The Newcomer (Thunder Point) (10 page)

“Yeah, see, we had a little fight. She wanted me to get all my old pictures of Ash off my phone and I just didn’t do it fast enough and it pissed her off and... Listen, it’s no big deal. Everyone knows it’s just a crank, it’s not real....”

“Are you brain-dead?” Landon said. “Jesus, Downy, you’re killing the girl! As it is, Deputy McCain saw it when Eve asked him if it was against the law, if it was something you could be sued for! I think he’s gonna call your dean, your coach!”

“Aw, man, why’d you do that? Why’d you show him that?”

“Because if you’d done that to Eve, I’d be on my way up there to beat the shit outta you, you stupid asshole!”

“Why would I do that to Eve?” Downy asked. “I didn’t even do it to Ashley! But come on, I told her we broke up and she wouldn’t let it go and Selena—she doesn’t like seeing another girl on my phone, you know? But she’s over it and she said she won’t do it again.”

Landon was stunned quiet. “Let me see if I have this right,” he finally said. “You asked Ash to go with you, right? To be your steady girl. To take off her clothes for you, to do private things with you, and you promised to respect her. Promised to take her to her prom, promised to be faithful, said you loved her, and now because you fucked some girl at State, now you want her to just go away quietly?”

“I woudn’t’ve put it exactly like that, but I guess that’s sort of right. Look, we grew apart....”

“Grew apart? One week you spend nine hours on the phone with her and the next week you grew apart?”

“Dupre! Back off. It didn’t work, okay? And it’s not that big a deal—everyone knows that picture was doctored! Everyone knows it’s not real! Lighten the fuck up!”

Landon just shook his head. “I don’t believe you,” he said. “You know what you are, Downy? You’re a prick, that’s what you are. A
stupid
prick with his brain in his dick. I hope Selena dumps your sorry ass!”

Landon hung up. Then he called Eve. He could hear the tears in her voice when she answered, but this was not just about Ashley. She was having her own terrible day—her long-lost mother had suddenly reappeared and she was struggling with that.

“Hey, babe,” he said. “Look, I know you’re not in good shape right now, but would you do something for me? Would you show your dad that picture, tell him Downy admits it’s faked and ask him if there’s anything he can do? Like, I don’t know...I suppose life in prison is a little harsh... Could he call the dean or the coach or something...? Because Downy’s girlfriend got her hands on his phone and did that. And that is just
wrong.
”

“You talked to Downy?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice full of disgust. “He said it was no big deal and Selena did it, but she said she wouldn’t do that again.”

“Oh, that’s comforting,” Eve said. “I’ve been calling Ashley. She won’t even answer my call,” Eve said. “Oh, Landon, I think everything is falling apart all over the place.”

“Just ask your dad, okay? That’s all. He’s probably going to say it’s just one of those ugly things, but ask, anyway, okay?”

“I’ll ask. But don’t get your hopes up. I’ve seen this stuff happen before. Really mean stuff. And no one ever does anything.”

“I know,” he said. Because Landon had seen it before, too. If he’d done something like that and the school called his sister, she’d tie him up and work him over with a baseball bat. Sarah didn’t stand for that kind of nasty stuff. “You doing okay, baby?”

“Oh, you know. I’m a little shook up, can’t decide if I’m going to throw things at my mother or hug her.”

“What’s in between?” he asked her.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. A little coffee talk? ‘So, how’ve you been? What kind of interesting things have you been up to for ten years while I was growing up?’”

He laughed in spite of himself. “Have I told you lately how awesome you are?”

“You can tell me again if you want,” she said. “Listen, would you do something for me? I’m kind of caught up in the mother drama here—everyone in the family is all upside down. Will you help me try to take care of Ash? Because this has got to be like the worst thing that’s ever happened to her and I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll check on her,” he said. “She asked me to call Downy so maybe she’ll take my call. I just don’t want to tell her what he said. I’ll tell her about your mom, tell her you’re worried about her.”

“Thanks. Landon, you’re awesome, too. And I always loved Downy...I never would’ve believed he’d let something like this happen.”

“Me, either. I don’t know what he’s smokin’.”

