Ch.11

       Ashley scrambled up to her feet and tried her best to compose herself somewhat as Spencer came into view. “I’m fine.” Ashley said firmly, struggling to keep her voice from cracking. Spencer rushed over to Ashley’s side and held her as soon as she saw that Ashley’s eyes were red rimmed from crying. “No you’re not.” Spencer murmured. Ashley stiffened uncomfortably in Spencer’s arms, almost shrugging the girl off her. She wasn’t about to fall for these sweet antics, no. Ashley Davies wasn’t going to be anybody’s fool ever again. Not ever. “I, I gotta go.” Ashley said, slipping out of Spencer’s grasp and gathering her things in the locker room together. “Where are you going?” Spencer asked sadly. “Sorry. I need space. To think and stuff.” Ashley mumbled under her breath. “Can I call you later?” Spencer asked hopefully, trying to establish some kind of line of communication with the troubled girl. “Yeah.” Ashley grabbed her keys out of her bag and stormed out of the locker room quickly, leaving Spencer to wallow in her thoughts.

       Ashley sighed on the way to the club. She was so sick of school, of Jenny, of life. She didn’t even bother to check the speedometer to see how badly she was speeding as her car roared past everyone else on the freeway. Nor did she notice the truck in front of her stop suddenly.

        Spencer gave out a loud groan of exasperation. She had left Ashley 2 voicemails, called her at least 6 times, and texted her probably 14 times since she had gotten home, and she had gotten exactly zero responses from the brunette. “What is she doing…” Spencer moaned, opening and closing her phone restlessly, realizing that by now Ashley probably thought she was a possessive stalker or desperate little girl or some mix of both. Bored and disappointed, she turned on the TV in her room. The big bold print on the screen TRAGIC ACCIDENT ON THE 5 and the live footage of the smoldering but unmistakable car made Spencer’s heart stop as she dropped the remote from her hand and let it clatter onto the floor. “…we are being told by the authorities that the driver of the passenger vehicle was not under the influence of any substances and has been transported to the nearest hospital and is in critical condition. A four car pile up has resulted from a big rig stopping suddenly here on the 5 freeway.” “Ashley.” Spencer whimpered, staring transfixed at the screen as she watched firefighters try to extinguish the flames from Ashley’s still burning Porsche. The car was reduced to a heap of twisted, incinerating metal. There were pictures of other cars that had collided in a chain reaction. One of them was flipped over, and there were some smashed into the center divider as well. Everyone in the accident was listed in critical condition, and some of them weren’t expected to survive. Including Ashley. Spencer snapped out of her trance when Clay poked his head in her room. “Everything ok, baby sis?” “No.” Spencer sniffled, wiping her eyes with a tissue. “Can you take me to the UCLA Harbor Medical Center? Ashley got in a really bad accident, it’s all over the news, Clay, please…I need to see her.” Clay raised an eyebrow. “Are you really that close to her now?”