others. "Ash he can't do that... I won't let him do that." His face was growing warm now. The anger was two fold. Part of it stemming from the fact that Ashley's foster father would even threaten such a thing and partly from the fact that Ryder wasn't sure if he could. "I mean, come on, you built this band! Your almost eighteen. An adult. He won't be able to do anything then. Right?" Ryder breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down. He didn't want to be angry. He could be scary when he was angry. "And he had no right to say that to you about your birth father either... He's just jealous Ash. A bitter, jealous, mean old man with nothing better to do than micromanage his kid's band. Just ignore him. He doesn't have any power. Not really." Somewhere deep down, he knew he shouldn't be talking about the man like this, even if he felt it was true. But he wanted to say even worse. Instead, he closed his eyes and again breathed deeply. "So why this thing about going back to school all of a sudden?" He looked at her again, brushing candy-apple hair from his eyes and trying to understand. "I mean... when we were in school... wasn't this the dream?" He motioned around at the tour bus, not angry at her, but honestly confused. "Do you really want to go back to school? Back to Cumberland Gap?"
Public School? Admittedly, Ryder was almost aghast at the idea. To him public school, even being a 'normal teenager' meant being shoved into lockers and laughed at between classes, and during them. After Lady A had gotten big, he'd become more confident, but he still couldn't imagine any high school welcoming him with open arms. Still, unlike the other two band guys who had already finished their schooling, Ryder had never finished his senior year. The idea was intriguing. He furrowed his brow and closed his eyes, thinking intently. Ashley continued.
"You know, take a break from the tour and see what's it's like to be an average teenager, but then the 'troll' began to freak out over the idea, but not because of the possibility of being crowded by multiple other people, but for my career. He threatened to take me away from the band, like you know, force me to quit."
Ryder shook his head. They couldn't make Ashley quit! Could they? He wondered for a minute... It was true, Ashley wasn't yet 18 but still. Surely it was a hollow threat.
"Then it all went downhill from there...me telling him he couldn't do that then him saying he was my father and could do whatever he wants. So then I decided to play the 'you're not my father' card. He once again flipped. Then before you know it said 'no wonder your father doesn't want you.' And then that's when I hung up."
Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke and when she looked at him it was with distraught and helpless eyes. For the first time Ashley, strong, confident, beautiful, reminded him of something fragile. Like a beautiful piece of glass or a baby bird. He wanted to hug her, but wasn't sure if now would be appropriate. Suddenly he felt protective of her, his voice strengthening slightly though he kept quiet so as not to wake the others. "Ash he can't do that... I won't let him do that." His face was growing warm now. The anger was two fold. Part of it stemming from the fact that Ashley's foster father would even threaten such a thing and partly from the fact that Ryder wasn't sure if he could. "I mean, come on, you built this band! Your almost eighteen. An adult. He won't be able to do anything then. Right?" Ryder breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down. He didn't want to be angry. He could be scary when he was angry. "And he had no right to say that to you about your birth father either... He's just jealous Ash. A bitter, jealous, mean old man with nothing better to do than micromanage his kid's band. Just ignore him. He doesn't have any power. Not really." Somewhere deep down, he knew he shouldn't be talking about the man like this, even if he felt it was true. But he wanted to say even worse. Instead, he closed his eyes and again breathed deeply. "So why this thing about going back to school all of a sudden?" He looked at her again, brushing candy-apple hair from his eyes and trying to understand. "I mean... when we were in school... wasn't this the dream?" He motioned around at the tour bus, not angry at her, but honestly confused. "Do you really want to go back to school? Back to Cumberland Gap?"