* * *

Gina thought it was reasonable to allow Ashley to stay home from school the day after the sexting incident, but it was difficult to bear. It was as if they were back at square one, if not worse. She’d slept or sobbed on and off all day. Gina went home from the diner several times during the day to check on her and found no improvement.

So Gina took Ashley’s phone, turned it off and slipped it into her apron pocket. This was a very bad time for her daughter to be making or taking calls. She could hardly blame her—it was tempting even to Gina to check the phone for inbound calls. But she resisted.

She had not confiscated the laptop. When she got home from work that day she asked Ashley if the Facebook debacle had been dealt with.

“The picture was taken down,” she said morosely. “But there’s lots of talk—people arguing back and forth about whether it was faked by a mean girl or the real deal...my desperate attempt to lure Downy back. I threw up four times today.”

Gina sat down on the edge of the bed. “We have to pull it together, Ash. The sooner you face it, the sooner it will fade away.”

“You’re kidding, right? I’m never facing this. Never! It’s just too cruel!”

Gina gave her a second day to sulk and work it like a hangnail because the following day was her group therapy. Gina had high hopes for that group. Before leaving Ashley in bed, she returned the phone. When she got home to check on her, she found the phone on the kitchen table, shattered to bits. Beside the wreckage was a hammer.

In a panic, Gina ran to Ashley’s bedroom. “What happened?” she asked. With a hand on her shoulder, she rolled her daughter onto her back. “Ashley, what happened?”

“I turned it on,” she said on a sob. “There were so many messages, the mailbox was full. I listened to about four and they were mean. ‘You’re a slut, Ashley! You’ll never get him back, Ashley—not even with your pathetic tits!’ There was even a guy—I don’t know who—who called me a whore.” She rolled back and sobbed.

“All right, you have to get up,” Gina said. “You’ll share this in your group, get some advice. Kids go through terrible bullying ordeals and survive. Not just survive but get stronger. Look what happened to Landon last fall, getting beat up by the likes of Jag Morrison! You have to stand up to this, Ash!”

Ashley rolled back. Her eyes were so red they were nearly crusty. Her whole face was swollen. “If you think I’m ever going anywhere, you’re crazy. I just want to die!”

“No, Ash. You have to fight back!”

“No! There are too many of them!”

“You have Eve, Landon and your friends!”

“I can’t even see them in the crowd!” Ashley whimpered. And then she pulled the covers over her head.

Gina left Ashley’s bedroom because she was beginning to shake. She didn’t know how to pull her girl out of this. She went to the kitchen and wondered who to call. Carrie? The useless Mrs. Downy? Finally, desperate, she got out her phone and dialed up the counselor, where she was forced to leave a message, which she left in low tones. “Mrs. Ross, it’s Gina James and I have a crisis—Ashley has been dealt another terrible blow. Her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend used Photoshop to create a naked picture of Ashley and texted it to the boy’s entire directory and launched it on Facebook. Ashley has been sobbing for over two days, refuses to get out of bed and I found she smashed her phone with a hammer. She says she wants to die. I don’t know what to do. Please help.” And she left her number, which Simone Ross undoubtedly already had.

Then she sat at the table, where she was determined to wait for a return call, no matter how long it took.

Tears ran down her cheeks. She’d read about teen suicide and wondered if those kids had said to their parents, “I just want to die!” Young girls harassed on social media sites or in chat rooms, escaping the pain through self-destruction? Young boys picked on so relentlessly they felt they couldn’t go on? Who put a stop to it all? Who intervened before it was too late?

The phone finally rang and she saw it was Simone Ross.

“I want you to bring her in,” Simone said. “I’ll see her in my office in one hour.”

“What if she doesn’t want to?” Gina asked.

“Bring her. Get help if you need help, but bring her. Let’s not play around with this. She’s had a bad experience, is experiencing feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness and I don’t want it to escalate.”

And so that’s what Gina did. She told Ashley she was taking her to the counselor and when Ashley refused, Gina threatened to call Mac to help get her in the car. And Gina reluctantly watched as Ashley threw on a wrinkled and smelly sweat suit from the bottom of the laundry pile. She just wanted her in the car; she wasn’t going to fuss about her wild hair, her sloppy appearance, nothing.

