Ashley walked around the loft and up a metal, spiral staircase. It was a
little rusty and it creaked. Once she climbed the stairs, she found herself
standing in Mark's bedroom. She had been wrong, the leather couch was not
the best piece of furniture in the house, the bed was.
It was queen-sized and the bedstead was a cherry wood color with metal legs. The headboard, also cherry wood, curved back. A down comforter covered the bed, but Ashley could see the black sheets peeking from under it.
She studied the rest of the room. The nightstand, to the right of the bed was also a mixture of cherry wood and metal. A huge metal digital clock stood on the it. She saw a dresser on the far side of her room with clothes thrown on it. A wafer thin laptop was on the dresser as well. The floors were cool slate tile, like downstairs.
As Ashley walked towards the bed, she stumbled over something. She looked down and saw a guitar. It reminded her of Craig. None of this would've happened if it weren't for him. Tears slipped down her cheeks again. I never would've thought about Trevor or even bothered to go to his party or get drunk. I wouldn't have made a move on Jake. Why does my life cause me so much pain? She fell onto the bed, curled up into a little ball, and cried.
"Ash, hey Ash, Ash you have to wake up." A soothing voice was calling her name.
Ashley was groggy. Whose bed is this, she thought. She didn't turn over.
"I don't want to leave, I want to sleep." She was still trying to remember whose bed it was as she spoke.
"Ash, it's 12:30, what about your parents? Won't they be worried?" The voice was farther away as she drifted back into sleep. She felt a hand gently stroke her back.
"I'm tired. Let's talk later." Ashley moved her arm around, groping for a sheet. She found the down comforter and pulled it over her. She was so snug with comforter wrapped around her like a cocoon. It was so nice, so comfortable, "So warm." She muttered.
The last sound she heard was someone climbing in bed next to her as her mind flowed back into a concentrated sleep.
Ashley opened her eyes. She was warm under in the comforter. I never realized how warm my sheets were, she thought. That was the best slumber I'd ever had. I wonder what time it is. She looked at her watch. 7:30! But it's Tuesday! What am I still doing in bed? Why are my clothes on? She quickly sat up, and threw the covers off. She heard someone roll over to her next to her.
Oh my god! Where am I? It took her a few moments to recollect yesterday's events. I never went home. My mom is going to kill me, and I'm going to be late for school. How did I spend the whole night here? She thought about that chat she had with a voice last night. That wasn't a dream, that was Mark. Ashley started to panic.
She looked over and saw Mark sleeping next to her, t-shirt and boxer clad. She shook him a little bit, to wake him up. He opened his eyes.
"Hey, Ash, you finally woke up." He grinned.
"Why didn't you kick me out? My parents are going to be so mad at me; I'll be grounded for months." Ashley was angry with him, but she couldn't believe that she had just slept in his bed, with him right next to her.
"You need to tell me where you live Ash, so we don't have to go through this a third time." He sat up, still grinning.
"I don't know what I was thinking last night, I was so distraught. I doubt I was thinking at all." She got off the bed.
"Those guys were saying all that crap about you. You looked extremely depressed. I went to make you some coffee, but when I tried to give it to you, you'd disappeared. I thought you like, left or something. So, I went out and hung at Trev's. I came back here, a little buzzed and got really tired. So, I go upstairs and I see you sleeping on my bed. Well, you know the rest." He stood up a tousled his hair.
"Oh, um, I have to go. I have school, and stuff." She picked up her purse and started to go back down the stairs.
"Hey Ash! Wait, take this." She stopped moving and turned around. He threw a hoodie at her.
"I thought, you might get cold or something, it is winter you know. You can come back over and give it back sometime. Or you can, like, keep it. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone what happened." He picked up his guitar up, off the floor.
"Thanks, Mark, but it might be a while till you see this again, cuz' I'll probably be grounded until I'm 30." She laughed a little, went down spiral stairs, and out the door.
She put the hoodie on outside, and she walked toward the bus stop, ready to go to school, and face the world.
It was queen-sized and the bedstead was a cherry wood color with metal legs. The headboard, also cherry wood, curved back. A down comforter covered the bed, but Ashley could see the black sheets peeking from under it.
She studied the rest of the room. The nightstand, to the right of the bed was also a mixture of cherry wood and metal. A huge metal digital clock stood on the it. She saw a dresser on the far side of her room with clothes thrown on it. A wafer thin laptop was on the dresser as well. The floors were cool slate tile, like downstairs.
As Ashley walked towards the bed, she stumbled over something. She looked down and saw a guitar. It reminded her of Craig. None of this would've happened if it weren't for him. Tears slipped down her cheeks again. I never would've thought about Trevor or even bothered to go to his party or get drunk. I wouldn't have made a move on Jake. Why does my life cause me so much pain? She fell onto the bed, curled up into a little ball, and cried.
"Ash, hey Ash, Ash you have to wake up." A soothing voice was calling her name.
Ashley was groggy. Whose bed is this, she thought. She didn't turn over.
"I don't want to leave, I want to sleep." She was still trying to remember whose bed it was as she spoke.
"Ash, it's 12:30, what about your parents? Won't they be worried?" The voice was farther away as she drifted back into sleep. She felt a hand gently stroke her back.
"I'm tired. Let's talk later." Ashley moved her arm around, groping for a sheet. She found the down comforter and pulled it over her. She was so snug with comforter wrapped around her like a cocoon. It was so nice, so comfortable, "So warm." She muttered.
The last sound she heard was someone climbing in bed next to her as her mind flowed back into a concentrated sleep.
Ashley opened her eyes. She was warm under in the comforter. I never realized how warm my sheets were, she thought. That was the best slumber I'd ever had. I wonder what time it is. She looked at her watch. 7:30! But it's Tuesday! What am I still doing in bed? Why are my clothes on? She quickly sat up, and threw the covers off. She heard someone roll over to her next to her.
Oh my god! Where am I? It took her a few moments to recollect yesterday's events. I never went home. My mom is going to kill me, and I'm going to be late for school. How did I spend the whole night here? She thought about that chat she had with a voice last night. That wasn't a dream, that was Mark. Ashley started to panic.
She looked over and saw Mark sleeping next to her, t-shirt and boxer clad. She shook him a little bit, to wake him up. He opened his eyes.
"Hey, Ash, you finally woke up." He grinned.
"Why didn't you kick me out? My parents are going to be so mad at me; I'll be grounded for months." Ashley was angry with him, but she couldn't believe that she had just slept in his bed, with him right next to her.
"You need to tell me where you live Ash, so we don't have to go through this a third time." He sat up, still grinning.
"I don't know what I was thinking last night, I was so distraught. I doubt I was thinking at all." She got off the bed.
"Those guys were saying all that crap about you. You looked extremely depressed. I went to make you some coffee, but when I tried to give it to you, you'd disappeared. I thought you like, left or something. So, I went out and hung at Trev's. I came back here, a little buzzed and got really tired. So, I go upstairs and I see you sleeping on my bed. Well, you know the rest." He stood up a tousled his hair.
"Oh, um, I have to go. I have school, and stuff." She picked up her purse and started to go back down the stairs.
"Hey Ash! Wait, take this." She stopped moving and turned around. He threw a hoodie at her.
"I thought, you might get cold or something, it is winter you know. You can come back over and give it back sometime. Or you can, like, keep it. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone what happened." He picked up his guitar up, off the floor.
"Thanks, Mark, but it might be a while till you see this again, cuz' I'll probably be grounded until I'm 30." She laughed a little, went down spiral stairs, and out the door.
She put the hoodie on outside, and she walked toward the bus stop, ready to go to school, and face the world.