JJ and Ashley Ch. 01

Chapter 1

January 4th, 2011

JJ arrived back in Sierra Falls just as the sun was rising. Traffic seemed light for a Tuesday, until she remembered that winter break was probably still in effect. Driving through the streets brought back memories which were quickly stifled.

"I'm not here for a trip down memory lane. Just deal with the house, get rid of it, and get out. Nothing else." She muttered, waiting to turn left at a stop light.

While she waited she looked at the folder on the passenger seat. Inside it held a copy of the last will and testament of Mack Jameson. It held papers that legally placed her childhood home and its contents in her name, in her possession. Those papers made the old house a nightmare again, only this time JJ was determined to be done with it for good when she left town again. The papers had also given her access to a large sum of money, which would fund any renovations and fees required for selling the house.

As the light changed and she made her turn, JJ wondered again why Mack had sat on the money for so long. The majority of it had come from a life insurance policy that had been taken out by Mack on her mother, Emily. When she'd died Mack had been awarded the money but instead of using it, he'd stuck it in the bank and forgotten about it. The same thing had happened when Mack had died. Money from the life insurance policy had been placed in the bank and now belonged to JJ. Eight hundred thousand was more money than JJ ever thought she'd see in her lifetime.

It didn't take long for JJ to come to her final destination. She parked her truck at the sidewalk next to the mailbox and looked the house over. It looked terrible. Shingles were missing in large patches from the roof and the gutters were gone. The front windows were broken and dark, the decorative shutters hanging off or gone completely. It was obvious even from where JJ sat that the front door wasn't sitting properly and the steps to the old porch were missing. The porch itself didn't look very stable, but at least it was still there. The garage door was badly rusted and needed new windows. JJ would be surprised if it worked. The driveway and front yard were covered in a blanket of snow but JJ knew there would be a lot of landscaping needed. The ranch style fence was riddled with what looked like termite holes.

JJ pulled her keys from the ignition and left the warmth of the truck. Her boots crunched through the thin layer of snow as she trudged through the front yard to the side gate. The old gate swung unevenly, halted in its progress by a pile of snow and debris from years of neglect. JJ shoved through the gap, took one look at the amount of snow that had gathered and decided to try the front door.

Her old key still fit the lock and a well applied shoulder got the door moving. The smell instantly had JJ regretting the entire situation. The sound of insects scurrying away made her skin crawl as JJ shoved the door wide open. She couldn't see very far in, but what she could see wasn't encouraging. Piles and towers of garbage filled the living room. Newspapers, food containers, bottles and cans were what JJ could identify. The smell told her there was rotten food and possibly rodents mixed in too.

"I just hope he didn't have a pet," JJ muttered, covering her nose with her sweatshirt. She returned to the truck for a large flashlight and some fresh air. Steeling herself, JJ ventured into the house.

The heaps of garbage and junk were taller than JJ in places. She didn't go any further than the hall entrance, able to see that the entire house was in the same state as the living room. The kitchen was where the worst of the smell was coming from. JJ could only guess what was in the fridge and how long it had been sitting getting rotten. She wasn't about to open the sucker and find out.

JJ shone the light around the room again as she headed back to the front door. There was a lot of work to be done before she'd have any idea what condition the structure of the house was in. All that was clear at this point was the house needed to be gutted of garbage, furniture, appliances and the carpeting.

Locking the door on the stench didn't help clear her nose but JJ didn't think she'd ever forget it as long as she lived. She pulled her sweatshirt off on her way to the truck, the cold air a relief after the gross stagnant air of that house. JJ dug around in a duffel in the bed of the truck and found another hoodie and a plastic bag for the old one.

Next step was finding a place to stay for a while. She had one year to get the house fixed, up to code, and either sell it or keep it. JJ had set a goal of six months for herself, not wanting to be in town any longer than was absolutely necessary. JJ climbed back into her truck and brought its engine roaring to life. Step one, find a place to make home base. Step two, make home base. Step three, start calling exterminators and find someone to deal with the trash.

By evening JJ had a small motel room stocked with food, other homey comforts, and crammed with her few belongings. She'd set up the rental of an industrial dumpster and had a pick up schedule worked out with the company. No one was willing to deal with the garbage, so JJ would brave that mess herself.

