First Love, Worst Love

Chapter 23 - New Identity

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

OK so Ash is going full blown Miley now... So here is a picture of the real Miley to show you what her new hair looks like now. Yikes!!!

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments on this story guys, it makes me so happy to know so many of you are enjoying it and that some of you even relate to it. I hope you'll stick with Ash, even when she's acting like a total idiot!

Enjoy! 

Much love,

Becky xx

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Chapter 23

New Identity

I leave Sarah's house early in the morning, deciding to walk my way back home. The fresh air hits me forcefully as I step outside, but does nothing to cool the hot anger which is still pulsing through my veins.

Every word of Benjamin's insulting lecture has been swirling around in my head from the moment I read his text. And it doesn't matter how many times I think over and over it, I am still in a state of shock that he has the audacity to say what he's said to me.

How dare he compare Jaxon to Nick. And how dare he compare me to him. I am absolutely nothing like my idiotic brother. This whole situation is NOTHING like the mess of a relationship he found himself in. The fact he is even drawing a comparison is almost laughable!

He has met Jaxon for a grand total of about ten minutes. And he saw me give him a snog. That is literally it. So how the hell can he gain any kind of insight just from that?!

Benjamin thinks he knows everything. And he thinks he knows me oh so well. Sweet little baby Ashleigh who always lays down and takes whatever crap anyone throws at her.

Not this time. I'm done. He thinks I've changed? That I'm not his doe-eyed, innocent little sister anymore?

He hasn't seen anything yet.

---

When I storm into the pub I see Benjamin straight away, pottering around behind the bar with my Mum. They both look over as the door closes behind me.

"Morning!" Benjamin says cheerily. There is zero recognition in his voice. He gives a bright smile then goes back to his work. As does my Mum.

I continue to stand there, glaring directly at them until they look at me again. Look at me properly.

Finally, Benjamin glances up for a second time. And then the penny finally drops.

"Oh dear God," he breathes in astonishment. "Ashleigh?! What the..."

My Mum pricks her ears up at the sound of my name and turns back towards me. I watch her take in my new look. My bleached blonde, choppy hair which now stops at the bottom of my ears.

"ASHLEIGH!" she cries, a huge gasp escaping her lips. "What... WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO YOURSELF?!"

I glower back fiercely and run my hand through the new cut. I've got to admit, it's not really how I imagined it was going to be. It turns out that Sarah wasn't quite so great at cutting hair as she was at dying it. She messed up quite a few times and ended up having to take it super short to disguise her mistakes. I wanted to cry when I first saw it. But now I'm determined to try and rock it. I wanted something totally different and that's what I got, so I'm going with it.

"I'm trying something new," I say bluntly. "Sarah did it last night for me."

Mum rushes out behind the bar, reaching over and grabbing a clump of my hair to inspect it. "Oh, Ashleigh." Her voice sounds slightly quivery. "You've RUINED it. It's frazzled to pieces and she hasn't even cut it very well. You stupid, stupid girl."