They Make Me Wanna Scream

they make me wanna scream

Aidlyn oneshot - It's Not Romantic, I Swear.

Requested by ServingDumbassBlonde on AO3 <3

Ashlyn felt like she was about to have her brain explode. She was texting Taylor with big, long, ranting paragraphs (which is nothing like her at all).

-Ashlyn: I don't know what to do, Taylor. He won't get out of my head and I really want to punch a wall, but, like, in a good way?? But also in a panicky way. I've never felt panicky and now I'm angry because I feel panicky and now I'm angry at Aiden because HIS DUMB FACE WON'T GET OUT OF MY HEAD.

-Taylor: Holy crap.. Ashlyn.. I think you have a crush on Aiden!

Ashlyn fumbled as she read the message, nearly dropping her phone but catching it just on time. A crush? On Aiden, of all people?! No. Absolutely not. That is ridiculous, stupid, and most of all, DUMB.

-Ashlyn: No I do not! Aiden is so annoying and loud and has no sense of personal space. Plus, I've never had a crush. Ever. And I intend for it to stay that way forever.

Taylor couldn't help but giggle at Ashlyn's texts. It's so unlike her. Usually she would just text things like "OK" or "👍" or "Don't be idiots" or "Have you done the homework?". Nothing like this. Taylor likes this side of Ashlyn. Vulnerable and more like a human who has immovable patience and levelheadedness.

-Taylor: Ashlyn, I think you should just think about it for a bit. Has Aiden ever done or said anything to you that made you see him in a different light?

Ashlyn sadly had several moments she could think of. Aiden saving her from a phantom and holding her close, Aiden checking if she was OK in the hospital and brushing her hand with his, Aiden nudging her foot in the living room before going to bed when she was busy being stressed, Aiden just... being there.

But Ashlyn couldn't say that. Hell. No.

-Ashlyn: I'm going to bed.

She shut off her phone and slammed it on her nightstand, hiding her face in the pillows. She still had a couple of hours until she and the others will be in the phantom dimension. And she knew she won't be able to sleep until then.

Taylor couldn't help but giggle at the final message. She's such a cat Taylor thought.

"Hey, Tay," Tyler says, stepping into their shared bedroom. He had a new pair of black studs in his ears after re-piercing them with Aiden (who had literally begged him nonstop for entire week to pierce his ears for him).

"Ohhh, nice new earrings!" Taylor said, doing a silly wolf whistle, getting an eye roll out of him.

"Thanks. Anyways, can I borrow your phone?"

"Sure. But what for?"

"Mine is dead and I need to text Aiden proper piercing maintenance before he gets an ear infection in the first night."

Taylor chuckled as she handed him her phone. "Is that even possible?"

"With him? Probably."

Tyler opens up his sister's phone and is met with a text conversation between her and Ashlyn. Usually, Tyler wouldn't care. Why would he? Ashlyn is just blunt and annoying. But this was something he couldn't help but get curious about. Ashlyn was sending huge, long paragraphs of some sort of rant. Very unlike her. This he had to see. So what if that made him a snoop?

He read through the messages quickly and felt his jaw drop. Taylor looked over and noticed her brother's expression. "What's with that look?"

"Ashlyn likes Aiden?!"

Taylor screams and snatches her phone away. "Don't read my conversations!"

"Holy shit, is she brain dead?!"

"Don't be so mean! I think that they're adorable!"

"Of course you do!"

"Ugh! Just get out!"

"But I sleep in here!"

"I don't care! Tonight I get both bunks! Now, shoo!"

Tyler rolled his eyes, still dumbfounded as he stepped out of the room. Seriously, Ashlyn likes Aiden? What awful taste, really.

He settles onto the couch and Taylor gets on the bottom bunk. Simultaneously, all 6 of them fell asleep together.

The 6 of them met where they left off last night. They were in their camp. A phantom had somehow managed to get through and now they were trying to find where it could have come from.

