Wings From Ashes Trilogy

by Linda Nelson

  “Wait, is that Carol?” Ashley asked. She had turned her chair a bit so she could get a better view of the doorway. “I thought she wasn’t going to be back for a couple more months.”

  Maggie felt like sinking in her chair. Carol was the last person she wanted and expected to see. She was going to screw up her revenge on Karla. She was sure of it. Now it was obvious, Karla was there alone.

  Ashley picked at the food on her plate. This night was clearly messed up. Neil still wasn’t here, but Karla and Carol were. The evening was going downhill fast.

  On the other side of the room, a group of friends were never happier to see each other. When Heath had told Darcy and Karla that he had a date for tonight, they never actually took him seriously since he wouldn’t say whom he was taking to the dance. And since Heath showed up without Carol they were willing to challenge the fact that he even had a date for the night.

  “Carol…” Karla threw her arms around Carol’s neck and gave her a big hug. “What are you doing here?”

  “Carol exchanged hugs with Darcy and Karla while replying, “I’m home until tomorrow for a visit. They gave me permission to come to the dance, but my dad had to drop me off and he has to pick me up afterwards. Then I have to be back at the house by five tomorrow night.”

  “They let you leave for the weekend?” Darcy asked. “I thought you weren’t allowed to go home at all.”

  “It is a privilege. You have to earn privileges there.” Carol explained.

  “So how much longer do you have to be there?” Karla asked.

  “I have two more stages to make, and then I can come home and go back to school.”

  “How is that going to work out? Are you going to have to stay back because you missed so much school?” Darcy questioned.

  “Actually I haven’t missed any school. I’ve been doing school work there. It’s like being homeschooled and I get credit too. So I won’t have to stay back.” Carol turned to Karla, “So who is your date?”

  “I don’t have one.”

  “What do you mean?” Carol looked questioningly at Darcy. “I thought you said she had a date for the dance.”

  “Well she did but didn’t get back to him in time. He is Maggie’s date.”

  Carol looked to where Darcy motioned to look across the room. “Logan? Oh give me a break. That is just pathetic. She could have done better than that.”

  “I’m sure Maggie asked him out on purpose. “ Darcy said.

  “I think so too.” Karla added.

  “I wasn’t talking about Maggie, I was talking about you.” Maggie said to Karla.

  “Me? What’s wrong with Logan? He’s a really nice guy.”

  “He’s a geek.”

  “So…” Karla stammered.

  “So, you could have asked …” Carol looked about the room for a suitable candidate for Karla. Neil walked into the room. “Him… he’s new isn’t he?”

  “Yeah, so, he’s Ashley’s date.” Karla said defensively.

  “You’re kidding me?”

  “No, she’s not.” Darcy said. “They’ve been going out for about a month.”

  “Hmm.” Carol looked like the wheels were turning inside her head. “We’ll have to see about that.”

  The last thing Karla wanted was for Carol to start a scene. “Don’t be doing anything. I’m all right with this. Really…”

  “Oh I won’t be making a scene. But I’m sure Maggie will be. You just wait. I’m sure of it.”

  Chapter 24

  “Glad you could make it.” Maggie said to Neil while he took his seat next to Ashley.

  He answered her with a glare. He was still pretty pissed about Ashley taking off on him the way she did. He considered her to be lucky that he didn’t say the hell with it and stay home instead.

  “Is your car going to be alright? Did you manage to borrow another one, or am I going to have to find another way home?” Ashley added her words to the fire.

  Neil rolled his eyes. If the night was going to continue this way, then he might just as well consider leaving early. “My car is going to need a new rotor. My Uncle dropped me off, and he said he would pick us up. All I have to do is call him when we are ready to leave.”

  “Oh wonderful,” Ashley responded.

  “You do know that you are not the only one affected by this, it’s my car, and now I have another thing to fix on it.”

  “Your car is a piece of shit.” Ashley said.

