Wings From Ashes Trilogy

by Linda Nelson

  When she got to school she thought, she was almost sure of it that she would find Logan waiting at her locker. But he wasn’t there. She scanned the hallway looking for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Self-doubt kicked in.

  Maybe he didn’t like her as much as she thought he did. Maybe he was hiding from her, embarrassed to be seen at school with her. Just about the whole entire school knew about the party episode she had with Gerry months ago.

  The only ones she saw were Maggie and Ashley down the far end of the hallway. She hoped that Maggie didn’t see her. She was tired of her antics. But Ashley spotted her right away and waved to her. She began coming in her direction followed by Maggie.

  Karla’s stomach began to twist and a lump formed in her throat.

  Ashley stopped before Karla. “You look lovely today. I like that outfit. Where did you get it?” She sounded sincere, not sarcastic.

  “They have it at Lambers, the little boutique on Main Street.”

  “Hmm... I’ve never been there. I’ll have to go check it out.”

  Maggie was being eerily quiet making Karla’s stomach turn even more. She looked different. Karla couldn’t put her finger on what was different about the girl. Was she actually looking serene, calm? It was an strange mood for Maggie. She seemed pleasant.

  “Are you looking for Logan?” Ashley asked.

  “As a matter of fact I was.”

  Ashley beamed. “Oh they already went to homeroom. Neil said something about having a field trip with the Honor Society today. I forgot where they were going. I think it is the State House. But I’m not sure, so don’t quote me on that.”

  “That’s funny; Logan never mentioned it to me yesterday. He called me.” Karla looked at Maggie, she couldn’t help it. The girl was still being oddly quiet.

  Maggie spoke calmly. “That’s because the geek is shy. He’s always been that way since first grade.”

  “Oh.” Karla balked at the sound of Maggie’s voice. It was the first time in months that she spoke to her nicely.

  “Well, we’ll see you later.” Ashley said. “The bell is going to ring.”

  Bewildered, Karla watched the two girls walk away. She never had a beef with Ashley in the past but Maggie, she was a different story. Now the way Maggie was acting was off character.

  “What was that about?” Darcy asked.

  “I don’t know but did you see how odd Maggie was acting?”

  “I did. I wonder what is up with her.”

  ***

  “Maggie, what is up with you today?” Ashley asked her friend just before entering the classroom. “You don’t seem yourself.”

  “I don’t know. I mean I do feel all right, but these meds the doctor gave me last week makes me feel woozy or something. I just can’t seem to wake up today. It’s not like I didn’t sleep last night either. I actually slept the best I’ve ever had. It was nice to be able to go to sleep for once. I’ve had insomnia for as long as I can remember.”

  “Maybe it will just take time for you to get use to them. Or maybe your body wants to make up for all that lost sleep.” Ashley said softly. She liked Maggie and knew her friend had had trouble sleeping for years.

  “So,” Maggie said changing the subject, “Tell me about last weekend. What happened with you and Neil?”

  “Oh, well we played pool.”

  “Oo, did you now?” Maggie elbowed her in the ribs.

  “No, not that kind of pool. We played you know pool with the balls and the pool sticks. It was me and Neil against Karla and Logan. It was fun, except for the part where Neil caught the kitchen on fire.”

  “He did what?”

  “He caught the kitchen on fire.”

  “How’d he do that?”

  “He was making popcorn for me and put too much oil and popcorn in the pot, and it splashed all over the burner and caught fire.”

  “So what happened? Did he get in trouble?”

  “Na, he folks were just, I don’t know, they just didn’t actually get that mad about it. Maybe because Karla put the fire out before it caught the whole house on fire.”

  “And how was he about her? Was she trying to get in-between the two of you to break you up?”

  “No, she wasn’t like that at all. She was more into Logan. I don’t know, but after last weekend, I think you have Karla all wrong. I don’t think she has any desire to take Neil away from me.”

  “Well, I’m pretty sure she would have before Logan came along.” Maggie disbelieved. “Just watch out if they ever break up. She’ll bury her claws right into Neil and take him away from you.”

  “Maggie, I really don’t think she is like that.”

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Chapter 21

  “Logan asked me to the dance, and I don’t know what to do…” Karla fussed to Darcy.

  “How can you not know what to do?” Darcy responded. “You are going aren’t you?”

  “First off I have to ask my dad and second I don’t know what to wear if I can go. Are you going? What should I wear?”

  “Of course I’m going. I have this dress in mind. They had it at Lambers the last time I checked. If it’s not there, well I have a backup one I picked out from TJ Max. It’s not as nice, but with the right accessory I could make it better.”

  Karla had been to Lambers just yesterday. She had known about the dance then but never said a word to her dad or Carrie, afraid that her dad would say no. She was sure she would have plenty of time to get back to Logan. The dance wasn’t until this Friday.

  Ever since last Friday when she had gone over to Neil’s she only could think about Logan. He called her every day just to talk for a short while. It was long enough to know he was interested in her. She learned that they had so much in common.

