The Great Escape
AN. Thank you to xHalosandwings, xTwistedxImperfectionx, Cena-Wilson-Crazy, anonymous, Grits0205, anonymous (2), TJ Sparkles, Tiffyxox, rory21 & HappySmiler for reviewing the last chapter.
Thanks very muchly :)
Chapter Thirty – The One You Love
THE GIRLS
It was all too obvious that Ashley was suffering.
She appeared to acknowledge it too, jabbing at the bags under her eyes and sighing wearily at the reflection she saw in the mirror. Just what was happening to her? Her skin looked unhealthily pale and worn-out – as though all the life had been sucked out of her in the past couple of weeks. It was an unattractive look, and she turned back into the comfort of her empty room with a grimace.
It was strange to feel so alone. All she'd ever wished to be was just that—isolated and cut off from human civilization. She supposed she simply dealt with her issues better by herself, without the annoying hum of Eve's rap music blasting loudly through her headphones to distract her from thinking properly; here, it was a case of me, myself and I. Just like she'd wanted for some time now.
Except... the reality of the visual image felt a lot different to how she wanted it to feel. She found she missed the distractions that stopped her from deeply analyzing her life—whether they came from Eve or Maria—and that, despite having previously boasted about staying at college for the holidays, she was now beginning to regret the very decision.
The student shook her head, dirty-blonde locks falling out of a loose bun to frame her face, and decided it was high time to take a walk around the deserted campus. Though the majority of people had gone home to visit their own families, she knew there were still a few scattered here and there, and she knew she would feel safer in their company.
It was weird to have nothing to do but wander around the campus. She'd always been in such a hurry before, whether it was to get to class or to get away from certain people she despised; there was always a rush to move around the spacious ground. And now here she was, moving slowly as she allowed her eyes, for the first time, to truly take in everything around her.
She wished she could say she was at peace by doing so, but she wasn't—if anything, she felt more alone than ever. A prickle of irritation scratched at the surface and she inhaled deeply; would this deeper, acknowledged pain ever go away?
She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted to be alone. She didn't want to be alone...and the vicious cycle went on.
Feeling more exhausted than ever, the blonde lifted her head from the ground to try and distract herself once more. Maybe a visit to the library would lift her spirits...or perhaps a trip out to the football grounds? Either way, she knew she had to entertain herself for the next couple of lonely weeks.
And then she saw him.
A chill ran down her spine and she paused in step as Adam came into view. He hadn't noticed her, thankfully for her, and so he looked the epitome of cool as he sat perched against a huge oak tree, sunglasses atop of his head and eyes closed while he enjoyed a rare sunny day in December.
Who knew that under the act he was just another guy in love? Worse yet, a guy in love with her?
Wrapping her arms around herself, she watched him for another moment or so. And then, swallowing lightly, she turned around and increased her pace while she walked away from him. She couldn't be around him for any longer.
She'd been distraught upon learning that he, too, was staying on campus for the holidays. After being haunted in her dreams with memories of his speech—his great big amazing speech that within he confessed his love for her—she was relieved for the break to arrive, and for everyone to filter out, just so she could be given some breathing space.
But that wasn't going to happen now, was it?
Ashley was only able to make it to the football grounds before she burst into tears. She hated feeling this way, or for being so weak, but the crying moments simply wouldn't stop—not for her, anyway. She was so very upset – with him, at him, at herself...
Would this unexplainable pain ever go away?
"Ash, what's up?" Paul London's concerned tone of voice greeted her unexpectedly, and if it wasn't the suddenness that made her jump, it was the arm that wrapped around her shoulders. "What's going on?"
She couldn't bear to face him and steadily kept her gaze downwards. "I can't...I can't..."
"Shhh, Ash...it's okay."
But it suddenly wasn't, and she found herself being pulled into her friend's comforting hug with a weak resolve. She clung onto him as she sobbed, images of Adam blurring into one just to gift her with more heartbreak, and he played the part of a caring person very well for the next few minutes.
It wasn't until she pulled away that she realized Brian was there too, a sheepish look on his face—as if he wasn't quite sure what he'd just interrupted—and a football tucked under his right arm.
"I knew you weren't as strong as you made yourself out to be." Paul muttered, mainly to himself. "I mean...it's impossible to behave like a total Ice Queen, isn't it?"
"I'm sorry." She mumbled, despite having nothing to apologize for. "I don't know what happened. I just...lost it."
"I think you just became true to yourself, Ash – trust me, we've been waiting for this day." A rueful smile touched his lips. "We're not your guy best friends for nothing; we know all about you."
