Gone

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty: Ash's POV

I knew I couldn't say no, but I didn't know how I was going to explain it to Lily why I was leaving so quickly. I hung up with Holly after having a conversation that went nowhere but in a circle. I'd promised her that I would get there as fast as I could , but I needed a way to get there. I didn't have my own car and if I took my dad's he wouldn't have any way to get anywhere.

There was still Lily too.

While I was talking to Holly, I realized that I was practically naked besides my underwear. I'd pinpointed that my dress was by the door, my bra tangled with Lily's shirt at the foot of the bed and my positive opinion of myself was bursting into flames in the corner of the room.

I moved the blanket away from me and stood up carefully, trying not to jostle Lily. But I know that when she gets drunk that she won't wake up unless you blow a horn in her ear and still, that's iffy.

I grabbed my bra and pulled it on, then grabbed the dress I'd been wearing the night before and pulling it on. I finally grabbed my shoes and headed out of the bedroom lithely.

I walked down the silent hallway to the stairs. Tables were littered with red solo cups and plates of food, I even found a bra hanging from a vase of flowers. Thank God that's not mine, I thought.

I crept down the stairs, trying to keep them from creaking too loudly and waking anyone up. The couch was taken by a passed out drunk guy without a shirt on and I walked out of the door quietly without interrupting anyone's slumber.

I sat down on the grass and pulled on my shoes, squinting in the blinding light while my head pounded. I checked the time on my phone. 9:30 a.m. Great now my dad's going to be even more pissed at me if he knows I'm not in my room.

I headed home after brushing my fingers through my hair and trying to look like I didn't have a hang over, I didn't have sex and that I hadn't been drinking the night before.

The window was still unlocked from my sneaking out the night before and I pushes it open. I shimmied inside of the room and fell onto my bed with a thud.

"Where have you been?"

I jumped into a sitting position, my heart racing in my chest. I pushed my hair out of my face and saw Kirsten sitting on her bed. "God, Kris, you scared me." I sighed in relief.

"Where have you been?" She asked again.

"Out," I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Were you with Lily?" She asked again, leaning her elbow against her knee and resting her chin on the palm of her hand. Her eyes bore into mine as if she was expecting me to lie.

"Why do you care?" I frowned and got up, opening my suitcase and changing into some pajamas so it seemed like I had been at home when I really hadn't.

"Because she screws you up, Ash."

I narrowed my eyes at her and felt my heart do this weird 'closing off' thing where I get really defensive about people and don't listen to anyone who tries to reason with me, "Whatever, Kirsten."

I walked out into the living from

without looking back at her and saw Chris sitting on the couch watching TV and eating a bowl of cereal that was sitting on his bare chest. "Hey, kiddo, how'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good," he said through a mouthful of marshmallows and bland pieces of cereal, "you?"

I thought back to the party, but all I could see was blackness and a deep pounding bass from the music I'm guessing had been playing. "Fine, I don't think I dreamt."