***
We are startled awake by a loud chiming. In my barely lucid state, I assume it’s Liliana’s phone in Kiel’s possession, I ignore it. My attempt to snuggle closer to Kiel is thwarted when my phone appears in front of me in his hand.
The caller ID doesn’t show a name, but I answer anyway (barely lucid, remember?).
“Hello?” I say sleepily.
“Ash! Ashlyn,” I hear a slurred female voice say.
“Who’s this?” though I should’ve known. I've answered this particular kind of phone call on numerous occasions since getting my driver’s license.
“It’s Rey—” a burp interrupts. “Reyna. Oh God—”
I hear retching in the background. Holding the phone away from my ear, I grimace. Kiel mutters, “Disgusting.”
“Ash, bestie. You gotta come get me. I'm—” interrupted by more retching, I think caustically. “I'm all by myself.”
“How am I supposed to come get you?” I ask.
“In your c—” she burps loudly, “—ar.”
“Reyna, I—” but she cuts me off. I've been pretty polite, considering the current state of our relationship. In her drunken state, she’s forgotten some key points.
“ASH-LYN! Come—” another appalling burp, “Get. Me. Now!” then dead silence.
“Mom!” I holler, knowing this isn’t going to sound sane…
***
Kiel
“What?” a groggy, robe-wearing Mrs. Ramos says, followed by an equally groggy Mr. Ramos.
“I gotta go retrieve Reyna.” She drops it on them like Little Boy on Hiroshima. No preamble.
“Ashlyn,” her dad starts in. “Do you think that’s a good idea?” He yawns to punctuate his question.
“I'll drop her off at her house. She said she’s got no one. She probably ticked everyone else off. As usual.”
“Mr. Ramos, I'll take her to get Reyna,” I offer. He nods sagely.
“That’s probably best. Drive carefully,” he warns me.
“Yes sir,” I reply. I hear a yawned “points” from Ashlyn’s mom as she ambles back to bed.
I text Lili. Two birds, one stone. Her night’s ending as well.
KIEL!!!! I can practically hear the whined two-syllable inflection in my head in her flaming reply.
I look at Ash, sitting curled in the passenger seat. “I hope this is a good idea. You're notches above nice for doing this.”
“Always have been,” she sighs.
“As long as you know,” I joke and smile at her. She grins and tilts her head at me.
“You are too, you know,” Ashlyn states.
She's right. Lord knows there's no way I would’ve willingly left that couch with the press of her body (wearing my shirt, no less) against mine. I hadn’t wanted to leave that blanket of stars earlier either. I don’t think I will ever peer into the night sky the same way after having kissed her under it.
Not to mention how she affects me physically. Not just bodily. Being near her, like now with her only inches away. One completely surmountable center console away.
I glance over at her in the darkness as we’re making our way out of town. The levity from seconds ago is gone, replaced by a troubled expression. I'm reminded of earlier, when I pulled us over and got distracted, that she had something bothering her.
“You ready to tell me yet?” I ask her, reminding her.
“Reyna…” she pauses, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. “Reyna said some things to me after the game.” I'm already worried.
Ash watches the town pass by for a minute, then turns back to me. “Did you flirt with Reyna—before we were together?”
“Is that all she said, Ash?” I ask. I've doubted her, so I'm going to let her voice her concerns.
“Nope.”
“Tell me, babe,” I encourage her.
“She said that you said I wasn’t good enough…for you or your family.” She says it so miserably that I'm tempted to pull off the road again to disprove that load of bull. But I don’t want this topic to be lost underneath the stars a second time.
“Ashlyn. Yeah, I did flirt with her—”
“You did?” she asks, incredulous. “What about the other part?”
“I did say that to her, but—”
“Oh no. No. No. No.” she mumbles to herself.
“Ash, babe,” I try to get her attention. Note to self: Never attempt a lead-in ever with Ashlyn. Shoot straight for the explanation, otherwise beware of interruption.
“Not good enough? I guess I should’ve seen this coming…I should’ve known at your house that day.” I can’t see her face, but her emotions are clear in her voice. The emotions I heard immediately were anger, sadness, and disbelief. Anger was definitely winning out.
