The Girl I Met In December.

Chapter Six.

Chapter Six

By Saturday Ashby still hadn't given me the time of day. I didn't even get a quick glance from her anymore. Oh and Robert was still here which confused me greatly after Jaynie was so fixed on moving him but here he was next to me, ear phones in as he scrolled through his playlist, perfectly average again; I still couldn't get the 'wetting the bed' incident out my head whenever I saw him which was unusual because he gave me headaches every time I did because see him, it was so confusing when it came to him so I tend to stop looking into him.
Lily and Ryan on the other hand, were playing some sort of domino game and for once they looked like an ordinary seven and five year old. Steps entered the kitchen I half expected it to be Jaynie but it wasn't; Ashby wore white skinny jeans and a grey over sized woolly jumper instead and a black scarf was wrapped around her neck.Her hair flowing behind her as always.
I step up and found myself in the kitchen suddenly barely a couple feet between us. "Hey" I spoke sheepishly. Again no reply which made my 'hey' even more stupid. Thanks for that Ashby, I sarcastically thought. I noticed she had black wellies on- it was Middlehouse care home day out today so I was guessing it was going to be muddy as heck as it was the middle of November.
"You can't ignore me forever Ashby!" I yelled so what automatically. I felt eyes on my back,I didn't care if Robert could hear or anyone for that matter, I was getting so pissed of with this shit act that she was doing.                            "Robert you left you laptop on upstairs, go and turn it off because we're going soon" She spoke passed me, it was like I was invisible to her now, her voice sounded exhausted and I couldn't help but feel my body tighten from it. Back in the present though, I felt Robert walk up the stairs not before he gave one of his huffs again.                                                                      "You've been tidying his room then?" I slipped out in a sarcastic tone. I could feel a slap hit my face as I stared straight forward at her, I couldn't tell what my expression was at this moment but she just looked at me blankly.
Still no reply. Fuck this I turned around cursing as I went.
"Alright kiddie winks we all ready to go?" Jaynie walked in smiling hugely like she always did on the days out together. I seriously was about to see if Sam was free today at this rate. I looked up at Jaynie, who will still smiling brightly and I couldn't help feel guilty, maybe Jaynie deserved this day with us. She was in a checkered top and green waist coast with causal old looking jeans, wellies were also part of her outfit too.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Lily squealed, her wavy hair jumping up and down before she pushed her glasses up further again.
Ryan just simply nodded, almost shy in a way.
"I call shotgun" Robert spoke behind me, I turned to face him, he had the most creepiest grin on his face like he wasn't thinking the same type of meaning of shotgun as I did.

.

