The Prettiest Girl in School

He had just made himself a coffee when there was a knock at the door.

"Hello...." Stopping mid-sentence, he stared at the tall, attractive brunette standing in front of him.

"Hi." She smiled, gripping a sheet of paper in her hand, "I understand you have a room available for renting?"

"Err.... yeah." Somewhat surprised he answered, "But I only put the notice up thirty minutes ago."

The girl blushed, still holding whatever it was, "And I took it down about five minutes later."

"You'd better come in then." Ben stepped back and, swallowing nervously, held the door open for her.

"Thanks, I'm Jan Mitchell by the way." She held out her hand.

"Ben... Ben McKendrick." He shook hands with her, "Would you like a coffee or a tea?"

"Tea please."

Over tea they chatted, getting to know each other.

It turned out Jan Mitchell was a second-year physiotherapy student who simply needed a place closer to the campus and, an hour later, after he had showed her around, she agreed to take the room.

She moved in the following day and it wasn't long before Ben realised he had met the second most important girl in his life.

Two years later they were still living together when they both graduated and, sadly, parted company. Ben enlisting in the army as a medic while Jan started work in a local hospital. It hadn't been Ben's original plan to join the military but after what had happened with Ashley he lost any desire he had to return home.

He did his phase 1 14 weeks basic training at the army centre at Pirbright before passing out. Given his degree he was posted to the RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps) and allowed to bypass the standard 22-week training course. Taking a shortened period of instruction in dealing with battlefield trauma's before becoming a class 1 CMT (Combat Medical Technician).

After passing out from his second spell of training he was assigned to his unit and within weeks had been deployed to Afghanistan.

Four years and two tours to the war zone later he had had enough of treating the victims of the conflict, trying to keep friends and colleagues alive until they reached the base hospital, and made a decision to leave the army.

Wanting to stay as a paramedic and be closer to his mother he had found a job working for the NHS in his home town.

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"Earth to Ben." Jan's voice brought him back from his reminiscing.

"What.... sorry. I got a bit lost for a second."

She smiled, "Understandable."

He took another mouthful of his beer and stared miserably into the glass.

"You still love her after all this time, don't you?" Jan didn't really need to ask; she knew exactly how he felt.

"Yeah... I do."

"You can't simply go around avoiding her."

Ben shrugged, "I can try."

"And how is that going to solve anything?"

"I have absolutely no idea."

Chapter 4 - Ignoring the Past

For the next couple of months both Ben and Ashley did exactly what they said they would do.

They tried to avoid each other as best they could.

With him working as a paramedic and her in the control room for the whole area there was actually little opportunity for them to accidentally come across each other during a normal shift.

Of course, if they had wanted to meet it would have been possible but whenever there was a need for someone to come across to the main office Ben always managed to have an excuse not to be the one chosen.

However, avoiding each other completely was impossible and they did, on occasion, see the other person but only at a distance.

It was after the second of these sightings that Ashley began to wonder if she should speak to him. Having successfully managed to steer clear of her former boyfriend, aside from seeing him when he was coming in to work, she found that keeping away from him didn't make her feel any better.

She was still in love with him and knowing he was working just a short distance away awakened emotions she had tried desperately to keep buried for the past few years. Adding to that was the fact that almost all of the single girls at the control centre, including Trisha, had designs on him, did nothing to make matters any easier for her.

"You can't go on like this Ash. You don't even know if he's aware you work here." Her friend Trisha started the conversation one lunchtime.

"I asked Gwen and she said he asked after me by name when he did his tour, so he obviously does."

"Then you're going to have to talk to him sometime."

"Oh yeah right. And what do I say?" Ashley asked bluntly, "Hi Ben, sorry I dumped you all those years ago. I didn't really mean it."

"That I can't tell you but whatever it is you need to face up to your feelings for him."

"So, you're suggesting I simply go up to him and tell him that I'm in love with him."

"You admit it then?" Trish chuckled, before continuing, "I can think of worse ways to start a conversation."

"What if he's married?"

"Gwen said he put down that he was single on his application form." The other woman informed her.

"Ok, what if he has a girlfriend then?"