"I think it's west," Ashlyn says as they catch up with each other.

"I agree with Ashlyn!" Aiden says, looking over at her with a smile that said 'I only say this because Ashlyn said it'. He often had this look when she speaks.

Ashlyn averts her eyes and hunches over slightly, hating, hating, hating whatever this was. Ugh! He trusts her so much and so fully, it made her sickeningly happy. It didn't help that he had new piercings that she thought he looks weirdly good in and UGH STOP IT, BRAIN.

Tyler felt like gagging at the two lovebirds. "It can't be west. All the lights are working there. It has to be south. The lights are dimming there."

Ashlyn narrows her eyes at him and takes a step forward. "It couldn't be south, either. The walls are way too solid over there for anything like that. And dim lights or not, it still deters the phantoms. West is also closer to the trees, where the phantoms could have more shade."

Tyler glares at her. "No way it's west. It would make no sense for it to be there. Logan is patrolling there all the time."

"He could've missed something."

"No way. He has way too sharp of an eye for that."

Logan felt like interjecting here. "I could have totally missed something, Tyler."

"No, it just makes no logical sense. It has to be the south."

The two began to yell at one another, and Tyler resulted to yelling out of pure frustration, "You have no right to think you're smart about anything, you literally have a crush on Aiden!"

The entire group went quiet and Tyler immediately regretted his words. He had gone too far. He has a bad habit of not thinking before he speaks.

Everyone stared at Ashlyn and Aiden had to suck in a breath to try and slow his heartbeat as best as possible.

"I.. I do... I don't.." But Ashlyn was an awful liar. Her red face wasn't helping, either. "I don't!" she yells again, looking at the rest of the group.

Taylor looked absolutely guilt ridden and Tyler looked like he wanted to jump off a cliff because he felt so awkward and angry with himself.

Ashlyn then looks at Aiden, who is just staring. And that just makes this all the worse!

"I... UGH!" She storms away from the rest, flipping the bird at Tyler, which is probably the most irrationally angry anyone had ever seen her.

Aiden was about to go after her, but Taylor puts a hand on his shoulder. "Give her some space."

But Aiden felt like her had to talk to her. If this was true, if this was real, then... then everything would be.. it could be... he had to see if this was true. He had to. But he knew Taylor was right.

So, for the rest of the night, the group inspected both walls, and came to the finding that Ashlyn was in fact correct about her suspicions of the west wall, which made Tyler feel even worse.

The next day, at school, Ashlyn didn't show up.

"Should I text her?" Aiden asked. He really, really wanted to talk to her. To see her face. Hear her voice. Her her say it herself. The words that he so desperately wants to hear are true.

But Taylor just shook her head. "Just leave her be. My stupid brother seriously hurt her pride."

"But what's so pride-hurting about liking me?" Aiden asked, trying to make it sound like a joke, but deep inside he was hurting that the mere idea of her liking him could be some shameful, humiliating thing.

"Probably because you're annoying," Tyler said bluntly.

"Ty!"

"Sorry, sorry, I'll shut up.."

Taylor let's out a sigh and turns back to Aiden. "It's just that.. you know how she likes to be in complete control of how she feels and stuff. She doesn't like not being in control. So being alone will give her a sense of control over her life. So let's give her that."

Aiden slumped in his chair, Ben giving him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

That night when they all fell asleep, Ashlyn busied herself with work, avoiding everyone else, especially Aiden. This was really starting to annoy him. He tried to follow her around as she was reloading riffles, fixing lights, and whatever else she could do. But he just couldn't keep up with her.

At school, she showed up, but sat at a different desk.

Seriously!? Let me talk to you! Aiden thought, absolutely miserable. He hated this! He hated it so much. He wanted to hear her say it. To hear if it was true. Please, please let it be true. The more time goes on, the more painful it gets.

Ashlyn didn't even show up at lunchtime.

"You're a complete idiot," Taylor said, looking over at her brother.

