Without Me

C'mon let me ride

Marshall had been trying to write lyrics for a new song he had been working on when Ashley's name flashed up on his phone.

Glancing over at the clock to the left of where he sat at the desk in his room, he noticed that it was an odd time for her to be calling. The time was around about 9pm; to his knowledge, Ashley only called late at night if there was a problem.

Sighing he rested the pencil that was in his hand in the spine of the notebook he had been writing in. He then reached over and slid the answer tab on his phone before he then raised it up to his ear.

''Yo,'' he greeted as he sat back in his chair resting his free arm across his desk.

''Marshall, could you come pick me up?'' He frowned, what was she doing out at 9 at night. He racked his brain trying figure out the reason she was out, but nothing came to mind.

''Marshall?'' He cursed realising he hadn't replied to her.

''Er. Yeah, where are ya?''

''You know that restaurant that I said I'd never go to as long as I'm alive because it's always full of egotistical snobs,'' Ashley explained, and Marshall couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.

''Yep,'' he replied getting up from his chair and manoeuvring himself downstairs to grab his jacket, hat and keys for the car.

''Well I'm around the back,'' she stated and then suddenly it all clicked.

''You been on a date or some shit?'' He mentally slapped himself, realising what he had said. Fortunately, Ashley understood, and he was relieved when her laughter filled the phone from her end.

''Are you coming to pick me up or not. Cause I might freeze myself to death soon and it will be all your fault.''

''Alright I'm coming, calm your tits. Jesus woman,'' Marshall huffed as he unlocked his Mercedes and slid into the front seat. ''I'll be there in a bit ok.''

''Ok, see ya,'' as soon as the line went dead, he shut his phone off and tossed it in the space between the front seats. Nine in the evening and he was having to pick up someone up from a date, that didn't involve him.

***

Once she'd hung up Ashley found herself getting steadily colder and colder as the seconds ticked by. She desperately hugged the coat around her tighter, but it didn't seem to help her body temperature rise in slightest.

What had made her ring Marshall and ask him to pick her up, was beyond her. She had been thinking of calling Talia instead, but she wasn't entirely sure when her shift ended, so the next person was Marshall. In all honesty, she hadn't expected him to pick up the phone let alone actually agreeing to give her a lift home.

By the time a familiar Mercedes caught her eye, the black heeled shoes she had been wearing were dumped haphazardly on the pavement; while she sat next to them lent up against the wall picking at her nails in boredom.

''What the fuck happened to you, we only spoke like ten minutes ago. It looks as if you've been sat here all night,'' Marshall commented as he reached his hand out for her to take so he could pull her up. All she did in response was groan as she bent back down to pick up her shoes.

''Who were you a date with? The resident restaurant rats,'' Ashley knew he was joking and possibly trying to cheer her up. But he had no idea what had happened, and she didn't exactly want to tell him because it was none of his concern.

''Fuck you, just take me home,'' she grumbled pulling away from him to make her way over to the passenger seat of his car.

''Seriously though what happened?'' He asked once they were both settled in the vehicle.