Finding Ashlynn Read Online Free
Author: Zoe Lynne
the most interesting person Ash had ever met. Jenna had already been through and dealt with all the things Ash now faced. Yet Ash still ran away like a scared little girl.
No, you did what was right, she told herself.
The sad truth of the matter was they were from two very, very different worlds. Jenna lived in a bright, clean palace in the ’burbs, while Ash lived in a dark, dank hell on the forgotten side of town. Jenna had a perfect family. Ash came from a broken home. It just wasn’t meant to be.
That was supposed to make her feel better about bolting out of there before things had a chance to get too deep, but for some stupid reason, it really didn’t.
Her car squeaked and squealed as she pulled into the parking lot. One flickering light hung over the space. It wasn’t safe, and Ash refused to get out of the car without a can of mace in her hand. Her daddy made sure he kept her well stocked. Even he knew the rat-hole apartment they lived in wasn’t the best place for a teenage girl, but he worked his ass off to give her what he could. She respected the crap out of him for everything he did.
Since her mother had bailed about ten years ago, things had gotten really hard for them. They went from a two-income family to a half-income family. Her daddy didn’t have any education and no real skills to speak of, but he was strong and didn’t mind working hard. He loved her and wore himself down to care for her. And while Ash appreciated it, she secretly wished things could be different. She wished she could have a life more like Jenna had, but she would never, ever say such a thing in front of her daddy.
Climbing the stairs, she kept an eye on her surroundings, looking out for the “bad guys” her daddy liked to warn her about. She slipped the key into the lock, wiggled the knob, then bumped her hip against the door a few times until it finally cracked open.
Inside, the air was warmer than usual, warmer than it was outside, which meant the AC had probably broken again. Ash groaned as she dropped her backpack on the couch. She went straight to the fridge to look for something to eat, but only found two-day old pizza and a carton of God only knew what. She ended up grabbing a bottle of water instead.
Kicking her shoes off on the way, she trudged into the dark confines of her tiny bedroom, turned on the stereo loud enough to drown out the building noise, then flung herself onto her bed. The next hour was spent staring at the ceiling and becoming lost in the music… well, lost in thoughts of Jenna. She honestly regretted not staying there and getting to know the girl from the meeting better.
Friday. She would do it Friday. Somehow, she would get over herself, get over where she came from, and try to accept the fact Jenna didn’t seem to be getting off her mind anytime soon.
“Winning Days” by the Vines started to play. The lyrics brought a smile to her face. Underneath, there was gold, and yeah, she would totally stop hiding because now, she could truly see what she wanted. She wanted to be a part of Jenna’s world, not because it was so much better than her own, but because Jenna was the light Ash finally realized she wanted to see.
Chapter Four
F RIDAY evening came, and Ash couldn’t have been more stoked about going out. Her dad had left for work early, so they’d missed their normal dinner date together, but that also gave her a little extra time to get ready to leave.
The purple in her hair had started to fade and left lilac highlights in her natural blonde. Instead of dyeing it again, she left it as it was, thinking she’d just go back to blonde anyway. Jenna probably liked natural colors better than she liked something a rainbow puked on, and why not do something to impress someone else for a change?
Ash took out her septum ring and left it on the vanity, then put on a little light makeup. Nothing obnoxiously loud like she normally wore, just light shades that complemented her pale skin and
No, you did what was right, she told herself.
The sad truth of the matter was they were from two very, very different worlds. Jenna lived in a bright, clean palace in the ’burbs, while Ash lived in a dark, dank hell on the forgotten side of town. Jenna had a perfect family. Ash came from a broken home. It just wasn’t meant to be.
That was supposed to make her feel better about bolting out of there before things had a chance to get too deep, but for some stupid reason, it really didn’t.
Her car squeaked and squealed as she pulled into the parking lot. One flickering light hung over the space. It wasn’t safe, and Ash refused to get out of the car without a can of mace in her hand. Her daddy made sure he kept her well stocked. Even he knew the rat-hole apartment they lived in wasn’t the best place for a teenage girl, but he worked his ass off to give her what he could. She respected the crap out of him for everything he did.
Since her mother had bailed about ten years ago, things had gotten really hard for them. They went from a two-income family to a half-income family. Her daddy didn’t have any education and no real skills to speak of, but he was strong and didn’t mind working hard. He loved her and wore himself down to care for her. And while Ash appreciated it, she secretly wished things could be different. She wished she could have a life more like Jenna had, but she would never, ever say such a thing in front of her daddy.
Climbing the stairs, she kept an eye on her surroundings, looking out for the “bad guys” her daddy liked to warn her about. She slipped the key into the lock, wiggled the knob, then bumped her hip against the door a few times until it finally cracked open.
Inside, the air was warmer than usual, warmer than it was outside, which meant the AC had probably broken again. Ash groaned as she dropped her backpack on the couch. She went straight to the fridge to look for something to eat, but only found two-day old pizza and a carton of God only knew what. She ended up grabbing a bottle of water instead.
Kicking her shoes off on the way, she trudged into the dark confines of her tiny bedroom, turned on the stereo loud enough to drown out the building noise, then flung herself onto her bed. The next hour was spent staring at the ceiling and becoming lost in the music… well, lost in thoughts of Jenna. She honestly regretted not staying there and getting to know the girl from the meeting better.
Friday. She would do it Friday. Somehow, she would get over herself, get over where she came from, and try to accept the fact Jenna didn’t seem to be getting off her mind anytime soon.
“Winning Days” by the Vines started to play. The lyrics brought a smile to her face. Underneath, there was gold, and yeah, she would totally stop hiding because now, she could truly see what she wanted. She wanted to be a part of Jenna’s world, not because it was so much better than her own, but because Jenna was the light Ash finally realized she wanted to see.
Chapter Four
F RIDAY evening came, and Ash couldn’t have been more stoked about going out. Her dad had left for work early, so they’d missed their normal dinner date together, but that also gave her a little extra time to get ready to leave.
The purple in her hair had started to fade and left lilac highlights in her natural blonde. Instead of dyeing it again, she left it as it was, thinking she’d just go back to blonde anyway. Jenna probably liked natural colors better than she liked something a rainbow puked on, and why not do something to impress someone else for a change?
Ash took out her septum ring and left it on the vanity, then put on a little light makeup. Nothing obnoxiously loud like she normally wore, just light shades that complemented her pale skin and
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