The Other Ashley

Hi folks. This is totally a work of fiction. Any similarity to this and any other work or real folks is just co-inky-dink. I made all this shit up. Enjoy. Be sure to tell me what you think, unless it's bad.

...

The Other Ashley

All through high school, my daughter had one best friend. They were joined at the hip, it seemed. Her friend was like our other daughter most of the time. She was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Her family was the most dysfunctional that I knew of. Her life had gone off the rails. My daughter, Ashley and I were determined to help her put her life back on course. We would show her that life could be good for her. We would remind her that we loved her. This would be a new chapter in the life of the other Ashley.

I'm not sure why so many people wind up choosing the same names for their kids. A friend of mine is a high school principle. He said that only six names covered ninety per cent of the boys in his school. Ashley Kelly is my daughter. She was an honor student and now a college student when all this happened. Ashley Thompson was her best friend. She was a year older, having lost a year of school thanks to her fucked up family. I'm not sure how two girls so different could become so close. My theory is that despite her background, Ashley T. is a very intelligent young woman. In fact, I bet on it.

I had time to reflect on our past with Ashley Thompson on the moderately long drive. I was still married when the girls were younger. They hung out at our house most of the time. The ex, Beth, and I called our girl "Ashe" and her friend, "Ashley". We cared for Ashley very much. She was always respectful and trustworthy. We helped with her school fees and bought her some clothes when she needed. Beth was good to her. We made sure she ate well, instead of living on fried potatoes like her family did.

Both girls were always cute. On trips to the beach, boys followed them around like lost puppies. I always had a mental block against viewing my daughter sexually. I had a protective father's mindset when it came to my Ashe. I acknowledged her blossoming figure as a concern. Ashley T. on the other hand had me turning to look away many times. She always died her ratty brown hair a golden blonde. She was the taller of the two with an athletic build. Her legs were long and muscled. My Ashley was more buxom and rounder. She had long dark brown hair and her mother's beautiful eyes.

We have a small pool in the secluded back garden. That's what set my mind on some dark paths. The girls spent hours laying out sunning. Most of the time they were topless, sometimes nude. I kept a clinical and scientific attitude about seeing my Ashley's full breasts. Seeing Ashley T.'s body was a different ballgame. When she got tanned, seeing her sleek lines and beautiful little b-cup tits made my cock twitch. The girls became accustomed to being topless around me. They seldom covered when Beth and I went out there. Displays of camel toe and exposed labia were not unusual. I often closed the blinds or left to avoid seeing the girls. A few times, I went to the bathroom and stroked off quickly. I felt guilty about it.

Around the time that my girl went off to college, Ashley stopped coming around. If she had stuck around our home, maybe she wouldn't have gotten involved with the drug crowd. I don't know if it was some of her family or someone she worked with, but Ashley T. got wrapped up in a group that moved drugs on a minor level. They were bottom seeking, self-destructive idiots. Their next high was all that mattered. I was on my way to get Ashley out of jail.

I hobbled into the D.O.C. release center. I was using a cane and knee brace. I bashed up my right leg while wrecking my motorcycle. I had to meet with a lady to get the rules. Ashley wasn't officially on a parole program, but she had some mandatory counselling to attend for three months. She had been held for fourteen months, mostly for not cooperating. Her boyfriend had been busted with quantity. They wanted her to testify against him. She refused like a dumbass. They kept her under lesser charges.

I am an attorney but not criminal. I have a quiet little practice doing wills, divorces and contracts. I planned to try to get these charges expunged. I basically posed as her lawyer that day. I signed papers and they led her into the little room I was in. She looked like shit. She was pale and skinny. Malnutrition and lack of sun had taken its toll. Her skin looked bad and her hair looked dead and was cropped very short. Her eyes glanced across me then back down. I watched intently. After a few seconds she smiled slightly and looked back at me. She looked down again. Tears streamed down her sunken cheeks. I didn't hear hardly any of the instructions from the councilor. I sat waiting for the words, "You can go now."

As soon as we cleared the building and into the parking garage, Ashley hugged me tightly around the neck and wept. I held her and caressed her back. "Oh God, Jack! I'm so, so sorry. I can't believe you are here for me." She said.

