How to Deal
Chapter Six
"Ashley! Snap out of it!" Squid was snapping his fingers in front of Ashley's face. Ashley snapped out of it and shook her head. "You okay? You were just sort of hypnotized." Squid said. "Oh, yeah.I'm fine. I was just thinking..about.stuff." she said. Squid nodded, "Is it my business if I ask you what you were thinking about?" "Oh.sure! Yeah, I was just thinking about.Landon, and everything." She said. "Oh." Squid said. He looked at his watch. "It's about time for everyone to get up and start digging." He said. Ashley nodded, still thinking about Squid and Landon. Squid sounds exactly like Landon did when Ashley first met him, all nice and caring. Ashley didn't want to get close to Squid because he might do what Landon did. "Ashley? Are you okay?" he asked again. "You just glazed over again." "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all." She said. Squid wasn't buying it. Then the loud horn sounded and it made Ashley jump. Ashley and Squid walked to where a table was sitting with greasy tortillas. "This is our breakfast?" Ashley asked, making a skeptical look. Squid nodded and with his mouth full he said, "Is goss, izn it?" Ashley nodded. After they got their tortillas, Ashley walked over to a small shed that said "LIBRARY" in big letters on the top. Ashley shook her head and thought, [i]This is place is just full of surprises.[/i] After that, Ashley and the rest of D-Tent walked over to Mr. Pendanski where he fills everybody's canteen. Mr. Sir led all of the D-Tent campers to a certain spot. "Dig here. Now if you find anything interesting, you are to report it to me or Pendandski." He said. "What am I supposed to be looking for Mr. Sir?" Stanley asked. "You aren't looking for anything, you're building character. You take a bad boy, make him work all day out in the hot sun, and it turns him into a good boy. That's our philosophy here at Camp Green Lake. Now start digging." He said. Stanley put his shovel in the dirt and jumped on the shovel. He fell down and everyone laughed. Ashley hated it when people laughed at other people. "One down, ten million to go." Mr. Sir said as he started back to camp. Ashley already had three shovelfuls of dirt out of her hole. Ashley almost enjoyed digging. She knew that sooner or later she'd get sick of it, but for now, she liked digging because it was a way to release her anger or hate. And as she dug, she thought about lots of things from her past. Good things and bad things.
*Flashback*
Ashley and Landon were cuddled up on a blanket looking up at the stars. They had set up their blanket for a picnic earlier that day, but now that it was dark, they were gazing up at the stars. Ashley felt like everything was perfect. She had perfect teachers, perfect friends, perfect grades...well, almost, and a perfect boyfriend. So she thought.
*End of Flashback*
Ashley tried to make her mind think of something else, other than what Landon used to be like. She didn't want to think about that.
*Flashback*
Ashley was up in her room talking on the phone when she heard the door slam open downstairs. "Get down here!" the voice of her father yelled. Ashley hung up the phone and ran downstairs. "I heard that you got bad grades this past week Ashley!" he yelled in her face. Ashley whimpered. She knew what he was going to do to here. "Answer me!" he yelled again. "Uh.Hhh, yeah...I did sir." She said. "You know what happens to little girls when they get bad grades?" he asked in a little baby voice. "Y-Yes sir." She whimpered. She was NOT a little girl anymore. He was referring to her as a six year old and she resented that. She was thirteen. "Y-Y-Y-Yes S-S-S-S- sir." He mimicked. Ashley started to cry. She was home alone and her mother wasn't here to back her up. "Come here." He boomed at her grabbing her by the wrist and practically dragging her up the stairs into her parents' room. He opened the closet and grabbed his belt. "Gimme your hand!" he yelled. She squeezed her eyes shut and held out her left hand. He slammed the belt down on her hand, making her yelp in pain. He did it three more times and then he hit her right hand. By now, Ashley was crying so hard. She tried really hard not to make it obvious, or else he'd whip her again. Her father started hitting her arms with the belt until she was bruised up really bad. "If your mother comes home, tell her that I'm at the bar!" he yelled. He boomed down the stairs and slammed the door behind him. Ashley whimpered more and started crying. She cried all day until her mom got home. Here mom never knew about the really bad beatings, like the one that Ashley got today. Because her dad never did it when her mom was home, and Ashley would never tell her. Ashley started crying harder and harder, for everything. She didn't even get bad grades. That was just an excuse for her father to beat her.
*End of Flashback*
Ashley collapsed and fell to the ground, holding her arms in pain. She started crying and sobbing. Squid, Stanley, Zero, and Magnet all rushed over to Ashley. X-Ray made his way over, but slowly. Zig-Zag and Armpit stayed in their hole. They were almost the slowest diggers and they didn't want to stall for anything. Ashley kept sobbing. She curled up in a ball and whimpered. "Ashley! Are you okay?" Asked Squid, as him and Stanley started helping her up. Ashley shook her head. "What's wrong?" asked Magnet. "I-I-"she tried to speak but her emotions got the best of her. She started crying again. "Hey, you guys can go back and dig, I'll stay here." Said Squid. Ashley shook her head. "J-J-J-ust..you don't have to stay here with me." She said. "No, it's fine." Squid said. Ashley started to stop crying and she just tried to relax in Squid's arms. Ashley wiped the tears off her face and then remembered something that happened earlier that day...
