Last Life

Chapter 8

            I opened my eyes to find him staring straight into me. The only things that I could do were shriek and clamber over to the opposite side of the bed. After a moment of silence from my mind I realized that it was Matt. He seemed just as shocked as I when I finally calmed myself. It wasn’t him that first spoke though.

“Her heart beats and she is conscious.” My eyes shifted to the man standing in the corner of the room. His black hair created a cover over his face. His arms remained crossed over his chest while he pushed himself away from the wall. “Now I owe you nothing.”

As he came closer towards me I could feel my body moving off of the bed into the opposite corner of the room. Something in his voice sent chills down my spine and just before he opened the door his eyes caught mine. Deep red pierced my soul frightening me even more than anything I have ever felt before.

The door closed removing him from my sight, but he wasn’t the only thing in the room that worried me. Matt was quickly rounding the corner of the bed and I lifted my hand halting him. I studied the room itself and it was not familiar in anyway. My hands collapsed on my chest as I tried to hide further into the wall. “Where am I?”

“Ash,” Matt knelt down holding out his hand. “Are you alright?”

“Where am I?” Nearly breaking out in tears I tried to calm myself. There had to be a good reason why I was here with him. “Matt, where am I?”

“It is alright you are home. Please come here.” Matt insisted that I take his hand that he pushed in my direction. Shoving it away from me he tried again. “Ash, everything is going to be okay.”

“Matt, please just take me home.” I begged.

There was no time to react when I saw the smallest hint of a shimmer coming from across the room. One moment nothing, then the spark, and ending with a man standing there. I wanted to scream, but all I could do was cover my face taking cover from the joy he came with. He began to say something, but Matt had stopped him. “Not right now.”

“I want to go home. Please take me home.” I prayed to anyone that would listen now. When the silence hit my ears I began to wonder if it was just a dream. It seemed so real, but none of it seemed right. It had to have been nothing more than a dream. “Please let me wake up.”

Matt’s arms wrapped around me even with the comfort they brought with them I tried to push him away. Slowly my confusion melted away leaving me to hide inside his arms. “Ashley, tell me if this is not your home, where do you live?”

“The only place I’ve ever lived, at home with my dad.” With my words Matt sighed heavily then rested his head against mine. “Matt, please take me home.”

“Ash, I,” A strange voice came from directly in front of me and as I lifted my head from Matt’s chest I realized it was the man who had just materialized out of thin air in the middle of the room. “Hi, I’m Anthony, Matt’s younger brother.”

“What are you doing?” Matt growled at him immediately.

My eyes went straight for Matt’s, “You never told me you had a brother. Matt, please tell me what is going on.”

Matt had his head lowered with his eyes placed firmly on the floor, “Anthony, what are you doing?”

“Ash, are you hungry?” Anthony questioned and I right away I realized how famished I was. My stomach was queasy from the moments, but my being hungry ate through the feeling. After nodding he held out his hand pulling me from Matt’s arms and back up to my feet. Anthony looked down on Matt still sitting on the floor, “If there is one thing I’ve learned, you don’t lie to her. She’ll never forgive you for it. Why do you think she still hates Marc? I can guarantee you that it is not because he’s killed her so many times. It is from lying to her over and over. I won’t let you do that to her to.”

“Wait what?” I yanked on this guy’s hand stopping him from leading me out of the room, “What are you talking about? I don’t know you.”

“Yes you do. You just don’t remember me at the moment.” The man smiled and there was something inside of him that I knew I could trust.

He continued talking, but I had a hard time paying attention to his words. As he led me through the door I gawked at the house that he was leading me through. The room that I had woken up in could have fit into any normal home, but this was nothing like anything I’ve seen. Walking down the hallway behind him I felt as though I were in a museum. There were stands with glass cases holding several different items that I could only assume were relics. Some I looked at were completely empty.

“Why don’t these ones have anything in them?” I asked Anthony stopping him just before he started down the staircase.

