Brave New Girl (Behind Closed Doors Book 1)

by Grace Herbst

  Jennifer gave her a gentle smile. “That’s not true. I know your father and Michelle have been very strict with you all summer, but I believe you are earning their trust back.” Ashley shook her head. “I’m sure it doesn’t look like it, but they have had a lot on their minds lately.”

  The wedding. The move. Making sure Ashley was well-adjusted to the new house, living with Michelle and her new school. Ashley had heard it all before. “I know. I just feel like I’m ready to have them put down the protective wall and let me go through it.”

  She was tired of waiting for someone to be available to take her places. She was tired of being in the passenger’s seat instead of being the driver. She was tired of having a strict curfew. She was done with community service. She was done with counseling sessions. As her aunt said, she had done most of the things she had needed to accomplish in order to be able to move on and adjust to her new life.

  “Have you talked to them about this? Do they know you’re feeling this way?” she asked. Ashley had been waiting for those questions. She wanted to lie. She wanted to tell her that she was in open communication with her father and Michelle. That she wasn’t going to hide her feelings from them anymore. About anything. But that wasn’t the truth.

  There was silence, letting Jennifer know the answer. She gave her niece a gentle smile. “Ashley, I’ve said this before. If you have a problem with them, you need to talk to them. I’m sure you don’t want a repeat of this past year.”

  No, she certainly did not. “You’re right,” she said simply.

  The conversation was interrupted by the front door opening. Michelle stormed into the kitchen and groaned in frustration. Her face was full of anger. “I’ll be so glad when we get those boxes unpacked. It’s dangerous to have them lying in the hallway. In fact, I’ll be glad when we get the whole house organized. That way, there will be nothing for Carolyn Green to complain about.”

  “Who’s Carolyn Green?” Ashley asked. She wasn’t used to seeing Michelle so upset like this.

  “She’s one of our new neighbors who happens to be involved in the Homeowners Association,” Michelle explained. “We just moved in and she’s already complaining about our yard. If I had known our neighbors were such snobs, I never would have chosen this neighborhood.”

  “Not all of our neighbors are snobs,” Ashley told her. “The Clarks are great. Did you know our real estate agent is also our neighbor?”

  “Victoria Clark? No, I didn’t. Although, I’m not surprised. It is a small town. You’ll find connections with people everywhere. Don’t worry. I’m sure people will be more welcoming than Carolyn Green was.” Realization hit her as she saw Jennifer and Ashley. “I’m sorry. I’m interrupting. You two keep talking. I’ll grab a snack and then get out of your way.” Michelle went into the pantry and grabbed a bag of chips. “I’m in the mood for something salty. Did you get something, Jennifer?”

  Jennifer gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you, Michelle, but I’m fine,” she told her.

  Michelle was about to leave when she stopped herself. She turned to Ashley. “Ashley, I would like you to know that I didn’t ask Mrs. Campbell to recommend you to see a guidance counselor. Mrs. Campbell recommends it to every student.” There was a short pause. “To be honest, I wouldn’t have recommended you to Ms. Bartlett.”

  Ashley raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Really? Why’s that?” she asked intrigued. She couldn’t imagine Michelle not getting along with anybody except her.

  Michelle was quiet for a moment. The pause made Ashley even more curious. “Ms. Bartlett does things differently than what I would have done with my students,” she replied. “But maybe that’s why you two would be matched perfectly. You two could plot against me.” Ashley managed to laugh. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  “What do you think about that?” Jennifer asked Ashley as soon as Michelle left the room. “What do you think about going to see the guidance counselor now?”

  “As tempting as it is to find out why Michelle doesn’t like Ms. Bartlett, I’m still going to pass.”

  To her relief, Jennifer was willing to let her go. “Alright. I won’t push you anymore. However, I will tell you this. If you ever do want to consider returning to talking to someone, I would recommend you talk to Ms. Bartlett.” Ashley wondered why she was still pushing it. She wanted to respond, but Jennifer wasn’t finished. “It has nothing to do with you or our relationship with each other. As you know, I’m very busy with teaching my classes at the university and counseling students outside of class. It’s not easy to do that and try to spend time with my husband. So your Uncle Richard and I are both planning to cut back our extra work.”

