Inconvenient Things

6. Drunk N Disorderly

Ashley was bored. Really fucking bored. She tried everything: playing the piano, solving equations, even exercising. Nothing cured her boredom, which is how she found herself holding her last resort while standing in a deserted alleyway. Her last resort being a bottle of liquor she had stolen from her mom's alcohol storage. She had already downed half of the rather big bottle, so she wasn't exactly in a clear mindset. Hearing footsteps coming closer, she decided to leave the ominous place, stumbling around aimlessly towards who-knows-where.

Somewhere in the deepest, darkest corner of her mind, she knew that she was supposed to be somewhere...doing something. But if she had forgotten it while sober, it couldn't have been that important. Ashley took another swig. Then another one. And another one, gradually gulping down the last few droplets. Everything blurred together and Ashley knew she was gone. Probably too far gone, but she didn't care. Until now, the worst thing that ever happened while she was this wasted was accidentally buying a turtle from a pet shop. She took a moment to mourn Sir Curt Cocaine Jr., who sadly choked on a leaf three months ago. Ashley wasn't too worried about what she would do in a small town like this. It wasn't like she'd somehow find herself in Austria.

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Ashley somehow found herself in Austria. She woke up in a park with a raging hangover, only one shoe and dyed hair. Apparently, she was now a ginger. She looked up, bright rays of sunlight drilling into her and making her head explode. Ashley cursed when she couldn't feel her phone or wallet on her. She saw a sign saying „Schlosspark Schönbrunn" and next to it „Rasenfläche bitte nicht betreten / keep off the grass". Looking at where she was lying, she had a feeling that the bright green strands underneath her were, in fact, the grass she was supposed to keep off of.

Pushing back the marching band in her head, she quickly scrambled up and looked around. Spotting the people milling around, she thanked everyone and everything that she conveniently passed out behind a bush. Now, people were starting to notice the disheveled and confused red head standing in the middle of a lawn and furiously blinking at the sun. 

Ashley quickly staggered off the grass and headed towards the gates. She surveyed the street that was filled with people. A tram took off at a station in front of her and there were people ascending on escalators from underground. Probably a Subway station. A woman tapped her shoulder, making her jump. She was tall and lanky with brown, short choppy hair and friendly chocolate coloured eyes. 

„Ist alles in Ordnung?", she asked. At least, Ashley assumed it was a question due to the slight raise of pitch at the end. 

„Uhh, I'm sorry. Where am I?" Ashley questioned, hoping that the woman understood a bit of English. Then again, English was an international language.

The woman looked confused for a second, then she frowned in concern: „You are in Wien. Are you alright?" She had a very heavy German accent. Wien...as in Vienna? Ashley wondered. Isn't Vienna in Austria? That would explain the German. But how on earth do you accidentally get from Canada to Austria?

„I'm fine..." Ashley trailed off. She needed to get home. „May I borrow your phone to call someone, please?"

The woman smiled sympathetically and handed Ashley her phone. 

„Thank you."

Ashley started dialling her mom's number, when she started to consider all the trouble she would get in if she called that woman. She racked her brain for any other number she knew. Emery. Why Ashley knew Emery's number by heart remains a mystery to this day.

She punched in the number and called.

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Meanwhile, somewhere in Canada

Emery hated to admit it, but she was worried. Of course, not too worried. Just the amount of worried that was appropriate for when a disagreeable person disappears for a good 24 hours. No, Emery wasn't too worried at all. Her pounding heart and lack of sleep just happened to be. Completely unrelated to Ashley's disappearance. It was just inconvenient timing for her to lose her appetite, that's all.

Nobody really suspected anything weird when Ashley didn't show up at school on Friday morning. She probably just slept in, like she usually does. During the last few periods, people just assumed she was sick. The Flu was going around at school, she might have caught it. Except, everyone knew that Ashley wouldn't miss a Friday if she was dying of cancer. At least, she wouldn't miss the mathlete-meeting for the world. That day, she did. 

The mathletes were confused, but they shrugged it off. Emery herself didn't think much of it, until the group got a text from Mr. Hayes a few hours after their meeting. Apparently, Ashley's mom had called to ask if Ashley was with them. They were hanging out at Cole's again, when they got the text about Ashley's disappearance. That's when they started getting uneasy. After calling her multiple times each and not getting answered, the mathletes really stared to worry. They had decided to keep each other company and sleep over at Cole's. 

None of them slept that night. Nora probably because she was too engrossed in a book to sleep and Cole...well, coffee was a bad idea. The rest were just too anxious to sleep. Even though they weren't that close to Ashley, she was a valued part of the team for almost two years now. To them, she was a friend. A part of their weird little group, even if she didn't see it that way yet.

„What if she crashed her bike?" Harper had fretted while they were lying in the darkness.

„Don't say that!" Ethan had snapped.

„What if..." 

The night was filled with ‚What if's' and Cole's occasional conspiracy theory about alien abductions. 

Currently, they were all sitting around the dinner table, poking at their eggs in silence. That's when Emery's phone started ringing. Not even glancing at the number, Emery plunged for the device and answered the call.

„Hello?"

„Uh, Hi." 

Ashley. Emery was flooded with relief, then the feeling slowly dissipated, turning into anger. The other hurriedly scrambled off their seats and crowded around her.

„Where the Hell have you been?!" Emery breathed into the speaker, her voice dangerously low. 

Ashley let out a nervous chuckle „It's kind of a funny story, actually..."

„Where, Ashley?" Emery growled again „We've all been worried sick!"

„You were?" the surprise in Ashley's voice put her off track for a second.

„Yeah, you're our friend. Now where in the fuck are you? I swear to fucking Christ, if I have to ask one more time I'll-"

„I'm in Austria." Ashley whispered. „Vienna, to be exact"

„I-" Emery was at a loss for words. She turned to the group. „She's in Austria."

The mathletes were silent, until Ethan started laughing, which set everyone else off. Through her tears of laughter, Emery heard Ashley grumble something. Then, she started sniggering as well. 

„How?" Harper wheezed.

After they had all calmed down, Emery asked the important question.

„How are you getting back?"

It was silent on the other end, until Ashley carefully informed that the didn't have anything on her. Not a phone, not a wallet, not even both her shoes.

Without thinking properly, Emery blurted the most absurd and ridiculous thing she ever said:

„I guess I'll have to go get you, then."