  If she was going to insult him for the rest of the night, and think he was going to put up with it, she had better think again. Neil was not up for insults.

  “My car is a classic and I do plan of rebuilding it and showing it.”

  “It’s not a classic; it’s a piece of junk. I can’t believe you decided to pick me up in a car that is in that kind of shape. You could have killed me.”

  “Neil, I’m going to go get drinks for me, and Maggie, want to come?”

  “I think so; the air is a bit stuffy in here.” Neil glared at Ashley.

  Maggie asked, “What the hell are you doing? I thought you wanted to be with him?”

  “I did until he showed up at my house with that piece of junk. He could have at least borrowed his dad’s car. Do you know how embarrassed I was when I had to get into his piece of junk? The dude is nothing but a loser. I’ll probably leave early without him – or he’ll leave first.”

  Maggie let her eyes travel across the room to where Carol was sitting. A large group of girls had begun to gather around Carol and Karla’s table to welcome Carol back to school. That is, except for Maggie.

  Then she saw Carol nudge Karla when Neil got to the drink table. She knew what they were up to, especially when Karla followed through and got up from the table to go get a drink only to stop beside Neil and exchange smiles. “That bitch…”

  Ashley looked toward where Maggie was watching. “What’s wrong?”

  “Karla is moving in on your man.”

  “She can have the loser for all I care, and his junk car too.”

  “The only one who is a loser here is you Ashley. I worked hard to get the two of you together. Now you’re going to stop acting like a bitch and go get your man back.”

  Maggie added insult to injury. “All your hard work? What the hell – Maggie you didn’t do a thing to help me get Neil. I’m the one who asked him out. Not you. I’m the one who kept him from looking at Karla all the time.”

  “And if I hadn’t gotten in Karla’s face about him then she would have gotten him before you.” Maggie argued. Her head was pretty clear tonight. Now she could see how Ashley had used her. She hadn’t seen it until after that doctor made her start taking that mind clogging medication, which she had refused to take tonight. She had wanted to be sharp and ready in case Karla gave her trouble. She never realized that the trouble would come from Ashley. The girl was supposed to be her friend. Now she knew she had been using her the whole time.

  “Karla never was interested in Neil. The one she actually liked you stole from her.” Ashley continued to argue.

  Their argument heated up causing those who were close to cast quick glances in their direction.

  “Logan, you’re kidding me. The guy is such a geek. Karla was never seriously interested in him except to get him to help her do her homework. Karla likes jocks like Gerry.” There, Maggie had said it. She hadn’t mentioned Gerry’s name in over a week. It still seemed like yesterday that she saw Karla standing beside Gerry on Ian’s porch drinking that hard lemonade.

  She wondered why Carol was able to come back to the school, but Gerry wasn’t able to. It just wasn’t fair.

  Ashley tried to stop Maggie in mid-sentence with a kick under the table, but it didn’t work. She missed her leg and hit the leg of the table instead. It was too late. Logan was standing right behind her when she mentioned what a geek he was.

  He took it rather well and didn’t dump the drink on Maggie as Ashley figured he would have done. Or rather she would have done if she had bee
n in his shoes. Instead, he took his seat next to Maggie and behaved like he never heard a word she had said.

  It made Ashley wonder if Logan was either stupid, desperate, or deaf – or all of the above.

  Neil, on the other hand, had remained standing next to the table with the drinks talking to Karla. Ashley furrowed her brow in response. She thought about getting up and leaving right then and there, but decided against it. She would stay and make the best of it. The night was still young.

  It was time to go reclaim her man.

  Ashley stormed across the room. She knew Maggie was right once again. Like she was always right when it came to guys, it just took a bit before it sunk in before Ashley felt she had to act.

  “Can I have my drink?” Ashley snorted at Neil. “I’ve been waiting and waiting. You said you would be right back. I didn’t think you were going to stand here and start flirting with Karla.”