  Dr. Richard Pruitt was also a professor who taught classes at Emerald University. The only difference was he taught anthropology instead of psychology. To Ashley, it was no wonder her aunt and uncle married each other. They both loved to study human behavior, just in different ways. Maybe it was a good thing they didn’t have any children. The parents would probably drive them crazy with trying to read them all the time and never letting them express their feelings.

  Ashley didn’t answer. She understood why her aunt wanted to take a break from counseling. “Of course I’m still here for you. I will always be here for you. After all, you are my niece. I just want to take a break from spending time with my clients and spend more time with my husband.”

  “You don’t have to explain it to me,” Ashley told her. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” Ashley just hoped her dad would understand her decision. She didn’t want another argument about switching counselors.

  The conversation was over and Ashley was free to go upstairs. Yet, she was curious to see if they would talk about her. It wasn’t nice to eavesdrop, but she didn’t feel like she would be able to concentrate on her homework. So she sat down on the landing and listened to the conversation the best she could from upstairs.

  Jennifer stayed a while longer. Michelle invited her to dinner and she accepted the invitation. Especially since she would have been returning home to an empty house. Richard was out of town and Ashley couldn’t blame her for wanting to stay. She knew all too well the feeling of being lonely in an empty house.

  As soon as Michelle began setting the table, the backdoor opened and Kyle Meyer entered the foyer, carrying his briefcase. Like Ashley, Kyle had brown eyes. Ashley certainly didn’t get her short stature from her father. Kyle Meyer was tall. Despite being in his early forties, he still had his dark brown hair. He was clean shaven with a little bit of stubble.

  Kyle greeted his wife and daughter as he realized they had a visitor. He was taken back for only a moment before he greeted her. “Jennifer, what a pleasant surprise. Have you come to join us for dinner?” Jennifer nodded. “Wonderful.”

  “Dad, I need to talk to you after dinner,” Ashley told him. Kyle nodded as Michelle helped him take his coat off. He noticed there were only three place settings. “I ate dinner at the diner with a friend.”

  Kyle smiled. “Ralph’s Diner? I’ve heard about that place. Michelle keeps telling me we should get dinner there sometime. Is the food as good as the reviews say it is?” Ashley nodded. “Then it’s official. Michelle, I’m taking you there for dinner this weekend. Ashley, you’re welcome to join us.”

  Ashley was grateful he was willing to include her on the date. Of course, it wasn’t a surprise. Ever since the car accident, he had been trying to include her in more decisions and make the dates into family outings. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll think about it,” she replied before she left the three alone.

  Her bedroom was all nice and neat. Most of the boxes were unpacked. Her computer was laying on her desk that was in a corner. Her bookshelves were full of her book collection. The poster of her favorite movie Legally Blonde was hanging above her bed. Ashley had thought about giving it away. It was a reminder that she had that dream of attending Harvard, her dad’s alma mater. The dream where she wanted to be a family court lawyer just like he was until l
ast year. Despite her dreams changing, she still loved the movie.

  A half-hour went by before she heard a knock on her door. Kyle poked his head into her bedroom. He gave her a smile. “Can I come in?” he asked. She nodded and he walked into her room. He sat down on the bed, next to her. “So what did you want to talk about?” he asked, ready to listen.

  “I’ve already talked over this with Aunt Jennifer and I’m ready to move on without any more counseling sessions,” Ashley told him. “The only reason why I would bring this up was because Mrs. Campbell suggested I go and talk to a guidance counselor, Ms. Bartlett.”

