by Grace Herbst
“Your parents aren’t divorced yet,” Gwen gently reminded her. “There is still a chance they will stay together.”
Chloe knew Gwen was trying to cheer her up, but she knew the truth. “I don’t think so. My parents have made it pretty clear that they are happier apart and I’m okay with that.” She let out a heavy sigh. “By the way, a reporter from the newspaper wants to interview you and your family about your new life in Emerald.”
“Yeah, it’s not every day a small-town high school drama teacher gets married to a big-time city lawyer like your dad,” Jill added. “Although, I don’t know why they didn’t do the article sooner. Your dad and Ms. Jordan have been married for the past four months, right?”
“Because they didn’t want to do it while they were moving,” Chloe replied before Ashley could say a word. “Besides, I think it would help stop people from spreading rumors about Ashley and her dad.”
“I’m not sure if it’s a good idea,” Ashley replied, finally saying her piece. This time, she was going to put her foot down. “I’ve been trying to lay low all summer and I don’t think pulling me back into the spotlight would help me. I’m sorry. You can tell your reporter friend that I’m not interested in being interviewed.” She didn’t let her friends respond as she got up from the table and walked away.
Chapter 6
Ashley searched through the racks of dresses and couldn’t find anything she was attracted to. She looked at her friends, who appeared just as frustrated as she was. They had all chosen dresses to try on and model for their friends.
Ashley forgot how much fun she had with the whole shopping experience: looking for the perfect dress or outfit in a store and showing it off in front of her friends and getting their opinions. The only downside was when she couldn’t find a dress she wanted to buy. This was one of those times.
“When did clothes get to be so expensive?” Chloe moaned. Her friends looked at her confused. Buying clothes was never a problem with her before. “My mother wants me to cut back on my shopping. She wants to make sure we can survive with only one income.” Chloe let out a heavy sigh. “I think it’s time to go back to my house and try to find something from my closet. I’ve tried on so many dresses, but nothing calls out to me.”
Gwen nodded. “Yeah, I know. There is nothing that stands out that I would want to wear to the dance. We should probably go.”
“Are you sure you guys don’t want to try another store?” Jill asked. “We haven’t gone through them all yet.”
Chloe appreciated her effort, but it was time to admit defeat. “Face it, Jill. We’re not going to find anything here for any of us,” she replied. “We might as well go home and check our own closets.”
Gwen looked at the time and made a face. “I should get home. It’s my turn to cook dinner tonight. Besides, I haven’t finished all of my homework and I need to stay on top of it if I want to go to the Homecoming Dance.”
“It’s not worth going to the dance without the right dress,” Jill pointed out. She turned to Ashley. “What about you?”
As much as Ashley wanted to continue searching, she knew it was time to look elsewhere. “I’m with Chloe and Gwen. I’m done.”
Jill let out a defeated sigh. “Alright, we’ll go home and you can check your closets, but I’m telling you that the best dresses are in these stores.”
Gwen gave her a look. “You’re the one who is reusing your dress,” she reminded her.
“Yeah, but I did buy it at a store,” Jill countered. “Actually, I bought it at that bridal shop downtown. Maybe we should try there. I know we’re not looking for a bridesmaids dress, but it doesn’t have to classify as a bridesmaid dress.”
“I’m still out,” Gwen told her as she put a dress back on the rack.
“For someone who didn’t want to go to the dance without her boyfriend, you seem really eager to help us out,” Ashley noted as they left the store and walked into the parking lot. They headed towards their vehicles. Chloe and Gwen looked at Jill with interest.
“I want to make sure nobody backs out of going to the dance,” Jill replied. “I want to go, but it wouldn’t be much fun if my friends aren’t there with me. Especially since Ryan won’t be able to come.”
“I thought Jasmine and her friends were going,” Gwen said.
“They are, but I don’t want to hang out with them. It would be more fun if I went with my friends,” Jill said. “I know Olivia and Brianna are coming, but they aren’t my best friends. And I don’t want to have to pretend to be a wallflower all night.”