"I'm sorry, ok! I've sent hundreds of messages to Ash apologizing and she hasn't responded once!"

"I can't blame her!"

Aiden stands up, hating to hear the fighting any longer.

"Tyler," he says. "You are stupid. Really stupid. But you may have helped me out."

"Huh-?" But before Tyler could say anything, Aiden was sprinting out of the cafeteria in search of Ashlyn. Ben tried to reach out and grab him to stop him, but just missed.

Aiden zoomed through the halls, looking in every possible place she could be, narrowly avoiding teachers who would scold him and waist his time.

He ran up the stairs, looking in all the empty classrooms, clubs rooms, anywhere. He ran past the dance studio, where he heard music.

He stopped in his tracks and looked at the door. He very slowly approached it before peaking in. There he saw a figure.

She was moving fast, her body angry and thrashing while still keeping its elegant form, landing each jump and pirouette with rageful grace. Her hair was like a blazing fire, spinning around her form like the flames wanted to eat her alive.

Ashlyn.

Aiden opened the door, the creaking of it immediately made her stop and she whipped her head around to face him. Immediately, she looked like a cornered wild animal, ready to pounce to escape.

"Ashlyn. Can we please talk?"

She doesn't say anything as she looks around for any sort of escape.

"Please. I think I have the right to know what's going on?"

"Shut up," she spits out. This is the first time he's heard her speak in days. It was like music to his ears.

"Please, cmon. Yknow I never get this serious."

She clenched her fists, shaking angrily as she turns away. "What do you want?"

"I just.. wanna make sure you're ok."

"I'm fine!" she yells. "Happy?"

He laughs and tilts his head to observe her. "You don't look it."

"I.. ugh! I.. am fine. I'm fine! I'm in complete control and I'm not on the verge of punching someone in the face or on the verge of crying or anything like that! I AM FINE!"

He takes a step forward, trying to remain slow. He pulls his hoodie over his head and tightly pulls the string, the hoodie overtaking his face.

"I don't see anything," he says.

Such a goofy, Aiden way to show that he cares. Damnit..

She sucks in a breath and lets out a scream of frustration. She might be crying. That was weird. She never does. Why now?

"Damnit, damnit! I've never felt like this and I don't know how to handle it. All my nerves are in fight or flight. Everything is exciting but scary and I hate it!" she yells, kicking the wall.

He nods along to her words, keeping his eyes blinded with his hoodie as not to embarass her.

"And for some reason.. Some reason.. I like you. I think. Ugh! You won't get out of my head. I want you to comfort me and I want to squeeze you so tight that you suffocate. And in a good way!"

Aiden goes completely quiet now. She said it. She actually said it. And so matter-of-factly. Wow.. But he had to keep his cool, for her sake.

Aiden stays silent as she takes in deep, slow breaths before saying, "Can I look now?"

She pauses before answering with, "No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because-!" she stops herself. Because she's so embarrassed and if she were to see his stupid, stupid face right now, she might just crumble. She might just melt. She might just completely fall in love.

He takes a step forward, a small one since he can't see where he's going. "Ash." His voice is muffled through the fabric.

"Stop it.." she says, covering her ears in defiance.

"I like you," he says.

"Shut up."

"Haha!"

She grabs his hoodie and pulls it down. He sees her face. Her eyes are down and her face is redder than her hair. She looks almost ashamed.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she says, frowning deeply.

"I don't either!" he says with a wide smile.

He takes her hand, and she lets him. She doesn't know why.

"I like you," he says again.

"I heard you the first time."

"Can you say it again, then?"

"No."

He laughs, his shoulders shaking from his own nervousness, but also his joy. "That's ok. Take your time."

@barronsbgofficial you play dress to impress don't you? You have VIP don't you?

and what if I told you I had an album full of sbg screenshots/promo art that has a total of 574 photos in it? What then, huh?

just finished rereading sbg, brb tho I’m gonna go reread it again

rb to tell ur mutuals ur fond of them

i need more sbg