The Things We Bury

7 Years Ago

Ashley Farrow
Junior Year of High School
Shady Oaks, TX
Sept. 21 - Friday

School was a drag this week. Ashley was only a month into school and was ready for it to be over. However, tonight was a football game and that meant a party afterwards. She had already cleared it with Amy and David, her foster parents that she would be staying with Charlie's grandparents this weekend.

Ashley moved through the motions of the day, Savy and Charlie by her side as it has been since they were little. Finally, the three were entering their last class of the day, Art.

Mrs. Swain, a vivacious women in her mid-thirties brought a lot of joy to her classroom. She believed anyone could be an artist as art was subjective, which resulted in this class always being full. The trio found their normal spot at the bar-height tables, pulling their sketch books and pencils from the storage drawer. This week they were working on self portraits.

"I think I accidentally turned myself into a potato." Savy sighed, pushing her dyed-brown hair out of her face, blowing a breath of defeat. It was true, she had somehow over elongated her face, causing it to bend to one side, even though it was a straight on few.

Charlie laughed, "I might as well be drawing stick figures." he erased a line then re drew it. "Actually, scratch that--I don't think I'm qualified enough for that."

Ashley laughed, "You guys are ridiculous. I think you both are doing great!"

"Easy for you to say, that literally looks like a picture of yourself." Savy groaned.

She couldn't lie, that she enjoyed the attention she got. If she was good at one thing it was drawing but as much as she loved it, her heart was set on something else. All she could think about was her new little sister, Kennedy. She was so sweet and quiet, with large hooded eyes that were a deep brown; the color espresso. This past weekend, Ashley dedicated the whole day to playing with her hair, a thick sheet of black. When she came to them the Friday before last, it was frizzy, matted and dead at the ends.

Ashley took her to the hair salon, where she got it cut and professionally washed. Kennedy cried when she saw how pretty her hair was, and it was then that Ashley decided to help her feel pretty.

Every little girl deserves that.

Amy and David beamed with joy, that only parents who were never able to have kids of their own, could beam with. They sat in the living room with the girls, holding each other, barely pay attention to the movie they were watching. When Kennedy was put to bed, it was then Amy and David brought up her college fund.

"We are so proud of you, Ash. We see how hard you work." David bristled with pride.

Amy reached for her hands; she was smaller than Ashley and had to look up at her. "Ash, honey, we have a college fund for you. It's not much, but we want you to know we will support your every step of the way."

Tears gathered in her eyes as she thought about it. It was this Monday, when the social worker came over, that Ashley started asking questions. It was Monday, that she decided this was the work she wanted to do.

The day wrapped up with plans for the party after the football game. Ashley was going to grab her extra clothes and all her hair stuff and meet Savy once Amy and David were home. For now, she had to run to the Elementary campus to pick up Kennedy.

Ashley waited in the parent pick up line and was filled with joy when she saw Kennedy bounding towards the car, holding the teachers hand. The teacher opened the back door of her Camry, helping Kennedy into the booster seat. "Sissy, it was a good day." Kennedy had immediately calling her Sissy, excited to have a big sister.

"I'm so happy! Tell me all about it!" Kennedy talked and talked, a huge turn around from the beginning of the week. She gushed about all the friends she was making and all the toys she got to play with today. When they got home, Ashley made her a snack and set her up with a kids show in the living room.

While Kennedy did that, Ashley went to her room in the back of the house, to start packing. Her phone vibrated with a text message.

Charlie: I'm picking up some beer from my cousin in the town over :)

It was then she felt a warm breeze; it was small, like air escaping through a small space. When she turned she realized one of her windows was cracked open. Just a little bit, but enough to have air move through. And there, on the floor...what the hell is that? Ashley moved forward and picked up the white piece of paper, that was folded in half.

Confused at first, Ashley did not recognize the chicken-scratch handwriting that was written in red permanent marker.

I'm watching you.

Was this a joke? Ashley moved to close the window when she noticed something had fallen out of the folded piece of paper. It was a single picture, a glossy 6x4 print, of her. Standing outside her job, wearing her waitressing apron, locking the front door. Her hair was whipped to one side by the wind, face red from frustration of the stupid lock that always got stuck.

Her heart hammered in her chest, thrumming so loud she could feel it in her ears. Immediately she closed the curtains in her bedroom, dimming the room. For a moment she stood, holding both the note and the photo.

It's just a joke. Someone is fucking with you, because this is a small town and obviously one of her classmates is bored.

Still though, there was a sense of unease, so she hid the note and picture in her desk, under a stack of notebooks.

Tonight was going to be a good night and small things like this were not going to keep her from that fact.