After all the energy she had expended the previous day, Ashley had welcomed a prolonged rest and a chance to relieve the welling strain in her body and mind alike. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself back in her bedroom, having finally awoken with a sense of refreshment. She sat up and stretched her arms to reconnect her joints, her hair having become unorganised in the night and currently blocking much of her eyesight.

Ashley got out of bed and opened her bedroom door to leave, remembering how Lea was kind enough to close it for her before she left. She detoured into the bathroom and went about her business, beginning with using the toilet and washing her hands at the sink afterwards. She then wandered to the kitchen and prepared to eat another combination of leftovers for her breakfast, opening the fridge to soon behold a shocking sight.

Only a day before, every shelf in her fridge had been almost entirely devoid of contents, Ashley having been meaning to shop for more food. But without any explanation, her fridge had suddenly been packed to the brim with all kinds of food, all of which, from what she could see, she would've likely bought herself had she the necessity. She had no clue where this food could've come from, but had a suspicion on who had given it to her, smiling to herself as she muttered "Thanks, Lea".

Searching through the newly packed refrigerator and its collection of selectable options, Ashley pulled out a packet of sliced bread and a wrapped paper bag of saveloys, taking the pair and opening them on the bench. She took a butcher knife from the kitchen cabinet and began dicing the saveloys into small segments, before sprinkling the diced pieces into the folds of bread. She took the newly prepared raw jaffles and opened the cabinet, finding the jaffle maker and pulling it out to use.

She sat back for the following few minutes as the jaffle maker did all the work for her, pleased by her minimal involvement in creating a complex breakfast for the first time in her time at Oasis Springs. Eventually, the jaffles were cooked to satisfaction and Ashley placed them on a dinner plate, taking them to the bench and seating herself on the barstool to eat. As she ate, she began thinking about Lea once more and her generosity for buying this food for her, but also wishing Lea could've given her a heads up.

By the time she was finished with the jaffles, she got up and placed the plate in the sink before returning to the bathroom, intending to cleanse herself of the excess crumbs and the building layer of grime on her skin. She stepped into the shower and turned both faucets, sighing blissfully as a comfortable blend of both hot and cold water began raining upon her skin. She would have likely collapsed from the blissful fatigue this sensation provided, but she nevertheless set about purifying her pale skin of any imperfections.

Once finished, she stepped out and dried herself, before quickly ducking out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to get changed. She threw on a sleeved shirt and a silky pair of shorts, exposing her legs. She stepped out and returned to the living room, approaching the wall mounted shelf and pulling a random book from her collection to read. She pulled it open to find one of her favourite stories, having read every book that sat on the shelf in the past, and seated herself on the couch to continue.

As she was reading, she was suddenly distracted by a knock at the door. Although she couldn't predict who here visitor was, she was hoping it would be Lea so she could negotiate about the suddenly abundance of supplies in the kitchen. She pulled open the door and was delighted to find her suspicions confirmed, as Lea stood before here in exactly the same outfit. Ashley began to wonder is she washes the same outfit every time or if she has other outfits identical to this one.

"Hey, girl" Lea greeted with a wave, "I have great news for you". Ashley hadn't wanted to be rude, but she felt the need to interrupt her and state "I noticed a whole ton of food appeared out of nowhere in my fridge". Lea was taken aback and rubbed her arms sheepishly, "Yeah… I did that. I saw you were running low so I got some stuff for you". Ashley couldn't help but smile at Lea's innocence in this moment and asked "Would you like to come in?"

Lea followed Ashley inside and both stood in the living room, Lea asking "So what do you have planned for today?" Ashley shrugged and responded "Not very much. Today's my day off. Why do you ask?" Lea began "Well, I thought about how you've been feeling…" before pausing for a moment, "So I'd throw a party for the neighbours here". Within an instant, Ashley's lazy grin dropped into a disturbed frown.