*Flashback*
I don't love him anymore. He ruined my life and didn't lose a bit of sleep by it." Ashley said. "He doesn't deserve a girl like you anyway." Squid said.
*End of Flashback*
Ashley completely stopped crying now. Thinking of Squid's words made her feel really good. Ashley didn't really have any good memories that she could think of while she digs her hole, except the time when Squid and Ashley were talking. That's the only thing that Ashley can think about without bursting into tears..but bursting into laughter. Ashley smiled. "Okay, now you're really freaking me out. First you're crying like someone died and now you're smiling like someone kissed you." Squid said. Ashley looked up at him. "I was just thinking about something, well, really nice. It helps me to think about nice things after something like that happened." Ashley said. "But why did you collapse like that?" he asked. "I-I just thought about..um..bad memories." She said. Squid nodded. To tell you the truth, Ashley really wanted Squid to ask what it was that she was crying about. Ashley wanted to tell someone that would listen, and he seems to be the only person around here who knows her enough and cares for her enough, to listen. But Squid wouldn't ask why because he didn't want Ashley to go through something like that again. "If you..uh.want to know what I was thinking about, I'll tell you. I know it'll help to tell someone. I've never told anyone about it because I knew that they wouldn't understand or they wouldn't listen." Ashley said. "Well, I'm here and I'll listen. But if it bothers you, don't tell me." Squid said. Ashley nodded and told Squid the whole memory that she had that made her collapse just minutes ago. Squid looked down at the dirt and didn't say anything. He looked shocked...and, sad. Ashley smiled, "Say something!" She teased. Squid shook his head and didn't say anything. Ashley looked at him. "That's not funny, Ashley. Why are you smiling?" he asked. Ashley's smile disappeared from her face and she looked into Squid's eyes. "I know, I'm just trying to lighten up the situation." Ashley said. "How could your father do that?" he asked. Ashley shook her head. "How could he beat such a beautiful girl like you?" he asked. "It makes me sick." Ashley started to have a weird feeling again. Like she was finally loved. And [i]that[/i] was the difference between Squid and Landon. She had never felt loved by Landon, it was just more of an attraction. And Landon had never called Ashley beautiful. Ashley just starred into Squid's eyes and hugged him. "Finally! The water truck!" yelled Magnet. Ashley pulled away from Squid's arms and got up to go get her share of the water.
"Ashley! Snap out of it!" Squid was snapping his fingers in front of Ashley's face. Ashley snapped out of it and shook her head. "You okay? You were just sort of hypnotized." Squid said. "Oh, yeah.I'm fine. I was just thinking..about.stuff." she said. Squid nodded, "Is it my business if I ask you what you were thinking about?" "Oh.sure! Yeah, I was just thinking about.Landon, and everything." She said. "Oh." Squid said. He looked at his watch. "It's about time for everyone to get up and start digging." He said. Ashley nodded, still thinking about Squid and Landon. Squid sounds exactly like Landon did when Ashley first met him, all nice and caring. Ashley didn't want to get close to Squid because he might do what Landon did. "Ashley? Are you okay?" he asked again. "You just glazed over again." "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all." She said. Squid wasn't buying it. Then the loud horn sounded and it made Ashley jump. Ashley and Squid walked to where a table was sitting with greasy tortillas. "This is our breakfast?" Ashley asked, making a skeptical look. Squid nodded and with his mouth full he said, "Is goss, izn it?" Ashley nodded. After they got their tortillas, Ashley walked over to a small shed that said "LIBRARY" in big letters on the top. Ashley shook her head and thought, [i]This is place is just full of surprises.[/i] After that, Ashley and the rest of D-Tent walked over to Mr. Pendanski where he fills everybody's canteen. Mr. Sir led all of the D-Tent campers to a certain spot. "Dig here. Now if you find anything interesting, you are to report it to me or Pendandski." He said. "What am I supposed to be looking for Mr. Sir?" Stanley asked. "You aren't looking for anything, you're building character. You take a bad boy, make him work all day out in the hot sun, and it turns him into a good boy. That's our philosophy here at Camp Green Lake. Now start digging." He said. Stanley put his shovel in the dirt and jumped on the shovel. He fell down and everyone laughed. Ashley hated it when people laughed at other people. "One down, ten million to go." Mr. Sir said as he started back to camp. Ashley already had three shovelfuls of dirt out of her hole. Ashley almost enjoyed digging. She knew that sooner or later she'd get sick of it, but for now, she liked digging because it was a way to release her anger or hate. And as she dug, she thought about lots of things from her past. Good things and bad things.
*Flashback*
Ashley and Landon were cuddled up on a blanket looking up at the stars. They had set up their blanket for a picnic earlier that day, but now that it was dark, they were gazing up at the stars. Ashley felt like everything was perfect. She had perfect teachers, perfect friends, perfect grades...well, almost, and a perfect boyfriend. So she thought.
