Angels and Guardians Pt. 02

She looked at the pair before her. "Both of your talents are amazing. It was some of the most beautiful music I've heard in a while." They both said thank you. She looked at Joe, "that said, I gave you free license, hoping you'd be responsible enough to show good judgment. That kiss y'all had on stage was against school policy, but that's not what I'm upset about. You're little ditty when everyone was leaving was unacceptable. You've done a lot of good here the last three years, Joe. You've built up a lot of credibility with me because of it. I'm just saying that you spent every bit of it tonight. From here on out, if either of you act up in any way, in class, or on the field, you will be suspended. Am I clear?" They both said yes. "Good." She went to walk away, but smiled and turned back to them. "Y'all did a really good job overall tonight. Just tone down the flirting, okay?" With that, she was off to lock up the school.

Joe let out a relieved sigh. Ashley couldn't let it go just yet. Joe noticed and asked her if she was okay.

"Not really Joe, I can't have a suspension on my record. I'd lose any chance at a scholarship for cheering."

"Meh, don't worry about it too much. You heard her, we'll only be in trouble if we cause trouble."

Ashley wasn't convinced. "She's pissed, she'll have every teacher looking at us with a microscope. They'll find trouble."

Joe gave her a hug, and started to lead her out the door. "Sister K. came back to let us know that won't happen. She scolded us more for show, than anything else. She's fine with us. They just don't want us stepping so far over the boundary again. It's okay, trust me."

They got in the SUV with Jill and Jasmine, and Joe suggested they go and eat. Jill drove them to the nearby sports pub. While they were munching on their appetizers, Joe and Ashley related what Sister Kate had said to them. Joe looked up at one of the televisions and his jaw dropped. The headline on the screen read, "Local Hero Returns -- Looks For Reward."

"What the hell?" he said. He had the bartender turn it up.

"...when a local football hero returned to his school for a talent show." A short clip played of Jill announcing one of the acts. "Joe Smith surprised his schoolmates and teachers with an unplanned appearance after a tribute to him by Ashley Roberts, the girl he saved by driving his car between hers and a tractor trailer in a wreck only three weeks ago." A clip showed Ashley thanking the audience and breaking down, and then Joe came on stage to comfort her. "The surprise didn't end there, as it was revealed that Smith is a talented musician himself." The clip played where the curtain opened when Joe was playing Uninvited. "He took over the show later, leading Roberts and four of their schoolmates in an unrehearsed, yet very well done mini concert. But, some would say the real show started as everybody was leaving. We must acknowledge that the following video was recorded without the pair's knowledge or consent. And, we did not know the camera had been left on until editing for this story." Joe's blood ran cold. He could only imagine what Ashley felt right then. Sure enough, they played the tape of Joe playing the cute and sensuous melody of "Ashley's Song." And, broadcast for all to see was Ashley singing, flirting, and writhing all around the piano player. Of course, the station played the whole song, including the hot kiss at the end.

If the station had left the story end there, the little "show" could have been passed off as two young people just fooling around with music, being kids. However, after the reporter wrapped up the story and signed off, the news anchor appeared on screen. He said into the camera, "Well, I think we all know how he was repaid for saving that girl." The co-anchor giggled and added, "Not everyone has to be rewarded with money. Next up, the financial markets were skittish today after news from Carter...."

Ashley got up from the table and dashed outside. Jasmine ran after her. Jill looked at Joe and for the first time, she felt fear being near him. His eyes had grown cold and dark, his jaw set forward. She was afraid he was going to do something stupid, like go up to the station and tear the place apart. Never before had she seen his expression so cold. To break the block of ice that he was, she said, "nice bridge to the money segment, huh?"

It worked and brought Joe out of it, "I can't believe they just said that." He shook his head. "Ashley's parents just heard that. MY parents just heard it. I thought there was a law against recordings without permission. At the very least, there should be one against broadcasting it without permission."

Jill didn't know what to say. Instead, she just went over to Joe and held him.

