A/N: Hey guys thanks for being patient with me. I know it has been over a week, but with the holiday coming and going I just didn't have time to write. But here we are a nice chapter to move things along and a bit of a pick me up from the last chapter, which by the way had an awesome response. Thank you for all the reviews keep those coming, I love reading them and it is a great way to see what you all are thinking and interact with you.
AstridFearlessHofferson- Hiccup found a friend while he was away, he just can't seem to catch a break, neither could Maria. Perhaps this chapter will make you feel a bit better.
No Account- It took a while but you get to read another chapter, no worries with school dawg, that comes first and like I said before, the story is not going anywhere and you won't have to wait long for Ashley confronting Hayden.
CB73- Where do I even start with this review, you managed to capture what I have had going on in my mind as to how everything played out in the background, things that haven't been said directly but more implied and left for you the reader to come up with for yourself. Ashley is going to have a different way of confronting Hayden and getting through to him and the next couple chapters are going to be fun to write. Thank you for the lovely review I don't know what goes on in the amazing mind of yours but damn is it awesome, you just seem to get what I hope that other readers can take away or piece together. Thank you and enjoy the chapter.
fuuwindgoddess- I'm glad the chapter could produce such emotion from you, as bad as that sounds, I'm glad you are liking the story and hope that this chapter is a bit of a pick me up.
nandjferon- Thank you for the kind words, reviews like this make it easier to write, knowing that people like yourself truly enjoy what I am doing. Enjoy the chapter and the story.
Thank you all for the reviews, keep them coming as you can see I read them all.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Mexican ;p
To my Fiancee... I'll see you this weekend.
Disclaimer: I own... nothing :(
Thursday December 12th, 2019
Ashley had refused to speak to her parents all week long. She would barely acknowledge their presence if she entered a room that either one or both of them were in. The anger that she felt towards them for keeping Hayden's letters was unfathomable. The pain she felt from her parents keeping the letters from her hurt worse than the day Hayden left all those years ago.
Hayden was all but a ghost the entire week. She would catch glimpses of him walking the hallways or pulling into the parking lot but was never able to stop him long enough to talk things out. She was starting to get furious and felt her heart clench every time he walked away. She was running out of ideas to try and talk to him, he still wouldn't answer calls or texts and refused to make eye contact with her. Ashley was starting to retreat in on herself and felt like she was just going through the motions.
She sat down at the lunch table yet again and just stared at her food, picking at it lazily but refusing to eat it. Heather and Rebecca looked at each other worryingly before turning back to look at Ashley.
"Any luck Ashley?" Heather asked softly.
Ashley told both girls about the letters that her parents gave to her on Monday. She didn't tell them about the contents of the letters other than it explained a lot. She told them how great it was to read the letters that she had been waiting for and heartbreaking at the same time. Heather and Rebecca had done their best to try and help Ashley cheer up but this seemed to be a rut that they couldn't shake.
Ashley didn't bother vocalize her response to Heather, she just shook her head with barely any movement. Heather and Rebecca both deflated at the movement, they had been holding out that last night would be the night that Hayden responded. Both letting out sighs they slowly started to eat as they tried to think of ways for Ashley to reestablish contact between Hayden and Ashley.
Frustrated, Rebecca pounded the table causing the trays to rattle and their drinks to nearly fall over. The sudden movement caused both Heather and Ashley to yelp in surprise and look at Rebecca with confused and annoyed glances.
"This is stupid, what the hell is his problem that he won't talk to you anymore." Rebecca stated.
"Rebecca." Heather started.
"No, this is bullshit alright. Right now, that jerk is hurting Ashley and when you hurt my friends I get mad. If he doesn't feel the same fine whatever, but he should at least be man enough to tell Ashley." Rebecca continued to rant.
"Ashley already told us that she is certain that he feels the same. It has to be something else." Heather speculated.
"Well whatever it is he needs to get over it, in case you haven't noticed he looks like a husk of his former self and that was only a week ago." Rebecca fired back.