We walked toward my car. "We were always here for you, honey. I'm sorry I couldn't help." I opened the door for her. She hugged me again and kissed my cheek. "Ashe and I love you. You are family and we are going to help you if you will let us." She began crying again and plopped in the seat. She sat in silence except for sniffling.

I didn't talk until we were out of metro-Atlanta and headed down I-85. "Ashley, if you could jump back in time to when you and Ashe were tight and you were part of our family, would you?"

"Yes, Jack. You know I would. I fucked up... I mean, I messed up so bad. I hate myself."

"Well, we still love you. If will let us help you, if you can help yourself, we can set your life back on track. You are still young, and I know you are smarter than this shit. Yes, dear. You fucked up." We both laughed. "First thing, what would you like to eat? Anything you want, we'll go find it."

"Anything will be fine as long as it's good. I want to go in a discount store first. I need a few things." Ashley said. Her spirits seem to be lifting.

"OK, no problem. What food have you been dreaming about? Steak, seafood, Chinese, Mexican."

"I'd love a really good cheeseburger. Like the handmade ones we used to get a Sonny's".

A half hour later, I left the interstate and drove into a developed area with shopping and eating establishments. When we parked at Disco-Dollar, I asked if she wanted me to go in with her or wait. I was surprised at how she pleaded for me to go in with her and stay by her side. I guess getting out can be scary. She picked up some make-up items then went through the clothing. I didn't really pay attention to the items. We were quiet and got out quickly.

"Thanks, Jack. I just want to get out of these clothes and fix my face. I feel like everyone can see where I'm coming from." Ashley said. I noticed her habit of looking down. They make them do that in jail.

"You don't have to thank me, my other Ashley. You are going to be working for me for a while. As far as where you are coming from, I'll get firm with you now. Those jailhouse tattoos have got to go." I said in a firm tone.

"I know. I didn't want them. The rough girls said they would beat my ass every day until I got the tear. I got jumped a few times then I let them put it on me. Do you think It will come off?"

"I think they can zap it with a laser, and it goes away. I'll have to research it. Or maybe my new assistant can research it and get back to me." I said.

Ashley got in the back seat and started yanking off her prison clothes as fast as she could. I tilted the mirror to "night mode" so I couldn't see. "All this shit can go in the trash or to Goodwill." She made struggling sounds. She snapped off the tags and pulled on the new clothes. She came back to the front seat. I drove. She covered the tear tattoo and a few blemishes with concealer. Ashley used the vanity mirror on the visor to quickly add some color from a little kit and a touch of lip stuff.

I looked at her and back to the road. "You look good, Ashley. Some good food and some sun and you'll look like yourself again." I pulled into a steak house I knew about. A big sign that said "The Steak Pit" with an 'S' that looked like a rattle snake. "This place makes a great burger."

Ashley held up her new cheap sandals. They were tied together with a strong cord and tag. "Have you got some clippers or scissors?"

I handed her my pocketknife. She stared at it in her hand. "Oh, do I need to open it for you?"

"No, it's just culture shock. A few days ago, I could have gotten in big trouble for a little knife. Now I guess I could have a hundred and no one would care." She chuckled softly.

I gave her a look as we entered the restaurant. Ashley had put together a cute little outfit in that dollar store. Black slacks and a pink V-neck tee shirt covered with a white blouse. The quick make-up job did wonders. I held back on the compliments. We had a long way to go. "Nice outfit" is all I said. A tall handsome young man greeted us. He led us to a table smiled and handed us off to a waitress.

"Hi, I'm Shelby. I'll be waiting on you today. What can I get you to drink?"

The girl was very cute and very petite. She had an air of confidence and a killer little body. Oh, to be thirty again. "Shelby, I'll have iced tea." I said

Ashley said softly, "I'd love a Dr. Pepper and a large order of that tall manager guy." She snickered and blushed.

"Sorry, Hon. He's in love with my best friend. He's a big jackass anyway. That's my kid brother, Jason."

The drinks came. We ordered the big bacon cheeseburger for her and a lunch special for me. Ashley saw me checking out the waitress's cute little ass. "I heard you and Beth split up a few years ago. I'm sorry. I thought you guys were a super couple."

"Things aren't always what they seem. We annoyed each other in private. Intimacy disappeared and she left me for someone else. It just fell apart after Ashe went away for school."