Outside, Ashley was frantic. She paced up and down the sidewalk. Then, she sat down on the bench. Jasmine caught up to her and saw Ashley rocking back and forth on the bench. "Oh my God. Oh my God." she was saying over and over. Jasmine sat next to her and put her arms around her shoulders. At first, Ashley didn't seem to notice, continuing her rocking and barely audible chant. But after a while, her rocking slowed and she gradually melted into Jasmine, laying her head on Jasmine's chest. "What am I going to do?" she asked finally. Jasmine didn't say anything, determined to just listen. Ashley continued, "My parents just heard ON THE FREAKING NEWS that I'm sleeping with Joe! It's not even true! Oh my God! What am I gonna do?!"

Jasmine's heart broke hearing Ashley in such turmoil. "You could talk to them and tell them it's not true. They'll believe you," she offered.

"Yeah right! IT'S ON THE NEWS!! Plain as day! Me up there, dancing, singing, brushing up against him. They'll never believe me! If I go home, they'll send me to my room, then replace my window and door with iron jail bars!"

Jasmine couldn't help but chuckle. She held it enough that it wasn't out loud, but Ashley's face felt it through her chest. "Iron bars," Jasmine repeated.

"It's not funny! Oh my God. My life is OVER! I'll never see the light of day. I don't want to. On Monday, everyone is going to be pointing and laughing at me." She groaned, "Oh my God, this sucks!"

Jasmine knew it did suck for Ashley. The coincidence of telling her dad last night that she was falling for Joe could only make things worse at home for her. Jasmine normally wouldn't make jokes when someone was leaning on her for support, but she felt it would work for Ashley. "You could tell your folks that you're sleeping with me. Then they'd forget about Joe."

Ashley looked confused, but the play worked. She smiled, then laughed. "Yeah, they would be so trying to figure out why I turned lesbian that they'd forget about this."

Jasmine smiled down at her on her chest. "See? A smile! Little One, it's not the end of the world. This, too, shall pass. Let's go back in and finish dinner. We'll cross those bridges afterward, ok?"

Ashley nodded and they went back in. Joe and Jill asked if she was okay. She said yes, then noticed that he, too, looked shell-shocked. She hugged him, then returned to her seat. The waiter came to the table to fill their drinks before the entrée arrived. A look of recognition appeared on his face and he said, "Hey, y'all were on the news just now!" They all blushed, and Ashley and Joe anticipated the ridicule to begin. The waiter asked, "What was the name of that song y'all did? Everyone in the kitchen is humming it right now."

"Um...I, uh, call it 'Ashley's Song,'" stammered Joe.

"So you wrote it? It's catchy," the waiter said.

Jill interjected, "Ashley here wrote it."

Ashley nodded. "But, Joe added the flair to the tune in my head."

The waiter looked impressed. "Do y'all have a CD or anything?" he asked. After they shook their heads, he commented, "That's a shame. You'd have sold eight right here tonight." With that, he returned to the kitchen to get their meals.

The group turned to each other. "Was he joking?" asked Ashley. "I mean, was he being sarcastic? Was he trying to make fun of us?"

"It didn't sound that way to me," answered Joe.

Just then the waiter returned with his tray. He was trailed by a line of employees who started clapping. The group was befuddled. As their plates were being placed in front of them, the employees showered the table with compliments of their musical talent. They were asking to be notified if a CD ever came out, some even asked Ashley and Joe for autographed napkins. The two were bashful about all the attention, but complied with the requests.

Finally the attention died down, and the staff returned to their duties. The group settled into their dinner, talking about the bizarre situation that just unfolded. They each also threw some verbal jabs at the tv station. They finished their meal, and decided to go home. Ashley was the first to be dropped off, but she was apprehensive about the looming confrontation with her parents. Joe offered to come in with her, but she declined. She said that in this case it would be best if she faced the music alone. They all said goodnight to her and drove off.

Ashley unlocked the door, drew in a sigh, and opened it. As she put her cases in the hall closet, she heard her parents walking up to her.

"So, you're having sex with him?" her mom asked pointedly.

Ashley figured they would open with that. She briefly considered telling them Jasmine's suggestion, but decided that would go far worse. "No, mom. We're not sleeping together."

"Well, it's on the news, so it must be true!" bellowed her dad. "Together with the fishing expedition you displayed, how can any one think otherwise?"

"Dad, we were just playing around with the piano. It was a tune in my head that Joe asked me to sing in the car. It was nonsense to me until he fixed it up and started playing it tonight."

"Ahh, the car! A little down payment so he could show 'your star' his 'candy bar'?"

