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It had been six months since Ashley started high school and things were beginning to look up for her. She loved being in the academy and although she hadn’t landed any lead roles yet she had large parts in two musicals so far. AJ hadn’t been in town for the first one but Ashley told Denise she didn’t want him to come to the second. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him there, but she wasn’t sure she could handle him not showing up again. Although she tried to act as if things were better between them she just couldn’t bring herself to trust him fully.

On the bright side things with her friends had gotten better too. After a few months of Ashley ignoring Derek and his friends they began to stop with the rumors about her. She had recently begun dating another Junior named Steven. He was part of the academy too, but in the commercial recording department. At first Ashley was apprehensive to start dating anyone but he was persistent and won her over with his amazing voice. They had now been dating for two months and Ashley couldn’t be happier, Denise even seemed to like him but she was too nervous to introduce him to AJ. He was very critical of anyone she hung out with.

Ashley walked into the condo tossing her bag down after a long week of school and rehearsals. Denise was just ending a phone conversation when she walked into the kitchen.

“Sure Tony, I’ll see you then.” She hung up the phone and smiled at Ashley as she looked up. “Hi sweetheart, Steven didn’t come in today?”

“No, his mom needed him home after school so he just dropped me off.” She smiled taking a seat, after getting some juice from the fridge.

“You have rehearsals this weekend right?” Denise asked.

“Yeah all day tomorrow and then maybe on Sunday depending how we do.” She sighed. She rarely had a free weekend when she was in a show, it was stressful but she loved it.

“I just got off the phone with Tony. I need to go to Orlando for the weekend. His mother is in the hospital and he needs some help with things.” She informed her. “I’m not really happy about leaving you by yourself for two days but it’s such short notice.”

“Wait, I get to stay home alone?” she smiled.

“I’m going to see if Alex can come down but I know they’ve been a little busy.”

“Mom, I don’t need a baby sitter. I’m going to be fifteen soon, I can take care of myself for two days.” She sighed.
“Ok, I’m trusting you on this one, but this is a test. Mess this up and it’s back to babysitters for good.” Denise warned.

“I promise I wont mess up.” She smiled.

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AJ was sitting in a small diner around the corner from their rehearsal studio with Nick getting a quick dinner before they had to be back. He sighed pulling his phone out of his pocket as he heard it ringing.

“Hey mom.”

“Hi Alex, how are you today?” Denise said cheerfully.

“Doing good…just rehearsing as always.” He laughed a little. “What’s up?”

“I’m leaving for Orlando tonight, Tony needs some help at home. His mother is in the hospital but he has to work. It’s just for the weekend until his sister can come in but I have to leave Ashley, she has rehearsals all weekend and she can’t miss them.”

“Well I can’t really come back and forth all weekend…” he began.

“No, no that would be crazy. I just wanted to make sure you’d be around incase she really needed something. I’m a little nervous about leaving her alone.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine for two days, but if she needs something I can come down. We just have rehearsals all day but I can be there.” He reassured her.

“Thanks so much sweetie, have a good day and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you too, mom. Have a safe flight.” He said before hanging up.

“Your mom is actually going to leave your sister by herself? Big step.” Nick laughed knowing how overprotective Denise was.

“Something about Tony’s mother being in the hospital with no one to help her.” He took a sip of his soda.

“You know she’s gonna have like a crazy wild party right?” Nick smirked.

“She’s not that kind of kid.” AJ rolled his eyes at Nick’s smirk.

“Sure about that?”

“What do you mean am I sure?” AJ looked at him as if her were stupid. “She’s always been a good kid. She wouldn’t do anything to get herself in trouble. She knows better.”

“All I’m saying is I heard she isn’t as innocent and sweet as everyone makes her out to be.” Nick’s smirk now changed to a serious look. Even though Ashley had sworn Aaron to secrecy he couldn’t hold back all the juicy dirt he had on her and eventually blabbed it all to Nick and a few of his friends.

“You do realize you’re talking about my little sister right?” AJ said visibly growing angry at what Nick was insinuating.

“I’m not saying it to piss you off man.” Nick defended himself. “I’m just telling you that you should keep an eye out on her.”

“What exactly have you heard?” Although AJ didn’t want to believe anything he said he was still curious.

“I shouldn’t be telling you any of this.” Nick shook his head as they paid their check and started walking back towards the studio.

“If Ashley came to me and told me something about Angel or Aaron that you needed to know I’d tell you man, look just tell me what you heard, and from who. I’ll stay calm, I swear.” AJ looked at him awaiting an answer.

They stopped in front of the back entrance to the studio and Nick looked around making sure no one was there before he started speaking.

“Now don’t shoot the messenger but Aaron said that he heard from your sister directly that…” he didn’t quite know how to word it without AJ freaking out.

“That what man? Just tell me!”

“That she had already done…a certain something…I don’t know with who but…”

“You’re full of shit.” AJ cut him off. “We’ve talked about this before, she would have told me.”

“Like I said, I’m just telling you what I heard. You can believe whatever you want.” Nick said as he walked back inside.

“Did he say with who?” AJ asked before he could get too far inside.

“I told you he didn’t remember, but it was in Florida.” Nick said and walked away.

AJ sighed and thought back to that first time that he caught Ashley with Matt. As much as he didn’t want to believe what Nick had told him, a part of him knew it was true. But why would she lie to him when they talked about it? He tried to push the thought out of his mind not wanting to believe that Ashley was growing up so fast. Maybe Nick was wrong, maybe Aaron just made everything up. He tried so hard to believe it but something just wasn’t sitting right in the back of his mind.