Chapter 4: Sabotaged!(2)

“I need time, I need space. Can we just keep away from one another till I can sort myself out please?” Ash said, in a more cold tone than she would have liked. Porsha stood in silence looking hurt before she nodded and ran to her room, Ash heard crying soon enough from behind the door. Ash felt her pocket buzz as she saw a text from David. They chatted for a bit as she insisted things were fine but was trying to think on what to do now as it would be awkward living with Porsha from today onwards. However the opportunity presented itself as David invited her back for a Christmas party. She did have two weeks’ worth of holidays to use up as she said she’d go. It might also give her time to sort her feelings out. As expected the morning was awkward as Porsha didn’t emerge from her room at all. Ash headed into work and found out Porsha had called in sick. Everyone asked if everything was okay as people could tell something was off as Ash just said they had had a little argument. Once her morning shift was finished she headed to see Mrs Addams before getting her lunch.


She knocked on Mrs Addams door and waited,
“Come in” Mrs Addams called as Ash stepped in.
“Hey Mrs Addams, do you mind if I use my holiday days up for Christmas?” Ashley asked as Mrs Addams looked at her sternly and appraisingly,
“I see no problem with it, is anything the matter with Porsha, she sounded upset over the phone earlier” she asked as Ash blushed and looked to the side. “I see, well no matter, but I do hope things between you two are okay” Mrs Addams said as Ash nodded. Ash booked the next week off giving her three weeks in total as they would be close around the end of the year and closed for New Year’s. Florence said she’d miss Ash as she was going on maternity leave once they were closed for Christmas. Ash looked for a hotel nearby to go to for tonight given the atmosphere at home. Ash felt really anxious when she grabbed her luggage case and some of her things from Porsha’s flat as she wasn’t there when she had gotten home. She headed off leaving a note about where she was and that she would be going away for Christmas.


The walk was cold and Ash felt weird leaving the place she had come to regard as her new home. She found the hotel she had booked and checked in for a single night before she headed up to her room without dinner. She lay on the bed and took her phone out to book a train ticket for the morning before she settled in for a very sleepless that night. Why did she have to act so cold to Porsha? She didn’t mean to, was she turning into her mother? Ashley did manage to get a few hours’ sleep in the end. Porsha was fun, sweet and kind and had been there for her when she needed it most, and she had become her best friend. Ash didn’t know what to do, would they be able to get passed this? Or would things never be able to go back to normal now that she knew how Porsha felt about her.


She awoke after a few hours that she had managed to get some sleep as she got ready and left the hotel at 6 AM. She made her way to the train station and was an hour early for her train. She was waiting on the platform as she had found a bench and hoped seeing some old faces would cheer her up a little. She wondered if Brian and David could give her any advice. Once the train had arrived, she text David she was getting on the train as to give him a heads up given he was picking her up. She looked back towards the exit to the town and wondered what Porsha was doing now. Was she back in her room crying or was she at least out in the living room now Ash had left. Ash sighed as she sat down and didn’t have to wait long for train to begin pulling out of the station.