The way her dad used the words from her song to insult her stung bad. Her eyes watered up. "Dad! It's not like that at all! I tried to refuse the car several times. I already told you why he gave it to me!"

He wasn't convinced. "Well, what else are we to think, Ashley? You're on TELEVISION, for crying out loud! You're wearing that slinky thing, and have that flashy star on the side of your face. You look, sound, and act like you're trying out for a Vegas striptease show!"

The verbal blows hit their mark, and Ashley broke out into heavy sobs. "That was NOT my intention, Dad! I wanted to look nice for my first talent show. Which, neither of you showed for, when it was all I talked about since the hospital. Jasmine hid Bill's mark on my face with this beautiful artwork. The dance they showed was meant only for my friends. I was just fooling around!"

"I'll say you were fooling around! So much, even the anchors commented on it!"

Just then, Ashley had an epiphany. "You know what? I'm 18! I'm getting yelled at for something I'm not doing. I should have just sleep with Joe, that way all this would be worth it!" She grabbed her keys from the board by the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" her mom asked.

"What do you think? That I'm just going to stay here and listen to this? If you don't believe me, fine. I'm moving out. You can scream at the walls for not painting themselves for all I care. I will say this: I cannot believe you would trust a tv station who broadcasts video of people without their knowledge before trusting me!"

Before her mom could stop him, her dad said, "No one should trust a harlot. You go through that door, and we cut you off. You'll receive no money for anything. Clothes, gas, insurance, medical...ALL will be gone!"

Ashley winced at him calling her a harlot. Her eyes got dark and she said, "If you think that, then I guess you're not my dad. And, you're not my mom, either; because you'd rather believe what you see on tv. It'll be better to make it on my own, than receive anything from either of you." With that, she slammed the door.

Joe's return home wasn't much of a picnic, either. Jasmine and Jill insisted they go in with him. They were greeted at the door by his parents, and instructed to sit in the den for "a chat." His parents were upset, mostly because they feared for their company's reputation. They scolded Joe for putting himself in such a position with media present. He'd heard this speech before, how what he does reflects on his family, and in turn, reflects on their business. He, too, assured his parents that the news story was not intentional.

They didn't believe him, but then Jill and Jasmine related how what wasn't reported was received very well by the school. They told his parents that Joe believed the gym was mostly empty, that the curtains were still down, and that he and Ashley were just playing around. They hadn't noticed that the stage crew opened the curtains to make cleanup easier. And, they confirmed that the camera crew never approached Joe or Ashley to comment or receive permission to air any of the performance.

His parents looked at each other and softened somewhat. They commented that they believed Joe and his friends, because he'd had the girls over so many times, and there never seemed to be a problem. They revealed to him that they knew he was messing around with Jill and Jasmine, and that he slept with Kim. But, that was his business, and they felt they shouldn't interfere, unless trouble came because of it. That brought them to Ashley. Ashley was new to them, and they cautioned him about trusting her. Jill spoke up and said that Ashley wouldn't ever do anything to damage Joe's credibility or reputation. His parents countered that she may not have meant to, but this story contradicts her intention. Jill stood at this and became quite animated, saying Ashley was the sweetest thing she's known. That she considers Ashley as part of her family, and so should Joe's parents. Joe thought to himself that he's never seen Jill defend another female this hard before, not even Jasmine.

Jill could see his parents starting to go his way, but she brought up one more point again, to seal things up. "Can't Joe and Ashley sue for libel, or slander, or something? The comments made by the anchors were over the top."

Joe's mom thought that Jill would make an excellent trial attorney. She was passionate, assertive, knew her arguments, and spoke well. What's more, she could tell Jill had other points she could use for defense of her argument, but was smart enough to pick and use only the most effective ones. "Slander. If someone makes a false comment that defames another's character, it's called slander. Libel is the same thing, only written." She seemed to be considering something and went out of the room.

Just then, they heard the side door open, and in came Ashley. She looked like a ghost, her skin deadly pale. Her expression was cemented in shock. Jasmine quickly guided her to the couch and fetched a blanket from the bedroom reserved for the Angels. She doted over Ashley, trying to make her comfortable. "What is it sweetie? What's wrong?"

"I just ran away," Ashley flat panned.

Jasmine wasn't sure she understood. "What do you mean, you ran away? For tonight?"

Ashley didn't move from her seat. She just stared at the wall ahead of her. "I just ran away," she repeated.