"I wish she wasn't in Nashville. I want to see her so bad." Ashley said.

"Well, she's coming down this weekend to see you." I said.

Ashley smiled then began crying quietly again. I reached across the table and I held her hand until the food came. I noticed that the jailhouse tats on her hands were still visible. Apparently, the waitress saw them too along with the tears.

Shelby set our table in expert style. She leaned over and spoke very quietly to Ashley. "Everything is going to be better now, baby. You can start a new life. I used to be a stripper, but I came home to my family. I'm about to start nursing school. You can find yourself again, too."

Ashley struggled to regain her composure. She said that this time she was crying because she was happy. I wondered about that. We ate in silence. She only ate half of the giant sandwich. The manager and waitress both came by the table. He spoke in pleasantries. Shelby boxed up the leftovers for take-out. I left a very generous tip and we resumed the trip home.

...

We got home midafternoon. Late October in South Georgia is as hot as August in the rest of the country. Ashley immediately asked if the pool was open. I assured her that it was.

"You have Ashe's room for now. We'll set up the guest room for you. My knee was hurting too bad last week to get it ready for you. You also have my permission to plunder whatever clothes are in there. She gets out of class in an hour. She'll call you. Here, baby. This is your phone. I went ahead and put our numbers in it. This junk came with it. It may need charging." I handed her a new phone and charger. The box and instructions were in a sack from the phone store.

"Damn, Jack. You're gonna start me crying again. Looks like there is enough charge for today. I'd love to get a little sun while it's still up."

"You could use some sun. You are the color of mushroom soup." I teased.

She laughed more than I expected. I think she relaxed when she got in our house. She grabbed me and kissed me. I didn't expect that either. She held me around the neck and spoke very close to my face quietly. "We used to lay out topless. What if I do that now?"

"You can as long as you don't mind me looking." I gave her a quick kiss back.

"I didn't mind it back then. Why should I mind now? If you didn't look, I get hurt feelings." Ashley replied in a playful voice I hadn't heard in a long time. She pranced off into Ashe's room.

...

I went into my home office and checked my messages. I returned a call. I heard the back door open and close. When I finished my call, I peeked out the window. Ashley was on a lounge beside the pool. She was on her belly. I couldn't tell if she had a top. What was left of her butt still looked OK. She had found a string bikini bottom to wear. I checked the time. There was still fifteen minutes until Ashe got out of class.

I decided to go out to the pool for a minute. "Dear, would you like a drink?"

"Yeah, anything you have will be fine." She said looking up from her prone position.

"No dear. I mean, do you want a real drink?" I asked with inflection.

That got a grin from her. She raised up on her elbows. She was indeed topless. "Yes, I think that would be marvelous. Something tall and refreshing will be fine, dear." She replied punching up "dear" to tease me about saying it.

I made her a tall vodka and cranberry. I sweetened it a little, added a lime wedge and double the recommended allowance of vodka. I tasted it the adjusted it with a little more soda. I started out with it then I remembered. I looked in a drawer and found a package of little paper umbrellas and a silly straw. I decorated the drink. I found that Ashley had turned over and sat up. No hiding those little tits now. I handed her the drink and almost gasped.

"I know, Jack. I'm thin. The little boobies are almost gone. The food in there wasn't very good. Sometimes I didn't eat because I didn't want to. Do I look bad?"

"Baby, you look starved. You don't look bad. Some people would call this a hot look, but I've seen you healthier."

"Oh, damn! That's a good drink."

"Go slowly. It's a double." I said.

My phone rang. [Ashley Cell] "Hey, baby!"

"Hey, Daddy. Is she there?"

"Yes, she's here. Call the number I gave you for her phone." I said.

"I will, I just wanted to check with you first. I'm nervous. We haven't talked in almost three years."

"I know, baby. We're all going to do this together." I said and signed off.

"Ashley, she is about to call your phone. She's nervous because it's been a long time. Just remember we both love you." I kissed her forehead. "I'm going in." I heard her phone ring and her answer. I looked back from the door. Ashley had covered herself to talk to Ashe. Subconscious shame maybe.

...