“Ashlyn, you need to settle—” In my defense, I did try to stop myself from saying those words…
“Settle down, huh? I don’t know what kind of game this is, you getting close to Reyna before we started to go out, then popping the “L” word out at me less than a month later, and how much you trust me, and how you are all highhanded in the morality department!” I'm seriously trying to follow along here, but she’s talking faster and faster.
“Ash, I do—”
“How could you do that to me? Say those things to Reyna?” Her temper is cooling, moving her toward sadness and disbelief.
“Listen, I didn’t mean it like how you're taking it…” I try to get in an explanation, but she's not ready to listen.
“You're the one who said it! None of this makes any sense!” she moans. “You going from blaming me for my social issues to loving me within days? It’s insane!”
The basically one-sided argument is out of control, in a downward spiral, digging a deeper hole. And the party field is in sight. There are one or two trucks in the actual field and still quite a few cars in the parking area. As is an extremely inebriated Reyna, puking her guts out by a still-lit burn can. Fan-freaking-tastic.
I cannot see any decent outcomes for this situation. The girl dragging her sorry butt toward us is horrifying. I can see puke on her face and in her hair from a distance. Assuming she's been like this for a while, I can see why everyone’s refused her a ride. Not that that excuses their sorry butts either.
I text Lili to hurry up. Laughing to myself, I realize Liliana gets the distinct pleasure of sitting with Hot Mess lurching toward us. I won’t think it’s funny when we (mostly me) have to drag Reyna’s wretched self into my pristine Wrangler. Liliana comes strutting our way, blowing past Reyna with disdain.
“Hey, you!” Reyna spouts at Lili. “Tha’s myride.”
Lili, to her credit, does a double take. On a second look at Reyna, her eyes are full of pity and reproach. Lili shakes her head and hops into the Jeep from the back.
“Oh hell!” I grumble, getting out to hunt down those towels and move my chair forward.
Lili looks indignant. “You're kidding, right? You're giving that a ride? She's been talking smack about you two all night.”
“Trust me, neither of us wants to be doing this. Especially me,” I tell her. Ash hasn’t spoken since we arrived. Lili, unfailingly rude, notices.
“What’s wrong with your girl, Kiel?”
“Lili, shut it,” I warn.
“Oh, this night can’t get any more tragic. You two fighting. Sitting back here with puke-zilla, spew queen. Yay, me,” she says sarcastically.
“Ash,” I say. “Help me get Girl Wonder in.”
Reyna is leaning with her butt pressed to my back tire. We manage to drag her in. She's lightweight, thank God. But it’s all dead weight. She giggle-burps and flops her head to see Lili.
“Who tha hell are—” Reyna’s cheeks bloat out. I panic for the longest three seconds of my life. Her cheeks resume their normal shape. I think she swallowed it, making me retch a little myself at the thought. “Who thahell are you?”
“Oh, God help me. Is she gonna talk to me the whole ride? ‘Cause damn! She smells like home
less dudes under the bridge.”
Reyna giggles, insensible. Lili is typing on Kiel’s phone like a woman possessed. Then I see a few flashes. I'm torn between sympathy for Reyna’s foolishness and a sense of fairness. Lili will be spreading the pictures on several sites, probably already is.
“Ash?” Reyna belches out. Ugh. “Ashy? I gotta tellyousomethin,” she slurs.
***
Ashlyn
I cannot believe I brought it up! The bile Reyna literally spewed on the ground was nowhere near as vile as those few words she spoke to me at the game. I could’ve kept it in. Maybe saved it for another less perfect day. And here we are, with the very beast who has my thoughts all twisted.
Kiel and I had dumped her unceremoniously in the backseat where she remained slumped. The seatbelt is riding on her chin and partway on her mouth awkwardly. Not that it stops her from trying to convey “something” to me.
“Ashy, my bestie in the whole whiteworld,” she said. Did she just say whole white world? “Can you keeppa secret? Of courseyoucan! Ashy. I'm pre-net…pren-get…PREG-NIT!”
