The Girl He Knew Somewhere

Sixteen

"Ashley's going back to London?!"

Mike, Davy and Peter were all staring at Micky, not believing what they were hearing. They had waited for Micky at the car, and when they saw him walking up, they knew that something was up, they just didn't expect it to be this.

Micky nodded, he stared out the window towards the building. He had been shocked when Ashley had suddenly started crying.

"Hey!" He said, pulling her into a hug. "What's the matter?"

Ashley hadn't spoken for a bit, she just sobbed into his shirt. Micky just held her. When she eventually calmed down, she wiped her eyes and told Micky.

Her Grandfather had gone back to London a few weeks ago, as he was part of some firm that was linked between here and England. However, as it was getting super busy back at the English branch, it was decided that he should stay over there again! He'd brought a house, and they were to move back there.

"They'd planned this all for weeks!" Ashley said. They were sitting on the wall now. Ashley shook her head. "Just as everything was getting better, this happens!"

Micky turned and stared at the ground. He felt really rubbish right now. This was not how his evening was supposed to have ended!

"When do you have to leave?" He asked.

Ashley looked at Micky, more tears running down her face.

"We leave on Tuesday!"

That was only a few days away! Micky didn't want Ashley to go! Not now, not when everything had been going perfect! He suddenly felt like crying.

"Listen, I don't want to talk here anymore!" Ashley glanced over towards the entrance. She was half expecting her grandmother to turn up. Ashley took hold of Micky's hands and told him to look at her.

"Can we meet up later?" She asked. "At the beach? I think you need to know about me!"

Micky nodded. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with this girl. Ashley jumped off the wall and gave Micky a sad smile.

"I'll see you later, then!"

Micky hadn't told his friends that he would be seeing Ashley. Instead, he sat silent in the car, wishing like anything there was some way he could make Ashley stay. There was still so much he wanted to do. He still needed to figure out why he felt like he'd seen her before too.

Micky waited till the others had gone to bed before he left to head down to the beach. He went to his favourite spot. Ashley arrived a while later. She'd changed out off her dress into some jeans and a jacket. Micky stood up and pulled her into a hug. He didn't want her to talk, not just yet! He just wanted to have this moment. And, by the way Ashley hugged him, it felt the same for her.

"My parents were killed in a car accident!" Ashley told Micky. They were sitting by a small fire that Micky had made. "I had just turned nine, and I remember that night so well. I had been at my grandparents house when the police came. I never understood the term "when your world falls apart" till that night!"

Micky sat and listened. This was the first he had heard of Ashley's parents.

"I'm sorry!" He told her.

Ashley gave him a small smile.

"After that, my grandparents took me in. They did their best in looking after me, but after the life I had with my parents, their life was so different. By the time I was twelve I was depressed. I had always been a bit of a loner, but after what happened, I stared to spend a lot of time hiding away in my room!"

"It wasn't till we moved up here, that I found my love of singing! Obviously I stared listening to The Beatles, and because I kept listening to their records I soon learned all the songs off by heart!"

"When I was sixteen, my music teacher at school heard me sing and told me how she thought I was really good! I soon found singing was a good way to escape the loneliness I was feeling. So, when I could, I would go out finding places where I could sing. That first night singing at this small cafe made me realise I could be a completely different person to the one my grandparents knew! So, when I was at home, I was Ashley, the quiet girl who either hid in her room, or suffer the constant parties her grandmother held. But, outside of home, I was Ashley, a strong, happy girl, who had friends and spent her evenings either at bars singing, or most recently, hanging out with four amazing guys who were the only real friends she'd made since she arrived in America!"

Micky smiled.

"I can't believe grandmother didn't tell me about us moving to England! I really wish we didn't have to go! In fact, I wish she would go and I could stay here!"

"Why don't you?" Micky asked, suddenly feeling hopeful.

Ashley shook her head.

"I've only just turned nineteen! To my grandparents, that is still too young for me to be left alone to live my life. My Grandmother won't be happy till I am married!"

Micky sighed. He could just imagine the type of guy Ashley's grandmother would want Ashley to be married too! Some posh, british guy who had the latest in everything. But, Micky also guessed that he'd be the type to not let Ashley live the life she obviously wanted.

"I want a life like my parents did!" Ashley said, as though she'd just read Micky's mind! "To meet a guy with the exact same interests as me! Maybe one day, we'd get married! It wouldn't make my grandparents happy, but I wouldn't care!"

Ashley looked at her watch. She gave a sad sigh. She turned to Micky.

"I'd better go!"

She stood up and was brushing the sand from off her jeans, when she felt Micky standing close to her. She looked up at him, and before she knew it, he'd took hold off her, pulled her in, and gently kissed her on the lips!