"I looked for you everywhere, I called all your friends and Toby's friends.
The only person who could give me a lead was Ellie. She said you had told
her something about going to a boy's house. Don't even bother lying. Ellie
wasn't lying, she was concerned and wanted to help me find you! Look at
you, you're a mess, you don't look like you've been home and showered. How
could you lie to me? I thought we were on at least decent terms with each
other. Another thing, what are you doing home at 10:30 on a school morning.
If you wanted to make your little fib work, you should've at least stayed
at school the whole day."
Ashley's mother was yelling, no, screaming, she was on another level of anger. One Ashley had never seen before.
"Get out of my sight! Who knows what you were doing with this boy. People are going to think you're some kind of whore."
"They already do Mom. They already think I'm a slut, I don't care what people think. Your little girl isn't perfect anymore." Ashley let out a laugh that was almost borderline psychotic.
"It's ironic, Mom, Craig left me to be with a whore, and if he had just waited a little bit longer, he might've in fact been very pleased. Since everyone at school calls me a slut, I might as well become one." Ashley was screeching. Tears were streaming down her face.
"Shut up, just shut up! I don't want to hear the nasty things come out of your mouth. Leave! Just get out, here I'll help you." The tension of the fight had come to it's breaking point. Someone had to do something drastic and unfortunately, Ashley's mom had done it first.
Ashley's mother ran up to her room, and dragged a bag out of the closet. She started stuffing clothes into it.
"Mom, stop it, Mom, please don't I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Ashley was sobbing.
"You don't even know what you put me through last night, and then you want to act like it never happened? I don't think so, go stay with that boyfriend of yours, I'm sure he's willing to do anything for you, as long as you're giving it up for him."
Her mom ran into the bathroom, got Ashley's toothbrush, lotion, shampoo and conditioner, and her make-up and through that into the duffel bag as well. After stuffing a three pairs of shoes in the bag, she handed it to Ashley.
"Now." Her mother said calmly. "Please leave my house, and don't forget your cell phone."
Ashley, still sobbing, picked up the bag and walked down the stairs.
She walked out the front door and down the street. Where am I supposed to go? What am I going to do for money? I would go to Ellie's but it's only 11:00, she's probably still in school, so what am I going to do for 4 hours. She couldn't think of anything.
Going to Mark's wasn't really and option, she didn't want to impose on
him. She'd already spent the night there.
She decided to go back to school, there was nothing else to do.
She went back and didn't even bother to excuse her 2-hour absence. It was lunchtime, so headed for the cafeteria. She found Ellie and Trevor, caressing each other in a corner.
"Hey, Ash, you look like crap." Trevor remarked, but Ashley ignored him, and sat down at the table across from Ellie.
"El, my mom kicked me out of the house. I need a place to crash."
"Ash, you can crash for tonight, but my dad has a 2 week leave from Iraq. You're going to have to crash somewhere else until then." Ellie gave Ashley a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."
Ashley walked around the cafeteria trying to find anyone that was willing to give her a place to sleep. No one would have anything to do with her since the rumors had spread, and Paige wasn't making it any better. Paige had made sure that Ashley was going to become a social leper. Even the people she thought would at least give her one night's stay wouldn't even give her the time of the day.
Screw this, she thought. I have all of tomorrow to find a place to sleep.
Ashley's mother was yelling, no, screaming, she was on another level of anger. One Ashley had never seen before.
"Get out of my sight! Who knows what you were doing with this boy. People are going to think you're some kind of whore."
"They already do Mom. They already think I'm a slut, I don't care what people think. Your little girl isn't perfect anymore." Ashley let out a laugh that was almost borderline psychotic.
"It's ironic, Mom, Craig left me to be with a whore, and if he had just waited a little bit longer, he might've in fact been very pleased. Since everyone at school calls me a slut, I might as well become one." Ashley was screeching. Tears were streaming down her face.
"Shut up, just shut up! I don't want to hear the nasty things come out of your mouth. Leave! Just get out, here I'll help you." The tension of the fight had come to it's breaking point. Someone had to do something drastic and unfortunately, Ashley's mom had done it first.
Ashley's mother ran up to her room, and dragged a bag out of the closet. She started stuffing clothes into it.
"Mom, stop it, Mom, please don't I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Ashley was sobbing.
"You don't even know what you put me through last night, and then you want to act like it never happened? I don't think so, go stay with that boyfriend of yours, I'm sure he's willing to do anything for you, as long as you're giving it up for him."
Her mom ran into the bathroom, got Ashley's toothbrush, lotion, shampoo and conditioner, and her make-up and through that into the duffel bag as well. After stuffing a three pairs of shoes in the bag, she handed it to Ashley.
"Now." Her mother said calmly. "Please leave my house, and don't forget your cell phone."
Ashley, still sobbing, picked up the bag and walked down the stairs.
She walked out the front door and down the street. Where am I supposed to go? What am I going to do for money? I would go to Ellie's but it's only 11:00, she's probably still in school, so what am I going to do for 4 hours. She couldn't think of anything.
Going to Mark's wasn't really and option, she didn't want to impose on
him. She'd already spent the night there.
She decided to go back to school, there was nothing else to do.
She went back and didn't even bother to excuse her 2-hour absence. It was lunchtime, so headed for the cafeteria. She found Ellie and Trevor, caressing each other in a corner.
"Hey, Ash, you look like crap." Trevor remarked, but Ashley ignored him, and sat down at the table across from Ellie.
"El, my mom kicked me out of the house. I need a place to crash."
"Ash, you can crash for tonight, but my dad has a 2 week leave from Iraq. You're going to have to crash somewhere else until then." Ellie gave Ashley a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry."
Ashley walked around the cafeteria trying to find anyone that was willing to give her a place to sleep. No one would have anything to do with her since the rumors had spread, and Paige wasn't making it any better. Paige had made sure that Ashley was going to become a social leper. Even the people she thought would at least give her one night's stay wouldn't even give her the time of the day.
Screw this, she thought. I have all of tomorrow to find a place to sleep.