"What?!" she shrieked in terror, sending Lea stepping back in fright. "Why did you do that?!" Ashley asked, "You should've told me! I could've prepared!" Lea remained calm and held her hand out to steady Ashley's panic, "It's okay Ashley. You don't have to do anything. Just let me handle the guest and you can just hang out in the meantime". Lea's calm voice lead Ashley to believe that she had planned ahead, and Ashley decided just to follow Lea's lead and hope she can keep everything under control.

Ashley moved to the kitchen and spotted her phone on the bench, sitting beside her purse. The moment Lea noticed this, her eyes widened and she watched helplessly as Ashley pulled per purse open and began counting her money. "Lea…" Ashley huffed breathlessly, "You used my money to buy the food". "Yeah I know… I'm still short on money but… I wanted to save you the trouble of buying-". Ashley dropped her purse back onto the table and snapped "Lea! What gives you the right to spend my-".

Before she could even finish her lecture, several sharp knocks echoed through the living room, both girls turning to face the front door. Ashley immediately began shrinking into herself while Lea hurried over to answer the door, finding her first guest having arrived. An Asian woman in her young adulthood, dressed in a green woollen sweater and black dress pants with woven black high heels.

Ashley got up and joined Lea in welcoming their guest, turning to look through the gap in the door and finding a pleasant surprise. The girl in particular was one that she had met before at the museum; a relatively shy girl, but pleasant all the same. "I uhh… heard something about a party" she explained nervously, Lea simply giggling and answering "This is the place! Feel free to make yourself at home while the other's come". "Thank you for coming" Ashley added as the girl walked passed her, though the girl didn't seem to acknowledge it at the time.

The girl sat down on the couch as Lea asked "Anything I can get you while you wait?" "Oh, no. I just ate before coming here" the girl replied, Lea nodding in understanding as she turned and approached Ashley. "Everything will be fine, girl" she reassured in an attempt to comfort the clearly nervous Ashley. Ashley, for her part, nodded and stayed quiet, before both turned to face the sudden sound of another knock on the door.

Lea rushed over and pulled the door open, Ashley was once again met with an unknown face. Before her stood an athletically toned man, almost levelling alongside Jameson Huntington. His brown hair was tied into a bun on the back of his head. He was dressed in a black tank top, further displaying his physique, and a pair of blue denim shorts with white running shoes. As the door opened, the man straitened his posture after huffing breathlessly, his exhausted expression shifting into a polite smile.

"Hey there, Parker!" Lea greeted as he cleared the way for her guest, "Just a few more people to go". Ashley was not surprised that Lea seemed to know him, considering he was likely one of the people that Lea gets her news from about her. "Thanks. The sun was killing me" Parker explained before exhaling heavily one final time. Lea chuckled and said "Yeah, it has been a lot hotter than usual, hasn't it?"

As parker entered through the door and turned towards the living room, Lea took followed him before entering the kitchen and looking down towards the storage cabinets. She opened the one nearest to the refrigerator and displayed its contents to an onlooking Ashley, who was struck by the sight.

Lea pulled out a packet of chips from among the assortment of party snacks, ranging from lolly bags to soft drinks. All of Ashley's contained frustration had begun to return with a vengeance, leaving her fit to strangle Lea then and there. Lea turned back and noticed Ashley's scowl, but simply smiled with reassurance as she peeled the packet open. "Please help yourselves" Lea offered as she poured the chips into a bowl and set them on the kitchen bench, both seated guests quickly taking handfuls for themselves.

As Michelle and Parker ate, they began looking around the living room at most of the furniture, surprised by their cheap quality. "You outta buy some new stuff for yourself, Ashley" Parker advised, "Your art job should get you the moolah in no time". Ashley squirmed uncomfortably at the slang term before answering "Well, uh… it's a work of progress". Michelle continued to look around before her eyes locked onto a specific decoration, in the form of an acoustic guitar in the left corner.

"A guitar?! I didn't know you played music" Michelle squealed with excitement as she stood up and rushed over to the instrument. Ashley looked on and explained "Please be careful with that… it's a family heirloom" as Michelle reached down to grab it. Acknowledging the warning, Michelle carefully took the base under her arm and pulled the pick from the pouch, strumming it down the strings to test the sound. Soon, she began playing a tune that Ashley instantly recognised, having heard it from the television's music channel.