The girls talked until the sun set and the sky turned orange. I thought about them. Why should Ashe be nervous? It had crossed my mind many times that they might have been lovers. They might have experimented with lesbian sex. It's not so taboo anymore. Society seems to accept girls playing with girls. They used to sleep together here after they were well aware of sex. I assumed they had been lovers.

Ashley's glass was beside the sink. She emerged from the back bathroom in an old tee shirt from Ashe's things. Some pajama shorts tied up tight covered her skinny ass. "Where is that plate the hot-ass little waitress packed up?"

"It's in the fridge. Put the food on a plate and zap it." I said. I was propped up in my recliner with an ice pack on my knee. I was sipping some good scotch whiskey very slowly.

Ashley came in with her burger and a can of coke. "You weren't kidding about that place having a great burger. Even the leftover half is outrageous."

"Glad you liked it. I've stopped in there a few times. Never disappointed." I said and adjusted my ice pack.

"Do you go in there just to see that little waitress's ass?" Ashley laughed.

"No, I've never seen her before. I've seen that assistant manager before." I said.

"He is gorgeous. I thought about tackling him." Ashley said.

I could tell she was feeling her drink. "Out of jail for two hours and arrested for assault." I stated.

"Don't forget attempted rape." Ashley said laughing hard. "You know, Jack, everybody wants a good meal and to get laid when they get out of prison." She wiped mouth and dropped her napkin in her plate. "Ok, boy. You're up!"

We both laughed and blushed at that one. It was a glimpse of the girl I used to know.

...

We each had another drink. She poured me a big ration of scotch. She made a bourbon and coke for herself. We talked for a while. She grilled me about not dating since the divorce. She kept saying I was handsome though I didn't feel like it. Then I let her have the TV and some privacy. I went to my office for a few minutes. My knee was hurting from the activity. The week before, I couldn't walk. I took some Tylenol and half a pain pill. I felt like a piece of shit for doing it, but I hid the pain meds. I just didn't know how she was going to be. Finally, I lay on my bed with my leg propped on a pillow. I was still dressed in my shorts and shirt. I left a lamp on and the door open if Ashley needed anything.

The next thing I knew, it was one a.m. My bladder was full and burning for relief. Ashley was climbing up the other side of the bed sobbing. "Jack, I need to lay here beside you. I keep falling asleep and dreaming I'm still in jail. I wake up scared. You will make me feel safe."

"I understand, Baby. I thought you would feel safe in Ashe's room. Help me get to the bathroom. I'm about to burst and my knee is killing me."

"Damn. Come on." She said and snapped into action. She circled the bed and helped me stand.

"My knee got stiff laying here."

"Do you have a urinal?" She asked.

"No. Look in the closet. There's a walker." I grunted.

"A walker for fuck's sake. How bad is your knee?" She asked.

"I almost lost my leg. Last week, I couldn't walk. I over did it yesterday." I said.

When I came out of the bathroom, Ashley had refilled my ice pack and found an old plastic pitcher from the kitchen. "Mister, you are going to get off that leg. Where is your pain medicine?"

I was too weak and hurting too much to do anything but point her to them. She gave me a pill and some water. In silence, she helped me get in bed, propped up and iced. I expected her to leave the room. I expected her to have hurt feelings. It was obvious that I had stashed the narcotics. She circled the bed and climbed onto the bed. She snuggled up to my left shoulder.

"If you need anything, just ask. How did you manage to come after me yesterday?"

"I was on a mission. I took a half a pill and put my mind to it." I said.

"I was so happy to see you, Jack. No one else could have made me happy like that. I've never felt loved except when I was with you and Ashe."

"Ashley, I'm sorry I stashed the pills. I still don't know where your head is at. I had a friend that got caught up in the drug scene for about a year, meth and other stuff. After he did a little time and got clean, he told me he craved the stuff every day." I felt bad about it.

"I understand. I'm sorry that I've lost your trust." Ashley said and climbed out of bed quickly. I thought she was leaving the room. She came back around the bed. Ashley poured the pain pills out on the nightstand and counted them back into the bottle. "Jack, you have eleven and a half pills. OK?"

"Yes, baby. I'm sorry." I got choked up.

"Don't worry. I saw some good people turn very bad for meth. I want you to know that I didn't do much. I don't miss it. I hate it. They wanted me to roll over on the others. I didn't."

"You should have." I said as she got back in the bed.