My jaw drops. Peering over, Kiel’s lips are parted in shock as well, but his eyes are focused ahead. Liliana is stifling her laughter poorly. Snorts escape. Liliana’s fingers are flying rapidly over her phone’s screen. I can’t find the will to care what she sends to whom.
“Lili, can you shut it? And stop posting that crap using my phone!” Kiel growls.
“Reyna?” I say cautiously, ignoring the sibling rivalry. I'm afraid she'll snap out of her drunken stupor and recall her supposed hate for me. “Are you going to have a baby?” I ask slowly.
“Nah, silly! I'm gettin’ uh aborshun, Ashy!”
“ReyRey.” I start to call her by the nickname I gave her in elementary school before I can stop myself. I feel sad for her. “Reyna, does your dad know?”
“Ashy, yer too funny.”
“Kiel,” I whisper, turning away from the train wreck behind me.
“No whisp’rin’!” she chastises us and giggle-burps again to Liliana’s chagrin. Kiel is twitchy and ready to swerve off to the shoulder, just in case.
“Kiel, should we take her home? Tell her dad? This is craziness.” I whisper, despite Reyna’s continued admonitions from the backseat.
“I say, dump her in the front yard and run. We can leave a note if there’s paper in my glove compartment or console,” he does not whisper back.
“Dump her?” Reyna asks, poking her thumb in Lili’s direction. Lili keeps typing.
I'm actually near to bursting out in tears. My ex-best friend is trashed and pregnant in the backseat. On one hand I'm glad it’s not me in her situation. On the other, I’d almost trade places with her for the sake of her unborn baby’s life. And the argument I instigated was on pause so we could be her handlers.
The tears are falling now for the friend I’ve lost and the relationship I'm trying to wreck. All of her doing, but it makes no difference at—what time was it anyway? Who freaking cares?
Kiel grabs my hand and squeezes it. I know we need to talk, but he’s here supporting me regardless. I had almost forgotten Liliana until she snorted at us.
“Hey, Ashy?” Reyna says, sounding tired all the sudden. “Can yer mom make muffins for breakfas’?”
“Seriously?” Liliana says, insulted enough for all of us. “She is cray-cray.”
“Yeah, she is,” I reply, even though it was obviously rhetorical. The rest of the way to Reyna’s house is blessedly quiet because she’s passed out cold.
***
The patrol car is in the driveway when we arrive at Reyna’s house. I decide it’s best to forego Kiel’s plan in lieu of a more humanitarian approach. I also decide to have this chat with Officer Castro first. Then he can get her out of the Jeep his dang self.
It occurs to me that this will appear to be revenge or a set up. Looking down at my phone, I pull up the call logs as proof that she called me. That still looks suspicious. Oh well. Getting it over with is my only concern. I stuff my phone into my back pocket.
Doorbell or knock, I ponder. Ok, now I'm only stalling. Deep breath and I ring the bell. Wait. Repeat. Wait. I'm ready to give Kiel’s plan a shot. Finally, the stupid door swings open.
I'm peering up at Reyna’s dad through the screen door. Crap! I freeze up.
“Yes, Miss Ramos? It’s 3:00 a.m.” Well, at least now I know…
Deep breath.
“Mr. er Officer Castro. Hi, um, I'm not sure how to tell you this…after…you know…” I hitch my thumb over my shoulder. “I brought your daughter home. Well, Kiel drove her, but she called me—” I'm basically rambling.
Kiel’s idea is seeming like it really was the better of the options.
“Miss Ramos,” he stops my rambling. “Thank you. Goodnight.”
“No, um, I mean—”
“I'm pretty sure I can handle it from here.” Mr. Castro is halfway to the Jeep when I grab his arm (nice guns BTW…ew).
“Look, just give me five seconds, OK?”
“Five seconds. Go.” I’d be grouchy too at 3:00 a.m. My own bed is suffering withdrawals.
“She’s super toasted, so she forgot she hates me and called me to get her. Then she told us she's pregnant.” Subtlety is not my strong suit. “I'm not saying Reyna’s even lucid or knows for a fact hersef. This is…awkward. I'll just…” I glance away and let him go. He continues on his path to reclaim his semi-conscious daughter.