I close my eyes…

Only for a moment and the moment's gone.

All my dreams…

Pass before my eyes, a curiosity.

Dust in the wind…

All we are is dust in the wind.

Ashley and Lea didn't dare interrupt her, both adoring her singing voice as she expertly replicated the song. AS he listened, Parker's attention switched to the sight of a canvas set on an easel, "What are you going to do for your next piece, Ash?" Ashley smiled modestly as she replied "Oh, erm… I dunno". Ashley took the snack bowl and brought into the living room, sitting beside Parker and offering a share. The pair continued to chat as Michelle strummed on the guitar and sang the final verse of the song.

However, just as she reached the finale, Michelle stopped in her tracks as the sound of her ringtone blared from her pocket. She carefully set the guitar back on its rack and took her phone out to answer it. A series of yeses and okays were said before she finally hung up and apologized, "My boyfriend needs help with something. I have to go". "That's fine" Lea reassured as the girl nodded and ran out the door, her footsteps echoing from the sidewalk as she rushed home.

With one less guest to make the day a little more interesting, Ashley decided to learn a bit about the one guest they had left. "So what do you do, Parker?" Ashley asked in a poor attempt to lead into a conversation. Nevertheless, it seemed to work as Parker turned to face her and replied "I am a member of the local rugby team". "Oh cool… I haven't heard about any football teams in Oasis Springs" Ashley admitted, leading Parker to add "Well, I don't exactly play a vital role…".

As they spoke, Ashley began to lose focus on the conversation and her attention focused on Parker himself. She found herself lost in his emerald eyes as he stared into her own, his pearly white teeth gleaming through his open mouth as he spoke. She smiled as her eyes drooped lazily, feeling herself enter a hypnotic state as he spoke. However, his expression shifted and brought her back to reality, Parker asking "You alright, googly eye?"

Ashley gasped "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just… um…" before her gaze descended towards Parker's biceps. Parker turned to see where she was staring and grinned mischievously, his arm flexing as his muscle inflated before her very eyes. Ashley was stunned, her mouth curling into her smile as she muttered "You… you really… really look like… you play footie". Parker chuckled as he responded "That's nothing… you should see what I can do with my-". It didn't matter what he said next to Ashley; she could clearly tell he was flirting with her by this point. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Lea watching them, before she looked directly at her and winked.

Several minutes passed as they chatted, exchanging personal stories and get to understand eachother's personalities. Ashley began to notice a pattern of sports subjects followed by an interest in music from Parker, as well as an incredibly smarmy and playful attitude. Parker understood perfectly that Ashley had little interest in sports and tried to keep any references to a minimum unless Ashley asked about it.

Eventually, it came to the point where Ashley and Parker both began to wonder about the coming guests. Ashley sat up and looked over to the clock, finding that an hour passed since Michelle came. Disappointed and dismayed, Ashley stated "Parker… I don't think anyone else is coming". Parker checked his wristwatch and sighed, "Sorry the party didn't work out, Ash" before he got up and stretched his muscles. "I reckon I should head off now" he admitted, "Just give me a call if you wanna meet again". With a final friendly salute, he headed for the front door and returned to the sidewalk, disappearing from Ashley's view.

Lea took a glass from the cabinet and opened a bottle of cola, pouring it in and laying it on the table. "I'm so sorry, Ashley. I was so sure more people were gonna come" Lea admitted, but became curious when she didn't receive a response. She looked over to Ashley and found her curled up in the foetal position, her eyes barely restraining a wave of tears. Shocked, Lea ran over to her side and yelled "Ashley?! What's wrong?!"

Ashley huffed distraughtly as a sad smile grew across her face, "Lea… you did all of this… for me". Lea nodded as she explained "Well, you seemed so lonely for a while, so I thought I would do this for you". Ashley finally lost her struggle as a pair of descending tears ran down her cheeks, "You went through all that work for meI didn't do shit". Lea couldn't help but sit beside her with an arm wrapped around her, Ashley lowered her head as she concluded "You're living my life more than I am, Lea… I feel so useless".

