Apologies for missing upload day (Thursday), chapter was ready but I totally blanked XD

January 8th, Wednesday, 1998

As you know, dear diary, meetings of The Ashley's are the most fun EVER! We sit around in our clubhouse, sipping tea and dishing out gossip (I don't know why, but dishing out tea sounds like it could be gossip slang. Huh), mocking everyone who's beneath us (which was everyone, ha) and just enjoying life!

But thanks to my disastrous faux pas, things were SCANDALOUS in the worst way possible!

The Ashley's were gathered in their clubhouse, a hideout in the middle of Third Street Elementary that looked more like a fancy house than a kid's clubhouse: It had pink carpeting, velvet drapes, golden mirrors, and all the things a fancy girl needed. It was a place of peace and stability for Ashley A.

But not today.

Ashley A didn't sit down on an aesthetically pleasing beach chair, enjoying a nice Diet Coke. She didn't get to hear any dirt about the non purple wearing kids of the school.

For she herself was one.

'Ashley A, you have been accused of high crimes against the clique. Of forgetting "Purple Day", our most sacred fashion day of the year.', Ashley B said oh so dramatically. Her tone was so judgmental that Ashley A had to bite her tongue not to praise her for excellent diction.

Ashley B paced around Ashley A, while Ashley Q and Ashley T stared on, seemingly both enraged and betrayed. 'Bigger than "Hat Day"… More important than "High-Heel Day"… Even more hallowed than the week of sparkling nail polish…'

She resumed staring at Ashley A, who felt like she could throw up. 'For "Purple Day" marks the anniversary of when all of us first realized we were Ashleys in the making.'

Of course Ashley A remembered. How couldn't she? That bright sunny day in the park, when the wind had dragged away her hat, fate seeming to intervene with a helping hand and grant her not, one, not two, not even three, but FOUR whole friends, when up until then it had been her and just her. All four girls with the same name, same fashion sensibilities, mentally and literally, as they all wore purple that day. Finally. She had found her people.

1992. 6 years to the day.

And she had forgotten.

'On that day, henceforth known as "Purple Day", a clique was born. We took an oath, swearing allegiance, dedicating ourselves to style and beauty. And most importantly, promising to wear purple on "Purple Day".'

Ashley B glared at Ashley A with such fire, that Ashley A wondered if she would burn on the spot. 'But today, you violated that promise, Ashley A. And when you did that, you, like, TOTALLY tainted the Ashley name!'

Ashley B, Q and T all crossed their arms and lifted their noses in the air, a symbolic rejection. 'Ashley A, you give us no choice.'

They removed her headband. They ripped the teddy bear head from her backpack. They took off her necklace, trampling it underfoot.

'Any last words?', Ashley B asked with disgust barely hidden from her tone.

Ashley A hung her head. She wanted to say something… To shout, to scream, to cry, to accuse them of abandoning her.

But she couldn't open her mouth. She felt ashamed for letting them down.

So she simply turned away, giving one last look back, and walked off.

an Outcast Ashley.

Oh, diary, I could have DIED on the spot! I had never been so humiliated in all my life! And I once lost to that ugly Spinelli at a beauty contest!

When recess reared its ugly head for the second time that day, I found myself, for the first time in my life…

Like, totally socially des-erted! (hey, that's the title of the chapter! Neat!)

Ashley A stood on the steps, seeing her friends… Former friends, walk into the clubhouse and close it, leaving her out. 'Out in the cold, harsh world!', Ashley lamented dramatically, covering her eyes in despair and sighing loudly.

She opened her eyes, but no one was around. 'Ugh, does NO ONE care about my social strife? About my anguish?'

Still, nothing.

'Oh, what-EVER!', Ashley brushed it off, putting her hand up to the sky. 'Talk to the hand, because I'M going to have fun, so much fun, the most totally like, fun ever! Why, I'll have such a good time, they'll beg me to come back! I'll have so much fun it would be SCANDALOUS!', she recited like she and her friends did, but…

'Doing it on your own just isn't the same.', she observed sadly, fighting back the tears. 'Get a hold of yourself, Ashley A! Daddy always said 'Beauty, style, and attitude would prevail!'. She smugly smiled. 'And I have those in SPADES! You just need to find a new clique. A better clique.'