Only now did she allow a smile to press against her own lips. Pulling him in once more, she sniffed, "Thank you, Paul. You too, Brian. I just...don't know what to do, you know?"
"Well..." Brian had his say, and began tossing the football around in his hands, "I don't know what you're going to do about him...but for today, you could always have fun with us. I seem to remember that you have an awesome aim..."
"Yeah. What do you say, Ash?"
That I don't deserve awesome friends like you two. Her smile brightened, hiding her innermost thoughts. "Let's do it."
But still, even as they separated across the field into positions with the hope of forgetting about any troubles they might have, she couldn't help but to think how nice it would have been to be able to slip into the comforting arms of her best friend and simply cry it out instead.
It'd always been a tradition for Eve to swap Christmas presents with her loved ones before the actual date of the holiday; of course, nobody would open them until it was traditionally acceptable to, but it was nice to get the present-giving moment out of the way before then.
Unfortunately for her, she was aware that she still had one more present left to give. She had hoped—in a rather cowardice manner—to give her handover of a small leather box, wrapped in blue paper, over to Jeff instead of delivering it into the hands of its rightful owner. Was there anything more embarrassing than having to give a thoughtful gift to an ex-boyfriend, whom, suffice to say, you were still madly in love with?
She didn't want to give Matt a second thought, but on this particular occasion she knew she had to.
It was with a deep breath that Eve approached the Hardy household. The brunette stood outside of the front door for a moment or two, simply to brace herself for what was about to happen; this would be their first meeting since the break-up, and she was anxious about it.
What if all she wanted to do was run into his arms, feel his wrap around her frame, and kiss him until her lips were sore? Would she be able to resist the urge? Would he? As a matter of fact, would he even allow her to make a fool of herself?
A light vibration against her thigh caught her attention suddenly, and she pushed the present into her right hand to use the other to fish out her cell phone. The faintest of smiles pressed against her glossed lips as she read the caller ID on the small screen—it was one of her newest-added contacts.
"Yes?" She answered, her smile turning into a soft smirk.
His voice was as clear as day, and she could simply tell, by the playfulness of his tone, that his expression mirrored hers. "Miss. Torres, how are you doing?"
"I'm good, Cody. And how are you?"
She found herself terribly amused as he answered the formal question, before going on to talk about what he was up to, and vice versa. It was as though she was talking to an old friend rather than her casual sexual partner – and it was as though, furthermore, she didn't mind telling him about her day.
After their first time together, she'd lain in his bed side by side with him and stared up at the ceiling for a long while.
With Mike, she'd found herself subjected to sweet whispers in her ears—which she realized wasn't all that comforting, especially since she knew the decision to sleep with him was a bad one—and with Matt, she always ended up wrapped tightly in his arms.
The balance felt right with Cody after those two. And in a way, she enjoyed being with him after the main purpose for being there with him was over. They talked. Sometimes, she talked and he listened. Mainly he talked, and she was comforted to know she could slip into a whole new world with him – one where she didn't have to care about her problems and issues. They just...fit together, regardless of the uncertainty of what they were doing.
"Yes, you heard me right." Her smile slipped away as she refocused on the mission at hand. "I'm outside of his house right now."
"And you're just going to give him his present? Do you think you can do that?"
"There's only one way to find out, right?"
"Yeah...I suppose." A pause. "Well I better let you go then. I'll speak to you soon."
"Sure. Oh, and Cody? Be careful of how many girls you sleep with over the holiday, okay?" Giggling softly at his scoff, she hung up.
Eve was back onto the subject of Matt Hardy shortly after. Something hit her unexpectedly though, and her confidence dropped as her gaze flickered back over to the familiar house.
Who was she kidding? She couldn't do this.
So she left the present in a neat little corner on the front porch and backed away, turning in mid-step back to her car. After slipping inside, she leaned back against her seat, staring upwards and cursing herself under her breath. What the hell was wrong with her all of a sudden?
After shaking her head, she revved up the engine and drove away. She knew she would be kicking herself over that mistake for a long while to come. She also knew she wouldn't see him for a long time after the girls went back to college—so what was she doing throwing away her chance to speak to him now?
Unaware to her, Matt had been watching her from his bedroom window all the while. He was both surprised and upset to learn they couldn't even talk to one another anymore. But he was also... what was the feeling? His heart beat slowed back to its normal routine after she was gone and he felt a bit lighter in himself as he turned to sit back at his desk, forgetting all about the present she'd left for him.
He felt relieved.
"So... Michelle was okay with the break-up?"
Pacing the length of her bedroom, Maria bit down on her bottom lip gently, choosing not to give the obvious answer to Jeff's question. She'd been thinking about this problem for a while now, and it was only today that she realized she had to talk to someone about it—and not, like she was planning, keep it to herself.