  “You know what – here’s your drink.” Neil replied. “I’m breaking up with you. Find another ride home.” He handed Ashley her drink.

  “You can’t break up with me; we have a date, remember?”

  Karla stepped away from the couple and joined the table where Carol, Heath, and Darcy sat.

  “Just because we have a date doesn’t mean I can’t break it and break up with you. I’ve had it up to here.” He gestured to the top of his chin. “You and your attitude – you treat me like shit and I know I don’t deserve it. I have been nothing but nice to you. I’m tired of not being able to talk to my friends. And, for your own information, just because I am friends with a girl does not mean that I’m going to go running off with them. What kind of guy to you think I am?”

  Ashley felt her lower lip trembling. This was not going the way she had planned. All the eyes in the room were on her. Neil made it sound like she was self-centered, a selfish bitch. That wasn’t her not really. But if it weren’t for Karla she wouldn’t be acting like this.

  She couldn’t think. All she could do was feel the pain stabbing into her heart. Was this what it was supposed to feel like when someone broke your heart?

  There was no way she was going to be able to go back and face Maggie. There was only one thing she could do.

  Ashley fled from the room, out the building and into the parking lot. Tears streamed down her face. Humiliated – she was going home.

  Maggie could hear Ashley and Neil arguing all the way across the room just like everyone else. She couldn’t believe he did that. That he had broken up with her in front of everyone. How could he do such a thing to her friend?

  She looked at Logan who sat baffled by what had just happened. She half expected him to go there and put a stop to it, but he never got up instead he just sat there watching the whole thing take place just as she had.

  Why was she always the one who had to come to her friend’s rescue?

  Maggie approached Neil as soon as she saw Ashley run from the room. “What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you know how much she loves you?” Maggie jabbed a stiff index finger into his chest making her point clear.

  Neil batted her hand away. “When you love someone you do not treat them like crap. You don’t order them around like a slave or expect them to give you the world on a platter. We are done – over, and that’s final.”

  “You’re willing to give up your relationship with Ashley because of her?” Maggie pointed her finger at Karla. “She is the biggest skank in this school.”

  Neil’s eyes followed Maggie’s gesture to where Karla sat next to Carol. He could not help but see Karla holding Carol back. There was fire in her friend Carol’s eyes.

  Neil stepped back. He knew a fight might possible break out in the next few moments. “Get away from me you nut case. I know all about you. You are lucky my friend Logan agreed to take you to this dance as a favor for me.”

  “What – a favor for you?”

  “Yeah, he lost a bet about Karla. He didn’t think she liked him. Come to find out she liked him a lot more than any guy she has ever liked.”

  Maggie looked behind her to where Logan sat. Or had been sitting, he was gone now. What the hell was wrong with this night? Where had Ashley gone? Was he outside consoling her? First Karla now Ashley, she was supposed to be her friend, not a man stealer.

  “Where did Ashley go?” Maggie asked.

  “Probably home – is my guess.” Neil replied. “Maybe you should go home too.”

  Maggie turned and raised her hand to strike Neil across his face, but he was ready for it and caught her arm in mid swing.

  The two Teacher chaperones stepped in. “Maggie, it is time for you to leave.” One of the teachers said.

  “I took the liberty to call your mom; she is on her way and should be here any minute to pick you up.” The other teacher added.

  As the teachers escorted Maggie from the room, applause broke out being started by Carol. It continued to grow across the room before Maggie reached the door way. Everyone applauded Neil for standing up to not only Ashley but also to Maggie.

  Chapter 25

  Karla couldn’t believe what she was seeing and hearing. First off, she was confused by the way Ashley stormed over to where she had just moments ago been standing talking to Neil. She saw her coming and could tell by the look on her face that it was time to walk away. Ashley looked like she meant business.

  But for Neil to dump his girlfriend right there in the middle of the room for all to hear. Karla couldn’t believe that he had just done that. Apparently, from the looks of it Ashley couldn’t believe it either.