Anthony turned and looked at me as though he was waiting for me to answer my own question. After a few moments of silence I heard Matt speak out behind me. “Marc took all of his things when he left.”

“Am I supposed to know who this Marc is?” I had heard Anthony mentioning his name before, but I had absolutely no idea who he was.

“Marcus, you always called him Marcus never Marc.” Anthony brought my attention back to him beckoning me on the stairs, “I’m sure it will all come back in a few minutes. Come on.”

Without another word I continued following Anthony with Matt in tow. As I made my way towards the stairs the hallway opened up into something like a grand entrance way. When Anthony had made it further down I saw a glorious crystal chandelier hanging down from the ceiling. Finding myself on a large curved staircase leading down into a home that I would have never thought I would be in I nearly sat down to take in the beauty of it all.

I turned around to find Matt still behind me, “You live here?”

Finally his lips parted slightly as he grinned just as he had done when we first met. Quickly he skipped down the next few stairs so that he was right beside me. He held out his hand which I gladly took. “So tell me, what do you remember?”

“I remember you.” I fought to smile, but simple thoughts that I should have known escaped me. I tried to find a date inside of my mind or the last holiday that I remembered, nothing came. Lost to my own oblivion I let my hand slip from Matt’s and sat in the middle of the stairs. “I remember you.”

“You honestly don’t remember Anthony, Marc, Mike, or,” There was a long pause while Matt knelt down on the stairs in front of me while I kept my eyes on our fingers entwining together. “Or Blythe?”

“No.” I continued to try to sort out my memories, but they were filtering into one another. One minute there was a group of Kate, Josh, Mindy and I. Then it faded into nothing, replacing itself with only Matt. “It is all there, but I can’t separate them. Matt, please help me.”

“Ash, look at me.” Once I gazed into Matt’s dark chocolate abysses I could feel the anxiety within myself easing quickly. My breathing slowed and I was finally able to think freely. Still my memories didn’t become any clearer. “Why would he do this to you? He loves you.”

“If he loved me, he wouldn’t have.” I wasn’t quite sure who or what he would have done, but Matt believed that he was the one to cause my mind to be all scrambled. “You love me, and you wouldn’t have done this. Am I right?”

Matt remained quiet with his head down with his eyes fixed on our hands. I watched as his eyelids slowly closed and he started removing his hands from mine. Quickly trying to keep his hands in mine I reached forward, but Matt pushed my hands back. “Ash, as much as I want nothing more than to lie to you at this moment and go back into the time that you are in I can’t. I do love and care for you, but not in the way you are thinking at this moment. Ash, you are my friend and part of my family now.”

“But you wouldn’t have done this to me though.” I understood him clearly on the fact that something happened between us. “What did he do to me?”

“Marc loves you more than any of us and what he does confuses even me. But never in my life did I see him act as he did. He’s never raised a harsh thought towards you.” Matt glanced around us, “Ash, he ended your life quite sadistically.”

Even though Matt looked serious nothing about what he was saying made any sense to me. This time I was able to smile freely as I laid my hand on his cheek. “Do you know any good psychiatrists? I think we both need a visit.”

Matt grasped my hand from his face forcing it onto my lap, “Ash, you don’t realize how much he has taken from you. Years of your life are gone. People that you love and love you are gone. He took everything from you leaving you with no heart to beat.”

“He took my heart, really?” I got up hoping that I would find his brother downstairs somewhere with a better story to tell. “Years? Matt you look the same as when I had first met you. Now I’m going to find, your brother, Anthony, to see what his story is.”

I had made it to the bottom step when I heard Matt call my name. I had thought about ignoring him, but something in his voice told me to listen. “He’s not just my brother, Ash. He’s your son.”

I was sure now that he seriously needed to see the shrink more than I. It was easily acceptable that my mind was muddled, but his tale was taller than anything I had ever heard. Although I don’t think I ever remembered him being so serious before. Maybe that is what also made him harder to believe.

