help me | ashtray

wisdom teeth

"Mom! where awh we going?" Cassie's words were slurred and mumbled because of the cotton in her mouth.

Ash sat in the back with her laughing up a storm, watching her flail her arms around.

"For the 8th time Cassie we are going home!" Suze shouted with a chuckle

"Oh yeah!"

Lexi snickered in the front, recording her sister act a fool.

Cassie turned to Ashtray with a smile, "Mmm how was practice?" She slurred, leaning into the boy and resting her head on his chest.

Lexi, Suze and Ash all went wide, he didn't really know what to do so he just let her lay on him, in front of everyone, awkward

Once everyone's eyes were away he relaxed and laid his arm down around her, "Oh, Suze, coach gave me this," He reached over to his bag and grabbed the paper, handing it to her.

She took it and scanned through it, "ABC?!" She accidently swerved and almost went into the wrong lane.

"WOAH-"

"MOM!"

"SHIT!"

Suze swerved back into the right lane and took a breath, "Do you wanna go hon?" Suze asked as Lexi took the paper and read it herself.

Ash shrugged, "I'm game but, i can only take one person plus the coach and you can't leave work."

"I have theatre rehearsals, sorry Ash." Lexi chimed in.

Cassie raised her hand up, still pretty messed up, but cognitive. "I can take you."

Suze looked back and nodded in approval, "She's old enough, I'll allow it." She said.

Cassie smiled and Ash looked out the window, letting a small smile appear on his face too.

Over the car ride home, Cassie had fallen asleep on Ash.
Lexi and Suze were gushing in the front while Ash's cheeks turned a bright pink.

When they pulled in, lexi hopped out and gave ash a smirk, "C'mon Ash aren't you gonna carry your girlfriend inside?" She teased.

"Don't make me write a play about you." Ash shot back Suze laughed and Lexi shook her head, walking inside.

Suze looks back at him, "Seriously though you're the strongest." Suze said casually as she got out of the car.

They boy sighed and looked down at Cassie. "Alright Ma, let's get you to bed."

He gets out and picks her up gently, closing the car door after pulling her out.

Carrying her inside, Ash heads up to her and Lexi's room and sets her down; going back downstairs to the kitchen.

"Whatcha making?" Lexi asked, she was sitting down at the dining table studying.

"Chicken broth." He answered as he filled the pot with water.

Lexi got up and sat down on the counter by him. "That's sweet, you know she really likes-"

"Peach yogurt and a glass of ginger ale with her soup." He chuckled at the odd combination.

Lexi sat there for a moment, a small smile growing on her face. "Yeah."

"Are you excited about the TV interview?" She asked.

"Ion know- I got Cas so it should be fine. Jus don't know why they want me on TV."

Lexi shrugged, "Because your kind of a badass Ash, people want to see you in action." She complimented.

"Fez would be proud of you." Ash froze for a moment.

A few weeks ago, a fight had broken out in the prison Fez was in, he wasn't involved with the fight, but got hurt and had to be shipped to a different prison after going to the hospital. He's okay now, but the prison he was at was on the east coast, too far for Ash too see him.

He stirred the pot for a moment and glanced at Lexi, giving her a sadish smile. "Thanks, Lex."

She smiled back at him and went back to studying.

Ash finished up the soup and got Cassie's yogurt and drink, bringing it up the stairs for her.

He set the food down on her night stand and sat down on her bed, gently shaking her arm, "Ma, c'mon you gotta eat."

Cassie's eyes gently opened, she rubbed them and sat up. "Mm hey Ash- ow-" she held her mouth in pain.

He felt bad, "Hold up, I gotchu."

Ash went into his room and came back with that purse that he had when she first found him.

"Aight Ma, I'm serious with this, don't tell no one."

Cassie tilted her head as she watched him pull a white pill from the bag. He grabbed his pocket knife, cut it into four pieces, handing her one.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Oxycodone, it's a high grade pain killer that works quick if you take it properly." He said.

Cassie looked at the pill and swallowed it down with her ginger ale.

"Isn't this the stuff Rue was addicted to back in high school?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but she took it a different way." He then looked to her, "That's the only one imma give you, if I find out you got more of this shit from somewhere else I'm kickin' your ass. Dead serious."

She nodded at him, she figured he'd seen enough people turn into drug addicts, he was probably terrified that she might too.

"I promise, your my only dealer." She chuckled.

He smiled back at her and looked down at his hands.

"So, Cass ion know if you remember earlier, so here's this." He took the folded letter out of his pocket and handed it to her.

She took it and read through, her eyes grew wider as she finished it, looking up at him.

"Ash this is huge!" She said as she leaped forward and hugged him.

He hugged her back and chuckled, "Yeah, I guess it is. But, Suze and Lexi can't do it-"

She gasped, "So I get to take you?"

Ash nodded, "Yep, just gotta let the coach know tomorrow, he's coming too."

She nodded, doing her best to keep her excitement for him in.

She hugged him again, "I'm so proud of you."

Ash hugged her back once again, this time a bit tighter before letting go.

"Now eat your soup and get some sleep." He said standing up and heading to the door.

"Thanks, Ash." She said to him.

He turns around, "Anytime, Ma."

He leaves and closes the door behind him. She smiles to herself and sips on her soup.