My Legacy

Christina's POV: Well, here I am. My first concert since I became paralyzed, and though I should be excited, if I'm honest here, I'm actually scared to death. How will people react to me? Will they treat me no different, or will they criticize me for being in a wheel chair?
"You ready?" Ashley asked, looking down at me, already decked out in his warpaint. The only thing missing is the kiss mark.
I sigh, then say, "As I'll ever be," then hold my arms open to him, and he picks me up. The guys already moved the normal wheel chair, that had been folded up in the corner of the living room, out and got it ready for me.
"While you're in my arms, want to put the finishing touch on my warpaint?" he asked, smirking at me, then balancing me on his knee and pulling out red lipstick and passing it to me.
I roll my eyes at him, as he moves me back into his arms and I put the lipstick on my lips, and kiss his cheek as he descends the stairs. He then sets me in the chair, and I look around, self consciously. A couple of people from the other bands look at me and I hang my head in shame.
I feel like they're judging me for not being able to walk, and who knows? Maybe they are, I just hope not.
I then hear someone with a thick British accent ask, "And who are this beautiful young women?"
When I look up, I see a guy with long, wavy brown hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. He is also wearing a jersey that says ASKING on the front of it. Next to him, stand another guy with brown hair, only his is shorter, but just as wavy. He also has blue eyes, and I would swear to God they could pass for brothers.
"Hey guys. This is my little sister, Christina Mora, and her friend, Emily Cambridge. Girls, this is Ben Bruce and Danny Worsnop of Asking Alexandria," Christin says, introducing us.
Emily's the first to react to this and holds her hand out to Ben first, saying, "Pleasure to meet the both of you."
"Pleasure's all our, darling," Ben says, taking her hand in his and kissing it, rather than shaking it. Danny does the same to me, that Ben did to Em, and then she and I switch off.
When we're done with all the pleasantries, all I want to do is run away. Though I know Christian would put them in their place if they really were judging me, or looking down on me as a scared little girl, I feel like they are. I'm not used to any of this right now, and I'm becoming extremely self conscious of how I look and how people see me. I feel like I'm back in High School again...
I then hear Danny say, "Oi, did you guys hear that they're shortening the tour?"
My head snaps up at this, and I look at them in shock, while Andy asked, "What?"
"Yeah, they said they were going to condense it down to two month, rather than four," Ben says, rolling his blue eyes in annoyance.
"That's going to piss a lot of people off," Christian says.
"Yeah, don't they know that?" Emily adds.
"I guess they do, but they really don't care," Ben tells them.
"So, it's just going to be November and December then," Andy states, rather than asks.
"Sadly," Danny says, then he kneels by me and asked, "What's wrong, love?"
I shake my head and say, "Nothing, just...disappointed."
"Yeah. We all are," he says, nodding again, "But there's something else, isn't there?"
I look up at him in shock. How can he read me so well? I feel like I'm an open book in front of him, and honestly, I'm not comfortable with it at all.
"Is it because of this?" he asked, patting my chair.
I feel my eyes fill with tears and bite them back, trying not to let him see me cry, or anyone for that matter. But it's too much. The tears spill over my cheeks without my consent, and leave me no choice but to admit it.
"I'm just nervous," I tell him.
"About what? The concert?" he presses. I nod, and he says, "Don't be. You're in a good place here. Now if you were at a pop concert, then I would be concerned, but you're not. You're at a rock concert, and these people, they won't view you as any different than they are. No need to worry, love."
"He's right, you know," Ben interjects, "Hell, I bet you good money, they'll even crowd surf you at some point during the show."
"How? I'm in a heavy ass wheel chair," I murmur.
"What you got to do when someone wants to surf you, is lock the wheels, then hold on tight. They won't let anything bad happen to you, even if you do fall," Christian says.
"What would happen if I did fall?" I ask, fear clear in my voice.
"I've seen it happen," Danny says, "And what they do, is they open a pit area, then pull your chair down, and help you back into it. And if you fall out of your chair, you still won't hit the ground. These crowds won't let you."
I think about this, then nod and thank them. With any luck, things will go just as they said, and nothing bad will happen.
"Wanna go check out the concert?" Ashley asked me, and I nod, then he grabs the handles to my chair, and starts pushing me. I feel awkward by him doing this, and when I protest, he makes a good point.
"You'll need the strength you have to wheel yourself around when I'm on stage. Save it, and let me take care of you. Now where to first?" he says.
"Hmm...Em?" I ask, looking at my best friend.
"Merch tables?" she asked, looking at me.
"Sounds good to me," I say, and smile up at Ashley, who laughs and steers my chair towards the tables set up along the walls.
"Which one?" he asked over the commotion in the crowded arena.
"BVB, of course!" Em and I say together, making all of us laugh again. Once at the table, we pick what we want, then pay for it, and Em and I head to the bathrooms to change into our new BVB gear. When we finish, we head back out to meet up with Ashley again, and I see some big breasted blonde girl flirting with him, but he doesn't seem to notice. He just signs her chest, where she asked him to, and then walks over to me, and we start moving again, while she looks outraged.
"Really?" she demands, as we walk away, and I pray that Ashley will ignore her, but not him.
He stops mid-stride, then turns back to her, where he says, "Yes, really. I'm sorry, but I have things I need to take care of before the show."
"Like what? Hanging out with the handicap and the freaky witch?" she says, placing her hand on her hip, seductively.
I feel my throat tighten, at her cruel words, then I grab the wheels on either side of me, and wheel myself as fast as I can away from them. I wheel so hard and fast, that by the time I reach the buses, I can't breathe and it took a few people to help stop me from slamming into the bus itself. I quickly thank them, the best I can, then get out of my chair and army crawl to the door, where someone I don't recognize picks me up, and helps me into the bus.
He sets me on the sofa and says, "Your CC's sister, right?"
I nod, still crying, but it's become a silent sob, rather than the howling at the moon kind.
"I'm Johnny. Is there a reason you were going so fast?" he asked, and I realize who he is. Johnny 3 Tears from Hollywood Undead.
"I-I was just trying to get away from someone," I tell him, "Thanks again for saving me from slamming into the bus...And...getting inside."
"Not a problem. Who were you trying to get away from?" he asked.
"One of Ashley's fangirls," I tell him.
"Ah," he says, nodding as Andy, Christian, Jinxx, and Jake all enter the bus, and look at me with confusion.
"Christina? What are you doing back here? Where's Emily and Ashley?" Jinxx asked.
"Don't know. Don't care," I say, with a shrug.
"What happened? Did Ashley hurt you?" Christian asked, looking like he was ready to rip Ashley's head off.
"No, but one of his fangirls did," I murmur, looking at the ground and starting to cry again as I tell them the whole story.
By the end of it, Christian sighs, and says, "Christina...She doesn't know shit. Yeah, you are handicapped by all means, but she doesn't know what you're going through or what you're feeling. Don't give her the satisfaction of knowing all she or anyone has to do is rub that fact in your face, and you'll run away like a scared little puppy with her tail between her legs."
Just as he finishes this statement, Ashley comes bursting through the door, and yells, "Where's Christy?!"
"Right here," I say, raising my hand, and he comes and kneels in front of me.
He takes my hands in his and says, "Baby, I'm so sorry. I had no clue she was going to say that. After you left, I sent Em after you, and chewed that bitch out, then came looking for you myself."
"Don't worry about it. I'm fine now," I tell him, with a shrug, then kiss him and say, "Thank you."
"For what?" he asked, pulling away for a moment.
"For defending me against that narrow minded bitch," I say, then kiss him again.

Notes