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CHAPTER NINE

~~~ Ashley's P.O.V. ~~~

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. I was so furious with Stacey. How dare she tell everyone it was my birthday today? She knows I hate my birthday.

I was glad that Jim had overheard them planning about a surprise party for me. So I asked him to tell everyone that I wasn't home and I locked myself in my room answering no calls. If it wasn't for him, I would have been facing them all with no answers to give. It would have made them all so curious.

Especially Raymond.

I sighed and pulled my earplugs out of the bedside drawer when I heard a knock on the door.

"Cupcake. Someone's here to see you!" Jim said from the other side of the door.

Popping out of my bed, I unlocked my door and I was surprised as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around me.

"Happy Birthday sweetie!"

"Nicole! Thanks so much." I said hugging her back. It had completely slipped out of my mind that Stacey's mom was going to arrive today.

"It's such a pleasant surprise!" I said shutting the door behind me and leading her towards the bed.

"What better occasion could I chose!" She smiled at me.

"It's not an 'occasion'" I frowned sitting beside her.

"Stop hurting yourself sweetie." Her eyes looked sad. As if reflecting my own emotions in them. I rested my head in her lap and she caressed my hair.

It felt good to be there.

"Ash, forget what happened and just be happy. It hurts to see you like this." She softly said.

"I just can't."

"Something tells me you can. But you don't want to."

"Everything, everyone reminds me of that day, Nicole. As hard as I try, those images, they never leave my mind!" I said trying to explain what it felt like. Nicole wasn't my mother. But she did what my own mother didn't do. She was the only person who was always there with me.

"You know, when Stacey's dad left me, it was very hard for me to move on. Just like you said, everything reminded me of him and the time we spent together. I hated those memories even though they were the happy ones. Whenever I looked at Stace I felt hatred for the man.

But you know what I did then?

I changed the way I looked at things. I was grateful of every little thing that reminded me of him because in a way, I felt safe now that he wasn't with me. He couldn't hurt me or cheat me anymore. I looked at Stace as a gift. That man left me but I had Stace and I had my entire life ahead of me.

Sweetie, you need to change your way of thought too. For your own good."

"I am trying, trust me." I got up and took her hand in mine, "I was happy today morning. This guy Raymond somehow managed to make me. But then by the end of school I came to know about some surprise party they were planning and it infuriated me!" I pouted.

She chuckled, "You're such a kid."

"He's sweet, Raymond." I told Nicole.

Nicole smiled at me before getting up to leave.

"I'll freshen up. Good night sweetie!"

"'Night!"

Since Nicole left me with a good mood, I turned on my laptop and called Jason.