Ashley felt the intense ache in her legs, their screaming for release. She ignored the pain finding the perfection she craved to be more important. Following the brush in her hand with her eyes, watching it paint a new face. The colors were different, not what she was used to, but she made it work, expertly hiding the bruising on her face.

She had years of experience.

Her legs screamed in protest from being crossed too long on the bathroom's long vanity but nothing was going to stop her. The hours could turn into days and be lost to her forever and she wouldn't care as long as she liked what she saw in the mirror.

Someone different, refreshed, and beautiful.

“Fuck!” She hissed violently shaking her trembling hand. Throwing the make up brush aside, she decided to take a break. Frustration filled the small clean bathroom as she took a hard look at herself in the mirror, examining every detail of her face, making sure everything was perfect.

It wasn't good enough.

It was never good enough. She still looked like Ashley and she didn't want to look anything like the girl who could fuck some guy and then run to her girlfriend afterwards, allowing her hands to touch her disgusting body....

Running a hand through her slightly damp curls, her eyes met the door in the mirror and her thoughts wondered down the hallway.

Would Spencer be awake by now? A surge of excitement ran through her, a familiar sensation, one she felt often as a kid when it was time to go see her best friend. A smile threatened to cross her lips but she stopped it wanting to cry and scream. No, she couldn't smile right now. There was nothing to be happy about. Her eyes fell down to her arm and a scowl washed over her face. No matter how long she stayed under the shower head she couldn't wash him away, she still smelled him on her, remembered every detail of his face, his alcohol stained breath fresh in her mouth- she buried her face in her hands.

Where were her keys? She wanted to get out of there and take something to make everything go away.

Anything to make her mind disappear- she was on the bathroom floor digging under the sink for anything with a caution label, the warning telling you to stay away, inhaling this product could be fatal.

There was nothing.

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, she didn't want to be sober, everything hurt too bad.

Slamming the small door shut, she scooted back against the wall, defeated.

One, two, three, four.... Young brown eyes stared at the bedside clock, counting the seconds. Her youthful features stayed expressionless watching time slowly go by. She wasn't alone, and lying in bed, she wondered if that was a good thing or if she wished the other person would go away and leave her alone for the night.

She wouldn't be alone then either.

Lately, loneliness was a thing of the past.

The thought brought a pathetic smile to her face, just a simple tilt to the left side of her mouth. “I'm okay. How many times do I have to tell you? You're worrying for nothing.”

“I love you, Ashley and I hate to see you hurt-”