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This is only my second story. Thank you for all the positive reviews and constructive feedback on my first. I hope you enjoy this one as well. I had a lot of ideas and had a hard time choosing the right one for part 2. Hopefully you like it and I can continue with Ashley's adventures with your constructive feedback, please let me know what you like and don't like, I write these stories for myself but will keep your feedback in mind.
Everyone is over 18.
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Part 2: Ashley Becomes Almost Famous
Chapter 1:
Yes, Yes, I know!
"You have to understand I had never done AN-Y-THING like that before." Ashley reiterated into the phone. I was growing bored as Ashley rambled on about last Sunday, "I come from a very conservative family and Christian community..."
I rolled my eyes as I adjusted the volume on my headset. I perused her main email account while listening to her, and in between the work I was supposed to be doing. Her email account was chalk full of peeks into her social life, or lack thereof. Annual church picnic coming up, clothing store sales, a request for her to read at a local elementary school, school and homework related questions, all work, charity, church or school related emails, poor girl.
Ashley was in the process of lecturing me on how delicate an issue this could be for her if anyone were to ever, say, "find out", about her little teasing problem.
The problem for her was that I had never expected to get this far. Ashley had just fallen into my lap and now I knew that while I couldn't just let her slip away, I also couldn't care too much about the outcome or I would lose all my power. She had sought me out after our little adventure, not the other way around.
I think she could sense the fact that I had nothing to lose in this situation, and that she could lose everything. 'Well... that's a bit dramatic.' I thought. I'm sure her family and close friends might be a bit traumatized. If they saw Ashley parading around town dressed up in outfits that would make sailors stumble over their words when approaching her they might just think twice about inviting her to their next Christmas party.
So what if they disowned her? She could make new friends, and family is overrated. I hate Christmas, oh lord let me tell you, but I'm sure no one else would really care about what she chose to do with her free time. I paused, perhaps that was too harsh, when did I become so jaded I thought. Ashley was a nice girl. I actually did like her.
"I mean if anyone ever foun..." she broke me from my thoughts.
"YES, yes, I know you have been very clear." I said waiting for her to get to the point. She obviously didn't trust me, and well, she shouldn't after what I had done.
"Have I been?" She asked suspiciously. I sighed.
"I know, I know, I get it, you are Ms. Churchy girl from an upstanding community. Don't worry I'm not going to let anything too insane happen to you." I said as I looked over production schedules for the software company I worked for in between reading her emails.
"Ok, ok, ok." she said calming down and sensing my impatience with her ramblings, "I just wanted to make sure you understood." I could hear her walking around GCU's campus between classes. I wasn't sure what she wanted from me, well other than the obvious, but she seemed to need some reassurance I wasn't going to get her arrested or something.
"You have been perfectly clear Ashley. Now can I PLEASE get back to work? I have deadlines and I know you have school work to do so..."
"Sorry, sorry. Ok well, just let me, know?" she said awkwardly. I laughed. It was like a teenager buying pot for the first time, she didn't know how to act. Quite frankly neither did I, but I had the good sense enough to fake it.
"Yes, don't worry, I'll be in touch." I said as I pondered where to go from here.
"Ok, I have to get to class. Bye."
Finally. I thought the conversation would never end. For the last two days I had been racking my brain trying to think of ideas for Ashley's next adventure. I had some of my work friends 'acquire' her email addresses and passwords. I had been going through them relentlessly learning what I could, how I could surprise her or set her up. It was all in the name of the game she wanted to play. I wasn't sure if either of us knew what we were getting ourselves into. I continued reading her emails.
Ashley lived her life through her phone, email and Facebook. I didn't know where she found the time to do charity, read at local schools, work at soup kitchens and homeless shelters.
I had a million ideas for her. I just had to choose one. One hard to pull off idea had been sticking into my brain for a few days now. I'd been going over it and researching locations on the internet trying to find the perfect place to hold it at. I had gotten everything into order which was why I was so anxious to get off the phone with Ashley. I looked around to make sure my co workers were busy with their projects then picked up the phone and dialed.
A chipper woman answered the phone, "Paradise Valley High School, administration office."
"Yes I'm calling on behalf of a performance art student that offers free shows to local schools. In exchange she gets college credit, who would I speak with about that?" I said while tapping my pen nervously.
"That would be Principal Moore."
End Chapter 1
Chapter 2:
What are you doing here?
It was a little work for my friend Steve to set up a dummy email. All I had to do was show him a picture of Ashley with the possibility of more revealing photos later on, but in order for that to happen he needed to get me an email account that looked legit.
He arched an eyebrow, as if to say 'seriously?', and then immediately got to it. No man, especially one as socially awkward as Steve, would pass up revealing pictures of a girl like Ashley.
Once he set up the account for me I promptly emailed Ashley and asked if she was interested in doing a reading of Alice in Wonderland at the PVHS auditorium for young latchkey children. She emailed me back within hours.
Subject: Re: Charity Opportunity
First off thank you for the opportunity to help out, I love reading to kids that age. I would be thrilled to read Alice to them. You can expect to see me there at the auditorium at the scheduled time.
Everything was working out perfectly. I had picked a time when I knew she'd be free. On Monday around lunch I took off early from work and headed to the high school to set things up.
A drama student helped me unload a large easel, a tall stool, and a cartoonishly large picture book of Alice In Wonderland from my car to the stage of the auditorium. The curtains were down and we were the only two in there, it was kind of creepy. I hated public speaking and being up on stage freaked me out even with the curtains down.
It was approaching 1:30 and the show was scheduled for 2:00. Ashley should be here soon. I told the kid I was fine from here and he took off eager to pretend that he was still helping me and then ditch class.
I had brought in a large back pack containing everything Ashley needed to put on the 'show'. From backstage I heard Principal Moore's secretary Jane leading Ashley in my direction.
"I think it's great that you do these shows for free. What college do you go to?" the old lady said as she ushered Ashley backstage.
"Oh well I..." Ashley began to answer as I quickly put myself in to her line of sight. She froze. We locked eyes and Ashley momentarily forgot Jane was there. I took the opportunity to admire Ashley, she looked amazing even in her casual school clothes. A GCU t shirt and tight blue jeans did nothing to hide how gorgeous she was.
"Ummm Grand Canyon..." Ashley said after finally snapping back in to reality.
"OH. I didn't know they had a performance art division there." The old lady said, Ashley looked confused because of the comment. Jane continued oblivious, "Well, anyway, I'll leave you to it and take my seat." Jane smiled at Ashley, then at me, and headed off.
Ashley looked dumb founded. She slowly put her purse down on a table near the door and walked up to me slowly while looking around deliberately with suspicion, as if someone with a hidden camera was going to pop out and tell her she'd been had.
"What...", she paused to look around again, "...are you doing here?" I could see her internally trying to figure out how I could possibly know she would be here.
I smirked while hiding the nervousness I felt.
"To bring you your costume of course!" she stared back at me, her eyes glazed over in confusion.