Chapter 15

Spinelli POV

Saturday morning

"Will, you two keep it quiet back there!"

"Oh but dad it is so much fun to get the squirt going" Joey playfully hits me in the arm.

"Just think our little Ashley is growing up" he snickers as I try to punch him "Soon she's going to be wearing make up, dressing in pink tank tops and mini skirts and flirting with all the guys. Finally acting like a real Ashley" I try to hit him again which he stops with ease.

"Just think I'll be big enough to kick your ass"

"That's never going to happen Ash, but don't worry me Vitto will have your back. Any boyfriend that you bring home will have to answer to us"

"I can take care of myself. And there isn't any boyfriend!"

I continue to try and hit Joey and he continues to block my blows with ease. Up front dad is grinning with amusement at our antics and listening to mom who is mad and frantic at the same time.

"Why isn't he picking up? It's ten o'clock and passed his curfew. What are we going to do with him Bob?"

Joey stops fighting with me and looks toward the front seat at mom. "I'll try talking to him mom, maybe I can get through to him"

I look at Joey confused, why would he try to get through to Vitto. There was nothing wrong with him he was just acting a little weird lately. Joey begins to look back at me when mom starts to scream. Dads swearing. I feel Joey try to hold me back then I see blood.

I sit up in bed quickly gasping for air. Just a nightmare, it was just a nightmare. Calm down Elli. I look at the clock and groan when I see that it's only quarter past four in the morning.

I pull myself out of bed knowing full well that no mater how hard I try to go back to sleep it just won't happen. It was a nightmare or memory of the accident that had plagued her for years.

After all this time and knowing the truth I still had trouble believing that it wasn't my fault that my family had died. I still had trouble understanding why I was still alive and they weren't. I still wished at times that I had died in the car. It truly is amazing how quickly your life can change.

Trying to clear my head of the dream I silently walked downstairs and into my studio and began to paint.

Same day Afternoon

Alright girl it's time to get down and dirty. Look at it really look at it and what do you see…… Crap; all I bloody well see is crap.

I stare at the sketch I just drew and swear silently. Why was every drawing I did here turning out so badly? God if I've lost my talent…… damit all too bloody hell!

Throwing the drawing in the garbage I stood up and stretched this just wasn't going well. The morning had gone fairly well but the later it got the worse my drawings became. Not that they were horrible they just weren't up to par with what I knew was expected.

What I need is a break. But what was there to do? I could do home work but break was the operative word not work. I could call one of the many people I had met this week but that also didn't sound all that great.

My mind wander back to my first day back and passing Kelso's and I grinned. Damn ice cream would be great and no where did they make a chocolate sundae like at Kelso's.

With my mind decided I grabbed my bag which had my sketch book and camera in it (I never went any where without it) and headed out the door.

It was a fairly long walk but having been cooped up in my studio for so long I felt the need to stretch out some of my more stiff muscles. By the time that I arrived I was almost drooling at the memory of Kelso's ice cream that I almost walked by Eric Menlow.

"Come on, work please work" I heard someone mutter with the sound of an engine trying to catch. Turning I looked and saw Eric desperately trying to get the car to go. His face was completely red with embarrassment. And who wouldn't be embarrassed driving that old beater that he was driving. He had the hood open and was now leaning over it looking at the engine pretending that he actually knew what he was doing. What is it with guys that they have to look under the hood of a car when they don't actually know anything about cars? I mean do they think that by staring at the engine that it is magically going to fix it self?

Looking once toward Kelso's which Eric was parked in front of I mentally waved goodbye to my sundae. Damn it I had really wanted it too.

"Need some help Eric?" He turned around and looked at me with a little bit of desperation.

"Do you know anything about cars?" I snort at that and push him slightly out of the way so I can get a better look.

Car knowledge was one of those skills that very few people actually possessed. I was one of those lucky few. Unlike most kids whose siblings are only a few years apart my brothers were much older. Joey had been eleven years older then me and Vitto six years older. And like all younger siblings I loved to follow my older brothers around but instead of tromping behind them while they trudge through forests and built forts I had followed my brothers under cars and over engines.

It had been Joey that I had spent the most time around cars with. He had been more patient even having a small stool for me to stand on so I could get a good look at the engine. He had answered all my questions no mater how many times I asked them. His friends had even gotten used to having me around and used to answer questions as well.

Cars had been Joey's thing. His dream had been to open a mechanic shop. And since I had been little I had copied everything he did becoming quite the little mechanic myself.

"Try the key" I ask Eric and listened carefully to the exact sound the care was making. Frowning slightly I reached in and began to exam some of the wires. What the hell? Someone had deliberately messed up the wiring. Who would do that?

I heard someone laughing from a pimped out truck I looked up and sighed. I should have known that it would be Lawson. I looked back at Eric as he blushes again. Ah so he wasn't blushing because of what he drove but because he was being watched to see if he could fix it. I guess it probably didn't help much that he was getting help from a girl.

As quickly as I could I fixed the wiring problem although it did take me longer then it once would have since it had been awhile seen I had tinkered under a hood.

"Okay Eric try that" He once again turns the key and smiles in relief when the engine roars to life.

"Thanks Elli, you don't know how much I appreciate this. I couldn't afford to take it to the shop again." I frown at that comment. What did he mean again? Did Lawson mess with his car a lot?

"Does this happen a lot?" he nods sadly. Good God why did nobody stand up to Lawson?

"I have to get going. Thanks again" I nod as he got back in his car and drove off.

Ignoring Lawson's glare I precede to Kelso's for my Sundae…. Mmmmm chocolate.

After ordering my ice cream I look around me. Young parents with children sit in booths surrounded by elderly couples, young kids sit together eating there ice cream as teenagers hang out talking. O my god that was it. This was perfect.

Grabbing my sketch book from my bag I began to draw what I saw both around me and in my mind. Losing track of the world around me I found myself slip into my art for the first time since I had come home.