"You've seen him?" Ashley asked, her interest now piqued at the mention of Hayden.
"Yeah and he looks just like you, going through the motions, vacant eyes, and a lifeless voice. According to his friend Freddy anyway." Rebecca finished.
Ashley's eyes widened for a moment before the sad look that had adorned her face all week returned. She slumped back into her chair and continued to stare at her tray of food. Rebecca scoffed at Ashley's, a reaction that set Heather off.
"What the hell is your problem?" She spat out.
"My problem is Ashley being a forlorn shell of her former self. She seems to have completely given up on everything all over a bunch of letters that are years old by now." Rebecca shot back.
"Shut up." Ashley whispered out.
"Oh, now you finally have to voice to speak." Rebecca replied harshly.
"You have no idea what you are talking about, you have no idea what he went through while he was away, so shut the fuck up." Ashley fired back, her gaze still down at the table.
"I would have an idea if you would tell us, then maybe we could help you. You think it is easy for us to see you like this Ashley, it is killing us to see you this depressed, we want to help but you have to let us, if you won't let us help you then don't blame us for getting upset." Rebecca answered back a bit softer but still with an edge to her voice.
Ashley finally lifted her head up to look at her friends. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and Rebecca and Heather's concern for her continued to rise.
"I can't tell you." Ashley answered.
"Damnit Ashley, you have to give us something." Rebecca tried again.
Ashley quickly palmed her eyes to wipe the unshed tears. She might be a mess on the inside but she was not going to look like one on the outside, at least any more than she already did. Trying to think of something to say without revealing everything, Ashley began to rub her temples. She wanted to tell her friends everything, but these letters were private, between her and Hayden. No one else was supposed to see these but they might be their only hope to help Hayden. Thinking hard on what to say Ashley decided to keep it vague but give enough that her friends might be able to help.
"It might have something to do with what happened to his friend." Ashley said carefully.
"Okay that is a start, what happened to his friend?" Heather chimed in.
"She got hurt." Ashley responded.
"She?" Rebecca and Heather asked together.
Ashley nodded her head not trusting herself to speak, she didn't want to let it slip that Hayden's friend was a girl but that ship had sailed now. Looking bac and forth between Heather and Rebecca, Ashley was waiting for them to respond or ask another question.
"You are talking about Maria, aren't you?" Heather asked.
Ashley's breath hitched and her eyes went wide. She had forgotten that she already told them that Hayden had been freaking out the night of the kiss and had muttered the name Maria. With the proverbial cat, out of the bag Ashley nodded, knowing that it was pointless to keep playing the pronoun game.
"Yeah something bad happened to her. He didn't tell me in the letter, but yes something bad happened to her." Ashley answered.
The table fell silent as they all fell into reflective thought at the new information. Heather seemed to go into deep thought as she placed her finger on her chin. Rebecca got quiet and felt awful for snapping at Ashley and was now trying to think of ways to spark an idea in Ashley.
"What if… What if he's afraid." Rebecca suggested.
"Afraid of what?" Ashley asked.
Rebecca put her finger on her chin as she tried to finish her thought. While Rebecca seemed to hit a wall her initial thought broke the dam for Heather.
"He liked her, didn't he?" Heather asked.
Ashley didn't respond which spoke volumes for Heather.
"I think you were so shocked to see the letter's Ashley that you aren't able to see a clear answer right in front of you." Heather continued, her voice gaining a sage like tone to it.
"What are you talking about?" Ashley asked, slightly annoyed.
"Well if he liked Maria and something bad happened to her, and he is starting to like you… I think he is afraid of something happening to you as well." Heather answered softly.
Ashley's eyes shot open with realization, it was staring her right in the face the entire time and she was unable to see it. Of course, Hayden would be afraid of something happening to her. His comment about not being able to see someone defenseless again, from their previous wrestling practices now made more since then ever. Maria must not have known what Hayden had been teaching her and it explains his sudden need to teach her self-defense moves when he saw Steven bullying her.
Heather and Rebecca saw the realization wash over Ashley's face and felt a wave of relief course through them. The break through that they had been waiting for was finally here.
