They sat in silence, and waited for Marco. When the doorbell rang, Ellie got up to get it.
"Ellie, you've been crying," Marco said, really concerned. "What's wrong?"
"It's…Ash," Ellie said, not being able to bring herself to just say it.
Ashley couldn't say it either.
"Come on girls, what's wrong? Whatever it is, it can't be that bad!"
Neither of them could say it, so Ashley pulled off the gauze, and held her arms for Marco to see. He took in a sharp breath.
"Ok, so it can be that bad…" he trailed off. "Did you clean the cuts out?"
"Yeah, I did that already," Ellie said.
"They're still bleeding. How long have they been bleeding?"
"A while now," Ellie responded.
Ashley hated how they were talking. "They aren't bleeding that much anymore. Honest, they're okay."
"You're not dizzy? You don't feel faint?" Marco asked. "Are you absolutely sure? You have to be absolutely completely sure."
"I'm sure."
He hugged her. "Sorry. That was sort of harsh. Its just…It was like seeing my brother again. He…he bled to death from cutting himself. He died before I could get to him, but… I couldn't have you bleeding to death, right in front of me. I'm going to get you a glass of juice. The cuts look deep, you probably bled a lot, huh?"
Ashley nodded.
"Then you need some fluids. Ellie, you have any juice?"
"I'll get her some," Ellie said, jumping up. She was grateful to be doing something helpful, even if it was just getting juice.
"So, physically, you're okay. How are you doing, mentally?" Marco asked.
"I want…no wait…I need to cut. You holding me is the only thing stopping me from going into the kitchen and picking up a knife."
"Then I'll keep holding you. Let me see the cuts again."
Ellie walked in, just as Ash was uncovering her cuts. Ellie took in a deep, shuddering breath, and turned away. Ashley was going to cover them again.
"Wait," Marco said.
"But…I'm so ashamed," Ashley said, hanging her head.
"You are now, but you weren't when you did it," Marco remarked. "Why Ash? Why did you do it?"
"I…I…" Ashley started crying again.
"It's okay," Marco said. "Here, take a drink."
Ashley took a long drink of the apple juice Ellie had brought her.
"Better?" Marco asked.
"A little."
"Ellie, why don't you tell me how Ash ended up here."
"I saw some cuts on her arm during gym. She faked sick and came home, to avoid me. After school, I came over, and found her in her room, cutting her arms," she paused, and took a deep breath, then continued. "I brought her over here, away from her mom. I didn't know what else to do."
"Its okay," Marco said. "We'll figure something out."
They paused. No one really knew what to say. Well, Marco did, but he was hesitating. Finally, he just came out and said it.
"I have to tell your parents," Marco said, with regret in his voice.
"No! NO, YOU CAN'T!" Ashley shrieked. She got up, and tried to run, but Marco grabbed her. Ellie ran to the front door. Ashley broke away from Marco, determined to leave, but she couldn't get past Ellie. Ellie grabbed her, hugging her hard.
"Please," Ashley said weakly, "Let me go." But she knew it was over. She let Ellie and Marco lead her back to the couch. Marco offered her the juice, and she took it, but didn't drink.
"Come on, you have to drink it," Marco insisted, softly. So she did, without even thinking.
"Ash, I have to tell your parents. But it'll be okay. It'll get better."
"I…I…I just want to die right now," Ashley cried.
"Now you do. But you'll get better, and then you won't anymore. But I really do have to tell your parents."
"Tomorrow morning?" Ashley asked, hopefully. She could sneak away tonight, kill herself. No one would stop her.
"Come on Ash. We both know what'll happen if we don't watch you. You need help, and you need someone to protect you. You have to be protected from yourself right now. The best help I can give you is to tell your parents. I'll recommend they take you to the ER, where you'll get admitted to the psych ward. Its what my parents threatened to do to my brother. But they never followed through. This time, the same mistake won't be made. You'll get better. But I'm going to call your mom now," Marco said, reaching for the phone.
"No, please," Ashley pleaded.
"Marco, maybe you don't have to…" Ellie trailed off.
"Ellie, you know I do. She's in danger."
"I don't want her to pick me up. Can't we walk over there?" Ashley asked, begging.
"Ok, but you can't run. I'll just catch you anyways," Marco told her.
"I won't run."
And, with Ellie holding Ashley to comfort her, they left for Ashley's house.
When they got there, Marco rang the doorbell. Ashley's mom answered.
"Ellie, Ash, Marco? What's wrong?" Ash's mom asked.
"Could we sit down?" Marco asked, leading Ash to the couch.