Exterminators were only able to come out after some of the pests had been identified. The guy she'd spoken with on the phone had offered to send someone out to inspect the house and look for nests, which she'd gladly accepted. She had a week to clear out as much of the hoarded mess as she could.

JJ leaned back against the floppy pillows and opened her laptop. She was a little bored, but didn't want to roam the town just yet. She'd already been recognized at the grocery store and wasn't eager to stir up the gossip. Best to lay low for a while.

She checked her emails, responding to a couple new ones from friends back east. Everyone had been surprised when the lawyers had found her and dumped everything in her lap. Her friends had encouraged her to deal with it right away, then put it behind herself completely. Only Veronica, her ex, had been hesitant to see JJ off. Ronnie knew the full story of JJ's upbringing and realized the stress this situation could cause. JJ didn't see it as stressful per se, just inconvenient. JJ sent Ronnie a quick email reassuring her she was in town, safe, and would have her cell phone on her every day.

Signing off and shutting down, JJ closed the laptop and set it aside. She sighed and shrugged back into her jacket to step outside for a cigarette. She lit up and leaned against the walkway's railing to blow smoke into the night sky. Boredom sucked and JJ was already chaffing under its irritating finger. She nodded at another motel patron who walked past, bundled against the chilly air. A walk around the block couldn't hurt. She'd be wrapped up in her jacket and had a beanie she could wear. No one would recognize her that way. Flicking the butt away JJ exhaled the last of the smoke and stepped back inside to get dressed.

Walking turned out to be a good idea. No one paid her any attention, focused on their own lives and business. She found a book store and pharmacy store within walking distance of the motel, along with the old diner. Behind the diner was a club, new enough that JJ didn't remember it. JJ wasn't sure she was ready to venture that much, so she avoided the line and kept going. She smoked while she walked, happy to see that things had changed in Sierra Falls, if just on the outside.

The lady who'd rung her up at the grocery store had done a double take when JJ had paid, staring hard at JJ. That was the sort of attention JJ didn't want so she'd gathered her bags and left quickly. Time had changed her, but her physical appearance hadn't been affected much. She was still short with a delicate bone structure under the lean musculature she'd worked hard for. A haircut could only do so much and didn't change her creamy pale skin or hide the wide, dark brown eyes that were all she'd gotten from her father. Every other physical feature was a dead ringer for a mother she'd never met and had only seen in one photograph.

JJ was wrapped up in these thoughts and had her head down as she rounded a corner heading to the park. She didn't see the runner coming until the last moment when she raised her hand to take a drag off her dwindling cigarette. There wasn't time to do anything except brace for impact, which JJ did just as the jogger tried to slow but couldn't.

They smacked together and JJ stumbled back, a hand catching a trim waist, helping to steady them both.

"Oh shit, sorry. I didn't see you!" the woman panted, shaking a blonde braid over her shoulder, stepping back out of JJ's space.

"Same, sorry about that." JJ tucked her hand back into her pocket and let her lips curve into a half grin, a kind of awkward, polite gesture. She waited for the woman to move, but she didn't, which confused JJ and made her instantly wary. JJ tugged her beanie a little lower and took a step back, looking down at the sidewalk.

Her movement seemed to shake the woman out of her thoughts, whatever they were. "Sorry, um, I'll just..." the woman gestured down the road and started off, her pace picking up with ease.

JJ shook herself when she realized she'd been watching the firm ass bounce away. "No time for that. Get done and get out," she admonished, hunching her shoulders against the cold wind trying to slip inside her coat.

She headed straight back to the motel, not wanting anymore run-ins. She got ready for bed even though she wasn't all that tired. Tomorrow was going to be a long and exhausting day.

***

Ashley let the hot water beat on her shoulders and loosen the muscles that had gotten tight during her run. She couldn't shake the feeling that something elemental had happened, but other than bumping into another pedestrian, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

A knock at the door had Ashley poking her head around the curtain. "Yeah?" she called.

"Hey sweetie, I'm home, just letting you know." Her mother's voice came through the door.

"Okay, thanks. I'll be out in a few." Ashley called back, then ducked back into the shower's steam. She stretched her spine, arching this way and that, rolling her shoulders. Good enough for now. A quick run with her razor under her arms and she turned off the water.