All in the room became concerned. More so when Joe's mom returned with a video tape in her hand. She was about to say something, but when she saw Ashley, she dropped the tape and rushed over to her. "She's in shock. Get her feet up above her heart. Good, you covered her up. Joe, get her some water! Ashley, are you hurt?" His mom repeated the question twice without receiving a reply. "Something's wrong, call 911," she said to his dad.

Ashley moved, which stopped Joe's dad from getting the phone. The extra blood going to her head was helping. "No, no. Don't. Don't need an ambulance. Just give me a minute."

Joe's mom conceded, and sat back on her heels, waiting. "Joe, hand me that water. Ashley, do you need some of this?"

Ashley nodded, took the glass and sipped from it. "What happened? Did I faint?"

His mom shook her head. "No, you're in medical shock. Did you get hurt anywhere?"

Ashley shook her head no. "I'm not physically hurt. I don't think."

Joe's mom said she'd feel better to make sure, and Ashley consented to allowing Mrs. Smith check over her body. She did, using the blanket to shield Ashley's privacy from the others. "There's nothing here except small bruises from cheering, I assume. So something happened tonight after the others dropped you off."

Ashley started to sit up, but Joe's mom pushed her back down. "Okay, fine, I'll tell you from here, I guess," Ashley said weakly. She told them about the fight she had with her parents. About how her dad called her a harlot. She wrapped up with how she slammed the door on them, and next the thing she remembers is being handed a glass of water from Mrs. Smith. She then thanked them, and said she was starting to feel much better. This was confirmed by the color returning to her cheeks.

Jasmine had felt helpless since being pushed away by Joe's mom. While Ashley was coming to and relating her story, Jasmine went upstairs and retrieved some cold cream and a washcloth from Joe's shared bath. She returned to the den in time to hear the harlot comment, and a cold spike went through her heart. When Ashley stopped talking, Jasmine went to her and began gently removing the makeup from her cheek.

Joe's parents retreated to the living room to talk about things. They returned shortly later to find Ashley sitting up with Jasmine delicately removing the rest of the stage makeup from her face. Jill was seated at the end of another sofa, with Joe lying with his head in her lap. Jill was softly stroking his hair. His dad started, "First off, we want you girls to know you are welcome here at any time. What happens in Joe's or your room is your business, and we don't have any intention to intrude or interfere. Just please keep any extra curricular activities there. Y'all past fun hasn't made things uncomfortable for us, and we'd like to keep it that way." Ashley looked at Jasmine, but she just motioned that she'd tell Ashley later.

Joe's mom was next. "Joe and Ashley, I feel you two have a case against the station. It's not ironclad, as they could say that the anchors were referring to your kiss. But, they published a recording you were not aware of without your permission. I'd also go for libel to pile it on, as the headline they used on screen was intended to be defamatory. I'm pretty good, and I'm pretty sure I could win this for you."

Ashley shook her head. "No way, I don't want to revisit any of that. Even if we'd win, my parents still would blame me for being in the news. Especially if this results in a highly public trial."

His mom continued, "very well. If you change your mind, I have the evidence on tape from the Tivo recording. Just let me know. As for you, not only are you welcome here any time you like, but you are welcome to stay here however long you like. If you want to get away from your parents for tonight, or if you want to move in with us, it doesn't matter. Just be willing to do your part to keep the house nice, and we'll be glad to have you."

Ashley's eyes misted and she got up and went over to hug Joe's mom and dad. "Thank you, so much! But I don't know if I could stay here. I don't have any clothes, or insurance, or anything. I'd hate to go back home to get anything. But, I guess I'll have to."

Joe's dad smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'll call Cindy, my secretary, and she'll set you up with your insurance for your health, dental, and car tomorrow morning. Joe has my corporate card, so you can go with him and these other two troublemakers and get anything else you need." Ashley started to speak, but he cut her off. "I mean it. ANYTHING you need. Clothes, shoes, purses, a laptop, CD player...anything you can think of that you'd need to make yourself comfortable, just get it. I'll pay for whatever you have Joe put on that card for the next week. After that, I request you just ask me first. Okay?" Ashley nodded, not knowing what to say. For Joe's dad, the look on her face said it all. "You're welcome," he smiled. He announced that he was tired and headed to bed.