It was apparent that nothing was as I had remembered it. Everything inside of me knew that this was not the life that I had. Matt’s seriousness made it clear that this was not some kind of a practical joke. Besides, who would go through such extremes just for a joke like this?

Anthony’s cheerful voice carried through the house and it made it simple to find him. As I walked into the kitchen I saw him sitting at the island in the middle of the room with another man. Anthony’s looked up at me as I entered and both men stood as I sat down. “Well, you two are quite the gentlemen.”

I studied the man that was here with Anthony as he looked me over as well. “You look awful, but I’ve seen you look worse.”

“Mike?” I questioned, knowing that that Matt had mentioned the name. When the man shook his head he looked towards Anthony so I asked again, “Blythe?”

“I told you. Her memory has yet to catch up to her.” Anthony started laughing. “This is Ben.”

“Ben,” I held out my hand, “Its, um, nice to meet you. I’m sure that we have met before I just don’t remember it.”

The man took my hand and brought it to his lips. “It’s wonderful to have you back finally.”

“Do you live here too?”

“No, actually, I am your teacher.” Ben looked at Anthony again for what I assumed was reassurance. “I’m still lost on what you know and don’t know.”

“So am I.” I laughed. “I was hoping that Anthony’s story would be better than Matt’s explanation. Apparently, um, Marc killed me and took all of my memories.”

“Well, let’s get this cleared up and hopefully you can start remembering things.” Anthony pulled out crystal salt and pepper shakers. He nudged the pepper towards me first. “Let’s just say this is Blythe, and this is Violet. They got together, in the way people do, and had a baby.”

Right before my eyes a smaller pepper shaker appeared in front of the two. I looked up at Matt who sat down right beside me intently watching the show that Anthony was putting on. “That baby was Matt. Things happened and Violet had two more sons. These two other sons, Marc and Mike were not Blythe’s.”
            I started laughing as two more tiny pepper shakers appeared, “Things happened. You mean she cheated.”

“No,” Matt glared at the pepper, “She was raped.”

I instantly stopped laughing. “I’m sorry.”

            “Well, anyway,” Anthony started again. “Boys will be boys and they all grew up. Matt, however, had some problems with life and was contemplating suicide. Mike offered a solution to fix his problem, but life was cruel. The solution ended up killing Matt anyway.”

            I watched as the shaker impersonating Matt threw itself several inches across the marble top and the top came off spilling pepper everywhere. The salt slowly moved towards the spilt pepper lifting itself back up and then the shaker refilled itself with the salt. “Violet gave her life so that Matt could live. This act of selflessness bound all of her sons together. Matt was only half alive, while Marc and Mike found that it was harder to die. Blythe, did not know that Matt was alive, and sought revenge against Mike. He knew to kill one he had to kill the other. Well, even that failed him, until he met you.

            “You were prophesied to break the spell binding them all together. Marc loved you from years past. You dated Matt, but fell in love with Mike from a vision you had. With you knowing them all you met Blythe last. You never really mentioned when you fell in love with him.”

            Anthony paused while he looked up at Matt. He waited for some kind of a response from him, but there wasn’t any. Instead I interrupted looking at the disturbed expression on Matt’s face. “So you are saying that I fell in love with Matt’s dad. I’m sorry, but I’m not into older men.”

            Without any hesitation Ben started wailing. “Not into older men. No, Ash, I think you’re more into ancient men.”

            Joining in with the laugher I tried to make a joke, “Well, he had to have been rich then.”

             “It was infidelity that drove you towards him. I guess we can’t forget the money, power, and his adamant charm.” Matt didn’t seemed thrilled at all while the rest of us laughed. Finally he turned to me, “Knowing everything that I know now, I wouldn’t have sent you away. I would have given you everything that you wanted and more had I known. God, I’ve missed this you.”

