Hello everybody!

If you have read the other chapters I've posted today from my different books, you know what I'm about to say.

Happy 4th of July!

"-and he said, 'Oh God Liz, I thought this was the kitchen!'"

Laughter burst out around the table at the end of Liz's story, and even a few jokingly clapped. After Ashley finally got a hold of herself, she asked in disbelief, "How do you mistake a sauna for a kitchen?"

"Well," Liz chuckled, "he's my dad after all. Between it being our first night at the hotel and how bad his memory is, I wouldn't be so surprised."

Ashley took another bite of her sandwich before adding any more to the conversation. Lunch was nearly over, and if she didn't shush her vocal cords soon, she would be going to class on an empty stomach. Some other girls kept up the dialogue from there, but Ashley was plenty content just listening. To be completely honest, the teenager had expected herself to find a lot much harder of a time trying to fit into the school. However, since it was a school for smart students, and Ashley was about as smart as they came, everything seemed to fall into place quite quickly.

Except...

She sighed at the thought of what Flash had said. She had tried to distance herself from Peter today, but it was really difficult. He just seemed so kind and innocent...

No, Ashley reminded herself, like Flash said, that's what he wants you to believe.

But then she was faced with the other side of the problem. What if Flash was lying? What if he just didn't want her to be friends with Peter because of his dislike towards the boy? Or what if...?

No Ashley, don't flatter yourself. He wouldn't say that just because he was jealous.

Would he though? She didn't think that there was a reason for him to, given that she and Peter were purely just friends, but boys' minds could be hard to figure out sometimes.

"You good Ash? You've been staring into space for like the last ten minutes," Betty (the blonde from the morning school news) asked, prodding her shoulder with the handle of a plastic fork.

"Yeah I'm alright," Ashley replied with a smile. "Just thinking."

"Oh dear, scientists beware," the blonde joked. "Ms. A+ over here is putting her big brain to use."

Ashley playfully pushed her shoulder while laughing. "Where did that nickname come from?"

"Oh, I don't know," Liz sarcastically replied, "maybe because I literally haven't seen you get any other grade than a 100."

"Bethany's tough," Ashley lied. "She wouldn't expect anything but the best."

"Do you like her? Living with an adoptive mom like that sounds kinda rough," Liz sympathized.

"Don't get me wrong," Ashley answered. "I love her. She's really awesome. Just a bunch of high standards."

"That's kinda what you ask for when you come to this school," Liz sighed, gesturing to the tables full of young, borderline-geniuses that would probably all go on to be fairly successful in life.

The bell dismissing them from lunch rang out, causing the students that were sitting around Ashley and Liz to quickly disperse into different halls. Nobody dared to be late, since having to tell your parents that you got detention was usually not a topic that went over well at the dinner table. In three minutes flat, Ashley herself had put up her lunch bag, grabbed any necessary supplies, and had made it to her next class. Bracing herself for a very awkward class period since she had both Peter and Flash as classmates, she strode in.

~

Ashley let out a groan as she leaned up against a brick pillar. Once again, some issues had come up at work, and Bethany would be several minutes late. For some reason, though she couldn't exactly figure out why, she looked around for the friendly face of Peter. Maybe to talk to, or maybe just to listen to music with, she didn't know. However, as expected, not even that kid was around.

"I hope I don't get that job when I get older," Ashley chuckled to herself, thinking about all the times that Bethany was late due to overtime at work. I mean, was that many times even legal? It seemed like she was rarely off enough anymore to hang out with her.

