Kendall & Me [discontinued]

15 | No More Shrubbery

"Not to mention my parents-"

"Okay, fine!" Ashlynn lifted her hands to bat away their rambling, an overwhelmed expression on her face. She glanced at me warily before letting out a sigh and stepping aside. "Come in."

If we had time, a round of high-fives would probably be in order, but we didn't, so we just stepped inside, looking around at Ashlynn's living room as she closed the door behind us. I recognized some of the furniture from Ashlynn's old house and was suddenly reminded of the times that we used to pretend the floor was lava and would scuttle around on her couches.

"The bathroom is this way," Ashlynn said softly, gesturing for Elijah to follow her. He nodded and obeyed, trailing after her as she left the room.

While they left, Diana turned to me, flashing a triumphant smile. "We were so awesome," she announced.

"I think that's the first time your constant bickering has ever paid off," I mused.

"Yeah," Diana agreed. "And no doubt the last."

Kendall sauntered into the middle of the living room, her arms folded over her chest as her eyes scanned the room without much interest. She pursed her lips. "Do you think it would be inappropriate to write a threatening message on the wall?"

"Probably."

Kendall sighed. "Well, that's unfortunate. I had a few that would be perfect."

I barely had time to glance her way before Ashlynn returned, her arms crossed over her chest and a guarded expression on her face. "Can I get you guys something to drink?" she asked, folding her lips together. She let her arms fall to her sides only to refold them. "Or a snack or something?"

"No, I don't really get much of an appetite now that I'm dead," Kendall drawled. "How about a confession? A confession would do."

Ashlynn's face remained blank, further proof that I was the only one who could hear what my sister was saying.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Diana replied. Her eyebrows rose. "So why did you move, anyway?"

I expected the standard "my mom got a job out of town" or "my dad thought it was time for a change", but Ashlynn shifted uncomfortably and rubbed the back of her neck before saying, "Um...I hated living there, so my parents decided it was time for a change of scenery."

So, in other words, the guilt had overpowered her and she needed out.

"Why did you hate living there?" Diana demanded. "Was there too much...pressure?"

Kendall and I shared a glance as Diana edged toward our main point for being there today. She was doing a great job-just the right amount of nonchalance mixed with an intimidating tone. She was gradually making Ashlynn feel more and more anxious. Hopefully we'd be able to make her so uneasy that the confession just fell out of her.

"Uh...yeah, I guess," Ashlynn mumbled.

"What was pressuring you?"

Ashlynn swallowed.

"The school?" I asked, deciding it was time to contribute.

"No."

Diana teetered absently on her heels. "The kids at school?"

"...No."

"How about the kids on the playground?"

Silence.

Ashlynn's eyes widened, begging for us to please just stop this already. Guilt threatened, but I refused to heed her request. My sister was dead, and it was her fault. Her fault. Anger overpowered any apprehension, and I stood up straighter, resolved. "Did anyone ever pressure you on the playground, Ash?" I inquired, making sure to keep my voice as casual as possible. "Did they try to force you to play tag when you didn't want to, or maybe...they wanted you to swing higher than you were comfortable with?"