The Co-Star's Epilogue

Chapter 15

Ashley was... something else.

I really quite liked her, despite the fact that she was intent on saying that Oliver loved me. But she was frank, fun, and sweet.

She also refused to talk to me about anything aside from the apparently impending relationship between her brother and me.

"So, what sort of things do you like, Ashley?"

"Stuff."

"Oh... cool."

We were driving a little too slowly, but I hadn't actually driven in a while, and was feeling jumpy. Especially after that memory. And the fact that I had a teenager in the car with me. I could tell that she was looking me again.

"You're really awkward."

"O-oh?"

"Yeah."

"I-uh-guess that's true?"

"But you're nice."

"Oh, thank you!"

"Yeah. No problem. I don't think you get complements very often."

I shook my head. "People are very kind towards me, actually. I'm grateful for them."

"Like my brother?"

"Exactly like your brother." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that she smirked.

"That's because he loves you."

I blushed. "He's a good friend. That's all."

"Guy and girl friendships always turn into romances."

"Not always-"

"They do if the guy loves the girl."

I didn't know what to say to that. She seemed completely set on thinking that I was her future sister in law. Since when did this become about you, Melody? Ask her some questions.

"Um, so, how's school?"

"It's school."

"Do you like it?"

"No."

I frowned. Was this part of the problem that Oliver had been talking about?

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Oh, okay." I glanced over at her, wondering. What could be wrong? Oliver had said that Ashley's friends weren't exactly kind, and I wasn't going to just say that I knew that out loud. Just like I wouldn't say that I knew about her dad. But what could I do? She was so completely different than what I'd thought she would be like. How did you interact with someone who didn't want to converse back?

I hesitated before speaking again. "So... what kind of ice cream would you like?"

"Vanilla."

I glanced at her again. "Really? Okay, any toppings?"

"No."

"You don't like them?"

"They ruin the simplicity of it. It's like a metaphor to life. What is really pure and great always has to be ruined by someone who thinks that they can go and make something better than it already is. And it just makes things worse." She had become passionate, and somehow I got the feeling that she wasn't just talking about life in general anymore.

"I... can see how you're related to Oliver," I said, remembering all the times he had said all those interesting things like they were nothing.

Ashley sighed. "Yeah. My mommy and daddy loved each other very much, and-"