"Come and help me search for dinosaurs!" Ashby spoke to Lily and Ryan as she jumped out the car, muddy water already splashing up her clothing.
Their faces instantly lit up and then rushed up to her as soon as they got out the car after her, she held out both her hands and they took them in their tiny ones.
"You really think there's dinosaurs in this woods, Ashby?" Ryan spoke, looking up to her been he was half her size, she nodded hyper back him.
"Definitely I've seen them before!" She replied sweetly. And with that they all headed to the forest ahead of them, Lily and Ryan searching all around them like mini detectives.
Envy stabbed me in the chest as I shoved my hands into my jean pockets, kicking the dirt pathway with the tip of my trainers, watching them carefully. This felt odd and embarrassing to be around all these freaks, including Robert who was walking behind me with no doubt his earphones in again, I could hear the muffled yelling of slipknot.
Mentally groaning on the inside I decided to distract myself watching the sky beginning to turn a dark grey colour. Man that certainly didn't help how I was feeling.
When we were all in the forest Jaynie turned around and faced us, serious boss lady face on: "Right it has been raining recently so just be careful of slippery surfaces okay and try and stay together" She told her formally but there was still a hint of excitement on her face, I don't think I've ever noticed until now how much Jaynie loved these day outs, even if Robert had his earphones in and Ashby had scooped up the little ones up ahead and I looked bored the entire time. It was Jaynie's family time.
We all nodded in agreement before Ashby took the lead with Ryan and Lily on her tail, she gasped: "Look Lily! Ryan! Dinosaur footprint! They must be close!" She spoke stunned and eagerly, her hands pointing to the ground which was obviously a fox footprint. Lily and Ryan gasped as well in excitement before giggle together. I sort of found myself smiling,they looked memorized by it and Ashby. This felt so stupid and strange and made me feel funny inside.
Breaking away from them, I continued back to looking around me; the leaves looked greener out here still which was confusing because everywhere else they were red, brown and golden but at least they trapped out the murky sky now. In addition to that Jaynie was the right the floor was just plain mud due to the rain and was covered in tiny sticks and rocks and leaves now coating my shoes, my toes turning into ice cubes.
Not that it mattered. I always really liked woods, it seemed a peaceful place just to be out with nature, away from people-life almost; I use to spend my time in woods by myself wandering around looking at the scenery, just to get away from my home life or afterward when I was put in care I'd come to a woods to clear my head and cry in private but it made me form a plan on how I'd live my life.
As private as possible.
Man, I was living that plan very well not even Sam knew I was in care-no one did besides the other people who in were care and Ashby had never breathed a one of it to anyone-as I knew of anyway so she had kept her promise which I was somewhat grateful for even if she was ignoring me still.
I looked back at her to find her now searching with the two little ones.
"Look! What's that?" She'd say and Lily and Ryan would gasp again in surprise, trying desperately to see what was there before carrying on with their walk up the hill.
"Don't think I don't catch you staring, Ardon. She's great with children isn't she?" Jaynie teased, now by my side, I could practically feel my face turn bright red as I nodded embarrassments, "Yeah she really is" I muttered to myself, annoyed that I had let my gaze be noticeable to anyone but Jaynie was true, Ashby was amazing around Lily and Ryan.
Perhaps I knew why she was doing this, being in care at such a young age took your childhood away and Ashby being Ashby didn't want that to happen to them so that was why she was doing this with them, I wonder when she went into care? Had she not had a childhood? "Ashby what if one bites me?" Ryan wimped, his hands gripping his huge padded coat behind her, she spun round smiling and picked him up, hugging him as he giggled in her arms: "He would only be saying hello, it wouldn't hurt and guess what I heard dinosaurs only say hello to really special children" She whispered to him, her one hand blocking the side of her mouth, I saw his eyes go big."Do you think one will say hello to me?" He replied, his hands on her shoulders. Lily also looked her at them in admonishment.
"I know so because you two are the most special children I've ever met!" She smiled brightly at them. It was amazing how she looked so lost in her world with and it made me feel happy, she needed this, to get away from everything.
"Come on let's continue looking! I think I hear something over there!" She spoke excited, using her one arm to point forward.
The two over excited children nodded before they continued further ahead, Ryan still in her arms. I was surprised she could carry been how tiny she was. Although, that didn't automatically mean she was weak, of course. Ashby was now stomping around in her wellies in the mud and roaring making Ryan giggle his head off as he clung to her, his head tipped back with his blonde hair falling downwards as well; those white jeans Ashby wore were definitely not white anymore, mud had splashed all up them in big clumps but Ashby didn't seem to mind and neither did Jaynie, I think we were all sort of in happy or maybe just content daze at the moment.
"Ashby! Ashby! I found another dinosaur print!" Lily yelped as she jumped on the spot, point to what looked like this rabbit footprint this time. Ashby gasped her mouth an o shape as she looked a Ryan then Lily.
"Wow! Lily you are such a good spotter! Awesome work" She told her, Lily's smile had to be the biggest smile I've ever seen; her two front teeth were missing and one her bottom ones and you could just about see her adult teeth coming through. She looked so proud of herself, I wonder if anyone had complimented her the way Ashby had?
It was strange to notice what so many families took for granted, some never even bothered to praise their kids as long as they had the latest phone or good grades then why would actually interacting with your kids matter?
Though, it did matter, little children honestly just wanted to be loved and appreciated it, it was basic first instinct to them.
Meanwhile, Lily had pushed her glasses up further before grabbed Ashby's free hand before pulling her further in. Robert huffed behind me but blocked it out, he was not going to ruin this for Ashby or anyone, I would make fucking sure of that because we all needed this.
On the other hand, I could hear the leaves shaking madly in the air, glancing upwards I noticed the sky had turned grey and just like that icy drops started to hit my face before I was bombarded with the heavy rain, it had totally caught me off guard and I was now drenched in water, my hair fell over my eyes and drops fell off the corner of my coat.
Stunned I turned back to look at the others to see if this was just my imagination but no, Ashby who was now laughing had pulled Ryan's coat hood over his head. She looked even more soaked than me, her jumper clung to her frame and her jeans had started the sag from how much water had be collected in them as well as that her hair looked even longer and now was stuck in huge pieces either to her face or jumper but she was still laughing her face dripping with water. It was honestly stunning to say the least.
"Quick everyone head back to the car!" Jaynie yelped as she tried to pull up her hood on her waist coat, she looked about as shocked as me. She beckoned her hand madly back to the entrance of the forest when noticed the rain wouldn't ease up and with that I quicken my pace and headed back to the car.
"Lily! Be careful you'll slip!" Ashby shouted suddenly in fright, everyone spun around and just as Ashby had said that Lily slipped due to the mud and was now about to land face first in it. In a mad rush Jaynie went running back towards her, screaming Lily's name. The little girls face looked terrified as she realised her mistake. Automatically I went for her, managing to catch her without even realising I had done it, it was a reflex reaction.
My heart hammered just as strong as the rain was against my back.
"Thank you Mr!" She giggled, the tears that formed her eyes were gone and her smile was back on her cheeky face.
Breathing a sigh of relief I pulled her up into my arms, holding her closely.
That made me smile, she was okay.
"Just call me Donnie, yeah?" I replied with a slightly chuckle. She nodded smiling still, beads of water splashing in a circle around her. Maybe she wasn't so strange anymore... maybe she was just a seven year old girl trying to cope with her problems in the only way how.
Breaking from my realisation, I started carrying her back to the car, making sure not slip myself because these shoes had no grip to them at all but it was hard to focus because Lily had begun messing about with my hair, running her hands threw my wet mop, trying to give me a mohawk it seemed and I didn't seem to mind.
Just like today, it was nice.