He tries to hide his concern, but it’s there. I hope one day she will see how great she has it. Don’t get me wrong, I love my step-dad, but bio-dads should stick around. Reyna had her original dad all to herself.
As we back out, none of us waves or is told a real thank you. It’s a sobering moment. I helped deliver a sad sack of a daughter to her upstanding-member-of-society father.
If Reyna remembers what happened tonight, the fallout should be interesting.
***
Kiel drops Liliana off at her friend’s house and drives me home. Exhaustion wracks my body with shivers every time I breathe deep, which is only slightly less annoying than the face-contorting yawns. The tired look on me is not pretty.
We haven't really spoken since he laughed at my ineptitude at subtlety with Officer Castro. At my house, he leans over and kisses my brow. The sweetness of the gesture is ruined by another of my ugly yawns. He chuckles.
His face is inches from mine as he smooths back my now-tragic excuse for a ponytail. He leaves his hand cupped under my cheek. Every foul thing Reyna said fades away in his dark brown eyes.
Chapter 22
Kiel
Staring into Ashlyn’s eyes, it’s easy to forget all the screwed up crap from today and focus on us. Here. Now. To be lost in this point in time, like a single star in an endless sky.
To forget Reyna’s drunken revelations and all the problems she's caused.
I brush back strands of her tangled, yet beautiful, hair and leave my hand tucked under her cheek. I move my thumb back and forth on her soft skin. She needs to get to bed; I need to let her go. But she isn’t moving, and I can’t tell her goodnight.
Why is it so hard to pull away, break this spell? Until the porch lights flicker. Ashlyn’s parents are waiting up.
Moving my eyes from her face, reluctantly, she gets it.
“Ash, I don’t want to say goodnight; I don’t want to leave you without explaining.”
“Then don’t,” she pleads. “Come back through the window.”
There's only a few hours until dawn. I'll take what I can get with her. But I doubt we’ll be talking—or anything other than sleeping.
“Ok.”
She hugs me tightly and literally climbs out, too tired to hop like she usually does. I drive a few blocks down to a church parking lot and walk back to her house. This gives me an opportunity to think.
Thanks to her fateful car accident, I met Ashlyn. I mean, I would’ve met her anyway but under very different circumstances. I wonder if I could have fal
len for the still-popular version of Ashlyn that I glimpsed back in May. Honestly? Yes. It may have taken longer, though.
But maybe not at all…
Which goes to show, the paths we take may twist, but we end up where we should be. Right now, I should be with the very beautiful, wonderful, sweet girl waiting (likely asleep) for me in her room.
There are plenty of things I need to tell her about myself. However, holding her in my arms is my number one priority. As long as she’ll let me.
***
I tap on her window, but she doesn’t come to let me in. Trying it, it opens and I climb in. As I suspected, Ash is curled up on top of her covers like she couldn’t even keep her eyes open long enough to pull the comforter back.
Not sure what to do, I sit on Brisa’s bed and watch her. Her messy ponytail is still in place, so I go to her and remove it as gently as I can. One of her eyes cracks open. I finish tugging out the elastic and sit down on her bed.
“I missed you,” she murmurs. I chuckle.
“It’s only been a few minutes.”
“Feels like forever.”
She has a valid point, so I don’t argue. Ashlyn pats the bed in invitation to lie down. Once we’re lying face-to-face she whispers, “Kiel, about earlier…”
“Shh. Not tonight, babe. Sleep, OK?” I move my arm that’s tucked under my head until it’s under her neck. Rolling to my back, I pull her with me so she's tucked into the crook of my arm.
We’re still lying on top of the comforter, but that’s not gonna change. As I'm drifting off to sleep, I hope Ashlyn’s parents aren’t the type to check in on her before they head off to work.
***
It was a vain hope. We wake to a light tapping.
“Crap!” Ashlyn grumbles and quietly gets me to her closet, not completely closing it, before groaning and stumbling to her door. She opens it wide.
“Mom, what time is it?” she asks almost coherently, with one of her huge yawns.
“I wanted to check on you before I left.”
“Right, Mom.”
“You look like…um—”
“Like I got hit by a dump truck last night. Got it. Thanks.” I cover my chuckle; her hair was sticking up everywhere…
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