Ashley
The speakers call for everyone's attention as the principal speaks.
"Miss Ashley Shades, you have a visitor, please report to the guidance and counselling unit immediately" announces the principal.
After the announcement by the principal, Ashley is beyond curious as she enters the guidance and counselling unit in her school as commanded.
"Miss Shades, we need to talk…it's about your father", the counselor says as Ashley enters the office.
"What about my father?"
"We have reasons to believe that your father is indeed not Mr. Shades", she said looking through her laptop and back at me with curious eyes like I'm a criminal case that needs to be solved,
"I'm sorry", I say with a sarcastic and sly smile, "But that's a very bold statement, what might be those reasons if I may ask?"
Her gesturing to the door behind me made me think she was asking me to leave, probably because of my own inquisitiveness. Only for me to turn around and see for myself her bunch of inquisitive reasons for the bold statement.
"My name is Jake Crescent", he says with authority and forwardness, "And I am made to believe that you are my mate"
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Walking through the building halls as I make my way to my mom's office, ignoring the office clerks and staff as I reach her throwing it open to see her startled obviously not expecting an enrage teenager bursting down her door,
"Seriously!!! After a day or two of telling me my parents are dead, some psycho claims me like a property, people start treating my life like some criminal case. And now!! My school's staff start dropping dead like flies, I walk around the streets like some crazy lady with death wish, all because my dead father mysteriously shows up and wants to see me??", says Ashley angrily as she stomped her way through the tiled floor to her once thought mother. She is fed up with the current confusion she's in while her aunt tries to reason with Ashley and says to her calmly,
"Calm down Ashley, he's..."
"Already here", I turn around as I behold a grown man around he's middle 40's in a black suit and sun glasses. He comes out of the back corner of the room interrupting the conversation as he casually steps forward while removing his glasses introducing himself. "My name's is Mr. Aiden Crescent, your biological father."
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A few days ago
After the science practical
After bursting out the door of the hospital, I'm walking alone in the alleyway, confused and hurt. Debating what to do or even how to react. A ringing sound interrupts me from my thoughts as I view the caller ID
My mother
"Mom??", Ashley says between sniffles,
"Oh my God Ashley, where have you been? Your teacher called and…", Claire not knowing what had happened at the hospital and the new revelation her daughter now has,
"I'M SO SCARED MOM!!", I say with tears freely pouring without limitation,
"I'm so confused and scared. What if my real parents don't care about me or worse, what if they're dead", Ash cutting straight to the point of why she's hurting, not caring about the fact her parents aren't biological, she cares about them as family having lived in a peaceful, quiet but however boring neighborhood as said by Ash and her friends,
"Shh, it's ok. Don't worry everything's going to be alright. But you have to listen to me alright, no matter what you can't tell anyone until you come home and hear it from us yourself ok?…You have to…"
"Mom! Mom!!, you're breaking up, Mom!!!", I scream into the phone as bright lights from an engine hit me in the middle of the night
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My family weren't known for being very religious people but if I needed God in anytime of my life, it would be now, this moment, this second.
After a while of walking, I sit and pray in silence as I got picked up in McKenna and Kaleb's car with Kat sitting in the back seat with me. Nathan had to go home, his house was a bit far, I don't blame him though. Besides this is my problem, so if anyone has to solve it, it has to be me.
"Pull over"
The car stops abruptly as everyone in the car looks at me,
"I'm sorry guys I can't head on home just yet, I just can't", I said my head thinking a million ways at once,
"It's ok Ash, you can spend some time at my house until you're ready to go back", Kat says as McKenna and Kaleb respond in agreement,
"Alright, thanks Kat", I say as Kaleb starts revising the car to go the opposite way. Luckily their houses was in the same neighborhood as mine, although Kat lived a bit closer to mine than Kaleb and McKenna's,
"Your welcome"
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I reached home, slightly calm but still with tears and agony.
"Mom! Mom!!, where are you?",
"Ashley? Ashley?!, we were so worried", they rush downstairs with speed as they saw me in smeared makeup and rugged clothes,
"You have to tell me what's going on? Is my father dead, is my mother dead, ARE BOTH DEAD?!", I breakdown crying as she tries to comfort me with a hug when I reject her touch,
"No, no. Tell me the truth, I want the truth", I say as she glances at Robert who says the unfortunate words for her,
"I'm so sorry Ash", he says as I watch in anticipation,
"They both died in an airplane crash seventeen years ago" …
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Present Day
Few hours earlier
I'm back at school, again. Took a few days off though but it was worth it. At least now I've got the strength to keep going. Henry and the twins were cool with it, knowing I wasn't their sister biological but I'll always be their family. Actually, they were way cooler than I was about it, and I appreciate it. Now I just got to live through this, this school, this life, through it all.
