Crumbling

Chapter Four

Kelly put her poem on the stack that was accumulating on the teacher's desk. She sat and Ashley soon sat beside her.

"Hey," Kelly said happily, but her smile fell when she saw the look on Ashley's face. When Ashley didn't say anything, Kelly moved closer, "Are you ok?"

Ashley closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows, it seemed to take effort for her to finally say, "yes."

"Ok," Kelly said reluctantly, "I'm here for you no matter what, ok?"

Ashley's face didn't change, but she nodded. Ms Lorraine began the lesson, and Ashley slowly opened her eyes. By the end of the class, Ashley was still miserable, but she was visibly relaxed. When Ms Lorraine dismissed everyone, Ashley was the first to stand and leave.

"Wait!" Kelly exclaimed while she tried to catch up with Ashley, but a crowd of students soon came between them. Kelly knew Ashley had Mr Reed last period, so she headed in that direction. When Kelly finally caught up, she found Ashley standing at Mr Reed's classroom door. Ashley looked as though she was going to cry.

"Ashley..." Kelly reached for her, but as soon as her fingers touched the sad girl's shoulder, she heard a short quiet sob and Ashley rushed into the class. "God," Kelly sighed as she backed away. She walked to her last period class, American History.

A test took the whole period, so it passed quickly for Kelly. As soon as class was over, Kelly made her way to Mr Reed's room.

When she arrived she looked through the door's window. Ashley was standing with her back towards the door, and Mr Reed stood in front of her with his hand on her shoulder. He said something and then gave a sad smile. Ashley nodded and turned around. Tears were  pouring down her face and when her eyes met Kelly's, she immediately wiped them all away, but they kept pouring. Ashley ran out of the classroom and towards the parking lot.

Kelly was about to go after her, when Mr Reed interjected,

"Wait, Kelly, I think she needs to be alone right now."

It seemed Mr Reed knew more of the situation than she did.

"Why is she so upset?"

"She's just dealing with some tough stuff at home," Mr Reed said in a sympathetic tone, "She really just needs time to figure things out on her own."

"Oh," Kelly said, still looking in the direction Ashley went. She felt a pang of guilt, she hoped that pursuing her hadn't caused more harm.

"Don't worry," Mr Reed smiled, "she'll be fine."

"Probably," Kelly agreed.

"How are you doing? Is Ashley really the only thing you're distressed about?"

"I'm doing ok," Kelly said, "For right now, her situation is the only one I'm worried about."

"Ok," Mr Reed smiled again, "I'm always here for you and any of your friends if anything happens. I actually took a class on counseling teens so I'm able and willing to help with any of the challenges that come with adolescence."

"Thanks a lot," Kelly said, she was glad that Ashley could talk to him about whatever her situation was. She was reassured enough to smile and say goodbye before going to the parking lot where her mother was waiting for her.

. . . .

Later that night, Kelly was sitting with her mother on their couch. Her mother was wrapped in a fluffy blanket, sprinkled with the cereal that occasionally fell from her bowl as she took big spoonfuls of the sugary corn flakes into her mouth. Kelly was sitting against the arm of the couch with a binder on her lap. She was working on the poem she had started writing a week before with Ruby. She had about five lines that she'd been perfecting a few minutes each day. When Ms Lorraine had read it a few days before, she encouraged Kelly to stray from the main subject for a couple lines, in a way that would create contrast and therefore emphasize her subject. Kelly wasn't sure how to accomplish that, but planned on asking Ruby about it when they went to see a movie the next weekend.

"Could you get me some more popcorn, Kelly-Belly?" Her mother asked, implementing her favorite endearment for her daughter. Kelly laughed at this and walked into the adjoining kitchen. "What?" Her mother asked jokingly, "it's French, it means 'beautiful Kelly.'"

"I know," Kelly laughed, "thanks."

Kelly brought the box over to the couch, she refilled her mother's bowl and sat again. She set her homework on the floor and started eating out of the box. A documentary on Meerkats was just commencing, Kelly's mother seemed to be enthralled by it.

She felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket. She took it out to find a text from Ashley.
Thanks for caring today. 8:06

It's no problem, do you want to talk about it? it's ok if you don't. 8:06

Kelly waited for a few minutes, half watching meerkats poking out of their tunnels as she held her phone. She was worried about Ashley.

"Is everything ok?" Kelly's mother inquired, "you look upset."

"My friend is having a hard time with something, but I'm pretty sure she'll just need some time to think things out," Kelly set the cereal box on the floor, "I shouldn't even be worrying."

They went back to watching. The documentary was two hours long. Near the end, she felt her phone's vibration again.
I'm sorry. 9:57

Ashley's text confused Kelly. She assumed Ashley meant the apology for someone else.
What? Lol 9:58

Again there wasn't a response. The documentary was coming to a close. It was a sad ending, three of the meerkats were pursued by a snake, but only one escaped.

"Well, I'm going to bed now." Yawned Kelly's mother as the credits rolled across the Sahara.

"Goodnight," Kelly yawned in response. She put her phone in her pocket again and took the cereal box back to the kitchen. Then she went to bed.