I'm with the Band

Chapter 7- Punching Bag

Ashleigh wasted no time  in grabbing a fistful of my backwards shirt and yanking me out into the hallway. The force of her pull was so full of power I didn't realize she had, sending me crashing hard against the stone wall adjacent to my room door and flopping to the floor like a dead fish. My palms stung from where they hit the wall and my stomach suffered a winding. 

Wait a minute, haven't I been in this position before? On the ground with my hands and stomach in pain, being circled by someone I hated? Dejavut. My hands reactively flew up to my face in fear that Ashleigh or another one of the girls tried to land a kick to my face. No one tried to kick me, I had to remind myself that Danny wasn't here. 

I tried to get to my feet but Ashleigh pushed me down into a sitting position and knelt in front of me. The hallway got smaller as the other girls on the floor pressed in for a better look at the confrontation. 

"Do you mind telling me what you were doing in your room Autumn. Something seems a bit suspicious, if I'm not mistaken I think you have a little secret that you're keeping from all of us." Ashleigh said the words in a mocking tone, glancing down at my backwards and inside out shirt and scoffing at the pathetic sight. 

"Like it's any of your business." I spat at her. This ended poorly for me no matter what. There was no way out, all hope was gone. By kissing the most desired boy in the city, I had strangely and against normal traditions, committed social suicide. 

"I'll tell you what I think Autumn. I think that Danny got sick of your dullness and tossed you to the curb only for you to to uncontrollably seduce Leighton, thinking that you were actually desirable now that you got your little taste of the single life." 

I felt the rage burning behind my eyes. I wanted the heat of my rage to tear at my skin and burst into flames, consuming me in a fiery glow. I wanted my skull to burst out like Nicolas Cage's in the first Ghost Rider film and drag Ashleigh's wretched soul straight to hell. 

"Now I'm going to ask you again Autumn. Are you the girl in this photograph?" Ashleigh held up the photo of Leighton and I outside of the venue. I clenched my teeth.  

"No." I responded as calmly and collectively as I could. "No I'm not Ashleigh. Leighton came today to drop off a phone that fell out of a fan's pocket. He delivered it and was on his way. There is nothing else to say." 

"How did he know your name?" 

"What." 

"How did he know your name Autumn. If you claim you never met him before, why did he say your name when he came through the door." 

I opened my mouth to retaliate but clamped my lips shut almost immediately. How could I be this stupid. He said my fucking name. How do I counter an impossible attack. 

"So I'm going to tell you what happens next Autumn -" 

"It's not me in the photo." I blurted in a last ditch effort to clear my name. "I wasn't there that night." A lie. "I was only at their concert last night." Another lie. "I wasn't there when the photo was taken." Ding ding ding. Three lies, no prize. 

Everyone was silent looking between Ashleigh and I, unsure if they should take my word as a truth. 

"How do you know this picture wasn't taken last night Autumn?" 

"Wha-what?" I managed to get out. 

"How did you know that this photo was specifically taken on the first concert night and not the second. Nobody here specified." 

"He wasn't wearing that coat at the concert last night. It was a different outfit I swear I just assumed." Panic had risen in my voice. I pushed it down but it was too late. Everyone had seen through the lie. It wasn't like I made it particularly hard for them and Ashleigh's resoluteness had solidified my demise.