            “This me?”

            My question sifted into the silence of the room as I fell into Matt’s eyes. The sadness pouring from them rolled into me. Never before had I seen such depth into him. Slowly I could feel his hand wrapping around mine. Once he had a complete hold against my skin he immediately ripped it away closing his gaze from me. “I’m sorry, Anthony, finish your story.”

            Matt got up from the chair and started away from us. “Matt?”

            I started to get up to follow him hoping to find a sense of what was going on, but a hand grasped my wrist. “Just let him go.”

            “No,” I ripped my arm away from Anthony, “I need him to take me home. It isn’t that your little magic tricks weren’t neat, but the story is something I’m not ready for. I just want to crawl into my own bed and wake up in a world where this isn’t my life. I’m sorry.”

            I rushed out of the kitchen while Anthony yelled after me, “But you didn’t even try the flans that I made.”

            Quickly I found myself following Matt down the hallway. Just before I could call out for him to wait he turned his head my way, but he didn’t look at me directly. Gradually after realizing that he knew I was behind him I stopped and waited. What I hadn’t expected was for him to completely disappear. He was there and then he was gone.

            I turned to run back into the kitchen to let them know what just happened and I had landed right in the middle of Ben’s chest. At this point I felt as though I was hyperventilating and on the verge of losing all the strength in my legs. Thankfully Ben caught me in his arms.

            “Did, did you see what he just did?” I gasped for air.

            Ben’s gray eyes pierced into me with a large smile stretched across his face, “When I first saw magic I didn’t want to believe it either, the story as well, but you made me see the truth in this whole new world. Allow me to help you find your way back.”

            “I’ve had enough help already.” I pushed him away from me. “I just want to go home now. So unless you can take me there I don’t need anything from you, Ben.”

            “Benno,” Ben exclaimed, “Benno Penbrook. Do you remember me now?”

            “No, no, no.” My voice rose from a faint whisper to a very vocal denial of all they were trying to tell me. “No!”

            My feet couldn’t carry me as fast as I wanted to go, but I ran straight for the first door I saw leading outside. I found the night sky raining down on me as I pushed my way through the glass door. It didn’t take my legs long before failing me. Falling down on the cement patio cut into my hands and knees. It didn’t take long before I was up again springing towards the garden ahead of me.

            I didn’t know where I was or which direction to take to get back home. Although I knew the further I had gotten away from that house I was getting closer to my goal. The rows of hedges soon surrounded me and I found myself lost in what seemed to be a labyrinth of tall dark walls.

            I had just about given up on trying to find a way out and heading back the way I had come in when I saw it. A glimmer of hope and light shined through the shadows of the night. It passed quickly by and I thought it might have been a car driving by. I knew it was not a light from the house that I had been running from when it moved. Carefully I stumbled towards the direction that it had come from, but I had found that it did not lead me out of this maze. Once more it flashed, and seeing that magic had existed I believed that’s what it was. Some kind of magic was leading me away from the truth that I found it so hard to imagine.

            It was too late to realize it, but the light had not shown me a way out. It took me into the very center of this gigantic web of bushes. There was only one way in with none to leave by. Now I had not paid much attention in the turns or direction that I had gone to get here. There was no way out in this darkness. With my clothes completely soaked and exhausted beyond anything I could remember I sat down on the cold damp ground.

            Buddy’s nuzzled into my arms and began purring. He had been keeping me company since I woke up this morning in the back yard. His little pink nose nudged me and his harshly textured tongue licked my fingers until I finally came around to pet him. As I lifted him up onto my lap I studied his little brown eyes, “Should I know you too?”

            A little meow was my only response from him, but it still didn’t answer my question. His long soft white and yellow hair lingered in my fingers while I searched for a collar on him, but there was none. I decided a few minutes after our meeting when he crawled up to my shoulder and began rubbing his face against mine to call him Buddy. He was my new little buddy.