Once they were underway, Ashley said, “I don’t know why we bother. She can’t fix this.”

“We bother because you could use the support,” Gina said. “It’s hard to get through stuff like this alone. You need a team.”

“I just need to go away....”

This was their first trip to Simone Ross’s office during regular business hours and there was actually a receptionist behind the desk, a young woman with green hair and eyebrow and lip piercings. She didn’t even ask who they were—she used the intercom to buzz Simone, who came out immediately.

It wasn’t until Simone and Ashley were behind closed doors that Gina realized she hadn’t called Stu! Her boss had no idea she wasn’t coming back to work and by now the lunch crowd was beginning to arrive. When he answered she said, “Stu, I’m so sorry!” And then she burst into tears.

Eight

“D
o you feel like telling me what’s going on?” Simone asked Ashley.

Looking down into her lap, Ashley said, “Didn’t my mom tell you?”

“Bits and pieces, but I’m interested in your version. Your mother is afraid, Ashley. She cares about you so much. Seems you’re getting picked on. Exploited. Or something.”

She lifted her eyes. “Picked on?” she asked, her eyes nothing more than swollen slits. She told her about the picture. “Downy’s girlfriend sent it to everyone in the world! Including all the kids at school and half the adults in town including the football coach. She put it up on Facebook. It was taken down, but not before the whole world saw it and shared it.”

“What about this is bothering you the most?” Simone asked.

“All of it,” she said.

“Help me out with some feelings here,” Simone entreated. “Hurt? Embarrassed? Angry? Sad?”

“All that,” she said. “Totally humiliated. And they believe it. People believe it.”

“So—your response to that is to do what?”

She thought for a moment that stretched out. “I called Downy to tell him how mean that was, but he didn’t pick up. He won’t answer my calls or texts. Not for any reason.”

“And what did you do next?”

She shrugged. “Cried. Fell asleep. Woke up and cried.”

“Have you gone to school? Talked to friends?”

Ashley shook her head. “I can’t.” Her voice was so small.

“Has it occurred to you that you’re grieving?”

“You said I was, so yes. I guess.”

“Have you been angry?” Simone asked. “Have you felt like this can’t be true?”

She just shook her head. “When you see it, you know it’s true. If I hadn’t smashed my phone, I could show you. It’s horrible. I know Downy wants to break up, I get it. But why would he let someone do this to me? Even if he hates me?”

“Tell me something, Ashley. Are you going to lay in bed forever? Are you going to get up at some point? Put on clean clothes? Call your friends? Go to school? Maybe go to a party or dance, like you used to?”

She shook her head dismally. “None of that stuff matters anymore....”

“Hold out your arm, like this,” Simone said, demonstrating. “I’m going to pinch you a little bit—just to look at the elasticity of your skin.”

“Why?” Ashley asked even as she held up her arm.

“Just to check something. I can see from your eyes that your face is swollen and... Ah, you’ve been crying so much and refusing food and drink so much that you’re dehydrated. I’m going to get you a bottled water.”

“I don’t really want anything,” Ashley said. “My stomach has been upset.”

“I know,” Simone said, but she got up, anyway. She went to the cupboard behind her desk and brought Ashley some water. “Try a few sips, please. I need to talk to your mother for just a minute. You’ll be all right here for a few minutes, won’t you?”

Ashley shrugged before she nodded. “What for?”

“I’ll explain. Just give me a second and try to get some of that water down. Okay?”

“What if I just throw up again?”

“Trash can, darling. It’s right there. I’ll be right back.”

Simone went into the outer office and Gina was immediately on her feet. “Sit down, Gina.” Simone took the chair beside her. “Ashley is showing symptoms of depression and I think she needs medication. If she were older, I’d just get her a script, but given her age and the severity of her symptoms, I want to admit her under the care of a psychiatrist. She’s dehydrated and despondent. I gave her a bottle of water, but she’s uncertain she can keep it down. She might need an IV, which I can’t administer.”

“Depression? How bad do you think it is?”

“She’s isolating, not eating, sleeping all the time. She hasn’t bathed. She’s dirty and doesn’t care. This isn’t like her, is it?”

