REMINISCENT

CHAPTER THREE: Those Who Know Me(FINAL EDIT)

Ashley's POV
Walking home, I felt my frustration boiling over. The principal just had to call my mom and complain about my behavior, as if my day hadn't been bad enough already. Great. Now I'd have to deal with her too. It wasn't like I was deferring the semester.

As I approached the porch, I let out a heavy sigh, knowing exactly how this would go. Mom was nothing if not predictable when she was upset. Bracing myself, I opened the door. Sure enough, there she was, sitting on the couch, arms crossed, her eyes a storm of disapproval.

"Hey, Mom," I muttered, heading straight for the stairs, hoping to escape before the inevitable began.

"Ashley," she called in that low, ominous tone that made me freeze in my tracks.

"Mom?" I replied, feigning innocence but too drained to argue.

"Sit," she ordered coldly. Reluctantly, I obeyed, slumping onto the couch across from her.

"What the hell did you do?" she asked, her expression stern and unyielding.

"Nothing," I said, playing dumb. "Why?"

She glared at me. "Ashley, I hate repeating myself. What happened between you and your lecturers at school?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing! They asked questions, I answered them. Geez, get off my back!"

"Ashley," she said, her voice rising, "I got a call from the principal and the school counselor saying your behavior has been unacceptable. Disrespecting lecturers? Seriously? It's only been two weeks since school started!"

"That's the problem, Mom!" I yelled, my patience snapping. "You always listen to other people before even trying to understand me! You don't care about what really happened, and you don't want to hear my side!"

"Don't you dare curse in my house," she snapped, standing up, her anger simmering. "You are not the victim here, Ashley. And lower your voice before I make you lower it."

I glared at her, my blood boiling. Then she said the one thing that cut deeper than any lecture.

"I know where this behavior is coming from. Let him go, Ashley! It's been three years. If this is what you've become because of him, then maybe we should just move somewhere far away."

Her words hit like a slap in the face, but the shock quickly turned to anger. "What?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "You don't know what I'm going through. You don't care. And now you have the audacity to say that to me?" Tears burned my eyes as my voice rose. "You didn't do anything to help me for the last three years! Nothing! Clearly, I don't know who you are anymore, because my mom would never say something so cruel."

The room went silent, thick with tension. Then it happened. Her hand flew across my face, the slap sharp and stinging.

For a moment, time stood still. Mom's face immediately crumbled with regret. "Ashley, I—"

I didn't let her finish. I bolted upstairs, slamming my bedroom door behind me. Collapsing on my bed, I sobbed into my pillow until exhaustion overtook me.

When I woke, my head was pounding. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, dragging me out of the haze.

D: Hi there.
Me: Hey, D. How are you?
D: I'm all good. How about you?
Me: Not great. :(
D: Aww, what's wrong? Aiden again? 😢
Me: Partly, yeah. It's... complicated.
D: Wanna talk about it?
Me: Briefly... I just had a crappy day. Classes sucked, some blonde girl was all over Aiden, and then the principal called my mom. We had a huge fight, and she... she slapped me.
D: Oh no. Ash, I'm so sorry. I wish I could be there to comfort you.
Me: I wish that too. But thanks for listening. How's school?
D: Boring without you. Ms. Milan is still poking her nose into everything. How is she even a lecturer?
Me: Haha, Dylan, that's so rude. It's been almost 3 years since I left strange things seem to still be the same well asides how our high school teacher is now a college lecturer. But seriously, stop paying attention to her. Maybe she has a secret crush on you.
D: Ew, no! Don't even joke about that or I'll start being paranoid 💀 she's still a brilliant lady. Oh Yeah actually things have changed, not much but just enough
Me: Thanks for making me laugh, D. I needed that. TTYL. Love ya.
D: anytime love 🥰 and I'd wish you'd text like someone your age