            I studied my surroundings and found that they were not the same as what I had remembered last night. The labyrinth that I had disappeared into was gone. I could see the hedges that led into it, but there was a clear yard behind it with small garden. After seeing that, I had concluded that my mind was worse than I thought. Not only had I forgotten everything, but now I was hallucinating.

            “Do you think I’m crazy?” I asked Buddy as he paced back and forth on my lap wrapping this tail around my wrists with each of his turns. “I think I might be.”

            “Ash,” Matt’s voice had come from behind and startled me. I clung onto Buddy when my sudden tension nearly frightened him out of my arms. “Where have you been?”

            Keeping a firm grip on Buddy as he fought to get away I pointed out into the yard, “Somewhere out there. The yard transformed into this bizarre labyrinth and I couldn’t find a way out.”

            “Where did you get the cat?” Matt’s voice turned to a different tone with a hint of nervousness inside of it. “Ash, where did you get that cat?”

            I looked into Buddy’s brown eyes that seemed calmer now that I was as well. Carefully I got up still holding him and walked over to Matt. “He was with me when I woke up. Isn’t he ours?”

            “Ours?” Matt backed away with each step that I took towards him. “We don’t own cats. Please set him down and come in the house.”

            I held out the kitten towards Matt who was now almost hysterical. “Don’t you like Buddy?”

            Once I had Matt completely backed into the glass door I cuddled Buddy back into my arms. “Ashley, I swear if you don’t put that cat down right now and get into the house I’m going to…”

            “You are going to what? What Matt? What are you going to do?” I sneered, “Are you going to take even more of my memories or kill me? What more can you do that hasn’t already been done to me?”

            Matt cursed and quickly ran into the house locking the door behind him. I watched as he paced back and forth watching Buddy intently. “That cat is not coming into this house.”

            “Fine.” I turned around and sat back down on the steps.

            Buddy quickly jumped out of my arms and I looked as he started rubbing himself up against the glass. Matt backed further into the house away from the cat. It was quite amusing to see Matt’s reaction to such an insignificant animal, but at the same time it was alarming. My amusement ran out watching the horror in Matt’s face.

            Finally I walked over to the glass, “Why are you so afraid?”

            “For a good reason.” Matt finally came over to the door facing me. Fear drove through his eyes, but he still refused to answer my question. “Now get rid of it.”

            I bent down and picked up Buddy in my arms. “He’s purring. He must like you.”

            A scowl came over Matt’s apprehension, “He’d like to kill me.”

            “Seriously?” I wasn’t sure if my question was more sarcastic or serious itself.

            “Well, I see that you found her.” I was shocked to see Ben as he came up from behind Matt. “May I ask why you have her locked outside?”

            Matt grabbed a hold of Ben and dragged him back away from the door. I observed as they talked briefly then Matt disappeared again. When Ben started coming towards the door I realized that Matt had told him to talk me into getting rid of the cat. As soon as the lock came undone I ripped open the door and pushed my way past Ben into the house with the cat in my arms. “Thank you.”

            “He said that he wants it gone by the time he gets back.” Ben called after me.

            “And I thought you said you didn’t live here.” I noted walking away from him.

            There was a pause, but by the time I was nearly out of the room he questioned. “Why would you think something like that?”

            “Because you’re always here.”

            The afternoon came and went to find myself showered and well fed. Ben had kept me company for the better part of the day. He had offered to take me out for lunch, but I quickly reminded him that it would be inappropriate for our student teacher relationship. He argued with me based on the fact that we had once been friends, but I was still having a hard time believing that he was who he said he was. I was convinced until Anthony had gotten home that Ben was here to watch me, but I realized that he was just passing time.

            I had accompanied them to the library after being invited, but once their conversation became too intellectual to keep me interested I began exploring the book shelves. There were several printed in languages I couldn’t read, but from what I did notice they all seemed to be placed in perfect alphabetical order. Each of the shelves was filled end to end, but I found that there was one missing. “Were only one of these Marc’s?”

