Ember and Ash

A Small Spark

"Hey bitches!" A girl's voice called out from the truck. More voices giggled from inside the cab. "Glad you finally decided to come down from your ivory tower and grace us with your presence."

Ember watched her sister slide into the passenger side before climbing into the back seat. There were three other girls in the truck. Krista "Critter" Allen was behind the wheel. She had inherited the truck from her older brother, Matt, who had died in a tragic car accident straight out of a prom sketch. He had been drinking at a party when he had an argument with his girlfriend. His friends had hidden the keys to his truck, so he took his girlfriend's Civic. It was found a few hours later, wrapped around the giant oak tree on Glendale Avenue.

Krista took a swig from a Gatorade bottle filled with a fruity smelling blue concoction and passed it to the girls behind her. Jenna Eversoe took a dainty sip, made a sour face and handed the bottle off to Nicole Clearwater. The three of them had been best friends since kindergarten.

When the Evans sisters had moved to town, Ashley had no problem fitting herself right on top of the social ladder. Everyone knew her name and wanted her to know theirs. Ember took a little more time adjusting. Jenna had eventually adopted her into her group, but she had never really felt like she belonged. Maybe that's why Ember couldn't stay upset with them. The shift in their relationship had felt more like a favorite book or cd had been taken than being abandoned by her only friends. Nicole took an extremely long gulp and held the bottle out for Ember. She put it to her lips and tilted it up. It tasted like candy and vodka.

The bar was one of those country western bits with a mechanical bull and live music. The guy at the door charged each of them a cover, but didn't bother to check their fake IDs. The inside looked very much like a barn that was being used as a dance hall. Empty whiskey barrels served as bases for tables. In the background, a band was doing a piss poor job of covering not-so-classic country songs. 

Ember followed the other girls to the bar. She heard her sister shouting something at the bartender. The girl behind the bar nodded and began mixing up a batch of peach colored drinks. She sat them on the bar along with four shots of tequila. Ashley slid a hundred across the counter for the tab. Everyone except for Ember lifted a glass in a sloppy toast.

"For my sluts!" Ashley tossed back her shot and slammed the glass back down on the bar earning a sidelong look from both bartenders.

They sat there for a while, gossiping and eyeing some young cowboys across the room. Ember wasn't having as much fun as she thought she would. She tried to start a conversation with Krista, but it was quickly interrupted by something Ashley was saying to a random drunk who had apparently hit on her.

"Aww, that is soo sweet." She purred, "But I bet you say that to all the girls"

The man, who was in his mid thirties and balding, started to protest, but Ash spoke first. "And I bet," Her voice lowered as she moved closer, "It never works because you are a sad, lonely, old man that needs to go chase an equally pathetic piece of ass. This shit is top shelf, asshole."

She flipped her hair over one shoulder. The man's face became red as a beet and his eyes grew to the size of golf balls.

"That Corvette sitting outside," He pointed toward the window. Sure enough, there was a bright red sports car waiting in the parking lot. "That's mine." He declared as if it gave him some kind of superiority.

Ashley shrugged her shoulders. "And what, you need me to call you a toll truck or something?"

He flipped her off and stormed out the door. She casually crossed her legs on the stool she was sitting on. The sound of tires squealing outside could be heard over the music. Some guys near the windows paused their game of billiards to watch the shiny car peel out of the parking lot.

Ashley smoothed her hair with a flourish. More people flocked to the window. Ember could hear them calling to their companions to come look. Outside flames raced up the hood and windshield of the corvette.

The band pulled a drunken girl from the floor and she attempted to sing along to a Taylor Swift song. A collective groan echoed around the room. Ashley decided that was a great time for a group field trip to the ladies room. Ember stayed behind to watch the drinks.

"Is anyone sitting here?" A guy she recognized from school was leaning against the bar where Krista had been sitting.

"No, go ahead." She blurted out.

He pulled the stool out and sat down. "Casey Loghen." He introduced himself. "We go to the same school."

He was handsome, with dark brown hair that promised to feel as soft as angora.

"Yeah, I've seen you around." She tucked a lose wave of hair behind her ear. "I'm Ember Evans."

He smiled showing slightly bucked front teeth. "Are you sure no one was sitting here, because from over there it looked like you were with friends?"

Embers face flushed, but she doubted he noticed it in the dimly lit room. "Actually, someone was sitting there, but I wouldn't really call them friends."

"Well, as long as they aren't really friends then." He laughed.

One of the bartenders bounded over to where they sat. "Casey! I didn't see you come in. Are you on tonight?"

He looked at her as if he was having trouble remembering her name. "Not tonight. I'm just helping Spade move some equipment." She pouted, causing him to add, "Maybe next weekend."

He turned back to Ember. His mouth parted as if he was going to speak, but something over her shoulder caught his attention. The group was back from the bathroom.

"Thanks for saving our seats, Sis." Ashley hissed. "Whatever, we're leaving anyway. This place sucks." She downed the rest of her drink. "Missy called me a sec ago. Apparently, all the hotties are at Brent Searac's for some fantasy league thing. We're going to go show them what they should be fantasizing about."

Casey pushed his stool back from the bar. "...And that's my cue," He flashed a halfhearted smile, "Nice meeting you, Ember."

Ember shook her head. She didn't want him to go. She didn't want any of them to go. This night was just starting to redeem it's self. The last place she wanted to be was a house full of steroid juiced jocks. But the girls were already headed for the door and Ashley was already beginning to wobble on her heels.

Ember got up early the next day. She pulled on comfortable clothes from her own side of the closet and went down for coffee. Ashley was sleeping it off in her room. It wasn't uncommon for her to sleep past noon on the weekends, so it was a safe bet that no one would be the wiser as to her condition.

Ember moved around the kitchen noiselessly to avoid waking anyone.  She needed to escape for a bit. Clear her head. The keys to Ember's Prius were hanging on the rack by the back door. Ashley's keys were there as well.

She pulled the car slowly out of the garage. It moved almost silently down the drive. She was careful as she turned onto the main road, signaling even though no one was following her. She turned the music up and started to sing along. And then she floored it.