A Surreal Life

"Ashley Ann Bright! Where the hell where you?!" Kayla screamed through the apartment. "Ohhh cute dress! No wait I'm still mad at you!"

"Sorry Kay. I didn't know I had to tell you all my whereabouts! And, FYI, I'm wearing that cute dress 'cause I was out on a date." I smiled at her and seeing the smile that grew on her face, she had forgotten every bit of hatred towards me that she had.

"What?! No? With Darren? Oh my God! How did it go?" She signed for me to sit down besides her. As I took my legs to pull them underneath myself, I thought of what I would answer.

"I... Really I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" she had worry in her eyes. "Do you need me to beat the crap out of him?"

"What? Haha no, no, no! That's the last thing Darren needs right now..." I murmured the last part being more for myself but she heard me.

"What do you mean? Please Ash, tell me."

"Kay, this is very serious and you must know that I would never joke about this."

"Okay...."

"Cory is dead Kay. They found alcohol and heroine in his blood when they found him in his hotel room in Vancouver."

"Wha...What?" I could see her starting to shake.

"I know. It was a choc for me too but imagine for Darren. That's why if I had to say how it went, I would tell you that at first it was great. Then, it was a bit messy? and after that I guess it finished okay again. I think he enjoyed himself too but it was just a little bit hard to tell you know?"

"Yeah... Wow, poor him..."

"I know. Well I'm going to go to bed now, it's been a bit of a long night. Get some rest too Kay. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight Hun!"

By the time I was ready for bed and was about to fall asleep, it was about one in the morning and that's why, when I got a phone call around three thirty, I was really confused. I hadn't been to sleep for very long and yet I had the strange feeling that I overslept and that I was late for something.

"He-Hello?" I stuttered half asleep.

"Ugh! Sorry Ash I shouldn't have called. I mean you where obviously sleeping... I'm sorry I'll let you go back to sleep... I...

"Darren? What's wrong?"

"I... Never mind just go back to sleep."

"No seriously what's up?"

"Goodnight Ashley."

He hung up. As Mercedes would say: Oh hell to the no!

I grabbed some sweatpants and quickly tied my hair in a messy bun. I grabbed my phone and headed out the door, not even talking the time to change out of my purple slippers. The only thing I did before I left was writing a quick note for Kayla just in case she woke up and saw I was gone, not wanting to send her a text to wake her up.

I drove to Darren's house and knocked quietly. When I had no answer, I tried the handle, just to find he hadn't locked it. I made my way to his room, knocking again on this door, not wanting him to attack me or something.

"Dare?" I asked quietly while poking my head through the door. What I saw made my heart stop. Darren clearly had lost it at one point. What was usually on his desk was scattered all around the floor, a picture frame broken in the corner. And that's not the only thing that was on the floor in a corner.

As a matter of fact, Darren was sitting in the corner of his room, his head between his head, shaking lightly.

"Darren?" I asked again trying to get his attention.

"Ash? What are you doing here?"

"Clearly something was wrong when you called. I wouldn't have been able to go back to sleep not knowing what was wrong. Come." I said smiling lightly and offering him my hand so that I could help him get up.

"Nice outfit by the way." he chuckled a little bit, sadness still in his eyes.

"Hey! Don't you go around dissing my Sponge Bob shirt! Kay got this for me at Christmas and Brad got me my slippers to match!" I laughed leading him to the bed. I saw that mentioning my own friends - that where alive - hurt him so I quickly changed the subject by hitting him with a pillow.

"Hey what did you do that for?" he asked rising his eyebrows surprised.

"I don't know... I just felt like it!" I laughed once again and for the first time a saw a smile that reached his eyes. Then out of nowhere, a pillow hit me right on the cheek.

"Oh it's on!" I said picking up my pillow again.

It wasn't long until we were engaged in a full battle. At least until I fell on the floor with a loud thug.

"Ash are you okay?" Darren asked hovering over me from his higher ground.

"Yeah I'm fine." I said chuckling. I looked up and he was looking straight at me, looking at my lips.

He leaned down and I met him half way, in a kiss that was long overdo since when I got here, none of us had dared to make a move since we both didn't know how the other felt.

When we both parted, I laughed and he looked at me confused.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, no! It's just our kiss was kind of Spider-man-ish." I laughed and he soon joined me.

I got back on the bed and caught Darren yawning.

"Let's get you to bed. You're worn out from today. It's been a long day after all." I smiled sweetly.

"Please stay?" he asked hopeful.

"Well I certainly wasn't planing leaving." I smiled again and got comfortable in his bed while he went to get the light.

An arm found his way around my waist and I felt his soft breathing against my neck signaling that he was already fast asleep. Thankfully it was Sunday tomorrow so none of us had to actually get up.