~Fine~
"Ellie, you've been crying," Marco said, really concerned. "What's wrong?"
"It's…Ash," Ellie said, not being able to bring herself to just say it.
Ashley couldn't say it either.
"Come on girls, what's wrong? Whatever it is, it can't be that bad!"
Neither of them could say it, so Ashley pulled off the gauze, and held her arms for Marco to see. He took in a sharp breath.
"Ok, so it can be that bad…" he trailed off. "Did you clean the cuts out?"
"Yeah, I did that already," Ellie said.
"They're still bleeding. How long have they been bleeding?"
"A while now," Ellie responded.
Ashley hated how they were talking. "They aren't bleeding that much anymore. Honest, they're okay."
"You're not dizzy? You don't feel faint?" Marco asked. "Are you absolutely sure? You have to be absolutely completely sure."
"I'm sure."
He hugged her. "Sorry. That was sort of harsh. Its just…It was like seeing my brother again. He…he bled to death from cutting himself. He died before I could get to him, but… I couldn't have you bleeding to death, right in front of me. I'm going to get you a glass of juice. The cuts look deep, you probably bled a lot, huh?"
Ashley nodded.
"Then you need some fluids. Ellie, you have any juice?"
"I'll get her some," Ellie said, jumping up. She was grateful to be doing something helpful, even if it was just getting juice.
"So, physically, you're okay. How are you doing, mentally?" Marco asked.
"I want…no wait…I need to cut. You holding me is the only thing stopping me from going into the kitchen and picking up a knife."
"Then I'll keep holding you. Let me see the cuts again."
Ellie walked in, just as Ash was uncovering her cuts. Ellie took in a deep, shuddering breath, and turned away. Ashley was going to cover them again.
"Wait," Marco said.
"But…I'm so ashamed," Ashley said, hanging her head.
"You are now, but you weren't when you did it," Marco remarked. "Why Ash? Why did you do it?"
"I…I…" Ashley started crying again.
"It's okay," Marco said. "Here, take a drink."
Ashley took a long drink of the apple juice Ellie had brought her.
"Better?" Marco asked.
"A little."
"Ellie, why don't you tell me how Ash ended up here."
"I saw some cuts on her arm during gym. She faked sick and came home, to avoid me. After school, I came over, and found her in her room, cutting her arms," she paused, and took a deep breath, then continued. "I brought her over here, away from her mom. I didn't know what else to do."
"Its okay," Marco said. "We'll figure something out."
They paused. No one really knew what to say. Well, Marco did, but he was hesitating. Finally, he just came out and said it.
"I have to tell your parents," Marco said, with regret in his voice.
"No! NO, YOU CAN'T!" Ashley shrieked. She got up, and tried to run, but Marco grabbed her. Ellie ran to the front door. Ashley broke away from Marco, determined to leave, but she couldn't get past Ellie. Ellie grabbed her, hugging her hard.
"Please," Ashley said weakly, "Let me go." But she knew it was over. She let Ellie and Marco lead her back to the couch. Marco offered her the juice, and she took it, but didn't drink.
"Come on, you have to drink it," Marco insisted, softly. So she did, without even thinking.
"Ash, I have to tell your parents. But it'll be okay. It'll get better."
"I…I…I just want to die right now," Ashley cried.
"Now you do. But you'll get better, and then you won't anymore. But I really do have to tell your parents."
"Tomorrow morning?" Ashley asked, hopefully. She could sneak away tonight, kill herself. No one would stop her.
"Come on Ash. We both know what'll happen if we don't watch you. You need help, and you need someone to protect you. You have to be protected from yourself right now. The best help I can give you is to tell your parents. I'll recommend they take you to the ER, where you'll get admitted to the psych ward. Its what my parents threatened to do to my brother. But they never followed through. This time, the same mistake won't be made. You'll get better. But I'm going to call your mom now," Marco said, reaching for the phone.
"No, please," Ashley pleaded.
"Marco, maybe you don't have to…" Ellie trailed off.
"Ellie, you know I do. She's in danger."
"I don't want her to pick me up. Can't we walk over there?" Ashley asked, begging.
"Ok, but you can't run. I'll just catch you anyways," Marco told her.
"I won't run."
And, with Ellie holding Ashley to comfort her, they left for Ashley's house.
When they got there, Marco rang the doorbell. Ashley's mom answered.
"Ellie, Ash, Marco? What's wrong?" Ash's mom asked.
"Could we sit down?" Marco asked, leading Ash to the couch.
~Fine~
