Chapter 1
Chapter 1: Ashley
Ashely Baker’s stormy gray eyes remained glued to the bright, small screen gripped in her right hand. Her ears were immersed in a trance created by her white, wireless headphones that rested in them; one could say she lived in her own world, unaware of the busy New York streets that surrounded her.
You see, Ms.Baker did not care for things other than the virtual world she lived in, a pitiful truth for many nineteen-year-olds attending New York University.
Carefully, she set her slim, athletic body, toned from many years of Varsity track, onto the metal bench to the right of the cement trail. Ashley sighed, still not removing her attention from the device in her hand.
Today was Saturday and Miss Ashley Jane Baker was ever so grateful for that. After days of grueling homework, tests, and quizzes, she needed a break. Saturday was the one day in a week where she was able to escape the routinely given piles of homework, tests, and quizzes given by her teachers, and the teasing and taunting snickers of her classmates that college had, unfortunately, saw fit to add as a bonus to her newly gained freedom.
Ding! Surprised by the sudden noise, Ashley’s mind was pulled from her school related thoughts. Looking down at the contact, she rolled her eyes, swiping the text notification swiftly with her finger; she didn’t need an argument today.
For the next two hours, Ashley did not so much as glance at the beautiful green scenery that lay in front of her. She didn’t flinch at the loud barks and growls of the numerous dogs, nor was she bothered by the hundreds of people who chose to spend their Saturday a lot wiser than her, as they laughed and bickered amongst small groups. She, however, did jump at the deep voice that spoke her name, blocking the light, that had previously shone on her fair skin, from the sun.
For the first time in hours, Ashley glanced up to see a boy, about her age. His deep blue eyes rose in questions and his tousled black hair swayed with the crisp breeze that had been blowing.
“Are you… Are you Ashely Baker?” He asked in a hushed voice, careful not to break eye contact with her.
For some reason, as the boy’s sea-blue eyes remained attached to hers, Ashley’s mind raced, playing back numerous memories of laughter, cries, and numerous smiles with this man. But one question remained burned in her head: Who was this boy, and why… why did she know him?
“Depends who’s asking,” Ashley responded, detaching her eyes from his and picking at absolutely nothing from her freshly cut, pink nails. Something was definitely off about this boy, but she couldn’t tell what it was.
“I’m Thomas Warden. Do you remember me?” he asked, remaining in his hunched position, yet still cowering over her sitting figure with his six foot two height.
“Nope,” Ashley lied. Well, it hadn’t been all a lie. She searched her brain for this mysterious, yet known man. She knew him… or, at least, she thought she did.
“Uh, can I sit?” he asked again, pointing to the empty seat to the right of her. Wow, did this man ask a lot of questions.
“It’s a free country, ” she replied but scooted further to the left as the so-said Thomas Warden took a seat next to her.
“Um… I don’t really know how to put this,” he whispered, wiping his strong, big hand across his face as if wiping away the fear. Why was he scared? If anything, she should be scared!
“I don’t remember a lot. And, I mean, I don’t… I don’t exactly know why,” he stuttered, and for the first time since she’d met him, avoided the sinister gaze of Ashely Baker. “For some reason, more and more memories, of you, began to appear. Not even full memories. Just small, really small, snippets of them.”
“So,” he sighed. “I tracked you down, and--”
“Wait, what?!” Ashley exclaimed, crossing her arms across her chest as some sort of protection from who knows what. “You tracked me down?! Are you crazy?”
“Well, I’m sorry that I wanted to search for the person that keeps appearing and reappearing in my mind so much that her wavy brown hair and her dark gray eyes have been burned into my brain,” he shouted, but apologized almost immediately, sinking himself back onto the metal slab.
Ashley sat stunned, releasing her chocolate hair from her finger. “But you don’t even know who I am,” she whispered so quietly that Thomas barely heard.
“Yeah, well that was the whole point for me being here, wasn’t it?” he scoffed, stealing a quick glance at her, then returning his attention to the park in front of them. "I do know you."
“Besides,” he sighed. “I didn’t travel all the way from California to turn up empty-handed.”
“Wait, you’re from California?”
“No. I just go to college there. UCLA,” Thomas answered, sending a confused look to Ashely. “I grew up in Maine.”
“Me too!” Ashley responded, straightening her hunched body from the surprise. Quickly, though, she returned to her original position. There were millions of people who came from Maine. Why would this boy be any more special than those people? And why... why did she want to tell him... everything?
“Wait; what high school did you go to?” Thomas asked frantically, his eyes developing a playful spark.
“I…,” she hesitated, playing with her thin, long fingers. She wanted to tell him, oh so bad. But, “I don’t know you. Why should I reveal my personal information?”
“Fine,” Thomas sighed, annoyed by her restriction. Although, after a few minutes of extremely awkward silence he whispered, “Wharton School for the Gifted.”
Ashley looked up at him, shocked with the knowledge he had of her. Thomas simply grinned, still not looking her in the eyes.
“Probably found that out with you stalked me.”
“Maybe,” he smirked. “But I wanted to hear you say it so I knew it wasn’t a lie.” Lies. What terrible, yet fascinating things they were. What utterly disgusting, yet beautiful things they were. Lies-- oh how they made up Ashley's entire existence.
Again, the silence ensued until Ashely’s quiet voice whispered, “What do you want from me?”
“Damn it, Ashley!” he shouted, jumping from the bench and grabbing his face in frustration. Ashley jumped in her seat, surprised as his peaceful figure drew rage that she knew he had bottled in within him. She sat patiently as he took jagged breaths to calm himself down from his sudden outburst. “Look, I just needed to talk to you--to get to know you.”
“Why?”
“I’ve uncovered a few… things about the relationship we have.”
“What---”
“Had,” he corrected, interrupting her.
“What were those things? Were they bad?” Ashley pried, hugging her knees as she cradled herself on the bench.
“We… um…,” he started, but stopped and tore his wounded eyes away from her. “We used to be best friends,” he finished after minutes of pin drop silence.
“Best friends?” Ashley chuckled nervously. “I think I would remember something as important as you being my best friend.”
“You would think.”
“No, Thomas, I would know. Besides,” she sighed. “I had more than one best friend in high school, and I remember them crystal clear.”
“Yup, Lana Barnes and Cole West,” he responded, resting his elbows on his knees, his eyes focused on the peeling bark of the oak tree rooted in front of him.
“Okay, how did you know that? I know you can’t find that sort of information anywhere.”
“Right you are, Ms.Baker.”
Before a single word flew out of Ashley’s glossed red lips, Thomas answered the unspoken question hanging from the tip of her tongue.
“I know them. They’re my best friends too.”
