December 3, 1995
The cold air blew through Ashley's room, chilling her to the bone. She had a small glass window by her bed, which would never quite close all the way. She checked her alarm clock and saw that it was six o' clock in the morning. She realized she had to get to the theater at seven.
She rose from bed and put on her slippers, making her way through the dark hallway into her bathroom. She closed the door carefully and flipped on the light switch, and took a look at herself in the mirror. She was clad in purple pajamas, her blonde ponytail a rat's nest. She knew she didn't have time to take a shower, so she picked up her brush and vigorously ran it through her hair. She put on makeup and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, called a cab, then grabbed her key and money and left the apartment. She took the elevator down to the bottom floor, then stood outside in the swirling snow, waiting for the cab.
It arrived soon after, and she climbed into the backseat. She was visibly shaking, so the cab driver said, "whoa, Miss, don't you need a coat or somethin?"
She forced a smile. "nope."
The cabbie shrugged and asked her where she wanted to go. She gave him the address of the theater, he nodded his head, and began to drive. Ashley stared out the car window, watching the water from melted snowflakes running down the glass. She looked up, and was surprised to see C.C.'s car right next to the cab. She had been telling Maxwell and C.C. that her dad drove her to the theater, so she ducked down below the window. But it was too late.
Ashley felt the cab come to an abrupt stop. "What the hell are we doing!" she cried, panicked.
"That blonde lady in the car next to us wanted me to pull over" he said, chewing his tobacco.
"And you listened?" she snapped, her arms folded across her chest. She watched C.C. walk over to the cab, and knock on the window. Ashley opened her door.
"Hey C.C." she said nervously, studying her feet.
"Hey Ashley, why are you taking a cab to the theater?" her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Ashley wasn't sure why.
"My dad's down with the flu today" she lied calmly.
C.C. raised an eyebrow. "Get out, your riding with me."
Ashley looked at her quizzically. "No, I'd rather ride with him thanks."
She reached to pull the door shut, but C.C. yanked her up by the arm so hard she nearly fell. C.C. slammed the cab door shut.
"It's alright, you don't HAVE to pay me!" the cabbie yelled angrily, and drove away.
C.C. dragged Ashley to her car, and told her to get into the passenger seat. Ashley obeyed, scared of the older woman. C.C. got in the drivers side, and slammed the door shut so hard it rattled the whole car.
"What's your problem?" Ashley said, trying to sound as strong as possible.
"My problem is that you lied to us. Do you realize what your father could do?"
"What are you talking about? He's sick."
"I know when people are lying, and you ARE lying. If your father finds out that your in this play, he could sue us for any damage done to you."
"For your information" Ashley snapped, steaming up, "he knows that I'm in this play, and I don't think he'd sue you let alone care that any damage was done to me."
"Don't talk like that, Ashley" C.C. said softly, "you have no idea what its like not to be cared for."
Ashley didn't know whether to feel surprised or mad. Yes, she knew what it was like to not be cared for, but C.C. seemed so emotional about it, like she had gone through the exact same thing herself. Ashley highly doubted C.C. was ever abused, just ignored. Ashley chose her anger over compassion, and looked at the woman driving.
"Alright, C.C., you win. No, he's not driving me to the theater every day, but he did give me permission to participate In the play. So I hope you don't get sued" She snapped nastily, turning towards the car window again. It was true that Ashley's dad knew she was going to be in a play, he practically had a field day when she told him she would be out of the house a lot of the time.
C.C. gave her the worst response: nothing. This was one thing Ashley never got. The silent treatment. And quite frankly, she thought it was nice.
Later, in her dressing room as she studied herself in the same Cinderella costume, she was glad to see that her bruises had faded considerably, and weren't noticeable unless someone's face was right in her stomach. She grinned happily, and walked out on stage. She did her lines well, at least Maxwell and Brighton cheered for her. In fact, as she sauntered on stage Brighton whistled. Common for a twelve year old.
C.C. just sat there, her eyes empty and emotionless.