"That's a possibility I agree. Perhaps I should go down and ask him?"

"Don't you dare. I'd die of embarrassment." Ashley told her sharply.

"What will you do then?" Her friend persisted, "You can't carry on like this."

Ashley sat back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment before responding, "You're right. I'll... I'll talk to him."

"When?"

She avoided looking into Trish's eyes, "I don't know. Soon."

"Maybe you should do it somewhere public." Trisha suggested, "That way you can back away from it easily."

"Or embarrass myself totally."

"I suppose that's true as well."

"Do you think he'll go to Mike's retirement party next month? After all he's only been here a short while." Ashley asked after a moment.

Trish considered the question, "I don't see why not. Mike has invited everyone not on shift."

Ashley groaned inwardly, "Shit."

"Why? Were you thinking of doing it then, if he goes?"

"No, not really but we're going and I thought 'what if he goes with someone?' That would be really embarrassing."

"I see what you mean." The other girl frowned, "But then you could go with someone to."

"Who?"

"Well Darren has a friend who's definitely interested." Trisha smirked knowingly, "I've mentioned you to him a few times."

"I'm not sure. You know how I feel about being set up."

"He's really nice, his name's Tyler. You'll like him hon, I promise."

Ashley frowned, "I don't know. I'm not sure."

"Oh, come on, What have you got to lose?"

"My dignity for one."

"I promise you, he's a really nice guy." Trish persisted trying to convince her.

"Ok. Stop! I'll go with him just to keep you quiet."

"You won't regret it."

"I'm going to hold you to that." She laughed and put down her coffee mug.

"Come on we'd better get back to work." Trisha said as she looked at her watch, "Lunch break is just about done."

Sighing resignedly Ashley put her things in the dishwasher and wheeled herself back to her desk.

Agreeing to go to the retirement party where her ex might be was one thing, going to it with a blind date was totally another.

Whatever else happened she couldn't see it ending well.

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That week-end, after finishing his shift, Ben found himself sitting in his local pub with Jan having almost the same conversation.

"Have you spoken to her yet hon?"

He shook his head, "No. I've not had much chance and anyway what am I supposed to say to her?"

"Hello." She suggested a little sarcastically.

"Right and she says 'What are you doing here?', that's if she speaks to me at all. Somehow I don't think so."

"Oh, come on. How long has it been?"

"Seven years." He didn't look at her and simply stared into his half-empty glass.

"And how many girlfriends?"

"Real girlfriends or just passing acquaintances?"

Jan chuckled at his comment, "Both if you're going to be particular."

"Proper long-term girlfriends none, acquaintances and one-night stands... maybe half-a-dozen, friends one."

"You know what I mean babe."

He shrugged, "I don't know. I don't keep count."

"Ok. How many girls have there been that you liked?" She changed her question.

"I liked all of them at the time." Ben grinned stupidly, "Just not enough to stay with them, apart from you that is."

"God you're absolutely impossible when you're like this."

He didn't answer and finishing his drink he lifted the glass to get the attention of the barmaid.

The girl sauntered down the counter, letting her eyes wander up and down his body with undisguised interest.

"What will it be then sweetheart?"

"Jan?" He turned to the brunette and asked.

"Another G and T please."

"And a pint of lager please love."

The brassy blonde behind the bar gave him another smile before going off to pour their drinks.

"Going to add her to the list?" Jan raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Not tonight. Tonight's all yours."

Jan giggled girlishly and twirled her long hair around her finger coquettishly, "I'm pleased to hear it but when are you going to talk to her?"

"Jesus don't you ever give up." Ben laughed.

"Not when it comes to her, no. I've known you for six years hon and it's always been her. Ashley this and Ashley that. No one has ever come close."

Before he could respond the barmaid returned with their drinks and leant over to flash him her cleavage invitingly. Taking her time serving him she eyed him lasciviously, biting her bottom lip hoping he might make a move on her and then moving away disappointed when he didn't.

Grinning at him Jan accepted the gin and tonic he handed her, "See what I mean. She's pretty and clearly available but you're not in the least bit interested. The last two months have been exactly the same, all because of her."