            Anthony looked up from the table, “He never kept his books here. He said they were not for any of our eyes. The one that is missing was burnt.”

            “Burnt?”

            “Yes, I didn’t agree with Matt’s way of disposing of it, but it had to be done.” Anthony pulled a toothpick out of his mouth pointing towards me, “It was covered with your blood after Marc killed you.”

            “What was it?” I asked noticing that it was in with the H's.

            Anthony got up from the table and walked over, “You were asking about a passage from the Bible when he killed you. We were hoping that when you came back you could tell us why, but since you can’t remember the last nineteen years I believe we might never know. Hell, the last couple weeks of your life are a complete mystery. You stayed locked inside of your room for weeks with Marc. We found numerous anti-depressants, sleep-aids, narcotics, and opiates that Mike had prescribed to you in the last year.

            If anyone would ask me I would say that you two had planned the entire thing. Honestly, the night before you behaved as though nothing could touch you. There was never a time in my presence that you acted so poorly. Then the next morning Marc shows up extremely intoxicated waiting for no one else, but you.

            The only thing you two didn’t plan on was Matt. He sat for days beside your lifeless body trying to find a way, any way, to give you life. And I don’t care what anyone might say; he did not save your life to keep his own. He would have died if it would have brought you back.”

            He paused only briefly, but I could hear my own voice whimper out the word. “Sorry.”

            “Please don’t apologize to me. You have nothing to apologize to me for. My life was greater than you could have ever wished for me, and you loved me more than anyone else in your life.” Anthony placed his hand on the top shelf of the bookcase and leaned in closer to me, “What you need to do is apologize to Matt. On top of that you need to dig deep within yourself and figure out who you are. Find out why everything unraveled the way it did and fix it. Not only for Matt, but for yourself as well. I want my family back, but most of all I want my mother back.”

            I gathered Anthony’s words, my emotions, and Buddy then went sprinting back to my bedroom. By the time I had arrived comfortably hidden behind a closed door I knew that everything he said had absolute truth to it. Since I had awakened this I had been unwavering in my thinking that this was not real. I was waiting for them to accept what I thought was real instead of trying to consider what they were saying was the truth.

            Just as Anthony had said though after a thorough search of the room I woke up in it was mine and held a pharmacy of drugs. There were several IDs with my picture on them depicting different names and ages as well as addresses. The most crucial piece of evidence pointing to the fact that I was not dreaming was the photo album. Inside it held Anthony’s growth with a detailed accuracy of me staying the same.

            Buddy jumped on top of the pictures removing them from my sight. I looked to him to find confidence and little by little I lifted my eyes to the mirror on the back of the door. There I was not so different than what I remembered. I pulled down my shirt and inspected the scars above my heart. They were still just as prominent as when I had gotten in the shower. But this time as I stared at the mirror I was sure that I had seen something. Not something, but someone.

            Frantically I searched the room around me. Nothing was out of place, but I was sure I had seen something that didn’t belong. It appeared to me that everything I thought was right wasn’t real. I dismissed the thought as an illusion from a life I no longer led.

            A light knock against the door brought my mind back from wherever it was starting to roam. I answered it with nothing in return. Buddy meowed and jumped off the bed then followed me over to the door. When I opened it I found a large stack of items for Buddy. There was food, cat litter, toys, and a huge scratching tree with pedestals set a different levels. A note was lying on top of everything. ‘I understand why you need him.’

            I clambered over everything out into the hallway nearly knocking over one of the empty display cases. Once I had found my feet beneath me I ran down the stairs in search of Matt. I saw him almost immediately sitting on the sofa staring directly at the floor. I slowed my pace and walked over to behind him. Wrapping my arms around his neck I let my lips fall onto his cheek and whisper my gratitude in his ear.

