Disclaimer: I own nothing except the stuff you don't recognize from the original show.
Title: Concrete Sky
The cars pass by on the busy streets, splashing the walkers on the sidewalks. The rain continues to fall, the walkers once again being the victim. No one really looks at anyone else; they all keep their eyes down casted while they talk on their cell phones. Who would want to see the world around them anyways on such a gloomy day? Not very many people are outside; just the ones who want to brave the storm in the middle of the day. The tires running along the pavement mixed in with horns and sirens above the people talking, it's the same song that's played every day in down town Los Angeles.
Some people come and go while others come and stay. Some come in hopes to become famous but never get further than the ratty restaurant that took them in on pity. Some have high dreams that get crushed by bigger corporations. The town is fast paced, people cross the streets whenever the lights red, there's more homeless than you can count. So why do people still want to come to such a dump anyways?
This season always reminds people of their past. Or for Ashley Davies that is. Winter, the season of rain along the coast and snow up in the mountains closer to Nevada. The pouring rains always made her think of a particular night four years ago whenever her life took a turning point. The rain was a somewhat comfort to her whenever she heard it pounding on the roof top of her two story town home in Seattle as she laid in bed alone at night after burying herself in her work. The rain would always put her to sleep, thoughts of a girl would help settle her mind-except the last image of the girl she had of her crying in pain.
Los Angeles was where her life had begun; it was where both of their lives had begun. But mostly Ashley's, she was a California native, daughter of a rock-star and a half-sister to a girl a year younger to her. After she had moved away, she made sure to come back every winter and summer for however long to visit her sister a brother in law and a nephew she had met six months ago whenever he was born.
So as Ashley walked down the streets of Los Angeles, she listened to the rain fall around her. The water ran down her face, smearing her mascara; sliding through her long dark brown hair, falling off the ends and soak up into the fabric of her jacket. Most people look at the girl like she's insane; walking around in the cold rain like it's nothing in nothing but a light jacket and no umbrella. Others would look at her with such concern, seeing that her makeup was smeared but ignoring it and saying 'it's from the rain'.
Another reason Ashley Davies loved the rain was because whenever she cried, no one would be able to tell if it were tears or the falling rain.
Finally stopping her mindless walk in the rain, the soaking girl manages to flag down a yellow taxi cab, wanting to be in the rain no longer, feeling content. She was a quiet girl now, not shy or anything but as if she had no use to talk, no use to give into the conversation. After that night four years ago, she was a completely changed person. Went through life differently, thought differently, lived her life differently. She changed for the better, some would say. But was it for herself? Or did her losing the one thing in her life that seemed right, change her completely. She spent every night thinking about questions that go unanswered, coming up with more questions along the way.
Mumbling her sister's address, she closes her eyes, coming to peace with the world around her. The rain she could hear hitting against the windshield, she enjoyed the noise. A little while later, she arrived at the house that she would be staying at for the next couple of days. Maybe it was a bad idea, maybe it was a good idea to come back here again-she continued to think of things that she could use as an excuse to leave to go back to Seattle, but whenever she saw the front door swing open and saw her little sister standing in the door way, she knew that it was a good thing that she came back.
As she reunited with her sister in the pouring rain out in the middle of the front yard on the outskirts of the city, the cab driver pulled her luggage out of the trunk and setting them on the inside of the dry house. The two girls were close, after a period of disagreements when they were younger; they were best friends now and couldn't live without the other.
They quickly went inside and Ashley dried off before coming back downstairs to greet everyone, reacquaint with people she sees every time she arrives in town. It seems like the same routine, adding and misusing a few people every now and then again.
After Ashley changed, she made her way down into the kitchen where many people were. Her eyes searched the entire room for one particular girl though that never showed. No one would talk about her and Ashley would never ask about her, feeling as if she had no right to bring her up since it's been such a long time. It's been four years since she's heard from the girl, since she's seen the girl. She was left with nothing but a photo of the girl, the necklace around her neck and an old ratted Ohio State sweatshirt that she continues to wear to sleep in every once in a while for comfort.
Grabbing a cold beer out of the fridge, Ashley joined the group at the table, falling right into conversation like she had never moved away. She retracted after a few moments, after everyone knew that she was there and would throw in some wise opinions on things but mostly she kept quiet. Ashley was well aware of her surroundings, knowing 97% of everyone in the house. There weren't many people, but there was enough to make the house feel a bit crowded, making Ashley step out onto the back porch to get some fresh air.
"Glad to see you back, Ash."
Turning to see her brother-in-law, Aiden, she slightly smiled. Aiden and she go way back, they've been best friends since they were 9. They were neighbors and even when they grew older, they were inseparable.
"I have to come back every now and then." A quiet reply from the brunette was given without ever taking her eyes off of the birds in the tree in the back yard.
