by Grace Herbst
Lucas embraced her in a tight hug as she surveyed the scene, looking to see who all was there. Besides her friends, there were a few other classmates she was friendly with like Jasmine, Danielle Browning and Summer Hathaway. Ashley felt sorry for Lucas since he was the only guy in the group. However, her focus was still on the surprise party.
Chloe, Jill and Gwen all took turns embracing her in a hug. Ashley couldn’t speak for a moment as she got over the shock. She finally managed to find her voice. “What’s going on? It’s not my birthday.”
Her friends tried not to laugh as Lucas tried to comfort her. “Yeah, it is,” he insisted.
Ashley was completely baffled before she realized that her friends were right. “Oh my God! I’ve been so busy with all the drama that I completely forgot about my birthday.”
Chloe gave her a proud smile. She was thrilled to finally reveal the secret. “That’s right. That made my job so much easier. Of course, I couldn’t have done it without Lucas. He was the one who told me you were worried about your birthday. We wanted to show you that you have friends here. And you belong here.”
Ashley returned the smile. “I have to admit that I thought you guys were just hanging out with me because you felt sorry for me, but I can see that you really like me for me. Thank you for this. It really means a lot to me.” She embraced her friends again before they began the party.
Thanks to Chloe and Lucas, the party was planned perfectly. For dinner, Chloe had ordered pizzas and Jill had brought two-liter soda bottles for everyone. They had chosen a couple of Ashley’s favorite movies to watch and they plopped themselves in front of the television in the den.
After several minutes, the cake was brought out and everyone gathered around the birthday girl as they sang the birthday song. Ashley almost didn’t know what to wish for since she felt she had everything she needed. She had her friends. She had her dad and Michelle. A thought came to her and she knew exactly what she wanted. She closed her eyes and blew out the candles. Her friends cheered and applauded.
After cake and ice cream, it was time for presents. Ashley didn’t expect anything big since she hadn’t told anybody about her birthday. Except for Lucas. Her friends were able to come up with some creative presents and Ashley loved every one of them.
“Why don’t you open our present next?” Kyle asked her, giving her a small box. Ashley figured it would be the pair of earrings she had seen at the jewelry store. However, she was surprised and confused when she opened the box and found a key.
Ashley looked at her dad and Michelle as realization hit her. “Wait, does this mean what I think it means?” she asked, not willing to believe it. Were they really considering letting her have her license back? That would be the best birthday present ever.
Kyle smiled proudly at his daughter. “Yes, we thought you earned the right to drive a car again. We will still have to go up in front of the judge and plead your case, but I’m sure there will be no issues.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you down this time,” Ashley promised as she embraced them in a hug. “Thank you for believing in me.”
“You certainly earned our trust back,” Kyle replied. “We have been thinking about it for a while and we wanted to wait until your birthday to give it to you.”
“It’s the best birthday gift ever. Thank you,” Ashley replied before she embraced them in another hug. “I can’t wait to get back on the road again.”
“We can finally switch off for carpool,” Chloe added. Ashley nodded in agreement. “But since it is your birthday, I’m willing to take my best friend anywhere she wants to go. I know there aren’t any good movies out, but the mall is fun anyway.”
“I think I will take you up on your offer,” Ashley replied. “And everyone is welcome to come.”
Lucas smiled at her gratefully. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass,” Lucas said. “As much as I would love to hang out with you girls, it’s getting late. I should probably get going.” Jasmine, Summer and Gwen also sadly told her that they too had other plans. However, Jill and Danielle were willing to come with Chloe and Ashley.
As Ashley said her goodbyes to her departing friends, the remaining three began to clean up. Ashley wanted to help them, but they insisted on doing it by themselves. It was still her birthday and she wasn’t supposed to lift a finger. Ashley looked over her presents again as she heard the doorbell ring.
“I’ll get it,” Michelle called. A few minutes later, Michelle reappeared in the kitchen. “Ashley, you have another guest. She’s waiting for you in the living room.” Ashley frowned, wondering who it could possibly be.
When she walked into the living room, she was surprised but pleased to see her Aunt Jennifer standing there. It was her first time she had seen her since before the assault. Ashley couldn’t help but notice her left eye was still black and blue, but it was certainly healing. Her arm was in a sling, but there were no other bruises shown. Ashley embraced her aunt in a gentle hug. “I’m so happy you’re okay. I’m so sorry about everything.”
“I was hoping that you wouldn’t find out about it,” Jennifer told her niece. “I didn’t want to scare the family. I heard about your little adventure. Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asked.
