Chapter Seven
I carried my mother’s laptop in my arms as I walked up the stairs towards my bedroom. The whole way up the stairs I thought about finding out Ash’s real name. Would he forget about me when he found out who his real family was? Would he not want me to call him Ash anymore? Would he leave me to go find his real family? I don’t want to be alone.
I was so deep in thought that I didn’t notice where I was going until I walked right into Ash. When I looked up, he was staring at me like I was an idiot or something!
“What’s up with you, Mae?” Ash asked after he steadied me in his arms.
“Are you going to leave me?” I asked without thinking.
I swear sometimes there isn’t a filter between my brain and my mouth. Things just get blurted out without my knowledge.
“What do you mean?” Ash asked after a second of thought.
I swear boys will never catch onto anything. Sometimes they’re as dense as rocks! How can he not know what I’m talking about? Wouldn’t he feel the same way as I am if the roles were switched?
“Are you going to leave me when we find out who you really are?”
My gaze fell to the floor as I waited for Ash to confirm my fears.
I didn’t wait very long before Ash lifted my face with his finger under my chin.
“I promised I’d never leave you, Mae. I’ll never break my promise.”
I buried my face into his chest, clutching the laptop tight to my abdomen. Ash ran his fingers soothingly through my hair as he held onto my prone form. He always knew just how to comfort me. I don't think I would be capable of life without my best friend. I knew that thought was selfish though. I couldn't keep him to myself forever.
"Come on, let's go see if we can find anything," Ash announced after a moment.
I nodded my consent and followed after him like a lost puppy as he turned and headed to my room. He flopped onto the bed like a fish and I couldn't help but giggle at his attempt to cheer me up. I followed his example and flopped onto my bed after setting the laptop safely on my desk. He chuckled as I rolled into him and beamed a forty watt smile at him. After caressing my cheek, he rose from the bed and grabbed the laptop.
"How do you turn this thing on?" He inquired after a failed attempt of making the screen come to life.
"Let me see it," I replied as I reached for the aforementioned object.
"You press this button here," I said as I pressed the power button on the top left corner of the keyboard.
The screen came to life and flashed the log in page. After clicking on my mother's profile, I opened the internet and typed 'Henry and Victoria Montgomery' into the search engine. Immediately I was awarded with numerous links to articles that mentioned any part of what I searched. None of the links took me to any article regarding a Henry and Victoria from Phoenix, Arizona.
"What if you type Phoenix after it?" Ash offered after noting my frustration.
I nodded and took his advice, typing in 'Phoenix' after the names. Almost instantly an article popped up about the Ruthbern house fire. My heart nearly pounded out of my chest as I clicked the link.
I took a deep breath and began reading.
"Henry and Victoria Montgomery, along with their son Kyle Montgomery, were caught in a tragic fire in their own home. The Ruthbern house is said to have been victim to an electrical fire, although the exact cause is unknown. The only survivor was young Suzanne Montgomery, who was over a friend's house when the accident occurred. The bodies of the family were recovered, but nearly unrecognizable due to the severe burns."
"I don't want to hear anymore, Mae," Ash croaked out of his constricted throat.
"I'm so sorry, Ash," I whispered as I reached out for his quivering form.
I closed the laptop and moved to the head of my spacious bed. Ash crawled into my open arms and buried his face into my chest. Wrapping my arms around him, I let him heave his sobs against me. His arms tightened around my small waist as I began running my fingers through his shaggy hair and humming a soft tune. I couldn't even imagine what he must be going through, finding out his parents died with him, his name, and that his little sister is alive. I wouldn't be able to handle that.
It wasn't long before Ash fell asleep. I gently slid his body off of mine before rising ever so carefully from the bed. I closed the web pages on the laptop and placed it quietly on my desk. Taking a seat at the desk, I reached for my journal and began writing.
My mother signed me in with an old, plump woman I assumed was a receptionist. She didn't seem like a very pleasant lady. She most likely hated her job. Now that I think about it, I don't blame her. She has to deal with all types of people, right down to the crazy, unreasonable ones.
"Mae, this nice lady here is going to take you to a room and talk to you, okay?" My mother said, suddenly standing before me with a woman dressed in a white lab coat.
I nodded my consent and followed after the unknown woman. She was fairly tall, taller than my own mother, and she had the brightest red hair. From the glimpse I got of her eyes, I could tell they were a dull brown with absolutely no shine to them. Her pasty complexion was made even worse with various freckles adorning her cheeks. She was by no means a beautiful woman.
"Come this way Ms. Castro" the nameless woman called out to me as she walked into a near barren room at the end of a busy corridor.
I didn't nod my understanding to this woman. I just obediently followed behind her into the hospital room with nothing but a bed in it. I sat on the bed as she indicated and folded my hands in my lap, waiting for something to be said.
"My name is Dr. Anderson, I'm a psychiatrist," the newly dubbed Dr. Anderson answered to my unspoken question.
"What's a psychiatrist?" I asked.
"It's a doctor who studies the mind and listens to patients' problems."
"Why do I need to see you? I don't have any problems."
"How about you tell me about Ash. Does that sound good?" Dr. Anderson none too politely demanded.
At the mention of my friend, I soon forgot about the question that was left unanswered. I proceeded to tell her all about my dear friend Ash and about how he died. She took many notes on a clipboard I hadn't noticed was present. Ash sat beside me patiently as I jabbered about him. At the time, I didn't pay attention to the ruthless glare he had fixed on Dr. Anderson.
"Is he here now?" Dr. Anderson insisted upon, effectively cutting off my rambling.
"Of course! He's always with me!" I happily exclaimed, not realizing my mistake.
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