Chapter 38: A New Day, A New Beginning

The next morning, Ashley woke up feeling anxious and overwhelmed. She had spent the entire previous day hiding in her room, trying to avoid the inevitable: going back to school. As she lay in bed, she thought about all the things she could do to get out of it. She decided to try and fake sick again, hoping that Karen would fall for it. Ashley got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, trying to look as pale and miserable as possible. She splashed some water on her face and made a few pitiful noises, hoping that Karen would hear her and come to check on her. Karen appeared in the doorway a few minutes later, a concerned look on her face. "Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?" she asked, eyeing Ashley's pale complexion. Ashley tried to look as sickly as possible. "I don't feel so good, Mom," she said, trying to sound as weak and whiny as possible. "I think I might have a stomach bug or something." Karen approached Ashley slowly, a hint of skepticism in her eyes. "Let me take your temperature," she said, grabbing a thermometer from the medicine cabinet. Ashley hesitated, knowing that Karen would see right through her plan. But it was too late, Karen had already taken the thermometer and was now placing it under Ashley's tongue. As they waited for the thermometer to beep, Karen looked at Ashley with a kind but firm expression. "Ashley, I know you're not really sick," she said gently. "I can tell by the way you're sitting up and talking to me that you're feeling okay. You're just nervous about going back to school, aren't you?" Ashley looked down, feeling embarrassed and caught. "I don't want to go, Mom," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. Karen put a gentle hand on Ashley's shoulder. "I know it's scary, but you can't stay home forever. Come on, I'll drive you to school. I need to drop Ben and Emily off anyway." Ashley nodded nervously, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety. She knew she had to face her fears and go back to school, but she was scared of what the day might bring. As they got ready to leave, Karen smiled kindly at Ashley. "Hey, it's going to be okay," she said. "I'll be here to pick you up after school, and we can talk about how your day went. You're not alone in this, Ashley." Ashley smiled back, feeling a small sense of comfort. She knew that with Karen's support, she could face whatever challenges lay ahead.