"I don't go out with every girl that looks at me." He protested.

"Ben, you've been a virtual recluse the last two months. Even I've struggled to get to see you at times."

Shrugging he avoided looking at her, "I've been busy."

"Bollocks. You're in love with Ashley and it's all come back now you've seen her again."

"Only from a distance. So far I've managed to stay away from her."

"And that's made a difference?" Jan asked somewhat sarcastically.

"Not really." Ben responded with more than a hint of resignation in his voice.

"Then you are going to have to talk to her. You need to get past this."

"I know, but it's finding the right opportunity."

"Maybe you should invite her for a drink. Talk to her in private then at least if she doesn't want to be civil you can simply walk away." His friend suggested.

"You might be right. After the last thing she said to me I don't want to be humiliated in public when she says it again."

The two of them sat in silence for a couple of minutes, Ben thinking about what Jan had said to him and ignoring the barmaid who wandered by a couple of times trying, and failing, to get his attention.

"Are you going to this party thing next month?" She finally broke the underwhelming quiet that had settled over them.

"Only if you're still coming with me."

"Ok, you've talked me into it."

"God you're easy."

The pair of them laughed and turned their attention back to their drinks.

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Ashley sat in front of her mirror, putting the final touches to her make-up, brushing a little more mascara onto her eyelashes and applying some lip gloss. Finally done she checked her appearance and decided she was as ready as she was ever going to be to go to the retirement party.

Smoothing the blue dress she had on down over her knees, she debated for the thousandth time whether to cancel or not.

During the intervening weeks since her chat with Trisha she had changed her mind countless times; one minute she was going, the next she wasn't.

Apart from the possibility that she might come face to face with Ben there, there was also the matter of Tyler, the guy her friend had persuaded her to go to the party with. She had never really been one for dating, not since she had broken up with Ben, and especially not with someone she had never met before.

The panic was just starting to build in the pit of her stomach and she was considering reaching for the phone when the doorbell went.

'Shit, they're here. I can't do this.'

The thought went through her head as she went to open the door to her best friend Trisha.

"Hi, you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Ashley managed a weak smile, "Where's this guy then?"

"In the car with Darren." Trish took hold of her chair and started to guide her out of the apartment, "Don't worry you'll love him."

'That's not what worries me.'

Keeping the thought to herself Ashley lifted herself into the back seat alongside her blind date.

"Hi Darren...." She managed to say before she was interrupted.

"This is Tyler." Helping her Trisha hurried to introduce her to the man already sitting there, "Tyler meet Ash. Ash, Tyler."

"Hi." She smiled and studied him as her friend collapsed her wheelchair and stowed it in the boot.

He was a little older than her, she estimated that he was probably around the mid-thirties. About 5' 10" tall with longish sandy coloured hair and dark, rather disconcerting eyes that seemed a little menacing. Tyler simply grinned at her as she studied him and said hello back, gazing a little to lustfully up and down her body.

Aware it was too late to change her mind she sat back and, trying to make the best of things, attempted to engage him in conversation.

"So, what do you do for a living Tyler?"

He shrugged and answered in a rather common accent, "I'm a DJ by night but when I ain't doing that I take on anyfing I kin get."

"Oh, I see."

"How long you bin in the chair?"

Ashley groaned inwardly; she knew immediately it was going to be a very long evening.

"Ever since I was born."

"Fair enuff, I ain't ever bin wiv a disabled girl."

The smirk that accompanied what he said clearly indicated his intentions and how he expected the evening to end.

"I see, and how about any other girlfriends?"

"Nah, just a few I see now an agin wen I need to get me leg ova."

His response only filled her with an even worse sense of dread and she gave up talking, turning to stare out of the window.

By the time they arrived at their destination Ashley was starting to pray that things improved soon, before she really started to regret agreeing to the date.

Not that she spent a lot of time worrying about Tyler once they were inside the pub Mike had booked for his celebrations; she was too worried about Ben and coming face to face with him there.

"Do you know if he's actually coming?" She whispered to Trish while the two men went to the bar for drinks.

"Everyone was invited so he could be here."

"Shit."

"Relax." Trisha told her firmly, "All you have to do is say hello."

