Big Butt Jeans (Ash)

[Lucy Holiday]

I like big butts and I cannot lie. You other brothers can't deny when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist and a round thing in your face...

That song played over and over in Lucy's head as she shopped for a new pair of jeans. Yep - big butt jeans! Stupid steroids. Lucy had gained twenty pounds since she started chemotherapy - and most of it was in her butt! Staring into the changing room mirror, Lucy actually grinned. The weight gain had been depressing at first, but now the petite brunette actually kinda liked her new booty. She had always had a flat butt before. Now she had a more curvy shape. Hopping up and down a couple of times, Lucy finally succeeded in pulling the jeans up over her thighs and around her newly rounded posterior. By this point she was actually singing the song out loud and dancing a bit as she tried on clothes.

Once they were up, they zipped and buttoned easily. That was a relief! After bending, sitting and squatting in them without problem, Lucy decided she was satisfied. They hugged her curves nicely -without looking slutty - and had cute rhinestones on the back pockets. Avi would call it butt bling! The thought made Lucy giggle as she changed back into her own clothes. Before she left the dressing room, Lucy took one last glance in the mirror and adjusted her wig. It was the first time that she had worn it in public instead of using her abilities to hide her hair lost. It was the wig that brought tears to Lucy's eyes. It was actually pretty damned cute, but that wasn't the point. With a sigh, she adjusted it and smoothed down a few stray strands before drying her face and moving on with her mission. Now that she had figured out her new size - 14 petite - Lucy was on a mission to find a few more cute additions to her wardrobe.

She succeeded in finding a couple of cute skirts and more jeans before her energy ran out. Completely ran out! With exhaustion and hunger setting in, Lucy headed for the food court. A plate of sesame chicken and an egg roll would solve this problem. With a plate full of yummy goodness, Lucy sat at a table surrounded by her shopping bags. By the time the first fork full of noodles hit her mouth, Lucy had forgotten all about the itchy wig. Right now her focus was on good food. Lucy munched happily, lost in her own world until the sound of someone calling her name pulled her back to reality. Yay! Company! Setting her fork down, Lucy looked around to see who the visitor was.

[Ashton Harper]

Running to the mall was always quick for Ash. Either he was getting Starbucks or he'd gone to see Tae at Hollister while she hooked him up with some sweet deals on shirts and whatnot. He didn't really enjoy shopping though. It always bugged him because you had to look for the size you wore and the color that fit your skin tone and whatever else there was to debate on. It really just annoyed him when he went shopping but had nothing in mind to buy. That's why he didn't usually go to the mall for no reason.

Today was his day to look at the amazing guitar he was dying to buy. Fender Strat, can't go wrong there. He'd been writing songs lately, mostly slow stuff, but with an angry edge to it. His muse was at an all time high for once, but it wasn't for a good reason. His parents fighting had set him on edge. Luckily, he'd gotten away and was staying with Taeyeon in order to keep out of the way. She had gone somewhere and he'd decided it was a good day to look at the guitar and buy some more clothes because he didn't want to go back home.

After he got done drooling over the Fender, he went to the food court to get something to hold him over for the rest of the day until dinner. He'd just gone in when he noticed someone sitting down. He smiled once he realized exactly who it was and called out her name. "Lucy!" He said over the noise of the crowd. He walked over to her table and smiled at her.

Ever since Avi had introduced him to her, he'd gotten along great with her. She was an illusionist, but thankfully for him, he could suppress the power and she couldn't mess with his mind. It also made him see right through her tricks. The scar. The hair thinning. He'd seen it, but he hadn't had a chance to ask her what it was about because he hadn't seen her in a while. Seeing her now, he knew she was wearing a wig. It was well made, but he still knew. Something was wrong, but he didn't want to push her to tell him.

"How are you kiddo? Haven't seen ya in a while." Ashton said quietly. He motioned towards the chair beside her as in asking if he could join her.

[Lucy Holiday]

It didn't take long before Lucy spotted Ashton Harper's smiling face headed her way. As soon as she saw the familiar mop of blond hair, Lucy felt the butterflies in her stomach. The petite girl leaned back in her chair and waved at him with the hand that didn't have an IV bruise on it. Even though a friendly smile was still perched on her lips, Lucy felt extremely nervous. It wasn't a crush, it wasn't dislike - it was guilt.

Despite how much she liked hanging out with Avi and Ash - and all of her usual friends for that fact - Lucy had been avoiding just about everyone for the past few months. No sitting on the side lines watching Avi and Ash race, no parties, no shared pranks, no pizza night, no study groups! Total avoidance of face to face contact outside of class. Now here she was with no where to run. And honestly, Lucy was tired of running, tired of hiding.

