Page 187 of Scrimmage

“Is…Is that blood?” her eyes widen.

“We found Ashland in the house. She was attacked. They’re trying to re…” My chest clenches. “They’re trying to save her life.”

She sets the phone down, grabbing things frantically.

“Penny,” I bark. She stops and looks at me with terror. “We’re at the University Hospital. I’m booking you the next flight now. Alexi is going to wait for you at the airport.” Penny wants to protest, but she nods. If Ashland’s dying wish is to keep Penny safe, I’m going to make fucking sure it happens.

I hand my phone over to Alexi, who rushes out. There's no one for me to call anyways. It feels like every second that passes is a lifetime. So I go through Ashland’s phone, even though going through her shit is what landed us here. There are a few pictures of us, but not many. Ashland never liked photos. There are plenty of her with Penny, though. It looks like they have some sort of shared album. Most of them are stupid pictures that it looks like they sent back and forth. I study every single one. I’m mid-scroll when Penny and Alexi rush in.

Penny’s face is red, but she’s not crying anymore. She sits next to me, taking the clipboard from my lap. Then she pulls out her phone and dials someone, putting it to her ear. She inhales and holds her breath.

“Sin…” Her bottom lip quivers and tears threaten to spill over her bottom lashes. “Sinclair,” she says forcefully. She pauses, and with another deep breath she begins to cry, tears streaking her face as she tries to hold back.

“Yinny is in the hospital,” her voice wobbles. “She was shot…I don’t know…I don’t know…No, I haven’t.” She starts to squeak as she talks. “I just got here…They won’t talk to us because we aren’t family.”

I can almost hear rage emanating from whoever is on the other line. Their shouts erupt through the phone, but Penny doesn’t flinch. She takes a tissue from Alexi and wipes her eyes, trying to compose herself.

“Uh huh…Okay…Okay…I will.”

Whoever it it hangs up and Penny curls her knees to her chest sobbing into her legs with her phone dangling from her hand. Alexi wraps his arm around her, but it’s like he isn’t even there. I’m not even sure that I’m here. I might not show it on the outside, but on the inside I’m just the eight-year-old boy hiding alone in the closet. I love Ashland, but I have nothing on Penny.

I’ve always known that Penny and Ashland are close. They make it known to man that nothing can touch their friendship, but it’s deeper than anything I’ve witnessed before. It’s like at the core of their beings they’re sewn together, and if Ashland dies it will be like cutting Penny open and splitting her insides. I know that’s how I feel.

“What happened?” she whispers.

It’s now that I have to be honest. Even Alexi doesn’t know what it was that made me leave her, and I’m going to have to admit it all to her best friend.

“We were painting her room,” I say quietly. “I told her that I didn’t know how I would ever get over her. I think she was upset, but I didn’t want to push her, so I went back to the room to move some shelves, and I saw that Alaska book.”

“Her favorite,” Penny breathes.

“Yeah. Inside of it was a letter addressed to ‘Yinny’ so-”

Penny sits up violently. “What?”

“A letter in the book.”

“Addressed to ‘Yinny’?”

“Yes, but you didn’t let me finish. I opened it because I’m a piece of shit, and it was from Damien.”

If anyone is going to know who Damien is then it'll be Penny. In all of this I forgot Ash is fucking married, but I can’t even be mad about it now. I guess we should call him.

Penny starts to shake, her entire body is convulsing. “Damien?” She says the name in a breath. I almost believe I dreamed it.

“Yeah, Damien.”

She fumbles for her phone and shaky fingers tap furiously until she’s calling someone. Penny darts out of her seat heading for a corner and she starts to whisper, quickly conveying the story I didn’t even finish. Her face is animated as she talks. Fear is seared onto her features, as if it’s going to be a permanent accessory. When she returns, she sinks into her seat looking defeated.

“What did the letter say?”

I glance at Alexi. This is private, but Alexi is my brother and my best friend. He might be a gossip, but not about things like this. He’s not judgmental either; not like me. He got the best qualities from our mom.

“It said that he misses her. That she broke their vows, but he loves her anyways. Til death do them part, but death is endless. That he’s her husband, and he'll see her soon”

If Alexi is shocked he doesn’t show it. He keeps a placid look on his face, but his skin is pale.

“So then we argued, and I left,” I continue. “She called me and left a voicemail, and that was when I heard her…I heard the…I heard. So we went to the house and found her.”

---