Gina shook her head. Her lips quivered. “That damn Downy,” she whispered.

“The reason I want to admit her, Gina—this could be an emotional reaction to a bad breakup or it could be classic depression, which usually presents between the ages of fifteen and thirty. Is there depression in your family? In the extended family?”

Gina looked down. “I’m not sure. I’ll ask my mother, but we’ve been a family of women. My dad left when I was just five. I was pregnant at fifteen, delivered Ashley at sixteen and my boyfriend...” Tears came to her eyes for the first time in so many years. “Long gone,” she said weakly.

“It does run in families sometimes. I’m not saying she’s suffering from clinical depression but it’s entirely possible. If you can check with your mother and even Ashley’s paternal biological family, it would give us more information. Meanwhile, I want to take her to city hospital in North Bend. We can take her together, check her in. She’ll be safe there.” Simone reached for Gina’s hand. “I don’t want to take any risks here. She could be a danger to herself.”

“You think she’d kill herself?” Gina asked.

“I don’t know. I worry that she might let herself die if there’s not an intervention. There’s really no point in risking this. Come with me to explain all this to Ashley. Then I should make a couple of calls.”

And Simone went back to Ashley without another word.

Gina followed. She listened numbly while Simone explained to Ashley—depression, dehydration, isolation, risk. Ashley merely nodded.

“I want you to stay at least overnight in the hospital, Ashley, so we can give you an antidepressant and monitor the way you respond. It might be for a few days, but I’m fairly sure it won’t be long-term.”

“Long-term?” Ash asked.

“Some patients are critical and really need hospitalization for a couple of weeks, maybe a month. I don’t think that’s the case, but you need medical intervention—you’re sick to your stomach, dehydrated, can’t get out of bed. Let’s take care of this.”

She nodded weakly. “No matter what you do, I’m not going back to school.”

“I understand,” Simone said.

And Gina thought,
Please God, let me be as sharp as she is when I finally achieve my degree.

Tears were wetting Gina’s cheeks. She’d sacrificed everything to keep this girl healthy, safe and well-adjusted, yet one eighteen-year-old boy had just about ruined them all!

“Thanks,” she heard Simone say into her cell phone. “Yes, her mother will handle the forms and we’ll be there within the hour. I’d rather not go through admitting. Oh, thank you—we’ll meet you on the third floor.”

She disconnected and stood from her chair. “Let’s go get this difficulty taken care of.”

* * *

Mac was surprised to see an Oregon State Police Trooper vehicle pull into town. Mac had been standing outside his office, chatting with old Sam Connie about the weather when Joe Metcalf parked and got out. He was more than just another officer to Mac. He was the man his aunt Lou had been seeing for the past year and a half, though she’d done her level best to keep him secret until six months ago.

Joe gave a nod to Sam then shook Mac’s hand.

“Looks mighty official,” Sam said. “I’ll leave you to it.” And off he wandered, using a cane as leverage.

“What’s up?” Mac asked.

“I should probably ask you,” Joe responded. “Lou says the place is falling apart.”

“Not the town, thank God. Just a few people in it. But they’re all real important to me.” Then Mac held open the door to the office so they could go inside. “I guess Lou told you about Cee Jay coming to town?”

“Yeah, she’s pretty sideways about that. And now I hear Gina’s daughter is in the hospital?”

“Did she tell you about it?” Mac asked. “That sexting business?”

He nodded. “And the amount of bullying on social networks is out of control—everyone from vulnerable young teens to rich and famous stars... Too many victims. Lou said there’s some question about Ashley’s stability....”

“She’s been in the hospital for three days, but it appears she’s going to be all right. She’s a lot better in three days. Lots. She’s depressed, but not clinically depressed. I have to admit, if someone sent a naked picture of me to all my friends, I might get a little whacked out of joint. I worry about Gina. Her only child. I wish I could get her away from all that, but I worry about leaving Lou and the kids. The second I leave the house, Cee Jay could decide on a surprise visit.”

Joe tilted his head and smiled slyly. “I might be able to help out with this situation,” he said.