Lea could understand her struggle and began to feel the weight of responsibility for it, watching as Ashley's sense of independence that she was striving for had begun to crumble. Ashley leaned forward with her head hidden beneath her hair, resembling an evil ghost girl from some Japanese horror movie. Lea was at a dilemma between simply leaving or staying to co fort the poor girl in her vulnerable moment, either of which could have catastrophic results. After a long silence, Lea had made up her mind.

"Ashley, could you turn around?" she asked intently. Ashley couldn't fathom what she was planning, but was certain that she was at least trying to help and obliged. She turned to face away from Lea and left her back exposed, but was caught off guard when she felt her t-shirt being lifted from the waist. "What the hell are you doing?" Ashley asked as her arms slipped through the slots and the shirt was discarded into the floor, her upper body contained only beneath her bra. "Relieving your tension" Lea answered as she pressed her thumbs into Ashley's shoulder blades.

Almost instantly, Ashley was drowning in waves of pleasure as Lea began massaging her with her heavenly grasp. Her thumbs shifted lightly across the skin and forcibly pressed into Ashley's aching muscles. Lea felt Ashley leaning backwards and smiled, knowing her therapy was working. Ashley whined quietly when she felt Lea's hands retract from her skin, wishing the massage would've continued for longer.

Lea then stood up and looked down at the much more pleased Ashley, stating "I know… I've been making you angry all day… but trust me… I want to make your life as wonderful as possible". Before she could question what she said, Lea had wandered to the door and pulled it open, before turning back to face her confused and anguished friend. "I'll see you soon, Ashley" she finished with a smile as she disappeared around the corner and shut the door behind her, leaving Ashley once again alone in the room.

Ashley's mind was racing with a million thought, each replaced as quickly as they emerge. Why does Lea seem so obsessed with her being happy? Why would she set up a party for her? Why would she buy the stuff with her money?! Why did nobody turn up? What about Parker? Did she like parker? Was she attracted to him? Or maybe Lea? Was Lea in love with her?

These thought were cut short by the sudden loud crash she heard from the living room window. She jumped out of her seat and ran over to see what caused it, only to be met with a sight that completely ruined whatever good morals she had retained. None other than the redheaded bully had returned and collapsed her front yard's bin, evident by the visible boot print on the metal surface. Unlike what Ashley expected, the girl stormed to the door and pulled it open, bringing Ashley to the front door to intercept her.

"I already warned you! Get out or I'm calling the police!" Ashley threatened, her anger welling to give her an intimidating atmosphere. The girl was less than convinced when she sneered "You shoo a guest out of your house… and then you don't even invite her to your party? How much of a bitch can you be?!" Both girls visibly tensed as they became ready to be the first; the first to start the chaos and bring the other to their knees.

"Knowing you, you would've probably would've been the reason everyone left. I don't ave to take shit from you" Ashley lectured. Suddenly, the redhead lunged forward and pushed Ashley back with the balls of her hands, sending her slightly stumbling back into the kitchen. "Who the fuck are you, bitch! You're getting all this attention from these retarded people! Do they even know a bitch when they see them?!" The redheaded girl snarled ravenously, but was dumbfounded when Ashley chuckled and answered "Dunno. Maybe I should introduce you".

With exactly the reaction she was expecting, the girl screeched with frustration as she lunged a second time at Ashley, only to be sent tumbling back with a well-placed kick in her stomach. "BITCH! CUNT! HAG! SLUT! WHORE!" a slew of irrational and psychotic criticisms spilled forth from the girl's mouth as she mindlessly began charging for Ashley. Ashley quickly gained a good grip on both of the girl's wrist and held her at bay, rendering the girl's noticeably lengthy fingernails useless.

