News For You

"Ashley? Ashley wake up!"

"Ashley, can you hear me? It is time to get up now!" She heard Roxanne's voice in her sleep.

"What time is it?" asked Ashley mumbling.

"It is 6 in the morning! You are gonna miss your bus if you don't get up now!"

"WHAT?! IT IS 6 AM? I SLEPT FOR AN ENTIRE DAY??" She sat up immediately with her head turned to see the clock hung on the wall that struck 8 and then immediately towards the window to see it was dark outside?!

What? How!? Oh! It was 8 pm! "Oh My God Roxanne you little jerk!"

Roxanne chuckled as she fooled her sister, "It is so fun tricking you! Your reactions are priceless!"

"Very funny little evil!" laughed Ashley at her sister.

"Come now, mom's calling for dinner! Why are you so tired anyway? didn't you just go to see *your* Sam today?" inquired Roxanne.

"Shhh shut up stupid! I didn't tell mom! She doesn't know I skipped the rest of my classes after the first two to go to his college!"

"Oops sorry!" giggled Roxanne "Well come quickly, everyone's waiting at the dinner table, mom made savoury Chinese plus she has a surprise for us!"

"Surprise? What kind of surprise?"

"I don't know but I heard her talking to dad she is gonna break something to us at dinner! Hurry up!"

Ashley rolled out of her bed and quickly went to the dining table where her parents were seated waiting for the girls to join. "Hey, mom, dad! Sorry I dozed off after I came back from university but I guess I missed my alarm and ended up sleeping this late." she kissed them both on the cheek as she took her seat at the table.

"No problem sweetheart!" her mom smiled as she looked lovingly at her daughters

"Everything looks amazing, Y.U.M.M.Y!" exclaimed Roxanne.

Their parents smiled. "Thanks, honey! Now that you both are here, your father and I have some exciting news for the two of you!

"So I heard," replied Ashley

"You know?!"

"A little bird told me there was something up." smiled Ashley slyly.

They all looked at Roxanne who was smiling adorably saying excitedly, "So what's the news mom?"

"ARTHUR'S COMING NEXT MONTH!"

"What!? ARE YOU SERIOUS? OMG, THAT'S AMAZING!!" the girls screamed out of happiness. It had been months since all five of them were together as a family.

"Is he bringing what we asked him to?" asked Ashley delightedly.

"Yes, a vintage locket for Ashley and band bracelets for Roxanne!"

"And chocolates?" added Roxanne.

"Loads and loads of chocolates, happy now?" laughed their mom.

"Eeeeeepppp!!!" the girls couldn't help controlling their excitement.

The rest of the dinner remained focus on Arthur and how much fun they were going to have once he was back after completing his medical electives and what his next plan was going to be.

Arthur was four years older than Ashley and the brother-sister duo had been close since forever, they too were more like best friends than siblings. When Arthur was prepping for his Step 1 medical license exam and Ashley was in high school at the same time prepping for the medical-dental school entrance exams the two would study all day and then watch "How I met your mother" or "F.R.I.E.N.D.S" at night together, it was just their thing where they would watch tv shows or movies together or just discuss something that was disturbing them at the time.

Now although Ashley still had her little sister with her after he had left she missed her brother terribly, she missed his pieces of advice, she missed annoying him.

Arthur had always kept her safe over the years, when he was around he made sure she didn't make any rash decisions. He too, like Roxanne knew his sister well that she wore her heart at her sleeve and so as her older brother he made sure she was protected by keeping her away from people who brought her more harm than good and now with him miles away it felt like her guardian angel had gone missing.

And although she didn't like admitting to Arthur how incomplete she felt without him cause who really is expressive with their older brothers? but deep down the truth was she missed him awfully, a lot more than she had imagined she would.

Her mom would often tell Arthur over the phone about the night they came back after they had dropped him at the airport. When Ashley walked into their apartment and saw her brother's empty room for the first realising how much they had grown up and how things were going to be so different and even though she was extremely happy for how well he was doing concerning his professional life, she cried bitterly missing him knowing how things were to change.

After dinner was over the girls helped their mom wash the dishes and were then off to their room.

"Hey listen up!" exclaimed Roxanne as Ashley jumped on their bed with her phone in her hands.

"What?"

"You never told me how your day went? Did he say something?"

"I thought you didn't like him!" said Ashley rolling her eyes teasing her sister.

"I don't but I still wanna know!" smiled Roxanne adorably.

Ashley narrated to her sister everything that had happened earlier that day and showed her the poem he had posted on his Facebook the night before.

"Hmmm I like the poem it's cute!"

Does that mean Roxanne is caving in for Sam?

"Haha no, it is just the poem I like! I am gonna agree with Anna though you're thinking way too into it, just let things flow, just keep praying and see what happens."

"Is this an indirect approval from your side? Roxanne who was won through a poem?" teased Ashley.

"Haha, I am not that easy! it is just if you like him this much that you're leaving classes to run away to see him maybe I'm willing to give him a try only for YOU."

"Aww my little pumpkin!" she snuggled with her little sister kissing her on the cheek. "You are so cute you know that? Plus you won't have to force yourself to like him once you get to see him in real. I know that for sure! He is just so sweet and nice and when I am with him I feel like I am in a whole another world where it is just me and him." she added.

As the girls talked some more about the things happening in their lives, Ashley felt her phone chime. After two more times, she picked and unlocked it to see she had messages from Zoey.

*TEXT MESSAGE CONVERSATION BETWEEN ASHLEY & ZOEY*

Zoey: I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU!

Ashley: Haha, what's up? I hope it is good news!

Zoey: Oh it is big alright! But I can't tell you over the phone! I have to see your reaction when I break it to you!!

Ashley: Why would you tell me there's a piece of big news for me and then not tell me what it is!! PLEASE TELL. I don't even know when we are gonna meet!! I spent the whole day with you, why didn't you tell me then?

Zoey: It happened just right now stupid!! But I had to get it off my chest so I messaged you! I'm gonna come over to your college on Tuesday!! Save me a seat on bus that day!! I will tell you then but trust me YOU WILL GO CRAZY.

"What could it be? Probably something Isaac must have done for her." Ashley thought to herself as she kept her phone on the side not having the slightest clue on how maybe it was her shy and awkward prince coming out of his shell, finally leaping at her!