Brighton waited until Ashley had retreated to her dressing room to engage in his boyish curiosities. He told his father he was going to the bathroom. He sneakily slipped behind the theater curtains, and down the long hallway of dressing rooms. He came to Ashley's and he knew for a fact that the door was broken. He peered through the little crack the door allowed him to look at Ashley. He saw her removing the peasant top, but what he saw nearly made him faint. Bruises covered the top half of her back, all of different sizes and shapes. He ran out onto the stage, and jumped down to sit by his father.
"Well, that was a fast bathroom break" Maxwell said.
Brighton nodded, his face as white as a sheet.
December 4, 2005Brighton stared down at his milk and cookies. "Come on Master Brighton" Niles said, "you must eat something." He shook his head. He couldn't get the image of Ashley's bruises out of his head.
Niles sighed and took the milk and cookies into the other room for himself. Fran sat across from Brighton. "Hey Hey, what do ya say we do somethin fun today? There's a new movie out today-"
"It's okay Fran."
"Brighton, honey, what's the matta?"
"Ashley…I saw something yesterday…it….its okay." he said. C.C., who was in the kitchen eating an apple, looked up.
"What about Ashley?" Fran probed. He shook his head sadly.
"Never mind." He stormed out of the kitchen into the living room. C.C. and Fran looked at each other.
"I'll go" C.C. said, leaving a rather shocked Fran in the kitchen. She followed Brighton up the stairs and took hold of his arm.
"What about Ashley? What were you talking about?" she asked calmly.
"When I was spying on her, I saw something…" he said quietly.
"What?" C.C. asked excitedly, "what did you see?"
"Bruises" he whispered. Then he pulled away from C.C.'s grasp and ran up the stairs away with her. C.C. sat on the stairs, her mouth open in realization.
Ashley walked through her front door. She looked around quickly, and sighed with relief when she saw her dad passed out on the kitchen floor. She kneeled down next to him and checked his pulse, and once she confirmed he was alive she went to her room. She put on a pair of green pajamas, and turned on her stereo. She put in her CD, and turned it to her favorite song, Breaking The Habit by Linkin Park. She snuggled under the covers, and tears ran down her face as she listened to the song:
Memories consumeLike opening the wound
I'm picking me apart again
You all assume
I'm searching in my room
Unless I try to start again
I don't want to be the one
The battles always use
Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know its not alright
Cause I'm Breaking The Habit
I'm breaking the habit tonight
Aren't you my cure?
I tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again
I heard much more
Than anytime before
I had no options left again
I don't want to be the one
The battles always use
Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright
Cause I'm Breaking The Habit
I'm breaking the habit tonight
I'll paint it on the walls
Cause I'm the one at fault
I'll never fight again
Cause this is how it ends…
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright
So I'm Breaking The Habit
I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit tonight.
She clutched the covers to her chin, shivering from the cold air. Just then, a rock hit the window, and fell down. "Mitch" she whispered to herself, thinking of her boyfriend.
She forced the window open and yelled, "I'm up!"
She looked down and saw him, holding a bunch of stones, a goofy grin on his face. She smiled brightly.
"I'll be down in a second" she whispered, and tried desperately to shut the window, with no success. She turned off her stereo, and pulled on a pair of jeans and a jacket. She snuck out of the apartment, and took the elevator down to the bottom floor. She looked disgustedly at the security guard, sleeping in front of the tiny televisions connected to the security cameras, drool dripping down his chin. She quietly left the building, and met Mitch at the alley behind it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips against his. He kissed her ferociously, backing her up into the alley wall. He reached for her jeans button, and she stopped kissing him.
"Mitch..no.." she said, pushing his hand away.
"Come on" he said quietly, grabbing for the top of her jeans again.
"Stop!" she hissed, lightly pushing him away.
He latched himself onto her full force this time, grabbing for her jeans angrily.
"NO!" she yelled, struggling against his body.
He grabbed her wrists tightly, and shoved her against the wall. "Shutup" he growled, beginning to kiss her neck, almost biting her.
"Stop it!" she cried as his nails dug into her arm, "stop!"
"Be quiet!" he growled in her ear, then resumed kissing.
She didn't know what to do. "Mitch….I thought you loved me.." she whispered softly.
"I thought you loved me" he hissed, "but you just have to stop everything when it gets good, don't you?"
"Please, Mitch, don't do this!" she cried.
"I said shutup!" he yelled, shoving her down on the ground. That's when everything went black.