The two girl's struggled before the redhead rammed Ashley into the kitchen bench, causing it to shake and toppling the resting glasses onto the floor. In retaliation, Ashley clenched her free fist and placed a sharp hook into the girl's throat, distracting her with her sudden uneven breathing. Finally, Ashley kicked her a second time and sent the redhead staggering back towards the front door. The moment the redhead began charging towards her again, Ashley could see a feral, almost insane expression on her face as she scream "I'll fuck you up, skank! I'll fucking brea-".

Suddenly, within less that a second, the girl had disappeared from Ashley's field of view, a loud and sickening smack catching her attention. Ashley stepped back as she saw the girl sprawled along the ground, laying still without any sign of movement, though still clearly breathing. Ashley looked past her and spotted a small puddle of soda sitting beside a broken glass. Ashley then suddenly remember, Lea never drank her soda before she left, and she just left it on the table.

Her deduction was interrupted when the girl began to struggle into a sitting position, Ashley looking down to find a red substance smudged into the carpet. Lookup up, Ashley could see a stream of blood flowing from the girl's mouth and her lips parted from her teeth, several gaps having appeared since the fight. Tears emerged in the girl's eyes as blood continued to flow from her mouth, the girl herself staring down the teeth scattered in the bloodstain beneath her.

Beyond her reluctance to do so, Ashley found herself storming into the kitchen and retrieving her box of tissues, before returning to stand above her rival. Tossing the cardboard box into the girl's lap, Ashley folded her arms as the girl quickly began pulling out tissues, scrunching them up and shoving them into the gaps between her teeth. The girl looked so broken at this moment, a stark contrast from her attitude before her collapse. Ashley couldn't help but sympathise with this girl for a brief moment, suspecting that she was not mentally well in order to do all the things she did.

"Why…" the girl whimpered as she looked up into Ashley's sympathetic eyes, "Why are you so mean to me?" Her suspicion confirmed from this one question, Ashley answered "Look… what's your name?" The girl was visibly shaking as she held her arm with her free hand, "T… Tamika". Ashley groaned as her squeezed her temple with her hand, "Tamika… Get out of my house and find some help… before you get herself hurt even more". "I hate you… you are so awful to me…" Tamika growled through her broken teeth, "Why does everyone like you?!"

"Because I don't do bitchy things like break into homes, get into fight and call people sluts!" Ashley snapped, her outrage making itself loud and clear. Tamika didn't seem to notice her criticisms, or simply ignored them, and turned her head away from Ashley. "One last chance, Tamika. Get out you I'll call the police and have you arrested" Ashley warned, though in a much more passive tome.

Almost obediently, Tamika stood up and staggered her way to the front door, but was suddenly halted when Ashley grabbed her shoulder. "Tamika… have you ever done anything nice for someone? Or do you just do this to everybody". "Go fuck yourself" Tamika growled, her hand covering her moth and muffling her words, before she finally stormed through the front door and headed back out onto the street. The moment she was outside, Ashley slammed the door and trudged away into the kitchen, reaching for the detergent and paper towels to clean up the mess they had made.

Meanwhile, Tamika's rage had begun to subside as she approached the sidewalk, allowing her rational thoughts to emerge. She noticed the knocked over trash bin and stopped to stare at it, curiosity glowing in her eyes. She turned back to see nobody watching as she reached down to lift the bin up, placing it where it was before she had knocked it over before. She stood back and reflected on this, feeling a strange and foreign sensation in her chest as she did. She closed her eyes and allowed this feeling of satisfaction to sustain.

She looked back towards the house and thought about Ashley, how she had giving her those tissues to clean herself up. Even after their struggle and declaring their bitter hatred for eachother, this girl still helped her when she needed it. She genuinely could remember the last time she had done anything like that for someone, and yet she still expected everyone to respect her and enjoy her company. She hung her head as she continued to the sidewalk, finally making her way away from this home and refusing to return.

It was night time by the time Ashley had cleaned the kitchen and she hadn't even bothered to check the time, her constant yawning and aching muscles telling the time for her. Even in spite of how much she began to feel sorry for that girl and her permanent injury, she still refused to consider her anything beyond a vandal and a psychopath. She soon entered the bedroom and slid under the covers, already predicting an oncoming struggle for sleep.