  They liked pasta and pizza, caramel swirl ice cream with skittles on top, mounds bars, hockey – favoring the same team – Tomahawks. They never won a championship cup, but that was all right with the two of them. This team was an underdog and part of a farm league. They believed that one day, one of those rookies would break out and make the big leagues and be great.

  Karla had never felt connected with a guy like this. It was like this with her friends Jody and Sarah back when they hung out together. Back when she lived in Medham, but she hadn’t heard from them much since she had moved six months ago. Now it seemed like eons ago.

  “Well you had better find out if you can go, and make it fast. Looks like someone is trying to make a move on Logan,” Heath pointed out.

  There was Maggie. Today she decided to join Ashley and Neil at lunch and took the seat right next to Logan. She was all smiles and giggly. Not the Maggie they all knew.

  “Damn it!” Karla scrunched her face. For the first time, she knew what it felt to be jealous. “Why does she hate me so much?”

  “Maggie hates everyone, including herself. She has always been that way. She thinks that you stole Gerry away from her,” Darcy explained.

  “But I didn’t. She can have him. Why does she have to go after Logan?”

  “Maggie can’t have Gerry, he’s in jail. He never liked her to begin with. If Logan goes to the dance with her, then you will know he is desperate. Even he knows what she is like. We all went through grade school with her,” Heath replied.

  Darcy said, “I think that even if he goes to the dance with her, you should go to it anyway. You never know, she might start a fight with him, and you would be there when it happens.”

  Karla knew that Darcy was right. She should go and enjoy herself. She would talk to her dad tonight.

  Chapter 22

  This was Neil’s first Valentine’s Day where he had a girlfriend. He had a lot to do this week before the dance. First he had an appointment with the DMV to take his driving test. His dad had agreed to take him. Afterwards, he had to pick out Ashley’s corsage and a matching shirt.

  He was glad that Ashley had stopped getting mad at him if he looked away from her to see Karla s
itting across the room. Having had them together at his house seemed to put her at ease. But that Maggie was complicating things. Logan was supposed to go to the dance with Karla, not Maggie, and now that whole plan was messed up.

  Logan said he was afraid that Karla had gotten cold feet and didn’t really want to go to the dance with him. Maggie had him playing right into her hands too when she told Logan that he wasn’t Karla’s type. Neil couldn’t believe that Logan believed her.

  He kind of felt sorry for Karla when Logan broke the news to her a day later. She didn’t seem surprised. But she did have a look of determination. He wondered what she was going to do. Maybe she had another guy lined up after all.

  The driving test went well and walked away with his license on the first try. His dad was quite proud of him. Now his dad wouldn’t have to run him all over the place, he could do it himself.

  Neil proudly showed his new license to his Uncle, and they picked out and ordered the tires for his car. It still needed a paint job, but the primer had been applied. The motor had been rebuilt and the new exhaust installed. It was likely to pass inspection. His plan was to put it on the road Friday so he would be able to take Ashley to the dance in his 1967 Barracuda Black on Fast Back.

  All week he worked at his Uncle’s garage. Ashley stayed off his case about spending to much time working on cars. She was busy with her friend Maggie, giving Neil a long overdue break. He also noticed that since last Friday she wasn’t as clingy as she had been. Apparently the double date had taken care of her insecurities.

  Come Friday Neil did his last minute running around. First he went and registered his car then he and his uncle did the inspection. The tires had come in the day before. They looked awesome, and he had chrome wheel covers. They looked out of place but sharp. They would be perfect for the car after it had its paint job.

  Last he had to pick up the corsage for Ashley and a little gift. He was sure she was going to love it.

  It was snowing, not a problem. He had lots of practice driving in the snow with his dad. Plus it wasn’t snowing that hard.

  The plan was, he would pick Ashley up at six. It was a dinner dance, the first one either of them had ever gone to. His mom kept fussing as she straightened up his tie that he was all grown up and how the prom was only about four months away.

  He knew she was fussing over nothing. He wouldn’t be graduating for another two years. But to his mom, that didn’t actually matter. It was tough being the only child.

  At a quarter of five, he was out the door and driving away in his car. He was careful of the snow coated roads. They were kind of slick in places, but he had no problem maintaining control with the tires he had picked out.

  Ashley wasn’t ready. He had to wait for fifteen odd minutes for her to finish up doing her hair. For those fifteen odd minutes, he waited while her Aunt kept him company in the living room. The woman rambled on about growing up in the fifties and the dances they had back then. He couldn’t tell if she was actually reminiscing, or if she seriously thought she was still living in the fifties.

  When Ashley finally appeared with her hair done up in this fancy styled braid, it took his breath away. She was beautiful. A blue strapless dress that came to her knees with matching three inch heels, now they were the same height.

  His nerves rattled inside his stomach while he placed the corsage on her wrist and helped her with her coat.

  It wasn’t a warm coat. It was more for dress than it was for function. His car had a great heater.

  He supported her by the hand and elbow on the way to the car to make sure she didn’t slip and fall in the snow. His dad had drilled him in the procedure before leaving the house. It never hurt to show your date that you could be a true gentleman, he had said while giving Neil’s tie one more inspection.

