4 Chapter Four

Ashlyn spent the next hour or so getting to know Jasmine and Corbyn. She learned a lot about them both and they learned a lot about her. She could already tell that they were gonna be her best friends here. Rhea had eventually joined in the conversation and Ashlyn was quite fond of the younger girl. She was so sweet and adorable. Jasmine was sixteen, Corbyn was fifteen like Ashlyn, and Rhea was thirteen. She was the youngest in the house. Sebastian was the oldest, being seventeen, almost eighteen.

Ashlyn learned a lot about the personalities of the three kids. Jasmine was very outgoing, a little clumsy and airheaded, but very kind and friendly. She was a confident girl who enjoyed pretty much every single sport there was. Constantly full of energy, she could be very loud and pretty hyper. Ashlyn found it funny that she and Corbyn were so close because he was the complete opposite of her. He was a shy, quiet boy that normally kept to himself in group situations. He was into things like art, video games, and literature. He was very intelligent but he could be a little bit overcautious. Rhea was a literal bundle of joy. She was kind to everyone and she was always there for the ones she cared about, and sometimes even total strangers. She was a very friendly girl. She loved to do more crafty things, such as knitting, jewelry making, and other things. Ashlyn felt boring compared to them. She had a plain personality, quite a bit of anxiety, and she loved to play instruments. She played a lot of different instruments but she was best at the violin.

"I'm glad you're here, Ashlyn. You'll make a great addition to the house," Rhea said sweetly.

Ashlyn grinned. "Thank you. I'm glad to be here. It feels so... safe here."

"It is. This house is a safe place. It always will be," Corbyn spoke up.

Jasmine nodded in agreement. "Always. Everyone here is treated with respect. Everyone has a place here. Everyone is welcome. Everyone is safe with us. Phil makes it his mission to make sure we're all comfortable and feel like we're all loved, because we are."

"...It sounds great here. I... I grew up in a home where everyone fought constantly, so... this is kind of a relief. Doesn't mean that I don't miss my family, though..." Ashlyn said somberly.

"What were they all like?" Rhea asked curiously.

Ashlyn was met with the sad realization that these kids did not remember their families. Ashlyn couldn't even imagine the feeling of not being able to recall her family. It must be devastating.

"My family? Oh, they were great. They still are, even though... even though I'll never see them again. I lived with my mom, dad, and my big brother Connor. My older sister Sylvia moved out when I was ten but we still saw her all the time. I was really close with my siblings. My parents... not so much. I loved them and they loved me, but... they were always hard on me. My mom was very strict and she always wanted her kids to do exactly what she wanted, and she barely even cared about what we wanted. My poor sister went into medical school because of the pressure she had put on her... when she really wanted a degree in performing arts. She was an amazing singer. My brother Connor had a learning disability and my mom pushed him way too hard. He didn't do so well in school. He really struggled. I was always pushed way out of my comfort zone. I... I didn't like it. My mom was way too hard on us. Our dad was against what she was doing, so they constantly argued about it, but at the end of the day... he never did anything. I still love them both, though. They did so much for me and my siblings. I... I miss them," Ashlyn rambled. "...I wonder if they miss me..."

The three other teens looked very somber and troubled. Jasmine spoke up, "I'm sure they do, Ashlyn. I'm sure they do."

"...Do you... do you think my family misses me?" Rhea asked softly.

"I'm sure yours does too, Rhea. And to you, Corbyn. I'm sure all of our families miss all of us," Jasmine said firmly.

"I wonder what my family was like..." Corbyn wondered aloud.

"Me too..." Rhea sighed.

Ashlyn's heart ached for her new friends. She could tell that they had thought about this a lot. It hurt to even think about how long they must have been without memories.

"...If you don't mind me asking, Ashlyn... how did you die?" Jasmine asked quietly.

Ashlyn sighed as the painful, traumatic memories came back. Even thinking about it was enough to give her chills and make her shudder.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to... we're all just really curious. Sorry, I shouldn't have even asked..." Jasmine shook her head.

"No, it's okay. I can tell you, but... I don't wanna go too into details," Ashlyn said.

Jasmine, Corbyn, and Rhea were all looking at her with big eyes, so curious.

"I was hit by a car," Ashlyn sighed.

A look of sadness appeared on their faces.

"We all know how we died, even though we don't remember. You can... you can probably tell how I died, huh?" Rhea asked with a sad smile, gesturing to the scarring on her face.

"...Were you in a fire?" Ashlyn asked sadly.

Rhea nodded, looking pretty down.

"Phil said that... that I drowned," Corbyn said softly.

"...I died of the flu," Jasmine sighed. "Kinda pathetic, huh? Then again, I was only eight..."

"You've been here since you were eight?" Ashlyn asked.

"Yeah, I have. Most of us have been here most of our lives," Jasmine nodded.

"I've been here since I was nine," Corbyn told Ashlyn.

"I've been here since I was seven," Rhea remarked.

"I... don't even know what to say... I'm so sorry..." Ashlyn said quietly. She genuinely felt awful for these kids.

"It's alright. We've gotten used to it by now. It's probably easier without memories, because we don't have anyone or anything to miss. It's just... hard to take in. To some people, it doesn't even feel real. But... some people get really angry or depressed about not having memories, and... it becomes really hard on them to live here," Jasmine explained.

"...Dustin said that Ethan was like that," Ashlyn said.

"Well, he's right. Ethan's angry all the time because he has no memories. It really affects him. He's mean to everyone because... because he's just so down all the time."

"I... I knew Ethan on Earth..."