  Kyle nodded understandingly. “I see.” Ashley waited for more. “Well, that’s your choice. If you believe you’re ready to move on, then I won’t force you to go.” Ashley looked at him surprised. That was it? No argument? Kyle noticed the face. He knew what his daughter was thinking. “Ashley, I know Michelle and I have been hard on you all summer, but we had a good reason for that. You lost our trust and you needed to be punished.”

  His words sounded exactly like what her Aunt Jennifer had told her. “However, summer has long passed and Michelle believes we should let go of the reigns a little bit. After all, she knows this town better than anyone and she knows her students are better than the friends you were hanging out with. I heard you met our new neighbors. I didn’t know the Clarks were our neighbors either.”

  “Yeah, I’m now part of Chloe’s group,” Ashley told him. “I like her friends. We have a lot in common.”

  Kyle smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. Besides your meeting with Mrs. Campbell, did everything else go well?”

  Ashley nodded. “All of my teachers are really great.”

  “Good. I should let you get back to work. I have some work to do myself. I’ll be in the study if you need me.”

  Kyle was about to leave when Ashley stopped him one last time. “You’re really okay with me not attending any more counseling sessions?”

  “As I said, it’s your decision,” Kyle repeated. “But I know everyone is willing to listen if you ever need to talk.”

  Ashley didn’t respond as Kyle shut the door behind him. She let out a relieved sigh. She got her wish. Now she could just focus on her schoolwork and her new friends. Just like magic, she heard a buzz from her phone and it was Chloe. She began texting with her, wondering what she wanted to talk about.

  Chapter 5

  Over the next few days, Ashley began to enjoy herself with her new friends. It wasn’t until the subject of the upcoming Homecoming Dance that Ashley had to stop and think back to the memory of her last dance. She listened quietly as her new friends talked about their plans for that night. Jill spoke up first.

  “So, have any of you found the perfect dress for Homecoming?” she asked her friends at lunchtime. She didn’t even let her friends answer. She smiled proudly. “I’m actually wearing the bridesmaid’s dress that I had worn for a wedding. It’s the perfect shade of blue to wear for the dance. It’s a dark blue strapless number with a frilly bow at the waist and a cute bell skirt.”

  “I haven’t found the perfect dress yet,” Chloe replied with a heavy sigh. “I keep looking through the dresses I already have, but nothing pops out at me. I’m trying to find something other than blue. After all, that is what everyone is going to be wearing.”

  Jill gave her a look. “It’s called ‘Under the Sea’ for a reason. The theme is underwater. I don’t understand why you are complaining anyway. You’re on Student Council with me. You helped with the vote, remember? Don’t worry. It’s going to look fantastic.” She turned to her new friend. “Don’t tell me you’re going to stay home while the rest of us are at the dance. You’re part of our group now. You have to come with us.”

  Chloe defended Ashley before she could say a word. “Ashley doesn’t have to come if she doesn’t want to. Unlike Student Council members, it’s not mandatory.” She turned to Ashley. “But it would be nice if you joined us.”

  “If you’re worried about a date, we’re going as a group,” Gwen told her. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t be going at all.”

  “It has nothing to do with finding a date,” Ashley replied. She paused for a moment as her new friends looked at her with curiosity. “I used to think dances were boring so I didn’t go to them. My friends and I found other things to do.”

  Jill looked at her incredulously. “Boring? You found dances boring? What the hell did you and your friends do instead?”

  Ashley shrugged. “We went to the mall or the movies,” she lied. It was better than the truth. “Most of my friends were older than me anyway. So it wouldn’t have been fun to go to the dance alone.”

  “Well, you have a new set of friends and we can show you how to have fun at the dance,” Jill replied.

  Everyone looked at her with pleading eyes. Peer pressure. Ashley never wanted to give into peer pressure again after all of the trouble with Roxanne, but this was different. They weren’t going to do anything dangerous and Ashley couldn’t really find a good excuse about why she would want to stay home that night. “Where do I buy my ticket?”

  Her friends smiled happily as Chloe gestured to a table in front of the room where a couple of Student Council members were sitting and waiting for students to come over and buy tickets. Ashley took a deep breath before she got up from her seat and walked over to the table. “How much for a single ticket?”