Just when I was about getting settled for homeroom, the speakers call,
"Miss Ashley Shades, you have a visitor…"
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"I don't know even know where to start from, I'm supposed to go to my mother's office right now because I have a visitor?", I say trying to make sense everything I just heard from the office,
"A very hot visitor", everyone pauses and gives Kat a 'very' pointed look,
"Ok, what exactly happened in there Ash?", asks a curious Nathan,
"I got in the principal's office and the counsellor said that she had reason to believe that my dad is not my dad", I explain,
"Alright that's understandable, what did you say?", curious McKenna asks,
"I said what I had to, I barely know shit about my situation so", I say melancholically,
"Alright so there's nothing else to do than to face the truth", Nathan reasons,
"Wait, Mr. Elliot was the one who told me about the results. So, I should probably go back to him to clear all of this up. Considering the way my mom talked about secrecy until we meet.", I say factually,
"Alright", agrees Kat as we put our plan in motion.
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We agreed to go to his office before departing after school. As we approach his office, but commotion is heard in a near distance as people gather around and start talking,
"Hold on, something doesn't feel right", I notice in the environment,
"What's happening?" asks a worried Kat and following her lead, we reach the site of the commotion. Only to be met with blood at the bottom of the school stairs but no body. It looked like it had already been dragged out,
"Oh my God, what happened?", exclaims McKenna as Nathan replies catching up with us,
"Forget it, let's just grab Dr. Conner and get out of here so Ashley can finally get the closure she needs", Nathan says and all of us get our minds back to what's really at stake.
We get to the sciences department and knock on the door when a very tall and slim built lady answers and is supposedly about ask if we have an appointment, or so we thought,
"Is everything ok?", asks McKenna seeing her bloodshot eyes,
"What do you want?", she asks aggressively,
"Umm, we're here to see Dr. Conner of the science department"
"Didn't you hear?", she says with pain in her voice as everyone stares in confusion,
"He's dead!"
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At Claire's office
"Seriously!!! After a day or two of telling me my parents are dead, some psycho claims me like a property, people start treating my life like some criminal case. And now!! I walk around the streets like some crazy lady with death wish because my dead father mysteriously shows up and wants to see me??", I say angrily as I stomped my way through the tiled floor to my once thought mother but now aunt. Being fed up with the current confusion I was in while my aunt tries to reason with me and saying calmly, "Calm down Ashley, he's..."
"Already here," interrupts a grown man around he's mid 40's in a black suit and sun glasses. He enters the room, interrupting the conversation as he casually steps forward while removing his glasses and introducing himself. "My name's is Aiden Crescent, your biological father."
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"I know it's a lot to take in", I say trying to find my words,
"Yeah, it's incredible", she replies,
There's silence between us for some time, still looking for what to say,
"I'm sorry, if this is overwhelming. I'm sorry, I lied to you. I just…felt it'd be easier than to explain all of this, I felt like he was supposed to be here to tell you himself".
There's prolonged silence, but it's comfortable for Ashley, but not so much for me, "I understand if you need some time to yourself…", I say as she holds me back with much drive that it's shocking,
"Oh no, what I need to do is totally different", she says as I look at her with so much bewilderment.
"What I need to do, is move into the pack house".
Ashley being in a confused state determined to get out of it moves in with her new found father to get more answers on her life.
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"Thanks for carrying my bags" Ashely says as she appreciates the young stranger for carrying her bag, though she seems somewhat comfortable with him, as if she has known him her whole life.
"No problem, and you must be??", asks the stranger,
"Ashley, Ashley Shades or Crescent as I was recently told", she replies,
"Crescent huh?", ponders the stranger,
"Yeah, and who might you be?", asks Ashley as she is curious herself why the stranger is so familiar,
"Jacob, Jacob Crescent"' the stranger introduces as he takes in the shocked expression on Ashley's face as she finally comprehends the fact that the mysterious stranger, she had met in the principal's office is indeed her blood.
"You mean...",
"Yeah, I'm your biological brother".