At least two weeks had past since Natalie learned the truth, and Ashley was happy. Now that someone from SiX knew, she could tell Nat everything that bugged her. But the other Queens deserved to learn.

So Ashley finished her lyrics, took a picture of each page, and sent them to the Queens.

It was a December night when she sent them, so she wasn't sure whether she did it on impulse, or sleep deprivation.

In the morning, Ashley woke up and got ready as normal. She didn't dare check her phone at all, and unfortunately, it was a Tuesday.

She got out of her room and walked down to the kitchen.

"Well, good morning, beautiful," Erin said. Ashley groaned.

"I feel like shit," she said. Erin turned to her.

"What happened, Ginny?"

Ashley sniffled. "I just posted on the Queens group chat an entire rewrite of All You Wanna Do."

"So," Erin asked. She put down a bowl of oatmeal, and Ashley took a spoonful, forgetting it was hot.

"Shit!"

Ashley bit her tongue.

"The damn rewrite was of my life! Now they know, and they HATE ME!!"

Ashley stood up and ran up to her room.

"Ash! Ashley!!"

Ashley threw herself onto her bed and she sobbed into her pillow. She heard footsteps, but didn't care.

"Ashley! What the hell is up with you?!"

"Just LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Ashley threw her arm, and she heard a scream. She opened her eyes, and saw Erin clutching her face in pain.

"Rin? Are you-"

"I'm fine."

Erin left the room, and Ashley followed her.

"Erin? Are you OK? I'm so, so sorry, and-"

"I'm fine," Erin yelled. Ashley recoiled. Erin never raised her voice at her like that.

"I'm-"

"Save it. You think the world revolves around you, but new flash. Other people have lives, and feelings. And Ashley Howard Sanderson, I have no more for you."

Erin slammed her room door, and Ashley came to a cruel realization.

She and Erin had broken up.

***

"Hey, Queenie!"

Ashley didn't answer Millie. She just sat on her chair and avoided everyone.

"Ashley, what's up?"

"I thought you'd know."

"Queenie! Where'd this bad attitude come from?"

"Just leave me alone!"

"Ashley! Stop! I'm trying to help."

"I DON'T NEED YOU HELP! THE BEST PERSON IN THE WORLD HATES ME, AND I CAN'T SUMMON THE GUTS TO TELL YOU GUYS I'VE BEEN ABUSED!! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

Ashley ran from the dressing room and hid in a bathroom stall. Ashley just cried, and didn't care who heard her.

"Ashley!"

"What happened?"

"Queenie! Open up."

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Ashley! Caramel, open the door. Please."

Ashley took a breath. "No. I won't."

"Ashley Howard Sanderson. Open the damn door."

Ashley found herself opening the door on Erin's command.

"What?"

"Oh, thank God."

Natalie walked up to Ashley, but Ashley stopped her.

"What do you want from me?"

Ashley heard a groan, and she saw Erin.

"Get the point, Sanderson. People care about you."

Ashley felt her heart break. Erin never once spoke to her like that. She had respected and protected Ashley for years, and all Ashley had done was fight back.

Ashley felt weak. She was being forced into an small space, and couldn't get out. She needed help, but no one would help her.

"Ashley? Caramel?"

Ashley ran into Natalie's arms and sobbed. She wasn't sure if she was crying for her break up with Erin, or her lack of communication.

"I'm sorry," she said, "You all deserve to know the truth about me."

Ashley wiped away her tears. "Can we do this in the rehearsal room?"

Everyone agreed, and Ashley walked with them, not daring to look at Erin.

***

"Oh my God."

"No wonder that triggers you."

"You poor thing."

Ashley had just finished retelling her backstory, and everyone was piecing things together.

"Now you guys know."

"Oh! Now that thing makes sense."

Ashley turned to Maiya. "What thing?"

"Those pictures we got. You sent them to us last night? We weren't sure what they were for."

"It was a rewrite," Ashley explained, "Of what happened to me."

"My God. Babes, you kept this from us for half a year?"

"I'm sorry," Ashley cried, "I just-"

"No," Natalie said, "You don't need to be sorry. You have the right to tell anyone you want to, when you want to. You made the right choice."

Ashley held back a sob. "It's not that. It's just, I was so tense about it. I mean, it was hard, but because I kept it bottled up, I lost my best friend."

Natalie gave Ashley a hug. "It's OK, Caramel. Erin will come back. For now, you need a day off. Go home and get some rest. We'll see you on the Evening run."

Ashley nodded, grabbed her things, and walked home. She wasn't quite sure if anything would be the same again, but one thing was for sure.

Ashley would never live her life in fear again.