The teenager looked down the phone that she held in one hand and the AirPod case that she held in the other. Well, if she didn't have anything else to do, music would suffice.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Here's to the ones that we got

Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

Of everything we've been through

Toast to the ones here today

Toast to the ones that we lost on the way

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

And the memories bring back, memories bring back you

There's a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain

When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same

Now my heart feel like December when somebody say your name

'Cause I can't reach out to call you, but I know I will one day, yeah

Everybody hurts sometimes

Everybody hurts someday, ayy ayy

But everything gon' be alright

Go and raise a glass and say, ayy

Here's to the ones that we got

Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

Of everything we've been through

Toast to the ones here today

Toast to the ones that we lost on the way

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

And the memories bring back, memories bring back you

Doo doo, doo doo doo doo

Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo

Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo

Memories bring back, memories bring back you

There's a time that I remember when I never felt so lost

When I felt all of the hatred was too powerful to stop (ooh, yeah)

Now my heart feel like an ember and it's lighting up the dark

I'll carry these torches for ya that you know I'll never drop, yeah

Everybody hurts sometimes

Everybody hurts someday, ayy ayy

But everything gon' be alright

Go and raise a glass and say, ayy

Here's to the ones that we got (oh)

Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

Of everything we've been through (no, no)

Toast to the ones here today (ayy)

Toast to the ones that we lost on the way

'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories (ayy)

And the memories bring back, memories bring back you

Doo doo, doo doo doo doo

Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo

Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo

Memories bring back, memories bring back you

Doo doo, doo doo doo doo

Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo

Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo (ooh, yeah)

Memories bring back, memories bring back you

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, doh, doh

Memories bring back, memories bring back you

Ironic, Ashley thought to herself. Listening to a song about memories when she didn't even have any herself. However, as she thought about this, something crossed her mind.

What if... in the times I don't remember... there was actually someone that I liked?

Ashley's head spun as she imagined what it would be like if she ever got in a relationship with someone here, only to find that she betrayed someone from her previous life. Although, the more she thought about it, the less likely it seemed. There was no way to get her memories back, that had already been established. If she was going to have, the process would've already started. But here she was, about two weeks later, with still not the slightest clue about who or what she used to be.

Having nothing else to do, she paged through different music recommendations until she came across something that seemed interesting. With a smile, she clicked on it, then rested her head against the pillar she had been propped up against and closed her eyes.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Feeling my way through the darkness

Guided by a beating heart

I can't tell where the journey will end

But I know where to start

They tell me I'm too young to understand

They say I'm caught up in a dream

Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes

Well that's fine by me

So wake me up when it's all over

When I'm wiser and I'm older

All this time I was finding myself

And I didn't know I was lost

So wake me up when it's all over

When I'm wiser and I'm older

All this time I was finding myself

And I didn't know I was lost

I tried carrying the weight of the world

But I only have two hands

I hope I get the chance to travel the world

But I don't have any plans

I wish that I could stay forever this young

Not afraid to close my eyes

Life's a game made for everyone

And love is the prize

So wake me up when it's all over

When I'm wiser and I'm older

All this time I was finding myself

And I didn't know I was lost

So wake me up when it's all over

When I'm wiser and I'm older

All this time I was finding myself

And I didn't know I was lost

I didn't know I was lost

I didn't know I was lost

I didn't know I was lost

I didn't know I was lost

So wake me up when it's all over

When I'm wiser and I'm older

All this time I was finding myself

And I didn't know I was lost

Just as Ashley was about to tune into a different song, a familiar car drove up next to the curb that she was standing by. Ashey looked up from her phone, and upon realizing it was Bethany, smiled and hopped into the passenger seat.

"Sorry 'bout that," Bethany apologized without further explanation. Ashley nodded in acknowledgment, not really feeling like pressing for details. Although, that all changed when Ashley caught something red out of the corner of her eye.

"Beth!" She exclaimed in shock. "Your bleeding!" Ashley pointed to the brunette's temple.

"Shoot," the woman mumbled under her breath, fumbling through the center console for some napkins. Once her fingers came across the rough material, she quickly snatched them up and pressed them to her temple.

"What happened?" Ashley questioned.

"It's nothing," Bethany assured her, using one hand to drive the car out of the school parking lot and the other to hold the napkin to her wound.

"That is not nothing," the teenager argued defiantly.