Chloe gave her a look. “I doubt that would happen. I’m sure the guys will be all over you now that they know you are unavailable.” Jill just rolled her eyes. “Don’t blame me when the guys start buzzing all over you.” Her friends laughed as they got distracted by a sound that meant someone received a text. “That must be my mom. She usually doesn’t call me while I’m out unless it’s an emergency.” She excused herself for a moment and she walked away from her friends.
Ashley, Jill and Gwen talked among themselves as they watched Chloe. Her expression changed from curiosity to concern. They knew something was wrong. It was confirmed when Chloe came rushing back to her friends. “We have to get back to the house now,” she told Ashley.
Ashley asked the question all three friends were wondering. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I’m getting messages from people asking why the police are in front of my house,” Chloe told her friends. “We have to go. I have to go.”
Gwen drove Chloe and Ashley home. Chloe wanted to drive home, but her friends knew better than to let her drive. When they arrived on the street, they could certainly see a crowd gathered in front of Chloe’s house. However, none of them could figure out the reason. “Let me out here,” Chloe told Gwen, pointing to the house at the end of the block.
Gwen nodded and parked the car in front of the neighbor’s house. Chloe got out of the vehicle and hurried towards the crowd. Her friends were right behind her. They pushed their way through the crowd and they only stopped when they reached the crime scene tape.
Chloe managed to find her mother and she walked over to her. Her mother let out a relieved sigh as she embraced her daughter in a tight hug. Chloe looked at her for an explanation. “We’ve been robbed,” she told her. Chloe and her friends couldn’t believe their ears. “I came home and found the front door unlocked. I went next door and called the police from there. I’m sorry I didn’t call you, but I didn’t want to worry you until I knew what had happened for sure. Thank goodness you were out with your friends. I don’t know what would have happened if you were home. I already went through the house. The thief took your great-grandmother’s jewelry. Our secret stash of emergency money is also missing.” Victoria shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe your father would do this to us.”
Chloe frowned. “You think Dad did this? Why would you think that?”
“Nobody knew about our secret stash except you, me and your father,” Victoria said as she grabbed her phone. “I’m filing charges against him.”
Chloe stopped her before she could dial any numbers. “Mom, we don’t know for sure if Dad took our stuff. Shouldn’t we get all the facts before we go around accusing anybody especially Dad?” she suggested.
Ashley had to speak up. “Chloe’s right. Even my dad doesn’t like to accuse anybody without evidence.”
“You and Dad may not be getting along, but I know he would never hire someone to steal our stuff,” Chloe assured her. “What would he want with your grandma’s jewelry? Or even the secret stash of emergency money?”
As Chloe talked to her mother, Ashley surveyed the scene. The neighbors gathering to form a crowd. The crime tape surrounding the perimeter of the house blocking off any entrance inside. The scared owners of the house not only knowing their valuables were taken and couldn’t be replaced, but also thinking of the possibility of what could have happened if they had been in the house.
&
nbsp; This brought Ashley back to memories of the crazy adventures she had with her former friends. Things that were stupid. Dumb. Dangerous. Things that unintentionally hurt other people. Like this. Stealing from people causing them to feel unsafe in their own home. Looking around at the other neighbors, she could tell they were feeling uneasy too.
Hearing Chloe’s voice snapped Ashley out of her reverie. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m sure the police will find the person who did this.”
“Nevertheless, I’m not going to stay here. I’m going to stay in a hotel tonight,” Victoria said as she pulled out her phone again. She was distracted for a moment as they saw another familiar face coming up through the front of the crowd. Michelle gave the group a questioning look. “Chloe and I have been robbed.”
Michelle gasped in surprise. “Are you two alright?” she asked. The Clarks nodded. Michelle gave mother and daughter a sympathetic look. “Victoria, I’m so sorry. If there is anything Kyle and I can do for you, don’t hesitate to call me. Do you need a place to stay?”