Dry, dressed in her favorite sweats and a college sweater, hair braided up again, Ashley wandered into the living room but headed to the kitchen when she spotted her mom.

"Hey mom. I didn't use all the hot water, in case you wanted some." Ashley sat on a stool in front of the island, her playful sarcasm making her mom smile.

"Oh, thanks. I'll be jumping in after my snack. Sorry I had to pull a late shift. James threw his back out again." Debbie looked apologetically at Ashley who waved it off.

"It's okay mom, it happens. I got a run in and made some plans with the girls. We'll all be in town this weekend, so if it's okay with you we were going to have a sleepover." Ashley watched her mom think it over.

"I don't mind, I have to work Friday, but I should be off this weekend. Everyone's here?" the older woman popped a stray tomato into her mouth and stabbed some more lettuce with her fork.

"Yep. Rebecca and Amy are visiting her mom but have to fly back Sunday. They squeezed in some time for us, which makes us all feel very special." Ashley let more playful sarcasm out, grinning when her mother rolled her eyes.

"Then you ladies enjoy yourselves. Same rule, no one leaves here drunk without a designated driver. And no strippers." Debra added, giving her daughter the squinty eye.

Ashley held her hands up in innocence. "That was not my idea. Chloe is the one who thought that little scheme up."

Debra chuckled. "I know, I'm only half teasing. Enjoy yourselves. You said you got a run in?"

"Yeah. It was pretty good. Accidentally mowed someone down coming around a corner, but didn't kill 'em." Ashley slipped off her stool to get a glass of water.

Debbie shook her head and leaned her hip against the counter. "Well at least I'll know why if the sheriff comes calling about a hit and run. What's the rest of your night look like?"

Ashley shrugged, "Not doing much of anything. I've already finished all my assignments and done all the laundry I brought home. It looks like I'm free." She poured her water and looked over her shoulder at her mother.

"Then what do you say we have a little girl's night? Pick out a good chick flick while I hop through the shower, then I'll make the popcorn."

***

Friday morning found Ashley at the grocery store picking up junky snacks for the sleepover that afternoon. Everyone was given something to bring, Ashley landed the snacks this time. Rebecca and Amy were supplying the alcohol, Brenda was springing for pizza while Chloe was bringing movies and Sarah the dessert.

Ashley circled the bakery section again. Was one package of cookies enough? She'd been on a no- simple-sugar diet for so long Ashley didn't have any concept of what was acceptable. She was lucky if she got away with sneaking a half a cookie. Best pick up a couple more, maybe sugar and peanut butter for some variety.

Ashley added the boxes to the cart, already full of soda, chips, cheese puffs, chocolate covered pretzels and raisins, and various candies. She could practically taste the sugar that was sitting in her cart right now.

Satisfied that she had enough junk to completely ruin everyone's diets for a night Ashley headed to pick up the fruit and vegetables her mom had asked her to get.

The produce section was where Ashley was more comfortable, having been on a strict diet for track. Junk like the food that currently occupied her cart was a huge no-no. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains were what she knew and thrived on. Her body had changed in the last two years, losing what little fat she'd had to lean out. With the help of her coaches she'd gotten to the point where she was in optimum condition, consuming enough fuel to power her body through a day without gaining anything except muscle when she was actually training. Tonight would be her first 'cheat day' in two months and Ashley was determined to enjoy the hell out of it.

Bananas, kale, apples, celery and carrots, avocado and pears joined the cart, piled in the child seat. Ashley bagged some romaine and green beans, then looked over the grapefruit and oranges. She picked up both, pleased with the sale and the quality.

The cashier chuckled when she saw Ashley's item come up the conveyor. "It looks like you're stocking up for a year of cheat days, Ash."

Ashley grinned at her, recognizing the girl, Megan, from a few years ahead in school. She'd been the Prom Queen Ashley's freshman year of high school.

Most people in town knew Ashley's name, even if she couldn't remember theirs. More than one paper had covered her track accomplishments. "Just a girls' night. I figured whatever we don't eat Mom could bring to work. Have the guys at Home Depot bouncing off the walls on a sugar high."

"Looks like you plan a fun girl's night. If there's beer and pizza, I might join." Megan joked, tossing a pale blonde ponytail over her shoulder. "If I wasn't working all night that is," she added as an afterthought.