* * *

Gina went to visit Ashley in the hospital. Many of the patients in her ward at the hospital were being evaluated for long-term care. Some were there by court order and some were either drugged and hazy and others looked, on the surface at least, like perfectly normal young people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-five, their issues secret from Gina. Not all of them were allowed visitors.

Ashley embraced Gina. “I’m better,” she said. “I really am.”

“How do you know?” Gina asked.

“I’ve talked about it a lot—the whole thing, from breaking up to the mean sexting. Did you know that’s what it’s called and it happens a lot? I can’t think of one time that’s happened at my school. I mean, there were mean rumor things, but nothing like this.”

“I guess I didn’t think it ever would,” Gina said. She looked around. “There seem to be just a few young people here. Lots of older people.”

“All ages,” Ashley said. “There are a couple of old people who hurt themselves by accident and they’re going to go to a home where they’ll be safe and cared for—they’re sometimes completely normal and sometimes in some time warp.” And she smiled.

“Do you feel safe here, Ash?” Gina asked.

She nodded. “The only thing I don’t like is that they lock the ward doors at night—that bothers me a lot. Like what if I need to get out for some reason, like a fire or something? But there’s a button to push—a bell and a light. Besides that, I feel okay.”

A young girl in a hospital gown over scrubs walked past them and lifted a hand to Ashley. Her wrists were bandaged. Ashley looked at Gina. “That is what you think it is. Not the first try, either. Look, I know I was pretty bad, but no matter how bad I looked, I wasn’t that bad. I wanted to disappear, I didn’t want to
do
anything to myself.”

“Oh, Ash,” she said, hugging her again. “What turned you around? You’re so much more like yourself!”

“Seeing how far down the hill you can roll, for one thing. But the nurse in charge keeps reminding me that sometimes what a person needs most is medicine. I had an IV for a whole day—that made me feel a lot better. And this medicine? It’s not supposed to really kick in for a few weeks, so I doubt it’s really the medicine, but if Simone insists I try it, I guess I will. Do you think it’s normal that I still want to kill Downy?”

Gina couldn’t help but smile. In fact, she liked the sound of that so much better than “I just don’t want to live.” But she did know Ashley would never hurt anyone. She was kind to the core of her being.

“Is Gram okay?” Ashley asked. “She’s not all worked up about this, is she?”

“She was very worried. She’s relieved you’re under a doctor’s care. When I tell her how great you look and sound, she’ll be more relieved.”

“Doctor, phhhhttt. I saw the doctor for three minutes. The nurse is running this show. Her name is Judy. She has zero patience, but I can see where some of the patients would push her around if she gave them an inch. I stay out of her way. She doesn’t like anyone. I told Simone she was mean as a snake and hated everyone and Simone smiled so big I thought her ears would fall off. Think that means Simone isn’t crazy about the nurse?”

Gina felt her eyes well with tears and she squeezed Ashley’s hands.

“What’s the matter, Mom? Why are you crying?”

She just shook her head. “I was afraid you’d never be a smart-ass again, never make me laugh again....”

“Have you talked to Simone today?”

“Not today. Why?” Gina answered.

“She asked if I’d stay three more days. She said it’s up to me. I said I didn’t want to and she said I’ve gotten so much better in just a couple of days, she’d really like me to stay a little longer. I said okay. But not any more than that.”

“I’ll pick you up the first second you can leave,” Gina said. “You sure about this decision?”

She nodded.

“And when I bring you home, you’re going back to school?”

“I guess,” she said with a shrug. “I can’t exactly quit school. It’ll be awful, though.”

“Maybe not, Ash. You have good friends there.”

“I also have some jerks there.”

“As it is in the world,” Gina said. “Good people and jerks and millions you haven’t met yet. I’m so relieved you’re stronger.”

“I’m sorry I scared you,” she said. “I’m sorry I gave up and hit the bottom.”

“I’m just so glad we found the right support,” Gina said. “Because I love you so much. You’re my life, you know.”

* * *

Mac had convinced Gina they had earned a night away from Thunder Point and with Ashley in safe hands, they should take their chance. Once Ashley came home, he knew Gina would want to be on hand. But, with Carrie’s approval, they packed overnight bags and left town around two that afternoon.