She cupped her eyes like she had invisible binoculars and searched. 'Hmm, let's see what we have to work with…'

Staring back and forth, she spied Upside Down girl, hanging upside down and reading a magazine, as always. Smiling, Ashley approached the girl. 'Hi there!', she greeted. Radio silence. Ashley desperately tried to find something she could say or do to the blonde… Ah! 'You know, your hair would keep its shape better if you used a little mousse.'

Taking out some hair spray and mousse she just happened to have in her pockets, Ashley fixed up Upside Down Girl's hair, making her have a totally different and curly do. 'Like, Voila!', Ashley presented, proud of her work. This would get her a new bestie in no time!

However, Upside Down Girl's hair just flopped right back to how it was. Staring at Ashley finally, she didn't give her the response she was hoping for. 'Do me a favor… Go away.'

Ashley, dejected, did so.

A little later, Ashley had a second attempt, this time with the two digger kids.

'I mean, it's not like I need them!', Ashley ranted, leaning on her shovel while the other two did the work. She now wore a purple helmet, but that was her only attempt at fitting in. 'I'm the one who always starts the latest trends! And I'm the one who gets all the fashion channels!'

Realizing the diggers hadn't said anything, Ashley voiced her annoyance. 'Hel-LO! Are you guys even listening to me?'

That was a mistake. Her loud, insulted hello echoed across the chamber and…

'CAVE-IN!', the diggers cried out.

And that was exactly what happened.

'She collapsed tunnel three!', Digger 1 cried out between coughs.

'We've been working on it since first grade!', hacked Digger 2.

'Great, fine, I'm going!', Ashley relented to the angry stares, pretending it didn't affect her. 'It was filthy down there anyway.'

Her other attempts fell flat too. Guru Kid was too interested in giving advice instead of insults ('La-ME'), Swinger Girl just wanted to swing all the time ('Bor-ING'), and she gave her abhorrent admirer Menlo 1.3 seconds of consideration before wondering if she needed to apply to a mental institution ('f-REAK!').

So, Ashley A was, well, a-LONE.

Sitting on a lonely patch of grass, watching the time slowly trickle by until recess would end.

'I don't understand it! There should be a line of kids fighting to be my friend!', she shook her fist at the sky. 'Ah, fashion gods, you are TESTING me!'

But her anger was soon replaced with desperation. 'Please… There's gotta be someone!', she begged silently, eyes closed.

'Hey, Ashley A, how come you're all alone?'

Ashley looked up excitedly, eyes opened and perked up. But she frowned again once she saw who was standing in front of her: Her mortal enemies, T.J and his gang.

'Ugh, what do YOU want?', she asked, words laced with disgust.

'He told ya, jerkface!', Spinelli barked, but T.J. held her back. 'We were just curious. Aren't you supposed to be with the other Ashley's?'

'None of your business!', Ashley said a little to aggressively, crossing her arms and giving them all stink eyes.

'Geez, never mind.', T.J. shrugged, and the others followed suit. 'Told you she'd bite.', Vince could be heard remarking as they left.

Except for Gretchen, who hung back just a moment, looking back at Ashley.

Ashley tilted her head. Was that… Pity?

'Go back to your stupid book, Grundler! You're about as much use to me as an ant to a BOOT!', Ashley bit, spitting venom.

Gretchen shrugged and rolled her eyes, turning away. 'That's what I get for being curious.'

And so, Ashley really was alone, the rest of the day.

Don't tell anyone, diary, but… I cried myself to sleep that night. All day, no one, no one came to me. I never realized just how alone I was beside the Ashley's.

And if they never want me back, then…

'What–EVER.', Ashley muttered in her sleep, but her tears told a different story. She tried to get comfortable, but all she could feel was a hole in her heart.

'I'm sorry…' she whispered, sorrowfully.

But no one could hear her apology.

Who WOULD be my friend?

Next time: Ashley A has a life changing meeting that sparks a chance for normalcy!