All three of them looked up at her in surprise.

"Really?" Rhea asked curiously.

"Yeah. He was my best friend," Ashlyn said with a small, sad smile. "It hurts to see that he's changed so much. And... it hurts even more now that I know he's in pain."

"When he first arrived... he was quiet and reserved, but... still a really nice guy. As time went by, he became more and more irritable until... he finally just... snapped..." Rhea said shakily.

"What did he do?" Ashlyn asked worriedly.

The three teens were silent for a moment or two. Corbyn sighed and pointed to the scar across his cheek.

"Ethan was one of my best friends last year. One night after he had an argument with Phil, I went after him to comfort him and calm him down. But... he got so angry, and..." Corbyn wasn't able to finish.

Jasmine reached over and put her hand on his hand. Ashlyn hadn't noticed until then but Corbyn was shaking very indistinctly.

Corbyn sighed once more and just said, "He... he attacked me. He beat me up pretty badly. But... this scar is from... from the pocket knife he pulled on me. This scar is never going away."

Ashlyn was in shock. That did not sound like the Ethan she knew at all.

"Was he punished for that? Why do you keep him around?" Ashlyn asked.

"It was Phil's decision. He did face consequences, but not for very long. Ethan... had a severe mental breakdown. He feels guilty for what he did. He hasn't been so angry or violent ever since. Sure, he has his moments, but he's getting better. Authorities wanted to take him away, but Phil refused. Phil is good at taking care of people and giving them the help they need," Jasmine explained.

"...He wasn't like that on Earth. He was the opposite of that. I... well... it's hard to hear this... When we were friends, he was against harming anyone in any way. He... he was gentle and kind, caring and loving... sweet and charming..." Ashlyn rambled.

"He was like that the first few weeks he was here. He's a good person deep down."

All of a sudden, the loft door opened and someone climbed up inside. It was Sebastian.

"Oh, Ashlyn. I'm glad to see that these three have been so friendly to you. Uh... it's time for dinner, so come down and wash up," Sebastian grinned.

"Alright. Thanks, Sebby," Jasmine called to him.

Sebastian left, and the four of them got up to go back downstairs. Ashlyn was feeling pretty down after the heavy topics they had spoken about. Jasmine seemed to be able to tell because she put her arm around her after they were down the ladder.

"Hey girl, you alright?" Jasmine questioned.

"I'll be okay. I guess I'm just a little sad because of some of the things we talked about," Ashlyn shrugged.

"Yeah, I get that. Don't let it get you too down. We're gonna have a fun night tonight."

"What are we doing?"

"Everytime someone new joins the family, we have a campout in the backyard. You don't have to sleep outside if you don't want to, but that's what most of us will be doing. After we eat dinner we're gonna sit around our firepit and talk, play games, and roast marshmallows. Then some of us get up on the roof and stargaze for a bit. Then we set up tents and sleep in them. The people that don't want to get on the roof or sleep outside usually just go inside and hang out together."

"Wow, that... that actually sounds like so much fun."

"It's a blast! It's a great tradition."

"Yeah..."

After walking down both flights of stairs, Jasmine, Corbyn, and Rhea all led Ashlyn into the kitchen/dining room. Dustin and Sebastian were already in there, helping Phil set the table. When the others went to help, Ashlyn followed them, but Phil stopped her.

"No, no, Ashlyn. That's alright. You're the guest of honor! Just go sit at the table," Phil grinned, leading her over.

Ashlyn shyly sat down at the table and observed everyone walking around. She felt bad for not helping, but Phil wasn't exactly giving her a choice. Ashlyn saw Tierra walk in and start helping as well. The only person that wasn't in the kitchen was Ethan. She wondered where he was.

Once everything was ready and on the table, Ashlyn took a look at what was there. The main dish was some sort of pasta, with what she assumed was a vegan alternative. There were many different kinds of sides, including garlic bread, and various kinds of fruits and vegetables. It all looked delicious. Ashlyn quickly realized just how hungry she was. When was the last time she had eaten?

Everyone else sat around the large rectangular table. Jasmine sat next to Ashlyn on one side, while Rhea sat on the other side. Corbyn was sitting next to Jasmine, Tierra was sitting next to Rhea, Dustin was sitting next to Corbyn, Sebastian was sitting next to Tierra, and Phil was sitting next to Dustin. There was an empty spot in between Sebastian and Phil. Ashlyn assumed that's where Ethan was going to sit. Everyone was talking, not too loudly but it was kind of hard to hear.

"Did you tell Ethan it's time for dinner?" Phil asked Sebastian.

"I did, but he said he wasn't hungry," Sebastian shrugged.

"Well... why don't you go ask him to come sit with us, even if he's not eating? This could be a good chance for him to get to know Ashlyn," Phil said.

Sebastian nodded and stood up, walking out of the kitchen. Ashlyn looked at Phil with curious eyes. He just smiled at her and turned to talk to Tierra about something.

Ashlyn saw that Dustin was staring at her from the corner of her eye but she avoided his glance. She felt like everyone was staring at her. They were all just curious about her because she was new but she still felt self conscious.

"...We're not going to be staying here much longer, are we?" Ashlyn heard Corbyn say to Jasmine.

"No, probably not. Now that Ashlyn's here... the Rebels will want us to return to safety," Jasmine responded.

Ashlyn felt bad all over again. All because of her, these kids were going to have to leave the place they had called home for a very long time. She felt like a burden.

Suddenly, Sebastian ran back into the kitchen, looking very concerned about something.

Obviously panicked, Sebastian said, "Phil, Ethan's gone..."