"Long day ahead of you?" Ashley asked, pushing her empty cart to the bagger, who began filling bags with impressive speed.

"Yeah, I have a full day scheduled, the first of many. I just enrolled myself in community college and figured if I work a bunch of extra hours before I start, then I can work part time while in school. I'll already have money saved up for books and whatnot."

"That sounds like a good plan. I hope it works out for you. What are you studying?" Ashley set her purse on the small ledge to find her debit card.

"Education with a focus on child development. I want to teach, but I don't want to simply hand out worksheets and make them recite out of the textbooks." The cashier rang up the last item and gave Ashley her total.

"You've got an end goal and a well thought-out plan of attack. College will be a breeze, girl!" Ashley swiped her card and went through the menus to complete the transaction before tucking her wallet back into her purse and slinging it over her shoulder. She watched the cashier punch a button and turn to catch her receipt. Megan froze for a moment, her eyes glued to the next customer in line.

Looking back, Ashley froze too. Her heart skipped two beats and her body flashed first cold, then hot. Standing behind her was one of the last people Ashley had ever expected to see. JJ was clearly grown, all her once familiar features had an unfamiliar maturity to them. Those deep brown eyes were the same though.

"Hey Megan. Long time no see." JJ continued to set her items on the belt, stashing her empty basket underneath. She straightened and looked from Megan, over to Ashley. "Hey Ashley."

Ashley felt the hysterical giggle erupt out of her mouth. "Ten years and you say 'Hey Ashely' like it's nothing." She snapped her mouth shut before anything else could come out and turning abruptly, left the store, her cart rattling in protest to her hurried pace.

She was forced to stop for traffic outside the market, her items rolling forward with the force of her stop. The doors opened behind her but Ashley refused to look back. She pushed her cart into the lot, pausing at the trunk of her small silver sedan. Her hands were trembling, her keys jingling noisily.

"God." She muttered, getting the key in the lock on the fourth try. She numbly packed up the groceries, slamming the trunk shut and locking it manually.

She swung the cart into the nearby cart corral, crashing into other carts when a single figure emerged from the front doors of the store. Ashley forced herself to turn and get into her car, her eyes on the key as it slid into the ignition, watching her fingers select and adjust the heat. Peeking up, she was haltingly relieved the grown-up JJ had moved along. After a few deep breaths, Ashley changed gears and rolled towards the exit, waiting behind a massive black truck that sat rumbling at the exit.

"You're turning left. Fantastic. This is gonna take forever." Ashley slumped in her seat, spotting a bumper sticker, once pink now faded to white. "My other ride is your girlfriend." Ashley rolled her eyes. "Classy."

The truck caught an opening and turned, the break in traffic large enough for Ashley to make her turn, the opposite direction of the truck.

She got halfway home before a red light stopped her. Ashley sat watching the light, squeezing the steering wheel tightly to keep her hands from shaking. So many emotions had been fighting for attention since seeing JJ again that she was beginning to feel sick. Taking a deep breath Ashley struggled to calm herself down.

Anger burned her insides, half fueled by the fears she'd been plagued by. JJ was alive and well, completely whole, not raped and left for dead on the roadside, not dead in a ditch, not trapped in a life of abuse and pain.

A sob broke free, tears stinging her eyes. JJ was alive and well. Relief burned up the anger, tears soothing the sudden void.

She'd spent years trying to ignore the worry and the doubts about the other girl's well-being, no phone calls, letters, or even a postcard to reassure her all was well.

A giddy happiness followed on the heels of her sudden tears, making her accelerate from the green light a bit suddenly. JJ was okay. And she was back! What did that mean?

Why had she come back? Was it because Mack had died last year? Ashley had heard about it after the fact when she'd been home from school for a weekend. She hadn't dared to hope his passing would bring JJ back.

More questions flooded Ashley's mind as she accelerated past a slower car, changing lanes to make the next right turn. What had JJ been doing for the last ten years? Had she made it all the way to Maine? If not, how far had she gotten? Was she taking a break from school or a job to be here for some unknown reason? Had JJ moved here, like permanently? Was she back to stay? Did she have any interest in reviving their childhood friendship? Was she single or did she have a family waiting for her somewhere?