Mikey shined the torch from his phone under the ramps and I gasped. "Ash! What are you doing out here?!" I took of my coat and wrapped it around her. Her skin was like ice, I remembered that her brother had ripped her sweatshirt off in the canteen earlier. "God you're freezing." She smiled. "Frank I'm okay I promise." I looked at her. I knew she was lying. But was she lying to me or herself?
"Ash why are you here?" She lowered her head. "Because I can't go home. You saw what Dwayne did. His father is a hundred times worse..." I almost cried in front of her. I hated that she even had to go through what Dwayne had done to her today.
"Frank we can't leave her here." She looked up the same time I did. "I know Gerard. Come on Ash, you're coming back to my place." I helped her up and out of the ramos, picking up her school bag. I decided to introduce the guys. "Gerard well you've kinda already met him. The geeky one over there with glasses is Gerard's brother Mikey and afroman over there is Ray." She gave an awkward wave and I wanted to laugh. She's so adorable.
"This was the girl I was telling you about. Ashleigh." Gerard smiled. Mikey and Ray said "Hey." We were headed home an I could hear the guys talking, saying how nice Ash seemed. I was waiting for the inevitable as we got closer to the music store.
"Oh my God I need coffee." Gerard moaned. We all laughed. "C'mon. There's a Starbucks just down the road." I turned to Ash. I wanted to ask her something. I didn't know how it would turn out. I took her hand in mine. "We'll meet you there." I watched as they all headed off. "The guys like you. You know that you can stay at mine whenever you want." I rummaged around in my pocket and pulled out a silver key. "Here take this." I placed the key in her hand and took a deep breath. Here goes. "All the guys have one. Only seems fair that my girlfriend has one, that's if you want to be my girlfriend?"
She smiled and nodded. I was so freaking happy. I knew I was grinning from ear to ear. "C'mon or they'll have ordered without us!" We both set off at a run towards Starbucks. They'd ordered coffee for everyone.
Gerard waved us over and let out a gasp seeing Ash in the light. To be fair to him if I hadn't known what happened I probably would have as well. She'd got a large black eye. "Who gave you that shiner?" I looked over at Gerard and gave him my not now look. I'd explain stuff to them later. "My stepbrother Dwayne. It's nothing. It'll heal." We all turned to her and I'm sure the others thought she was crazy. "That's not nothing Ashleigh." She gave a laugh. "Believe me. A broken nose and black eye is nothing. Anyway enough about my face. Are we going?" She seemed agitated, like she thought someone might see her.
Handing her the coffee, she smiled. "Thanks but I can't. Gerard do you want it?" I was as puzzled as Mikey and Ray. Gerard was beaming from ear to ear. "The girl knows who needs the most coffee. Thanks Ashleigh."
"Please call me Ash or Leigh." We all smiled and agreed on Ash. We got up and headed back to mine. I held her hand in mine gently rubbing circles with my thumb. As we turned onto the driveway she gasped.
"Taking it you were not expecting someone like this?" Ray chuckled and headed for the door. She shook her head and I smiled. "This place is amazing."
We all went inside and the guys took Ash through to the living room. I took her bag through and hung it up in the hall. "Make yourself at home. Let me just go and put the coffee maker on and then I'll give you a quick tour."
I headed off to the kitchen to fill up the coffee maker and get sorted out. If Ash was going to be staying here it was probably best that she had her own room. I mean there are plenty of rooms so she can choose her own. Heading back to the living room I could see her sitting awkwardly on the sofa. "hey you ready for that tour now?" She nodded and quickly got up.
We headed upstairs first. I pointed out my room and the guys room's. I showed her where the bathroom was and then where the spare rooms were. "You can choose any one. It's only fair that you have your own room if you're going to be staying." She was so quiet. I could see her thinking it over and she chose the one nearest the stairs. I led her back downstairs and showed her the kitchen and then the basement. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the instruments. "You're in a band?" I grinned. "Yeah with the other guys and our drummer Bob. You won't see him much." She nodded and looked around. "That's awesome."
We headed back up to the kitchen where the guys were now stood around. Gerard was pouring the coffee and turned to Ash. "You hungry or anything Ash?" She shook her head again. "No, I'm ok thanks. I think I might take a shower then go to bed."
We all said goodnight and watched her disappear back upstairs. "So what do you guys think of her?" Ray smiled. "She's lovely, a bit quiet but knowing you, you'll manage to bring her out of that." Mikey and Gerard agreed.
"I wish you guys could have seen her sketchbook in art today. She's amazingly talented." We sat drinking our coffee and talking about music when she came back in wearing my bathrobe. "Hey Frank. Do you have somewhere I could put these to dry?" Gerard smiled looking over to her. "Honey, you may as well throw those away. You and Frankie are pretty much the same size. I'm sure he will lend you some of his clothes." I nodded. Gerard was right. She was about my height maybe a little shorter and definitely slimmer than me but that's what belts are for right?
The robe was a little loose at the top and you could see a large bruise on her chest. She'd gone to throw her clothes in the trash. "Did you see the bruise she had on her chest?" I nodded feeling sad. "Yeah but don't pressure her into telling you how she got them." I hadn't realised she was standing in the doorway and neither had the others.
"If you must know my stepfather gave them to me... Frank can you come with me?" I got up and followed her upstairs to her room.