            “It is only until I figure out where he belongs.” Matt practically ignored me. “I’ve asked all the neighbors if they were missing a cat, but no one was. Mr. Bradley said that he’s seen that cat hanging around the house for a week or so now. I also ran into Trinity and Kristina while I was out. There is a rumor going around the school that you died.”

            “Well, apparently I did so it isn’t much of a rumor then is it.” I stated jumping over the back of the sofa into the seat next to Matt.

            Matt turned angrily towards me, “Ashley, that isn’t the problem. They also told me that aside from your absence from school Anthony has been missing as well.”

            “Can you blame him?”

            “Yes, actually I can.” Matt shifted his entire body towards me, “How am I going to explain any of this to the dean?”

            “Tell them the rumor was true and you two were out of town for my funeral.” I cut Matt off and I feared that my answer annoyed him even more.

            It seemed that he was considering for a moment my suggestion, but his words depicted otherwise. “That might work except people have seen Ben coming here every day, and sending his reports to the school saying that he has been meeting with you each day. So according to the school you are still alive.”

            “And what’s your excuse?”

            Matt began laughing at the situation just like I had always remembered or so I thought. “Ash, I’m the irrational relative that quit school and began painting. You are the mental one, Anthony is the intellect, and Marc was the glue that held us all together. I guess since he’s gone we’re all ruined. If anything you are free now. That is what you wanted isn’t it?”

            I listened to Matt and thought of what Anthony said earlier. There were so many questions directed towards me at this moment that I had no answers for. I knew the one person who would though. I just had to find him somehow, somewhere. I just had to find him first. “Matt, I need to talk to Marc.”

            “That’s impossible. I’ve been trying to find him.” Matt sat forward now and began rubbing his temples. “I’ve called him, the school and the hotel. No one has seen him. It’s like he killed you then died himself, except I can’t even get a body.”

            “Can I try?”

            “Try what Ash?”

            “To call him.”

            “Damn it, Ash!” Matt jumped up so that his entire body was on the sofa. “I thought you would at least keep that thing in your room.”

            I looked down just in time for Buddy to jump up onto my lap. Matt instinctively moved to the furthest side of sofa. I laughed as Buddy paid no attention to him and lay down on my lap. “So do you think if I called him he would answer?”

            “Well, if you were supposed to die, completely die, then yes, he would probably answer wondering how you are still alive. If he doesn’t then I don’t know.” Matt became more at ease seeing that Buddy was relaxed and purring in my arms. “Anthony, come in here for a moment.”

            I didn’t even realize that Anthony was out in the hallway with Ben, but Matt had brought it to my attention. Both of them came in and Anthony had a glum look on his face. “Yeah?”

            “Why haven’t you been in school?” I questioned trying to act like the mother that I was supposed to be. Matt threw questioning eyes at me, but then he turned his attention to Anthony. “Matt ran in to, to, some girls from school and they said they haven’t seen you there. Why aren’t you going to school?”

            Anthony rolled his eyes, “Let me guess, Trinity. Matt you know exactly why I have been avoiding her. Plus you know that I can get through that school quite easily without being seen. I swear though I wouldn’t skip school. You know that.”

            “Well, you are going to have to face her because the last time she remembers seeing you is at the Prom. I suggest that you call her tonight.” Matt waved them both off with his last words.

            Once Anthony and Ben were out of the room I looked to Matt who was shaking his head. “Wasn’t I supposed to ask him about that?”

            “You are not that kind of mother. Just odd that’s all.” Matt cracked a smile then got up off the sofa. I watched as he walked over next to the TV. He picked something up and handed it to me. “Call Marc.”

            “What is it?” I questioned studying what looked like an ear-bud sitting in the palm of my hand.

            “Put it in your ear, push this button, say who you want to call then it calls them.” Matt chuckled then walked out of the room leaving me alone to make my call.

            “Marc, its Ash. Please call me.”