Well, she had made amends and spilled the beans to Avi recently, might as well add Ashton to her little group of secret keepers. Eventually the whole school would know when she had to leave for her transplant. Besides, with his ability Lucy knew he'd probably already figured out that something was up. She had seen him give her an odd glance during a couple of random hallway encounters. Time to clear the air and find out how much he knew. Just the thought of confessing actually took a huge weight off of her shoulders. Lucy's smile became more genuine and the butterflies calmed down as she saw Ash smiling down at her. The familiar smile helped her feel at ease. "Hiya, Ash."

The tone of his voice confirmed her suspicions. She could tell by his gentle prodding that he knew something was up. Lulu started out by ignoring his first question and jumping straight into an apology. "I know, I've been a sucky friend lately. Sorry about that." Lucy nodded and pushed the chair out in invitation for him to join her. Continuing the invitation, Lucy pushed her plate closer to the other chair. "Want to catch up over noodles?" She laughed softly as her brain quickly threw a prank idea at her. Turning noodles into worms on spaghetti day in the cafeteria. Now that would be fun!

[Ashton Harper]

Ash sat down and leaned back in his chair. "You're not a sucky friend Luce. You've been busy, it's totally understandable. Heck, I've been pretty busy too." He frowned slightly at the thought of what had made him so busy. His parents fighting had sent him out and about doing whatever he could to keep his mind away from it.

He bit his tongue hard so that his mind would focus on something else and he went back to thinking of the conversation at hand. "Sounds good to me." He laughed lightly at her suggestion. Ash wondered if she'd tell him today what had been so wrong with her, but he wouldn't push it. He'd tell her what his problems had been lately and hope she'd want to tell him, but even if she didn't it was fine.

Ash knew Avi inside and out, they didn't keep secrets really and the only reason they would is if it wasn't their secret to tell. He didn't have secrets with her, not at all, but he was sure she had at least one. She was loyal to her other friends, if they told her something in confidence she wouldn't run and tell him, that he knew. And he had a feeling Avi knew what was wrong with Lucy.

Every time he brought up the brunette in front of her she always tried to change the subject, but he always caught a glimpse of worry in her eyes. It wasn't just the signs on Lucy that he saw, it was how his best friend acted when the other girl's name was said, that made him know something was up and that they weren't telling him. He knew it was probably for good reason, but he couldn't help but worry. If something was really wrong, he was one of those types that would do anything he could to help.

"So what have you been up to Luce?" He asked with a small smile.

[Lucy Holiday]

The twinge of guilt that Lucy had felt at first turned into a full blown stabbing sort of guilt. How was she lucky enough to have friends that forgave her so quickly when she totally spazzed out on them? Ashton's reassurance that she wasn't a sucky friend just convinced her even more. Especially after hearing the tone of his voice. Oh yeah...Lucy was pretty good at reading between the lines when it came to boy talk. That tone of voice mixed with that little frown and the claim that he'd been busy. Yep. Something was wrong on his end, too. "You're too forgiving, Ash. You and Avi both..."

Lucy sighed a little sigh and helped herself to a fork full of noodles. So, why did Lucy have a knack for understanding boy talk? It's called having a little brother. Only now that her little brother was a teen, Lucy had almost perfected the art of translating boy talk. The thought that Ash might be going through something that required a good friend to lean on made the petite brunette feel even more guilty. Alright. This was going to require noodles followed by an ice cream float.

Lucy eyed the tow haired dude thoughtfully as he accepted her invitation. She abandoned the noodles and stabbed at a piece of chicken drowned in sesame sauce. Lifting it to her lips, she nibbled the fried parts away. Her mouth was half full when Ashton asked the question she knew was coming. There was no reason to lie. Lucy had let him get too close to go back into hiding. She knew he could see her scars from where he was sitting. Lucy took the time to chew and swallow before giving him a sheepish smile.

"I guess you see them, huh?" It was an odd way to answer the question that had been asked. Lucy's fingers lifted to trace a scar along the left side of her neck. It was about an inch long and still fresh pink. Putting on a brave face, Lucy let her hand fall away from the mark. She looked Ashton straight in the eyes and gathered up her courage. "I've been kicking cancer's ass. How about you?" A little smirk played on her lips as she managed to say the c word so calmly. Lucy chuckled and pushed the hair of the wig aside so that Ashton could see her other scar as well.

