Girl Trouble (Completed) - Ayesha Azhar (graded readers .TXT) 📗

us break up."

 "I dont know what you are talking about." I said and walked out of the door towards the stairs.

"Really,Steph? You dont know? Then maybe I should enlighten you. What about the fact that you two were here alone? You planned that, didn't you?"

  "Believe whatever you want-" I started again but was interrupted.

 "Ashley." So far, Jake had kept quiet. But now he came forward,out of the room after Ashley, forcing me to stop and look at him,"Let me handle this."

"What are YOU going to say now, Jake? That you feel sorry for me?" I glared at him angrily,"You think I am wrong, dont you? You think that I lied to you."

  "No, I dont. I dont, Steph." Jake took my hand in his, I stared in his eyes,"Infact, I am quite happy. Happy that you finally told me how you feel about-"

  "What's going on,Jake?" Ashley said in a calm cold voice, coming forward and seperating me and Jake."Have you forgot? Have you forgotten your promise?"

  "No..... No, never, Ash."

Jake drew back and turned away from me. I stared after him. Then Ahsley came up close near me and glared at me.

"I told you, ddint I? I told you that you cant ever win." She said it so quietly that Jake didnt hear her.

   "You...I'll get you back, Ashley, see if I dont-"

"Oh, your threats dont scare me, Stephanie."

 "What's going on here?" Mandy came into view, climbing up the stairs and onto the hall.

"Welcome," Ashley said sarcastically,"Your presence was the only one left. Any complains you want to register?"

   Mandy looked at me questioningly, I shrugged. This was getting out of hand now.

"None yet. Though maybe you have something to say?" Oh God, why was Mandy fighting with Ashley now? Jake looked at me, I glared at him. Whatever had he promised Ashley that he had drew back so suddenly? Ashley walked towards Mandy, glaring.

"You are right at that. How come Mr Harry gave YOU that role?" Ashley said, looking hatefull at Mandy.

"He answered that himself, didnt he?" Mandy smirked,"He said'I gave the role to the most deserving.' I deserved it the most. I acted the best."

  "You didnt! You brainwashed him somehow, Mandy, I know you did. He would never have rejected me and selected you if he had been in his consiousness."

"That's an excellent theory,"Mandy smiled,"It should go down in The Book Of World Records."

"Guys," Jake came forward,"Just shut it, Ok?"

  "No, Jake, no!" Ashley screamed, I looked at her,"It was my everything.Everything! And she got it all."

"I know, Ash, I know how much it means to you." Jake tried to comfort her.

   "No, you dont, Jake. Do you have ANY idea how much mama was depending on me winning that role?"Ashley cried. I stared at her in disbelief, was she actually crying?" Mama doesnt have a job now, we were depending on the money which would come from that role. "

  "I know. We'll do something, Ash-" Jake said.

"No! She got it all! She!" Ashley said, pointing hatefully at Mandy.

   "Hush,, hush, Ash, calm do-"

"She'll pay! I'll make her pay for destroying my life!"

   "No..Ash! Stop."

What happened next was so fast that I barely realized what was happening. In one swift motion, Ashley was over at Mandy's side, glaring at her while muttering,"I'll make you pay." And then I saw no more. Because she pushed Mandy. Mandy screamed as she lost her balance and fell down, rolling down the stairs. Jake and I shrieked.

"Mandy!"

Ashley remained in her place, frozen. Blood started to appear on the stairs, and then Mandy rolled on to the last step, unconsious. I ran down the stairs towards her. Blood was everywhere, I stared at her in horror. Her eyes  had rolled back into her head.She lay crumpled up on the last step. I held her face in my hands. Her features could hadly be recognised, there was so much blood. Blood. No! No! I tried to shake her, to make her open her eyes, but she remained unconsious.

"Someone call an ambulance!" I shrieked. I felt someone trying to lift me up away from Mandy, and I realized, this was not a dream. This was real. Mandy was dying, she was bleeding. I screamed,"Mandy!"

 I looked around,I could barely see anything, my vision was darkened,

"Steph? Get up. The ambulance is coming, come on, get up, she'll be allright-"

   "No! Wake her! Wake her,Jake!"

And then I saw or heard no more, because I too, like Mandy had dropped into unconsiousness.

  

 

Chapter 28

 I opened my eyes and looked around. I was in a room, a white room. There were tubes everywhere. One was going through my nose, the other one was injected in my hand. I screwed my eyes, Jake was sitting beside me.

"Jake? Where am I?"

"Steph? She's awake!" Jake cried and got up, out the door. I stared after him and called out in a weak voice,

"Dont leave me, Jake!"

And then there were all these tubes allover me, and I saw a doctor measuring my blood pressure or something and then,

"She'll be fine now. You can take her home by the evening."

"Thank you, Doctor." I heard Jake reply. And then the doctor left the room.

   "Jake?" I cried out again,"Jake, where am I?"

"Hospital. You are in the hospital, Steph. You fainted when you saw Mandy."

Mandy. Mandy! Where was she? Hiow was she?

  "Where is she? Where is Mandy?" I tried to get up and free myself from all the million tubes. In a minute, Jake's hands were over me, forcing me to stop.