"Fine," Bethany sighed. "Someone tried to mug me when I was leaving the building, but they didn't stand a chance against my martial arts skills and pocketknife. They must've gotten a hit or something without me realizing."

"Woah woah woah." Ashley held a hand up with her eyes as big as saucers. "You carry a pocketknife?"

"Duh," Bethany replied. "What's a girl without one?"

"A woman with a handgun?" Ashley answered hesitantly.

"Well, I do have one of those too, but I prefer not to pull it out unless necessary."

"Of course you do," Ashley snickered. "I don't know what else I'd expect from you."

Bethany smiled, but it was quickly wiped off of her face as the car hit a bump and caused her hand to crash into her temple a little bit harder than she would've liked. This wound was definitely not going away anytime soon.

~

Today's modeling gig had gone fairly normally, consisting of Ashley just wearing a couple of different casual outfits. The better end of the photos would most likely be used to make posters for inside different Forever 21 stores, so it wasn't as stressful as a day of most. For now, she could comfortably pose in pretty much whatever position she wanted and allow her mind to drift to different things.

Of course, there was one topic that she would always return to.

What do I do with my powers?

Ashley wasn't sure if she should keep them hidden from everyone she knew or if she should embrace them. Her mind would constantly cross the idea of becoming viewed as someone similar to an Avenger. I mean, was that really a possibility? Or was it more dangerous for her to reveal herself and be exposed to bad people who want to use her powers for the worst?

"Ugh," she groaned, causing the photographer to look at her in confusion. "Sorry, personal problems."

"The camera can tell," he scolded. "Put a smile on that face or we're done."

Ashley obliged as best as she could, but she had a feeling that it was probably the most fake-looking smile she had ever produced. Could you really blame her though? She had so much circling through her head that she couldn't even focus for a half-second.

"Alright, we're finished for today. I think we're both over this," the photographer sighed, turning off the camera and then returning the room's lighting back to normal.

"You can say that again," Ashley laughed, jumping up off of the block she had been sitting off of and making a mad dash to the changing room. In under a minute, she had ripped off the clothes she had been modeling in and tugged on her regular outfit. Then, with her powers still on her mind, she headed out of the room and to the conference room that Bethany was supposed to be in.

However, when she pressed her ear up to the door, she couldn't hear a single sound coming from the room. No conversing, no shuffling papers, no soft whirring of a working computer... absolutely nothing. Just for good measure, she knocked on the door, and upon hearing nothing, walked in. As she had predicted, there wasn't a single soul in sight.

That's strange, Ashley thought to herself, recalling what Bethany had told her. There was supposed to have been a meeting between her and the other managers from different districts of the chain from four to six, and it was currently...

She looked down at her watch to double-check the time, and sure enough, it was 5:17 p.m. Which was way earlier than when the meeting was supposed to end? As Ashley was exiting the room, an idea crossed her mind. What if there never was a meeting?

All the times Bethany had been late to school, the random bruises on her arms, the cut on her temple...

Something wasn't adding up.

What if... what if Beth has another job? A not-so-innocent one?

Ashley scowled at the thought of the brunette lying to her about something like that.

Or maybe, Ashley tried to convince herself, I'm just overreacting. The meeting probably just got canceled or something.

The teenager closed the door behind her, then whipped out her phone.

Ashley:

Where ya at? My session ended early and the meeting room is abandoned.

Several minutes of not a single reply pursued. The text didn't even register as read.

"Beth," Ashley groaned to herself. After waiting around for several more minutes, it became apparent that the brunette wasn't going to respond any time soon. So, in slight annoyance, she headed to the break room and began to work on what homework she had to finish before tomorrow.

~

"I'm so sorry Ash," Bethany apologized as she burst into the break room. It was currently a little past six, which had given Ashley plenty of time to finish up her homework and scroll through some of her social media apps. The teenager looked up at the brunette with an unimpressed look, then began to shove everything in her backpack. Bethany winced and went on to say, "I know this doesn't make it any better, but I picked up pasta from the Italian restaurant down the street. I know you love chicken parmesan."