*End of Flashback*
Ashley tried to make her mind think of something else, other than what Landon used to be like. She didn't want to think about that.
*Flashback*
Ashley was up in her room talking on the phone when she heard the door slam open downstairs. "Get down here!" the voice of her father yelled. Ashley hung up the phone and ran downstairs. "I heard that you got bad grades this past week Ashley!" he yelled in her face. Ashley whimpered. She knew what he was going to do to here. "Answer me!" he yelled again. "Uh.Hhh, yeah...I did sir." She said. "You know what happens to little girls when they get bad grades?" he asked in a little baby voice. "Y-Yes sir." She whimpered. She was NOT a little girl anymore. He was referring to her as a six year old and she resented that. She was thirteen. "Y-Y-Y-Yes S-S-S-S- sir." He mimicked. Ashley started to cry. She was home alone and her mother wasn't here to back her up. "Come here." He boomed at her grabbing her by the wrist and practically dragging her up the stairs into her parents' room. He opened the closet and grabbed his belt. "Gimme your hand!" he yelled. She squeezed her eyes shut and held out her left hand. He slammed the belt down on her hand, making her yelp in pain. He did it three more times and then he hit her right hand. By now, Ashley was crying so hard. She tried really hard not to make it obvious, or else he'd whip her again. Her father started hitting her arms with the belt until she was bruised up really bad. "If your mother comes home, tell her that I'm at the bar!" he yelled. He boomed down the stairs and slammed the door behind him. Ashley whimpered more and started crying. She cried all day until her mom got home. Here mom never knew about the really bad beatings, like the one that Ashley got today. Because her dad never did it when her mom was home, and Ashley would never tell her. Ashley started crying harder and harder, for everything. She didn't even get bad grades. That was just an excuse for her father to beat her.
*End of Flashback*
Ashley collapsed and fell to the ground, holding her arms in pain. She started crying and sobbing. Squid, Stanley, Zero, and Magnet all rushed over to Ashley. X-Ray made his way over, but slowly. Zig-Zag and Armpit stayed in their hole. They were almost the slowest diggers and they didn't want to stall for anything. Ashley kept sobbing. She curled up in a ball and whimpered. "Ashley! Are you okay?" Asked Squid, as him and Stanley started helping her up. Ashley shook her head. "What's wrong?" asked Magnet. "I-I-"she tried to speak but her emotions got the best of her. She started crying again. "Hey, you guys can go back and dig, I'll stay here." Said Squid. Ashley shook her head. "J-J-J-ust..you don't have to stay here with me." She said. "No, it's fine." Squid said. Ashley started to stop crying and she just tried to relax in Squid's arms. Ashley wiped the tears off her face and then remembered something that happened earlier that day...
*Flashback*
I don't love him anymore. He ruined my life and didn't lose a bit of sleep by it." Ashley said. "He doesn't deserve a girl like you anyway." Squid said.
*End of Flashback*
Ashley completely stopped crying now. Thinking of Squid's words made her feel really good. Ashley didn't really have any good memories that she could think of while she digs her hole, except the time when Squid and Ashley were talking. That's the only thing that Ashley can think about without bursting into tears..but bursting into laughter. Ashley smiled. "Okay, now you're really freaking me out. First you're crying like someone died and now you're smiling like someone kissed you." Squid said. Ashley looked up at him. "I was just thinking about something, well, really nice. It helps me to think about nice things after something like that happened." Ashley said. "But why did you collapse like that?" he asked. "I-I just thought about..um..bad memories." She said. Squid nodded. To tell you the truth, Ashley really wanted Squid to ask what it was that she was crying about. Ashley wanted to tell someone that would listen, and he seems to be the only person around here who knows her enough and cares for her enough, to listen. But Squid wouldn't ask why because he didn't want Ashley to go through something like that again. "If you..uh.want to know what I was thinking about, I'll tell you. I know it'll help to tell someone. I've never told anyone about it because I knew that they wouldn't understand or they wouldn't listen." Ashley said. "Well, I'm here and I'll listen. But if it bothers you, don't tell me." Squid said. Ashley nodded and told Squid the whole memory that she had that made her collapse just minutes ago. Squid looked down at the dirt and didn't say anything. He looked shocked...and, sad. Ashley smiled, "Say something!" She teased. Squid shook his head and didn't say anything. Ashley looked at him. "That's not funny, Ashley. Why are you smiling?" he asked. Ashley's smile disappeared from her face and she looked into Squid's eyes. "I know, I'm just trying to lighten up the situation." Ashley said. "How could your father do that?" he asked. Ashley shook her head. "How could he beat such a beautiful girl like you?" he asked. "It makes me sick." Ashley started to have a weird feeling again. Like she was finally loved. And [i]that[/i] was the difference between Squid and Landon. She had never felt loved by Landon, it was just more of an attraction. And Landon had never called Ashley beautiful. Ashley just starred into Squid's eyes and hugged him. "Finally! The water truck!" yelled Magnet. Ashley pulled away from Squid's arms and got up to go get her share of the water.