"Ashley you need to stop this!" Kyla was arguing "Kyla I'm not doing anything. I've been on Spencer lockdown for a week! Glen hasn't been at school, Sarah won't talk to me, and the Carlin's won't let me or that Petra girl see her like what do you want me to do?" Ashley said exasperated "I want you to not give up!" "I'm not giving up. I know you think I am because I'm not persistently at the door but I feel it Ky. We're right I know we are but if she picks Petra I have to let her do that. If I keep her away, if I tell her off, if I make her feel guilty we're not going to have the relationship we had before the accident. We're never going to have that relationship again. I'll get her again but don't you dare question me Kyla. I know exactly what I'm doing." Ashley finished. "You've lost your damn mind!" Kyla yelled and with that, took off exasperated. Ashley shook her head and reached into her bag for her headphones. She put the massive headphones over her ears and let the music wash over her. This was how she handled things granted when she went on these walks she rarely took Kyla with her. These walks were designated for herself and the music. Her mother hated it. There was always something dangling from Ashley's ear, there was always a melody she was humming, and there was an incessant splurge of oneliners and verses running through her brain. The teachers hated the way she would scrape by with D's and C's but she didn't need high school, she never wanted high school and it was only the constant need she felt to prove herself to her mother that kept her in school. The music wasn't loud enough. Ashley was starting to get anxious. She put the music up and sat down on the grass, closing her eyes, and breathing deeply. Her head started to relax into the bass and her fingers were playing the frets of the guitar that was sitting comfortably in her room. She'd been doing this for years but she hadn't felt the need to go out on the grounds and feel the music this much since her father passed away. This she recognized was her life line and without it she would crack under the the stresses and uncertainty. Ashley needed Spencer out of the hospital no, Ashley needed to write, Ashley had her own damn priorities and she was forgetting about everything except the music and Spencer. As she went to set her head on her knee's she heard Aiden's SUV pull up and she reluctantly put her headphones away.
"Hey Ash, what's up?" Aiden asked as he approached her. "Nothing really, just studying," Ashley stated even though there wasn't a book or binder in sight. Aiden surveyed the empty area around Ashley and shook his head. "You know Ash you should really start doing some work." Aiden stated matter of factly as he took a seat opposite her. "You know Aiden you should really mind your own damn business." Ashley stated annoyed "I'm worried about you Ash!" Aiden said with his eyebrows furrowed "I don't need you to be worried about me; I need you to be the only one that isn't worried about me. I can't take anymore; everyone keeps talking about how they're so worried about me. It's suffocating. I need everyone to just back off, stop holding onto me so tightly." Aiden took this in. He'd known Ashley his whole life, he knew she was fronting but if he called her on it he knew she would hate him for it. Instead he sat back and surveyed their surroundings for awhile. He broke the silence a bit later "You written anything lately?" When all else failed always lead her to the music, it was her surviving mechanism. "Not today, no" Ashley answered frustrated. Aiden smiled, "You know most people can go weeks without even writing their name, you can't even go a day without writing a verse." Ashley gave a small smirk, she knew what he was doing; she loved him for it but today was not the day for it. She placated him and he could tell "You know how I get; I mirror my father in that way." Ashley said and immediately looked toward the fountain in the drive. Her dad was always sticky, if she thought too long about him she would get sick, if she didn't she would get sick, Aiden was the middle ground but today she couldn't even handle this. "Ash…" Aiden paused and Ashley turned toward him. "I'm going to go pick up some food, you want anything?" Ashley shook her head, "I might go to the gym." She answered flatly. Aiden nodded "I won't keep you then," and they stood. He grabbed her in a hug and she let herself fall into him for a few seconds, she was going to break down any moment now and she shrugged him off. "I'll talk to you later Aiden." She stated and took off for the house without even making eye contact with him.