  It was six o’clock. The dance had started. With slick roads, they would be about fifteen minutes late. Ashley didn’t seem too concerned.

  Everything was going perfect until they were one block away from the school.

  Suddenly his steering wheel felt strange in his hands.

  “Hey look Neil, someone lost a wheel.” Ashley pointed to a tire that sped by them, seeming to come from nowhere.

  “Shit!” Neil began to panic. He immediately knew why the steering wheel was acting up. That was his tire.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Ashley, grab on to the wheel and help me steer. I can’t hold it by myself.” She seemed to hesitate, so Neil repeated again that she needed to help him. “Come on help me or we are going to crash.” He said desperately.

  Ashley grabbed onto the steering wheel with him. She didn’t seem to take him serious until they came to a skidding halt on the side of the road.

  “Shit, this is F-ck-ng bullshit.” Neil pounded his fists on the steering wheel.

  Ashley was oblivious to what had just happened. “Why are we stopping? We’re almost there; we’re going to be late.”

  Neil didn’t say a word. He got out of the car so he could inspect the damage to the front passenger side of the car. His tire lay on its side fifty yards away covered in snow. The rotor was probably damaged beyond repair. How could this have happened? It was a good thing he had his cellphone with him.

  Ashley got out of the car to see what the problem was, getting snow inside her dress shoes. “What happened to the wheel?” She tried to shake the snow off her shoe and almost lost it in the process.

  Was she blonde or what, Neil wondered.

  “Uncle Conner, I have a big problem.”

  Neil was on the phone for just a couple of minutes before Ashley began to walk away.

  “Hey where are you going?” He called after her.

  “I’m going to the dance. I don’t want to be late. You can stay there if you want, but I’m not going to wait around for a tow truck to show up.”

  Neil kicked the bumper of his car. His night was screwed.

  Neil stayed behind with his car and waited for his Uncle Conner to come by with the tow truck. It was a good fifteen minute wait. Ashley was long gone and probably at the dance by now. They had been only a block away from the school when his wheel let go.

  “What happened?” his uncle asked while he loaded the car onto his flat bed. “Where’s your girl?”

  “She left, she’s probably already at the dance.”

  “Humph… she went without you? That sucks.” Conner helped Neil secure the car on the trailer.

  “Yeah, she said she didn’t want to wait.”

  “Tell you what, you come back to the garage with me, we’ll get this off the trailer and I’ll give you a lift back to the dance.”

  What else was Neil to do?

  On the way back, they talked about how the tire could have suddenly fallen off. Apparently since Conner didn’t find any of the lug nuts around the car, and the wheel stems were a little bent but still intact, Neil must not have tightened all of his lugs.

  Due to the friction and vibration they worked their way off while he was en route to the dance, hence making his tire fall off.

  The only one Neil could blame was himself, he was the only one who had touch the lugs when he had put the new tires on.

  “I didn’t think I had to double check your work.”

  Neil frowned. He knew his uncle was never going to let him forget this. “I could have sworn I tightened all the lugs.”

  “Did you use the air gun?”

  “Yes…”

  “Well that explains it. When you use the air gun you actually need to go back over it with a torque wrench and make sure the lugs are tight.”

  Neil knew he would be beating himself up for this for months. Hopefully Ashley wouldn’t be adding to his misery.

  Chapter 23

  Ashley arrived at the dance and immediately spotted Maggie sitting at a far table with Logan. Plates of food were before them. They were engrossed in a conversation and appeared to be enjoying appetizers.

  She couldn’t believe that Maggie had gone and
snagged Logan away from Karla the way she had done. If Karla had been with Logan, then she wouldn’t have had to worry about her stealing Neil away from her. Why did Maggie have to go and screw things up?

  “Wow, Ashley you look really nice.” Logan held the back of her chair and waited for her to be seated. “Where is Neil?”

  “He will be here later. His car broke down.”

  Maggie asked, “How did you get here then?”

  “I walked. We were only a block away.”

  Logan slowly chewed his food while he listened to Ashley and Maggie.

  “So what happened to his car?”

  “I don’t know, I guess his tire fell off.”

  “Oh my God – did he crash it?”

  “No, not really – but he did have to call a tow truck to come get it.”

  Logan finally spoke up, “Is he still coming to the dance?”

  “I think so…” Ashley couldn’t think of any reason why he wouldn’t.

  They nibbled in silence until Maggie spotted Karla entering the room in a strapless light orchard dress that rode two inches above her knee. Her hair was done up with a couple of loose wisps of hair hanging down close to her ear lobes showing off long sparkling earrings. Matching two inch heels and a hand bag accompanied the outfit.

  “Karla is here.” Maggie announced.

  Ashley couldn’t help but turn around to see her. “God – look at that dress.”

  Logan asked, “Who’s she with?”

  Maggie didn’t answer right away. She kept watching to see if some mysterious guy came in behind her. Karla appeared to be alone but found Darcy standing with Heath near the table with the drinks.

  “I don’t know, maybe she is with Heath. That won’t go over good with Carol.” Maggie finally replied.