Ashley let a little smile grace her face as she thought of the delicious meal. "I'll let it slide... just tell me. Where have you been?"

"Well," Bethany sighed. "As you can see, the meeting got canceled. So, instead, the company decided that it would be a great idea to send me to another location r and have me work on their stupid, frivolous problems that their own workers are too dumb to solve."

"That sucks," Ashley sympathized. Together, they walked out of the building and to their car, where they headed home.

~

It was pretty late, but Ashley didn't mind. At the moment, she was completely absorbed by practicing her powers. It was captivating, hypnotizing if you may, watching the objects she was working with gracefully dance through the air. Using her abilities was, in a way, relieving. Everything inside her seemed to be constantly screaming, probably compliment of her invisible strength being forced to be contained within her, but when she used it, everything just seemed so calm. So peaceful. As though this was what she was meant to do with her whole entire life.

A small smile spread across Ashley's face as she telekinetically opened her wardrobe, then pulled out several pairs of shoes. Then, all at once, she made the pairs move around in such a way that it seemed like they were dancing together. Some pairs were moving to a fast rhythm, and others were delicately and slowly shifting.

Ashley reached out one of her hands, calling to a left heel that had floral detailing. Just as requested, that specific shoe came gliding towards her, stopping once it was in the palm of her hand. She retracted her arm to her side, then allowed the other shoes to return to her wardrobe as she traced the pattern of the heel.

The teenager looked back up, then carefully sent the heel back into the wardrobe so she could practice with something else. When her eyes came across her window, an idea immediately came to her mind. A grin spread across her face as she gestured at the lock, allowing it to quickly come undone and cause the window to swing open. Then, she pulled both of her hands towards her, which successfully let her grab a hold of some of the breezes of wind that were currently passing and direct them in. Just as she had planned, a gust of cool night air poured over her face and tugged on strands of her icy hair.

"Now that's amazing," Ashley marveled as she repeated this process, pulling in a gust of chilly air and directing it to dance across her face. It was as though she and Bethany had taken a midnight ride and she had stuck her head out the window. This was definitely going to become a part of her nightly ritual.

Finally feeling slightly sleepy, Ashley turned around from her sitting position on her bed and turned off her lights, then closed her door. She slid underneath the covers and allowed a peaceful feeling to swallow her up, then eventually fell into a deep sleep.

However, someone didn't share that same peaceful feeling at the moment.

~

Bethany paced frantically in her bedroom, grabbing at her hair and scuffing her feet. What in the world was she going to do? Should she keep quiet and pretend that she didn't see...

whatever had just happened

or should she do the right thing and call up some certain people?

When Bethany had taken on Ashley, she had wanted to evolve the girl into an independent woman who shared the same skills as her. So maybe, one day, Ashley would be at her side with her real job and not just her cover. Of course, it was wonderful that the teenager was such a great model, but that wasn't what Bethany was going for. Over the years, she would strengthen both the girl's thoughts and muscles enough to where they could be a team.

Of course, in the planning of all that, the idea that she could be... that... had never occurred to her. Now she was faced with a difficult problem: either keep Ashley's secret and continue on her plan or tell the right people.

Bethany cautiously eyed the phone lying on her nightstand. She walked over to it, hovered her hand over its black screen, and paused. What was the right choice? What was the most moral choice?

The brunette withdrew her hand from the phone and took a step back. She couldn't betray Ashley like that. But then again...

She stared at the phone like it was a bloody dagger. Dangerous, yet useful.

Her hand shot out to grab the phone, but just as quickly, she retracted it back to herself. With either choice she made came consequences, but which were greater?

Then, with the last shard of sanity she had left, she snatched up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello? Yes, I need to speak to the Director. No, this is something he needs to hear."

Welp, looks like someone should've closed the door before practicing their magic.