But why would Michelle, sweet and lovely Michelle, lie about her split with Randy? The blonde had seemed so genuinely upset when she came to her with the news... and to think that the scene was fake and meaningless – simply a ploy to dupe her into believing something that wasn't true? It just didn't make sense.
... And what was she supposed to think of Randy now? In a way, she'd held the break-up against him because he'd broken up with Michelle for her, and that was unacceptable in her eyes; flattered as she was that he liked her in the same way that she, well, loved him, it wasn't fair to hurt another person's feelings.
She was more than willing to give her friend the benefit of the doubt over the guy she had fallen in love with... but where should her priorities rest now? She simply didn't know.
"Man, that's messed up," said Jeff softly, toying with the bright Christmas decorations scattered across her room. He knew her to be one to celebrate the holiday heavily, and wasn't at all surprised with the decor she'd put up. "So what are you going to do?"
"That's just it... I don't know what to do." A helpless shrug lifted her shoulders. A deep sigh later, she added, "I can't believe Michelle would lie to me like this—and I know Randy was telling the truth; it's just in my gut feeling, Jeff. He wouldn't lie to me about something as serious as this."
"I believe you on that." He nodded. "Maybe you need to talk to her when you get back – work out what's really going on. If I'm honest, I'm not really a big fan of hers anyway."
"You're not? Since when?" A frown twisted her features. "I hadn't noticed."
"I'm not sure really," he told her truthfully, "I just saw her for who I think she is, which is completely fake."
Maria knew she was trusting, but this time she felt she'd been a little too much of that with her. Why hadn't she known what she was like, when everyone else had? Why couldn't she be a good judge of character? Why was she so naive?
Why... was everything simply a huge mess?
"Hey," said the Hardy Brother gently into her thought process, nudging her hand to get her attention. When he had it, he continued. "Don't worry about it now. You deserve some fun—when you go back to college, you can deal with it then."
Eventually, she nodded. "You're right." Red curls framed her face as she twirled around, moving towards her bed to collapse on it. "I have to make the most of right now; I didn't come home to think about something a million miles away. It's time to celebrate the holidays, right?"
He chuckled at her sudden enthusiasm, and then spotted something dangling off of the mini-tree she had perched on her desk. His finger looped through the chain and he pulled it off gently. It was a mere moment later that he worked his way towards her, collapsed next to her on the bed and waved the item in front of her face.
"Were you planning to kiss that special someone on the day?"
Confused, the redhead lazily angled her head to understand what he was talking about. She giggled a moment later, and grabbed the small mistletoe wreath from his hand, using it to hold it above her head and admire it. "No, I wasn't – it's just a nice decoration, don't you think?"
"Yeah, it is."
There was a moment of silence shared between them, in which her lips parted slightly to exhale lightly. She was comforted to know she could just hang out here and not worry about a single thing; it wouldn't stop her from doing so, of course, but this wasn't the point.
"Anyway, let's have some fun. We're going to the mall." She beamed at him, leaning up on her elbows.
He glanced over to her and smiled back. "As you wish. I just have to be back before dinner—Matt's cooking tonight."
Leaning over him, a sudden idea struck her. It was cutesy and fun, and she liked it. Dangling the mistletoe over him, Maria leaned down and pressed her lips chastely against his for a second or two, before pulling away and giving him a grin. Then she rolled over and onto her feet, ready to continue with the day. "Now," she said with her back turned to him, slipping on some comfortable shoes, "I know I said I wouldn't talk about these things, but is it really sad... that all I want is to do that to Randy? I miss him so much."
Jeff attempted a smile, but saw no point in doing so. He simply followed suit and headed outside to her car, pressing two fingers against his lips for just a few seconds. She simply didn't know what effect she had on people, did she?
And what was worse was that he knew he didn't stand a chance with her. Even if he told her how he felt now, it wouldn't make the slightest bit of difference, apart from perhaps an awkward period in their close friendship.
Maria was in love with Randy Orton, and he was simply the best friend, and would always be seen that way. He knew that was the way it was.
Strangely enough, he was okay with that. He didn't want to ruin a friendship over such a confession; he was happy enough to be close to her this way. So, slipping into the passenger's seat, a proper smile graced his features as he messed about with the radio to choose a decent station.
"It's Chriiiiiiiiiistmas!" Slade's ever-catchy tune blared at them at just the right moment.
Maria beamed at her guy best friend before setting off. Yeah, she was looking forward to a two-week break from college without any problems to worry about.
So there's the next chapter. Please review :)
Up next is Adam's chapter. (Yes, you read that right.)