"you don't remember anything from before you left home?"
"i remember that we are friends, and we went to school together." ashlyn replied.
"no!" bean cried. "right before you got on the airplane to come here, where were you?"
"in a c-"
the older girl cut herself off, and her happy expression turned into that of edginess. she had remembered something, but was not yet ready to share it with the group.
"a car. i was in a car." she continued after pausing.
"and before that?" bean again questioned.
"my home, i am assuming."
"what were you doing?!"
"this isn't important right now. we need to get her to an urgent care or something." alicia said, interrupting the interrogation.
"who's taking her?" quinn asked with a raised eyebrow, her tone indicating that it wasn't her that was taking the injured girl.
"i am not going." ashlyn said. "i cannot."
"we'll help carry you out." vanessa explained, hoping to convince her.
"it is not a good idea to take me. plus, i do not like hospitals."
the oldest of the group met eyes with quinn, then quickly looked away.
"there's something she's not telling us." quinn spat, continuing to glare at her high school nemesis.
"we can't help you if you don't tell us." alicia said softly.
"i have nothing to tell. i just...do not feel like it is a good idea."
"it seems like you'd be more concerned with the pain you feel, but alright." bean said, shrugging her shoulders.
"i can get the glass out. i just need tweezers. it is not a lot." ashlyn insisted.
"i'll go get some bandages from the store." bean said as she got up from her spot on the couch.
"i'll come with you." quinn hastily replied.
before anyone had a chance to say anything else, the girls started out of the apartment and down the stairs.
"something's not right with her." bean stated as she unlocked the car doors.
"clearly. she's not giving us the whole story. she's not giving us anything actually."
"she's always been weird, but something is really off with her now. i really wonder what's going on."
"i don't know, but we're about to find out." quinn said.
-
alicia finished wrapping ashlyn's feet with bandages, then set pillows underneath.
"thank you for your kindness." the mysterious girl said, resting her hand on alicia's shoulder.
"yeah. just sit tight, okay?"
alicia made her way down the hall and into quinn's room, where the other girls were gathered.
"that has to be her from the future or something." bean said.
"enough with the future theory!" vanessa exclaimed. "this is serious. it seems like she's in danger."
"well how did we get involved in this? who is that note from?" elizabeth asked.
the four girls looked directly at quinn, who was standing by the door with her arms crossed.
"why are y'all looking at me? i know just as much as you do."
"it's from someone who knows you well." alicia concluded.
"someone that knows where we live." bean added. "someone close."
"not too many people know your address. that should narrow down the suspects." vanessa said.
quinn sighed and looked down at her feet.
"not exactly how i planned on spending my friday night." she grunted.
"what are we gonna do with her?" bean asked.
"find her a hotel." quinn quickly responded.
alicia rolled her eyes at the younger girl and exhaled heavily. "that's not a good idea and i think you know that, quinn."
"there's obviously something wrong." vanessa added. "and something wrong with her also."
"yeah, she's a lot more ditzy than i remember." liz said jokingly.
"i'm serious. we can't just leave her somewhere." alicia continued.
"i can." quinn snapped.
"quinn," the oldest of the group started, glaring over at the girl now sitting on her bed.
"where exactly do you think she'll be staying if it's not a hotel?"
"just let her stay on the couch, quinn. just until we figure out what's going on." bean suggested.
"are you serious?" quinn asked aggressively, looking around at the others. "after everything that girl did to us - to me - you're gonna invite her to stay in my house? what if-"
"it's my house too." bean interjected. "and i think we should let her stay."
quinn chuckled to herself and nodded. "you know what, you're right. do what you want with her, but don't expect any help from me."
she stammered out of the room, down the hallway, then out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.
the four girls slowly exited the bedroom and entered the living room.
"is she mad at me?" ashlyn asked.
the girls flashed each other confused glances quickly, realizing that the older girl's memory was completely shot.
"ashlyn, do you have any money? or a place to stay?" alicia asked.
"i can find somewhere," ashlyn said as she started getting up.
"no, it's okay. you can stay here. the person who sent you obviously sent you here for a reason." bean replied. "but we just need you to help us figure out why. can you do that?"
"i will try."
-