  As soon as Ashley ran out Karla was about to reproach Neil about his reaction to Ashley. She planned on telling him that he had been to blunt. She also wanted to tell him that he could have, and should have, waited until after the dance to break up with her, if that was what he had intended to do all along. But just as she went to stand up, Carol stopped her by grabbing on to her arm, pulling her back down in her seat. She looked questioningly at her, wondering why she would stop her.

  Carol quietly answered her questioning look with a nod toward Maggie’s direction. She was on her way over to Neil. She looked like she meant business too. Karla swallowed. Maggie looked pissed.

  Their table was well within earshot. They heard every word Neil had said about Logan and the bet he had made. Karla felt indignant. How could he make a bet about her – especially her feelings of all things? She thought he was her friend; instead she felt like nothing more than a pawn in a game of Kings and Queens.

  When Maggie had raised her hand to strike him across the face, Karla sort of wanted her to connect, just because of this bet he had mentioned. He had made her feel betrayed.

  “How could he make a bet about me?” Karla asked Carol.

  Carol laughed at her, “Because you are an easy target.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Just face it Karla, some people find you easy to read. It was apparent to Neil that you liked Logan. Me, I would never have pinned you for being interested in that geek after the way you wanted Gerry.”

  Karla’s face felt hot, she knew it had to be pretty red. Even months later she found that just the mention of Gerry’s name embarrassed her.

  “He was just a phase.”

  “Is Logan a phase too?”

  Karla shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “So how are you going to find out if you let a little bet make you upset? You could use it to your advantage and play them back. It’s kind of like playing the field.”

  “What are you saying?”

  Carol reached out and smacked Karla on top of her head. “Der girl, ask Neil out and if you can’t do that then dance with him tonight.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Yeah, why not Karla,” Darcy asked.

  “Because…” Karla stumbled trying to think up a reason, but nothing came to her.

  Carol grinned.

  Neil was on his way back to his table to sit w
ith Logan. Carol bolted after him and returned shortly with not only him but Logan too. “I asked them to join us,” she explained.

  “There’s not enough room.” Karla mumbled.

  This was quickly rectified by Heath and a few other students who helped them rearrange their table by adding another one to it giving them more space. Carol insisted that Logan sit on one side of Karla and Neil was to sit on the other side of her.

  Karla couldn’t believe that Carol was doing this to her. She now found herself sandwiched between two guys, both of whom she liked very much.

  When the band started playing after everyone finished their meal, Karla sat there immobile. She watched Carol and Heath get up from the table to slow dance leaving her behind with Darcy, Logan and Neil.

  Darcy’s boyfriend never made it to the dance. She had told Karla before they left that he probably wouldn’t be able to make it. He had to work tonight, and there was no way he could get the time off. Her friend seemed to handle this news well and made the best of being at the dance by asking Logan to dance with her. This left Karla and Neil alone at the table.

  He extended a hand as soon as Logan reached the floor with Darcy.

  Karla hesitated, but took hold of his hand and let him escort her onto the dance floor.

  Neil placed one hand gently at her waist and the other hand he placed at her back pulling her closer to his body making her face close to his shoulder. She heard Carol’s words in her head about playing the field and gave in to resting her head on his shoulder while they danced.

  Just by feeling his touch seemed to trigger all sorts of bodily reactions. Her stomach tightened up, and her heart began to race. The memory of the night she had been at his place when he had tutored her came back to her when she had almost kissed him. Now she found her lips inches from his while she looked up into his eyes.

  When his gaze met hers, his lips met hers too. She felt instant fireworks, and didn’t want the kiss to end. He responded, and pulled her tighter against his body. This was the kiss that wasn’t supposed to happen. Karla reminded herself that he wasn’t her type, Logan was. But it did make her ponder once again as to what type of guy she liked. Why was she attracted to Neil if he wasn’t her type?