  “Can you make that two?” a familiar voice asked beside her. Ashley turned to see Lucas and they exchanged smiles. Ashley paid for her ticket. There was no turning back now. She was committed to going to the dance. She waited until Lucas did before she began walking back to her friends. “So you’re going to the dance too?”

  Ashley nodded. “Yeah, my friends talked me into it. You’re going alone?”

  Lucas smiled. “I don’t mind going alone. That way, I’m not committed to staying with the same girl the whole night. I can ask anyone I want to be my partner including a certain brunette.”

  Ashley got the hint right away. “So that’s your plan? What would you have done if I wasn’t planning on going?”

  “You were the one who told me you used to love attending school dances before Roxanne convinced you that school dances were boring,” Lucas reminded her. “Besides, you know we killed it at your father’s wedding.”

  Ashley remembered that scene vividly. Lucas had walked up to her right away. After just a second of hesitation, she accepted his invitation and they went out on the dance floor. Ashley had admitted to him that she didn’t know how to dance. Lucas responded he didn’t know either and it was best to just follow the music. Once Ashley was able to relax, she enjoyed herself and she was able to have a fun time with him.

  “You should see Simon. He’s a great dancer,” Penny bragged as she approached the two. This time, she wasn’t alone. A guy had his arm draped around her shoulder. Ashley could only assume it was Simon. It was confirmed when Penny made introductions. “Ashley, this is Simon Green, my boyfriend.”

  Simon had blond hair and blue eyes. It was obvious he played some sort of sport. Like Lucas, he was tall and he looked like he was in great shape. It made Ashley apprehensive to see how tough he looked and she hoped she would never get on his bad side.

  Ashley recognized the last name. She wondered if he was one of her new neighbors. “Green? Are you related to Carolyn Green?” Simon nodded. “So you are one of my new neighbors then?”

  Simon laughed. “No, Carolyn is my grandmother. I wouldn’t be caught dead living in that neighborhood. No offense, Ashley. I just have better things to do than hang out with my grandmother and her friends. The only thing grandmas are good for is spoiling their grandchildren, right?” Ashley didn’t agree with that, but she wasn’t going to tell him. “I’m really going to hit the motherlode when I graduate next year. Did Penny tell you that she’s dating the star football player?” he bragged.

  Ashley shook her head. “No, Penny didn’t tell me that.”

  Simon turned to his
girlfriend with a disappointed look. “What? Penny, what’s the point of dating the star of the football team if you can’t brag about him?” Ashley had the perfect word to describe Simon. Arrogant. “Maybe you can come to a game and see me in action sometime. You can see me lead the team to victory.”

  Lucas spoke up before Ashley could respond. “We’re always up for supporting our teams.”

  “It was nice meeting you, Ashley,” Simon said, ignoring Lucas.

  Ashley waited until Simon and Penny were across the room before she spoke. “I don’t trust that guy. There’s something off about him.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Lucas agreed. “I don’t know how he and Penny got together, but I wish she had chosen someone else. I don’t believe he’s the right guy for her. In fact, I don’t think he is the right guy for any girl to have as a boyfriend, but I can’t tell Penny who to date.”

  Ashley was quiet as she returned to her friends. They tried to be discreet, but Ashley could see their imaginations were going in the same direction. She immediately put the rumors to rest. “Lucas and I are not dating. We’re just friends.”

  “Just keep telling yourself that,” Jill replied. “If you ever change your mind, my boyfriend Ryan and I will be happy to accompany you and Lucas on a double date. Unfortunately, he can’t make it to the Homecoming Dance. So that’s why I’m going with my friends. Don’t worry. We’ll find the perfect dresses for everyone.”

  “My parents wouldn’t allow me to date anyway with my studies and all of the extracurricular activities I do,” Chloe said. “I have enough to focus on without adding a boyfriend to the mix. Of course, a boyfriend would be the perfect distraction right now.”