"No, you cant go out now, Steph. Your blood pressure is still low."

"Be hell with me!" I cried, still trying to free myself,"How is Mandy! Take me to her!"

  "Relax...hush," Jake tried to comfort me the way he had comforted Ashley, it brought back that memory of Jake's house. How long had been that? How long had  I been unconsious?

"Dont HUSH me, Jake." I gave up, trying to free myself, in no way could I ever match Jake'a strengh,"Let go. Let me go to Mandy."

 "You are not going anywhere now, Steph. You need to rest-"

"Why dont you understand?!" I cried angrily,"I CANT rest! I have to see Mandy!"

"Well, you cant see her now, she's in the ICU."

   "ICU?!"

No! That meant that her conditon was seriously bad! In one swift motion, I had freed myself from all the tubes. So fast that Jake didnt even realize. He caught me as I was about to open the door and run out. I stopped him before he could say anything,

"Dont mess with me now, Jake."You,"I pointed a finger at his chest,"Just. Tell. Me. The. Ward. Mandy.Is. In."

I waited, Jake didnt reply but instead tried to close the door.

"Fine!" I yelled, forcing the door open and ran out. It wasnt hard finding out where Mandy was, there were a lot of people gathered outside  the ward, reporters too. Reporters? What were they doing here?And then I noticed, there were police officers too. I ran over to them.

And then I saw her, Ashley. With handcuffs on her hands, and gripped by two cops, and a woman who I didn't recognise crying loudly beside her.

"Ashley? Where are they taking you?!" I cried out, looking at the cops all around.

"Ashley John is being taken under custody for the attempted murder of Mandy McHugh."

"Murder?!" I screamed,"Of Mandy!!"

   And then someone yelled,

"She's Stephanie Moore! Shes a withness!"

And then there were all these people trying to get through to me, there were cameras clicking, people yelling all sorts of strange things. A cop held me behind him, holding the mob from getting through to me. I blinked. What was happening? Among the choas, I could make out the voices of the reporters,

"Stephanie!"Do you think Ashley John is responsible for the attempted murder of Mandy McHugh?"

   "Miss Moore! Eye withnesses say that you were there when the crime was performed, what are your views on it? Do you think-"

"Stephanie!Did you see the deed performed?"

There were cries of 'Stephanie!' everywhere. I looked around in horror, there was noone here that I recognized, apart from Ashley. These were strangers, strangers bombarding me with questions. And then I saw a familiar face. I ran out from behind the cops towards him, the mob followed.

"Jake!" I hid my head in his chest and sobbed, not even caring that I was coming on TV now. I was so terrified, complettely broken. I felt so alone.

"I know."Jake ruffled my hair lightly,"That's why I didnt want you to come out."

In less then a minute, the mob was over at our side. I could hear them,

  "Mr Wilson! Were you there too?"

"What can you say about the arresting of your friend Ashley?"

   "Mr Jake! What happened that Miss John tried to murder Miss McHugh?"

I felt Jake look around, and then I was lifted off my feet. I opened my eyes, Jake had lifted me up in arms and was carrying me somewhere. Even though I was dead with worry for Mandy, I couldnt help thinking how nice Jake smelled. Like sugary mint. And the feel of his hands over me was even more amazing. I flung my arms around him,I hadnt realized that we were walking until Jake placed me down gently on a hospital bed.

  We were in a room, maybe the same room as before. I couldnt be sure. Jake poured out a glass of water and handed it to me, I took it, my hands shaking.

  I almost dropped the glass, I hadnt realized how weak I was. Jake took it from mr and held up infront of me so that I could drink. I took a sip and then pushed the glass away.

"Are you okay?" Jake asked, placing a hand on my forehead to check out my temperature. I noddded,

  "Why are all those people here,Jake?"

"You know how rarely anything happens here at Forks, Steph. The media is going to make a big case out of this."

"Oh. How long was I uncosious?"

"6 hours, I think. But long enough. You almost had me sick with worry, Steph. You wouldnt wake up and I thought you were...you werwe going to...I didnt leave your bedside even once."

"You didnt go out to check on Ashely? The cops have arrested her."

"I know I should. But I was just so worried about you. As soon as we reached the hospital, the word had spread. We were interrogated by the cops and I..I told them that Ashley pushed Mandy. They have been holding her under custody since then."

"'For attempted murder of Mandy McHugh,'" I repeated what the officer had said, and then that wave of terror ran over me again. Mandy!

"How is Mandy, Jake? She's going to be allright, isnt she?"

Jake looked at me, taking my hand in his and rubbing it gently. It made me feel that something was terribly wrong.

"Tell me,Jake! How is Mandy?"

"I...Steph, Mandy is not, errr, well. She's umm...in the ICU. The doctors are not, umm, very sure they can save her-"

"What?!" I screamed, standing up,"No!Mandy cant die. Not Mandy!"

"Steph! Dont get upset, please-"

  "What do you mean, dont get upset?" I cried," Mandy is dying! Take me to her, please, Jake, please!"

"You cant go now, Steph, All the media is out there-"

   "I dont care! I want to see her!"

"But the doctors wont even