Saving Me

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye Pt. 1

Ashley's POV

"Baby your phones ringing." I feel Spencer shake me from my sleep.

"Hmm?" I mumble out sleepily.

"Your phone... it keeps ringing." She tells me and I can feel her shift to sit up beside me. She reaches over me and grabs my phone off the dresser.

"Who is it?" I ask, keeping my eyes closed.

"I don't know. There's no name. It's a 310 number. Isn't that..." I grab the phone out of her hand, knowing that it's none other than Raife calling.

"Hello." I answer.

"Hey Ashley, it's your dad... I mean Raife." He corrects himself quickly. "I'm just calling to see if you're ready to go." He says and I sit up completely.

"What?" I ask confused. I thought we were leaving tomorrow.

"I'm checking to see..."

"I heard what you said." I say snappy, cutting him off. I look at my phone to see it's only 8:30p.m. When did we fall asleep? "Why are we leaving so soon?" I ask.

"I have meetings to attend in LA in couple of days and I want to get you settled before them." He says and I can hear the happiness in his voice. It makes me feel kinda bad that I'm trying to think of any and every way to get out of going with him. He has to understand that this is much bigger than just a dad trying to give his daughter a better life. My whole life is in this place. I can't just leave it behind. "Mr. Parish and I are on the way we'll be there in less than twenty minutes." He says and I jump up from the bed.

"What's wrong?" Spencer whispers to me.

"You can't come today. I still haven't said goodbye to all my friends and Kyla... I just I need more time." I tell him frantically.

"He's coming now?" I hear a rushed voice say behind me. I turn and see Stacy, Madison and Rachael all sitting up on their beds.

"Ashley, it really needs to be today. We have a lot of things to take care of once we're back in Los Angeles. I'll be there in twenty minutes, Ms. Heevy already knows of my arrival." He says.

"Raife please." I try but realize he's already hung up. "Fuck!" I scream out in frustration.

"He's coming right now?" Spencer asks from the bed. I nod and she drops her head. I immediately bend down to eye level with her.

"I'm gonna figure something out Spence, I just need to think." I say slapping the palm of my hand against my forhead.

"It's too late." She says softly. "There's no more time." She shakes her head and gets up from the bed.

"Spencer please." I call out to her but she just continues walking out the door.

"She's just confused and hurt right now. I'm sure she'll be back to say goodbye." Stacy tells me.

"It shouldn't have to be goodbye." I say taking a seat on her bed.

"Everything's gonna be fine Ash. The universe can't hate you this much." Madison says with a small smile trying to lighten the mood.

"Well it seems I've done something to piss it off so I wouldn't be surprised." I shake my head before falling flat on my back on Spencer's bed.

"Maybe this is a test or something." Rachael blurts out.

"A test of what?" I ask sitting back up.

"I don't know." She shrugs. "Everyone else was giving some wise words and that was the first thing I thought of." She says and we all burst out laughing at her. Rachael always did have a way with words...

"I'm gonna miss you guys so much." I say after the laughing has died down.

"We're gonna miss you too!" Madison says getting up and coming to sit next to me. "But you can call and write and come visit whenever you can and we'll try and do the same." She adds.

"I promise. Every weekend that I can, I'll be here." I assure them. They all give me a small sad smile. My mind drifts to Spencer and how hard this must be for her. She promised me that she would never leave me and she's kept that promise, I'm the one breaking it.

"We'll take care of her." Stacy says, reading my mind.

"Thanks Stace." I say standing up. "I guess I should pack." I think aloud. After spending about fifteen minutes packing, everyone helped me bring my bags down stairs.

"Promise that you'll call me everyday?" Kyla asks sadly.

"I promise kiddo." I say grabbing her and pulling her into a hug. "I love you Kyla. You're my most favorite sister ever." I say with a smile.

"I'm your only sister." She counters with an even wider smile. We pull back from our hug as Rachael opens the door and we see a limo parked outside. I look around and see that Spencer is still M.I.A. It sucks to leave things like this. This is not how I imagined our goodbye.

"She knows." Madison nods her head.

"Could you tell her that I'm sorry anyways?" I ask Madison and she nods again.

"Of course."

"Thanks." I say turning to leave. "I love you guys." I tell them before I exit the door.

"We know." Stacy smiles and everyone else nods. I turn to walk out the door and make my way to the limo, halfway to the car I hear my named being called and I turn around to see Spencer running from the doorway.

"I'm sorry." She says once she reaches me.

"It's okay." I shake my head with a small smile. I've never been so happy to see her. "I get it." I assure her.

"I love you." She says in a shaky voice. I drop my bags and grab her face.

"Not nearly as much as I love you." I tell her then kiss her. Our friend taunting us in the background.

"You promise to call me everyday right?" She asks as she pulls back from the kiss and places her forehead against mine.

"I'll call so much you'll get tired of hearing my voice." I tell her with a smile.

"Not likely." She retorts.

"I have to go." I say placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I know." She whispers. "Don't forget me." She adds.

"Never." I assure her with a smile. We pull back and I pick up my bags and turn to walk to the limo. When I reach the limo a tall man in a black suit and driver cap gets out the front seat and comes to open the trunk. Grabbing my bags and placing them in then opening the door for me. I see Raife in the back seat on the phone, he gives me a smile and a wave. I glance back at my friends and family one more time before getting in the limo and driving away from them.