It was quiet between the two old friends, it wasn't anything new though, Aiden was used to it now. It was hard to get the girl to talk about anything but he managed. He knew what was on her mind, he knew damn well. "What time is your book signing tomorrow?"
"9."
After that night four years ago, Ashley really focused on writing. Her first book release and book signing was tomorrow morning so it was a great opportunity to come and visit her family as well. She truly enjoyed writing; it was a great escape for her. Most writers tend to leak what they feel better through a pen on paper rather than words to people.
The two friends walked back inside, becoming cold as the night grew older. Aiden took his previous seat back at the table whereas Ashley went to look for her sister. Whenever she turned the corner, she bumped into her sister's best friend, Mia. She had strawberry blonde hair, bright green eyes with freckles on the brim of her nose and cheek bones. She wasn't much shorter than me, an inch or so probably. She had the most attractive personality that always seemed to make Ashley smile which didn't go unnoticed by many.
"Mia," Ashley breathed happily as she brought the girl into a tight, friendly hug.
"Ashley,"
The two locked their eyes with one another, smiling, happy to just see the other girl. Sophomore year for Ashley, making it Mia's freshmen year, they were up together one night alone. Mia couldn't sleep and Ashley had just been getting home so instead of going to bed like she originally planned on doing, she stayed up another hour and watched re-runs of Saved by the Bell her sister's best friend. That same night as they shared their goodnight, they kissed. The nights that followed, the kisses grew longer and sweeter, turning into something completely passionate. It only lasted a couple of months but a couple of months were enough for Mia to really feel something strong for the older girl.
"How are you?" Mia laughed at her lame attempt at a conversation which made a smile grow on Ashley's face. "I mean- no yeah, I mean that, how are you?" She smiled sweetly at the girl in front of her who reciprocated the same goofy grin back.
"I'm better actually, now that I've found you here in this busy house,"
A small shade of pink raised to the surface of Mia's cheeks, making her turn away in embarrassment, "Same here."
Before their conversation could continue though, the front door flew open, catching both of the girls' attention. Ashley's sister greeted the intruder with a hug but from where she stood, she couldn't make out who the guest was. She looked back at Mia only to catch her staring back at her already in admiration. "God you're still so beautiful, Mia." Ashley breathed, stepping closer to the girl in front of her.
She ran her hand across the soft freckled cheek, moving a piece of hair behind her ear, "Wow… um… wow…" Mia stammered, her world completely coming to a halt. "Th-thanks Ash,"
The two girls took a step back whenever they heard someone clearing their throat from behind them, "Ash,"
Ashley turned to look at her little sister, "Yes Kyla?"
Without another word, a blonde turned the corner where Ashley and Mia were standing, completely bumping into Ashley. "Oh I'm so- Ashley."
"Spencer,"
The rooms around grew quiet as everyone saw the two girls bump into each other, waiting for their next move, anticipating something either horrible or beautiful. No one knew what to expect really. Ashley looked at her sister with a slight confused expression. She had no help from Kyla which was noted from Mia who stepped in, "Will you excuse us, Spencer?" She grabbed Ashley's hand, pulling her away from the blonde and her sister to the back porch.
Ashley quickly thanked Mia but was still in complete and utter shock, "Why is she here?" She asked to no one in particular, merely just asking because her thoughts were eating her alive. "After four years of avoiding one another, she just 'so happens' to show up here!" Ashley paced back and forth on the porch while the rain poured out of the sky harder as the night grew on.
"You know, she's probably asking your sister the same thing," Mia said softly, reaching for Ashley's hand, trying to get her to calm down.
The older girl stopped pacing and stood in front of Mia, holding onto the small cold hands, "But this is supposed to be my big weekend. Why did she have to choose this weekend? I was doing just fine." She admitted quietly, standing closer to the young girl.
"Ashley," A voice came from the sliding door, making both girls turn to see Kyla, "I'm so sorry I didn't know that she'd be in town," She spoke softly and quietly, knowing how bad the situation was four years ago. "And what's going on with you two? Are you guys back together or something?" She asked, motioning the close proximity between the two girls and their hands.
"No Kyla," Mia said with a hint of sadness in her voice, pulling her hands away from the older sibling.
Ashley continued to stand there; she had no idea what to say really. Was she really ready to face the blonde after so many years of being ignored and hurt? In that moment on the back porch, Ashley was thrown back into her past life before she knew Spencer, before life had changed dramatically for everyone. She was thrown back into her life whenever she wasn't hurt and sad all of the time, whenever the only thing she had to worry about was getting up for school on time and she usually made it because Kyla was the most punctual person she had ever met. Ashley was thrown back into the story of her life where it turned out not being a love story but a story of heartbreak and this is how it goes.
So let me know if I should continue the story. I know that I have other stories that need to be finished but I'm working on them as well but I had this idea in my head all day today and I think that it could turn out to be a really promising story. So let me know your ideas, you know how I love reviews.