Victoria gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you, Michelle. That’s very nice of you, but I think I would feel safer if we were at a hotel.”
“Hotel? The closest one is in Sapphire City,” Michelle pointed out. “Why don’t you stay here? Or at least let Chloe stay with us.”
Victoria looked skeptical. Chloe tried to put her mother’s worries at ease. “Mom, I’ll be fine. I’m sure the Meyers will take good care of me.”
Victoria didn’t say anything before she finally agreed. “Okay, you can sleep over at Ashley’s. Just don’t go back in the house to get your things until after the police finish their work. And make sure you tell them if anything of yours is missing.” Chloe just nodded as her mother began her call to a hotel.
Ashley, Jill and Gwen waited with Chloe until she was able to enter her house. Ashley offered to go in with her and Chloe led her inside and upstairs to her bedroom, leaving Jill and Gwen to stay outside. To Chloe’s horror, her bedroom was turned upside down. Clothes were thrown from the drawers. Books were taken off the shelves.
“What a mess,” Chloe said as she made her way through the mess. She went to her bureau and checked her jewelry boxes. She groaned in frustration. Ashley had a feeling some of her jewelry was missing as well. It was confirmed when Chloe spoke. “That thief took some of my jewelry too,” she told her. “Including the earrings I was going to let you borrow for the dance. There’s no way my dad would steal my jewelry. It has to be someone else – someone who knows their jewelry. Otherwise, this person wouldn’t have taken my great-grandmother’s jewelry or my expensive earrings.”
Ashley hated to admit it, but she was right. “But what about your secret stash? How did they find out where your parents hid it?”
Chloe thought for a moment. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I’m more worried about getting my jewelry back. I know I can replace my earrings, but I really want my great-grandmother’s earrings back.”
Ashley gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I’m sure the police are on the case.” There was a short pause before she spoke again. “Come on. I’ll help you clean up.” Chloe just let out a sigh as she began grabbing her clothes from the floor and sorting them into different piles.
Chloe slowly went through her things to make sure nothing else was missing. She went from her clothes on the floor to her walk in closet. “That thief even went through my closet,” she noted. “What the hell did this person do? Try my clothes on pretending to be me? Or trying to decide which outfit went with my earrings? Luckily, the thief didn’t steal the dress I was planning on letting you borrow for the dance.” She gave Ashley a pale blue strapless dress. “What do you think about this one?”
Ashley had to admit that it was beautiful. “It looks amazing. I should try it on, right?” She didn’t even let Chloe answer before she hurried into the nearest bathroom. To her amazement, the dress fit perfectly. She modeled it for Chloe, who complimented her on how awesome she looked. “I guess I found the perfect dress. Are you sure you don’t want to wear it?”
“Are you kidding? You look more beautiful than I do in that dress. Trust me,” Chloe replied. Her sadness about her missing jewelry seemed to disappear. She was energized with helping her friend to find the right dress and shoes for the dance. “Now we just have to find the perfect high heels to go with it.” She scavenged around the closet before she grabbed a pair of high heels. “Let’s see how good you are with these.”
“You do realize I’m not the girl who usually wears high heels, right?” Ashley asked.
Chloe gave her a look. “You have to wear high heels. You’re a little rusty now, but you’ll get better. Besides, it’s only for one night. I’ll help you practice.” She grabbed another pair of high heels before she went downstairs. Ashley was right behind her. Chloe demonstrated how she had to walk. Ashley tried to copy her movements, but she kept stumbling.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get it,” Chloe assured her. “If not, we’ll have to tie your shoes to your feet.” Ashley laughed as they returned to Chloe’s bedroom to help her prepare for her overnight stay at Ashley’s house.
Chapter 7
To get their mind off of the robbery, the four friends headed to the diner for dinner. By now, everyone had heard what had happened at Chloe’s house. However, Lucas made sure nobody bothered Chloe and her friends. Ashley tried to cheer her friend up, but Chloe didn’t want to eat. She was still too upset. She just watched her friends eat their meals and stared off into space. Jill offered to pay for their meals, but Lucas told them that it was on the house.