"But there is nothing to fear. Nothing is going to happen to me, Hayden has made sure of that with the moves he has been teaching me. And looking out for me himself." Ashley whispered out.
"Maybe he knows that, maybe his mind is blocking that line of thinking. Right now, though he doesn't see things that way. He might still see you as defenseless or vulnerable and he might be trying to spare himself from reliving the same pain he felt with whatever happened to Maria." Heather suggested.
Ashley deflated once again at hearing Heather's suggestion. If Hayden was looking at her as being defenseless, even after everything he taught her then she didn't know how to change his mind.
"I don't know how I'm going to change his mind." Ashley replied in a defeated tone.
"Sure, you do." Rebecca chimed in.
"I do?" Ashley asked skeptically.
"Of course you do, all you have to do is show Hayden that you aren't defenseless." Rebecca answered cheerfully.
"And how am I supposed to do that. I already kicked Steven's ass and have felt more like myself each and every day since Hayden and I became friends again." Ashley snapped back.
"Simple, he has been teaching you wrestling, so use that on him." Rebecca replied.
Ashley quirked an eyebrow at her not fully understanding.
"Go find him and challenge him to a wrestling match. Show him that you know how to defend yourself. Show him that his fears are unfounded and that history won't repeat itself for him." Rebecca explained to her.
Ashley held up a finger and opened her mouth to respond, slowly she lowered her finger and closed her mouth as the suggestion. Slowly the idea made more and more sense to her and for the first time all week a smile started to make its way across her face.
"Now all I have to do is find him." Ashley whispered out.
Heather and Rebecca felt smiles grow on their faces as well as they could see the life return to their friend. Ashley's eyes seemed just a bit brighter as the prospect of getting her friend back and perhaps being able to become something else dawned on her.
Rebecca nudged Heather and motioned for her to look to the doors that led into the lunch room. Either by fate or luck Hayden was standing at the doors and looking out into the lunch room. Heather turned back to tell Ashley but it seemed that Ashley had a plan of her own in place.
"When did we get so insightful?" Rebecca asked as she watched Ashley chase after Hayden.
"I don't know but at the rate we are going with this stuff I would say that Dr. Phil better watch out for us or we might just kick him off the air." Heather replied.
The two girls looked at each other and laughed as Ashley tore through the doors.
Ashley was marching up to Hayden who clearly saw her and made an attempt to walk the other way. Determined not to let him get away Ashley started to run after Hayden. It took her till the end of the hall in order to catch him but when she did, she all but shoved him into the side of the lockers. Out of breath and panting hard Ashley slowly stalked over to Hayden and blocked his only way out.
Ashley stared into Hayden's eyes, they were cold, lifeless, but held a certain fear to them. As though he was trying to hide it, Ashley's eyes hardened she was not going to let Hayden get away from her.
"Are you just going to run away from me?" She asked.
Hayden didn't answer her, he just stared at her with the same lifeless expression. Ashley's hardened gaze didn't falter as she pressed on.
"Is this what Maria would want?" She asked.
Hayden's eyes widened and the mention of her name before they hardened and glared back at Ashley.
"Don't pretend like you have any idea who she is." Hayden fired back.
"Then don't pretend like there isn't anything between us. Don't pretend like anything bad will happen to me." Ashley countered.
Hayden could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice that she knew that something happened to Maria but he couldn't for the life of him figure out how.
"How do you…" He tried to get out.
"Meet me in the wrestling room after school today and I will tell you, and show you." Ashley replied with a smirk.
"But I have a duel tonight." Hayden called out.
"Then I guess I will have to be quick. See you after school Hayden." Ashley called back, not glancing back as she walked calmly down the hallway smile plastered on her face.
A/N: For those of you who wanted things to head back to the wrestling room, next chapter you got it. Hayden and Ashley get to have a wrestling match, I can only imagine how that will go ;). Be prepared for some heavy feels and steamy sections next chapter. Until then, leave a review, have a look at my other stories. Peace.