"That's easy for you to say." Ashley finished quickly as her date came back with a coke for her and a pint for himself.

"So, babe, what's it yer do fer a living?" Tyler started as he sat down.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Now that they were out of the car she hoped the conversation would flow a little more easily, although she wasn't actually paying a lot of attention as her rather smarmy and conceited date tried to impress her. However, almost immediately it became apparent that it was going to be a difficult evening.

"I said....."

For the next hour or more he continued to drink, finishing a couple of pints before switching to spirits, as they sat, him mostly silent, while Ashley spoke to various colleagues who came over to say hello.

"Wan anuvver drink sweetheart."

Leering at her the partially drunk Tyler stood up and asked before staggering away to the bar.

Ashley scowled at her friend, before turning to watch her date stumble across the room.

"Thanks for nothing. I'm going outside in the garden for a while, I need to get away from that arsehole." Her sarcastic tone made her feelings about her blind date very clear.

"I'm really sorry babe." Trish apologised, "Darren said he was...."

"You owe me big time." She interrupted her friend as she wheeled herself away from the table and made her way to the back doors.

"Where she gorn?" A minute or two later Tyler ambled back to the table, drinks in hand, looking for her.

"She went out for some fresh air. She'll be back in a minute." Trisha informed him curtly, "Don't worry."

He snorted, "I'll go an fine er, let er av a look at wha she'll be gettin later."

Then he set off, staggering towards the rear exit from the bar.

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"Are you sure you want to go in?"

Pausing outside the front of the pub Jan asked Ben, smoothing down the polo shirt he was wearing, as they paused before entering.

"No, but I will." He grinned rather half-heartedly, "If I don't you'll just keep nagging me."

She laughed and took his arm, "You know me far too well."

Pushing open the door the two of them walked in to be greeted by the thumping bass of the music from the disco playing in the far corner of the bar, almost drowning out the sound of the numerous voices mingling in with it.

Standing in the doorway he looked around the room trying to see if Ashley was there.

"Can you see her?" Jan asked after a couple of seconds.

"Nope." Ben shook his head, "Not at the moment. Perhaps she didn't come."

"Maybe she's sitting at the back or out in the garden. Let's get a drink and then we can look around for her."

"Do I have to?"

She smiled, "You'll feel better once it's done. I promise."

Making their way to the far end of the bar to order they were quickly trapped by a couple of his workmates, who were more than a little intrigued by the attractive brunette on Ben's arm.

"So, who's this then mate?"

"Hello gorgeous. I'm Rob."

They both began, trying to ingratiate themselves with her

It took a few minutes but the pair finally managed to slip away from the friendly interrogation and started to make their way around the L shaped bar looking for Ashley.

"Mind out."

Ben grabbed her arm so she narrowly avoided the drunk with two glasses in his hands who clearly wasn't bothering to look where he was going.

"Thanks. See her anywhere?" Jan asked somewhat relieved not to have had a pint of beer poured over her.

"No, I don't. Unless she's outside she hasn't come."

"The garden it is then?"

He shrugged pensively, "We might as well, then we'll have looked everywhere."

Turning towards the back of the pub he had just stepped outside into the gloom when he heard voices.

"I told you I'm not interested." A female voice said from somewhere out in the darkness.

"Aww c'mon babe, don't be lie that. Yer know you wan it."

The slurred response to the girl's statement indicated that the man saying it had obviously had a couple of drinks to many.

The woman quickly snapped back at him, "I don't want anything from you, thank you very much."

"Yer ain't tellin me yer don wan a good fuckin seeing to."

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. Now please just leave me alone."

There was something about the voice that seemed familiar to Ben but he struggled to put his finger on what it was.

"C'mon sweetheart, yer can't be getting any. Not stuck in dat fing."

"Just... Leave.... Me... Alone. Please."

"Aww don be lie dat, jus gis us a kiss darlin." The deeper voice slurred, "Yer no you wan to."

"No." The girls voice was much firmer now, "I don't want to."

The sneering laugh that greeted her refusal sent a shiver through Ben.

"What do you think you're doing." The woman shouted angrily, "Get your hands off me."