Jill and Gwen said their goodbyes to Ashley and Chloe before they went their separate ways. When Chloe and Ashley returned to the house, Chloe had snapped out of her daze long enough to recognize the third car that was in the driveway. She let out a heavy sigh. Ashley could hear the sarcasm in her voice. “Great. My dad’s here. This is going to be fun.”
“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” Ashley said, trying to comfort her. Chloe gestured to her mother’s car that was still parked in her driveway, signaling she was possibly in Ashley’s house with her estranged husband. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Michelle is mediating well between them.”
Chloe didn’t answer as she opened her car door. Ashley did the same and they headed up to the house. Before they were able to reach the steps, the door was pulled open and a man who Ashley assumed was Chloe’s father stormed out of the house. For a moment, he didn’t even notice Chloe or Ashley until Chloe called out to him. He snapped out of his reverie and turned to his daughter.
“Chloe, are you alright? I heard what happened and I came over as soon as I could.” He set his worriedness aside as he gave a warm smile to Ashley. “This must be Ashley.” He extended his hand out for a handshake and she took it. “Your stepmother was telling me all about you. I’m Andrew Clark, Chloe’s father. I hope my daughter and her friends are making you feel welcome. I know how hard it is to be in a place where you feel like you don’t belong.”
From his words, Ashley could sense he was talking more about himself than her. Chloe also noticed it. She looked at him. “Did Mom give you a hard time about the robbery? I told her not to blame you. I know you didn’t hire someone to steal from us.”
“Absolutely not. That’s absurd. And I don’t appreciate my family being targeted. I’m going to talk to the mayor and ask what she is planning to do to make sure this doesn’t happen to other families,” he told the girls. He embraced his daughter in a tight hug. “Look after my Chloe tonight.”
Ashley smiled back. “I will,” she promised. They waved good-bye as they watched him enter his vehicle and drive off. They then headed into the house where they found Victoria, Michelle and Kyle in the kitchen. They exchanged greetings as Michelle offered them dessert. “Thanks, but I had a milkshake at the diner and it filled me up.”
“What about you, Chloe?” Michelle offered. Chloe shook her head. She still didn’t feel like eating anything. Michell
e nodded understandingly. She changed the subject. “What did you girls do today? Did you go shopping to find the perfect dress for Homecoming?”
Before Ashley could answer, her father spoke up. “Ashley, you’re going to the Homecoming Dance? I didn’t know that,” Kyle said. “It’s nice to know you want to spend a night out with your new friends. Are you going with anyone in particular or just with your friends?”
Chloe was happy to answer his question. “We’re going as a group. Jill was going to go with her boyfriend, but he can’t make it that night. In fact, she was the only one who was ready for the dance until today. Ashley is going to borrow one of my dresses and shoes to wear. I was going to let her borrow a pair of my earrings, but the plans changed.” Ashley waited to see if she was going to mention the state of her room, but she remained quiet.
“I can’t wait to see what you’re wearing,” Kyle said. “If you girls want, you and your friends can get ready here before the dance. I would love to see you girls before you take off.”
“That would work out great. Thank you Mr. Meyer,” Chloe replied.
“I’m sure you’ll be grateful to have the house all to yourself,” Ashley added. “You and Michelle can cuddle up next to each other in front of the fireplace.”
Michelle smiled. “As lovely as that sounds, I’m not going to be here.” Ashley looked at her surprised. “I’m going to be chaperoning the dance.”
Ashley’s face went from excited to disappointment. “What?” she exclaimed. She couldn’t believe her. There was no way she was going to let her chaperone. “No offense, but I really don’t need a babysitter at the dance,” she insisted. “I’m going because I want to have fun with my friends, not ruin the dance for everyone else.”
Michelle tried to calm her down. “I know that,” she replied. “I’m not chaperoning the dance to keep an eye on you. Your dad and I trust you. I’m doing it because they need chaperones. That’s all. I promise.”
