Ashley Kerwin was sitting at the front office tapping her pen nervously while waiting for Ms. H. to be ready for her meeting. She was hoping that she could be in and out before anyone saw her today, going as far as to schedule her meeting two hours before school began.
Ashley looked at the clock on the wall watching her cushion time fade completely away. As the second hand made another lap, she could hear students begin to fill the hallways.
Frustrated, Ashley got out of her seat and walked over to the Ms. Hatzilakos's secretary's desk.
"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you again, but do you have any idea when she'll be available? I know I've already asked a couple of times now, but our meeting was supposed to start over an hour and a half ago?" Ashley asked while forcing a smile and keeping her tone as friendly as she could at this point.
"Oh, I'm sorry Miss . . ." the secretary barely glanced up from her files to give Ashley a blank stare as she forgot her name.
"Kerwin, . . . Ashley Kerwin." Ashley had to keep herself from rolling her eyes "My meeting with her was at six a.m. It's now 7:36."
"Oh right, Miss Kerwin, one second please." She said as she sifted through messages on her desk.
As the secretary flipped through them, Ashley's foot began to involuntarily tap against the carpet floor. She glanced at the clock again and was horrified to find that four more minutes had managed to squeak by since she got up from her chair.
Behind her she heard a door open and turned in time to see a large man followed by a young man in a wheelchair and a tall Blonde woman, come out of the Principal's office.
"Thank you very much again for your time Ms. Hatzilakos" Mr. Brooks said as he shook the woman's hand.
"I'll be sure to get this all taken care of today. I will call you when all the arrangements have been finalized." Ms. Hatzilakos said, releasing his hand and looking over toward Ashley.
"Oh, Ashley, I was told you were going to come back during lunch, I didn't know you were still waiting for me. Is there anyway we can reschedule?"
Ashley glanced over at the absent-minded secretary and shot her a frustrated face and looked back at the woman speaking to her.
"No, I'm sorry, I can't reschedule, this is urgent." Ashley said as calmly as she could.
"Okay, give me five minutes to call Liberty about missing the morning announcements and I'll be ready for you." She turned around and headed back into her office.
Ashley walked back to her chair and noticed that Jimmy was still there, waiting for her.
"Hey" She breathed before sitting back down.
"Hey. What are you doing in here?" Jimmy asked
Ashley felt her palms begin to sweat and wiped them on her jeans.
"I just have some stuff to sort out for this year and since I was gone all summer, I didn't have time to do it before." Ashley said slowly.
"Sure. That's the truth, but there's a lot more to it isn't there?" Jimmy prodded
"Why are you here?" Ashley asked avoiding the question
"Oh that's how your going to play. I am starting more intensive physical therapy and will need to leave and come back to school during the day. We were just trying to work out the details of my schedule so I don't fall behind." Jimmy told her. " Now back to you . . ."
"Ashley, I'm ready for you now" Ms. Hatzilakos called out the door.
"Jimmy, please don't tell anyone you saw me, please." Ashley pleaded as she stood up pulling her bag over her shoulder.
Ashley paused before stepping into the office, locking eyes with Jimmy.
His eyes show confusion, but he simply nodded and Ashley walked through the door way shutting the door behind her and sitting down again.
"Ashley, what can I do for you?" Ms. Hatzilakos said with a smile
Ashley opened her bag and handed over a stack of papers.
"I need you to sign my transcripts and my transfer paperwork. Also I was wondering if you could give me a recommendation for my university applications." Ashley rushed out, taking a deep breath after she finished.
"So your leaving Degrassi? May I ask why and where you are going?" Ms. Hatzilakos asked while looking over the papers in front of her.
"I got accepted into this great music school in London. It's a great opportunity, I can't afford to pass it up, no matter what the cost is here." Ashley trailed off at the end looking down at her hands.
"Ashley that's great. I can get these papers and your recommendation done by tomorrow, will that work for you?"
Ashley nodded and begin to stand up. The bell went off signaling the students to get to class. She tensed at the thought of a hallway filled of concerned friends would be demanding to know why she hadn't returned any form of communication in over a month.
"Wait. I'll need to ask a favor of you since you kind of put me into a small bind. I see how many activities you were involved in here at Degrassi."She said while her eyes traveled down the paper in her hand.
Ashley never was so happy to be in the Principal's office. She quickly sat down and felt her body relax slightly.
"Can you make some nominations for your replacements? Yearbook and Choir, I can handle. Your once a month music review in the Grapevine can be taken care of by Liberty. You're position as a Grade twelve representative on the student council will be voted on during elections since your seat is open. That just leaves the head of the drug aversion program, S.A.D., and Vice President of Students Improving the Environment club, those I'll need some help with."
"Oh, Um . . . Heather Sinclair for Students Against Drugs, . . . she's the most involved. Oh, you should tell Liberty to talk to Ellie Nash or Craig Manning for the music review. As for S.I.T.E. I know Emma Nelson took a break for a while last year, but really she's still the President and I'm sure she'll have an idea on who to choose. Is there anything else?" Ashley asked
"No, that's all. Thanks again for your help." Ms. Hatzilakos stood up and walked around the desk.
Ashley stood up "Thank you again, Ms H. I'll swing by tomorrow to pick the papers up."
"Congratulations again Ashley and good luck in London. We're going to miss you here at Degrassi." She said before pulling Ashley into a hug.
Ashley awkwardly returned the embrace and left the office.
'Okay that was the easy part. Now I just have to tell Craig and everyone else. Right now being struck by lightning sounds less painful'
'What was that sound! Did she just break Emma's ribs? Oh my God is that fatal? She stopped CPR, Is she dead? . . .'
Manny's mind raced after that sickening pop rang through the basement. She had flinched as if hearing a gunshot and lost control of the phone in her hands. She heard the sound of shattering plastic slide across the floor.
But she didn't look down or move to gather up the pieces, she had completely forgotten about the person on the line. Everything had slowed down and Manny's focus was on the scene in front of her.
Manny watched as the woman, who was like a second mother to her, broke down across the room from her.
"Oh god, what have I done?" Manny heard Spike say, her voice slightly muffed by her hands.
The sunlight creeping in from a lone window caught her face. Manny could now see the tears running rapidly down her cheeks. Her own eyes blurred again and she blinked, releasing the salty liquid once more.
She couldn't get herself to look away as Spike gathering her daughter in her arms. The tears were accompanied by sobs now, her shoulders shaking furiously with each gasp for air.
Manny tried to will her legs to move forward to comfort the woman, to share her pain and to reassure her that the paramedics were on the way, but her legs would not move.
She was frozen by fear and for a moment was once again that naive little girl of her past.
Suddenly she heard a crash up stairs and the sound of Jack screaming. With that the little girl was gone and Manny ran to the stairs.
"We're down here. We need help down here." She yelled as she climbed up the stairs.
She was met at the door by a rush of EMT's.
"Where is she ma'am?" one of the asked
"Down the stairs." Manny pointed
She watched as they disappeared down the stairs and was suddenly aware of the crying toddler that has been left in his high chair.
She walked over to the boy and gently lifted him to her, trying to sooth not only him but herself.
"Everything's going to be okay Jackie. Shh . . . It's okay Jack." She repeated to herself hugging the boy tightly as they cried together.
From down the stairs she could hear a woman scream.
A/N Thank you so much for all the reviews! Sorry about the wait on this chapter, life gets in the way sometimes.