“I blamed myself for what happened to you. I know it wasn’t my fault, but I was the one who told Penny about her psychotic ex-boyfriend. And I didn’t want to be a big sister. And everything just came crashing down and I didn’t want to deal with it anymore. I had to take off. Then I ran into Ms. Bartlett and she helped me realize I was going in the wrong direction.”
Jennifer smiled. “So I guess you talking to Ms. Bartlett was a good thing after all?”
Ashley didn’t want to admit it, but she was right. “Yeah, I suppose it is easier to talk to an acquaintance than a relative. She’s not as bad as I thought she was. I might go and talk to her more often. Or even help her at the community center. Apparently, Paige, the girl I bonded with when I had volunteered at the community center, and the young boy Caleb Johnson, who has forgiven me, want to see me again. Ms. Bartlett believes that he has a crush on me.”
Jennifer wasn’t hurt by her decision. In fact, she was happy to see her niece happy. “I had no doubt the Johnsons would forgive you. So what else did you learn while you were gone?”
“Roxanne is a bitch and she will never change,” Ashley replied. “As much as I want her to change, she will always be a manipulative, lying, bitch who doesn’t care about anyone but herself.” Jennifer gave her a sympathetic look. “Don’t apologize. I realize I can’t save them all and I should be grateful for the true friends I do have.”
“Yeah, it sounds like you do have some pretty great friends. Especially since they threw you a huge birthday party,” Jennifer agreed as Chloe, Jill and Danielle made an appearance. Ashley introduced them to her aunt. “Hello girls. It’s very nice to meet you three.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Dr. Pruitt,” Chloe replied. “We heard about your assault and we’re glad you’re okay.”
Jennifer smiled gratefully at her. “Thank you, Chloe. That’s very nice of you to say.”
Chloe turned to Ashley. “Are you ready to go to the mall?”
Ashley wanted to go, but she also wanted to spend time with her aunt. However, her aunt gave her a smile. “Go on with your friends. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up later. You know I’ll be around.”
Ashley nodded before she said good-bye and she left to get permission from her dad and Michelle. Soon, she was sitting in Chloe’s car as she and her friends headed off to the mall. She was more determined now than ever to make sure she wouldn’t go back to her old life. It would be challenging, but she knew that her new friends would help support her. She finally felt like she was home.
About The Author
Growing up in a small town in Southern Illinois didn’t hinder Grace Herbst’s creativity or her passion for storytelling. Instead, she was even more inspired to write about the close-knit communit
y of a small town. Since 2010, she has used her creativity to dive in fanfiction and turned the worlds of television shows One Tree Hill and Grey’s Anatomy upside down. Overcoming obstacles and seeing a light at the end of the tunnel has always been a prominent theme in her stories. When she’s not causing chaos in the fanfiction world or her original stories, she’s fighting off her weakness for chocolate. She currently resides outside of Detroit, Michigan with her Wonder Dog, Molly.
Behind Closed Doors Book 1 Brave New Girl is her first novel. The second book of the Behind Closed Doors Bridge Over Troubled Water is expected to hit publication in spring 2020.
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Acknowledgements
It has always been my dream to become an author. The challenge wasn’t writing. It was believing in myself. It was believing I could take the next step into getting my book published. The journey hasn’t been easy, but I believe it was all worth it.
I first would like to thank my parents who introduced me to step into the world of imagination that could only come from reading books. They have been there every step of the way, encouraging me and supporting me. Thanks Mom and Dad.
I would also thank my family friend Sharon and her granddaughter Katie for being my editors. Whether it was just fixing a grammar mistake or helping me understand how to improve my writing with characters or setting, you two were there to help me. Thank you.
I also couldn’t have done it without my book cover designer, Mandi Lynn from Stone Ridge Books. You may have been a new cover designer, but you certainly didn’t show it. You were patient with me when I asked questions. Even when I didn’t have any idea about what I wanted on my book cover, you were able to find something I loved almost right away. Thank you for working with me and I look forward to working with you for the next book.
I wouldn’t have thought about pursuing my writing seriously without the encouragement of my Journalism teacher Mrs. Prange. Even though it was Journalism class, you saw something in me that I didn’t realize at first. I was a writer and I could certainly go far with it if I really wanted to. Thank you.
To my cousin Kyle, who is the inspiration for one of my characters. I have always admired and looked up to. He’s hard-working. He’s protective of his family. And he’s a great dad to his daughters.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my beloved dog Molly, my writing companion. She has stuck by my side as I spent hours on the computer, not wanting to move until I finish a chapter.