[Ashton Harper]

Ash smiled at the girl and shrugged, "Eh, there's nothing to forgive you for Lucy. And I'm much more forgiving than Avi." He laughed lightly as he poked a jab at his best friend. Sure, she wasn't there to defend herself, but he was pretty sure she said things about him without him being able to defend himself as well. It was the usual bickering that they did, one of the best parts of their friendship. Lucy and Ash didn't bicker so much, they were just chill. They never got into fights or anything and they rarely made snide comments about each other, only out of playfulness.

He had been thinking a lot about all of his friends lately. Not that he had many to think about. There were a few he knew of that were close to him. Then there were some questionable cases. Zac and Em were the more questionable ones. Then there were the guys that tried getting involved in his personal life when they weren't exactly invited. Braxton and Cole. His closest friends were Lucy and Avi. Tae didn't count because she was the most important thing to him. Avi had stuck with him throughout the years and Lucy came as a package deal. They all had been pretty close the past few months especially.

Ash's eyes met hers again and he focused back on the situation. He waited for her answer patiently though he knew. Her answer made him look down and nod slightly. He felt a little guilty for pushing. It wasn't exactly right. He should have waited for her to want to tell him. But she put on a brave face and admitted to it as nonchalant as if she had said she'd been watching tv. He smiled and shook his head slightly, "You would put it that way. Always so damn nonchalant about the craziest things." He laughed and cleared his throat looking back down again.

She'd asked about him. His life wasn't bad. Scratch that, it could have been worse. He had no reason to hold back from Lucy after she'd admitted to having cancer. "Well I left home, parents are fighting and I'm staying with my girlfriend for the time being." He said with a shrug trying to pull off the 'whatever' attitude, but was failing.

[Lucy Holiday]

Lucy accepted Ashton's understanding with a grateful smile. That was the pretty awesome thing about most guys. They just weren't as dramatic about things as girls. With a small grin, Lucy expressed her gratitude. "Thanks for that. Avi sorta put me through the wringer." The fact that Ash knew Avi so well gave Lucy a tiny speck of jealous feelings. Damn. Why was she so territorial over the blond lately? Of course Avi hadn't yelled at her or cussed her out or anything. She had just cried and the crying tore Lucy's heart out.

A small lump rose in Lucy's throat as Ashton sat so lost in thought. It was something that immediately raised a little red flag of worry in Lucy's busy brain. See, just as Ashton was pretty good at reading Avi - Lucy was pretty good at reading Ashton. Yep, it was the little brother syndrome again. Noah gave her constant practice in reading boy talk. Pandy chewed her food thoughtfully as she waited for Ash to clear the fog in his brain.

Of course, as soon as he did Lucy was in the hot seat again. She blushed slightly as Ash confirmed that he had already noticed all of her little scars and bruises. That meant he'd probably caught glimpses of the thinning hair as well. Thank goodness for the wig that hid those sparse strands today. The fact that he hadn't interrogated her about it all was just another testament to what an awesome friend he was. The confident smirk stayed put even as her voice took on a barely noticable shake. "Yeah, well. You know me. Total warrior princess all the way!" Lucy actually pulled up the courage to wink at him and laugh one of her deep, contagious laughs.

Letting the laughter fade away, Lucy went back to her careful study of Ashton's body language. She had asked him about himself and she was prepared to dig for the truth if he tried to hold back. Her gut plummeted as he admitted that her instincts were dead on as usual. Setting her fork down, Pandy sighed softly and pulled her knees up into her chair. She sat with her arms hugging her legs and shook her head. "Damn, Ash. That sucks." Lucy puffed a bit of air out and made the bangs of her wig ruffle. "How's the whole girlfriend cohabitation going?"

[Ashton Harper]

"That's Avi for ya. The girl needs to chill a bit. She's always so damn dramatic," He laughed quietly to show he was only joking. But it wasn't completely a joke. Ash knew how Avi reacted to the dumbest things. She flipped out over the smallest things. But that was one of the things they loved about her. Or at least sometimes. Other times it was the trick to get her to shut the hell up. Ash did love her like a sister though. Avi and Lucy both were the sisters he'd never had. It was nice being protective over something, he'd only ever had to deal with himself. If anyone was picking on him, he could stand up for himself. But with them, if anyone picked on Lucy for having cancer...they'd be begging for mercy after Ash was done.

Ash wasn't the thoughtful type of person. Not usually. Most of the time he was upbeat and talkative. Which also didn't help with the stuttering. He'd almost gotten rid of the stuttering problem, but it inched its way back every once in a while. Still, Ash was never the kind of person who sat and sulked deep in thought. Not unless he was alone with nothing to do. Which was rare now, he always had Tae and she'd always keep his mind busy so that he didn't think about his situation. It was helpful, but didn't fix the problem.

He looked up at her and frowned slightly hearing the very slight shaking of her voice. It was rare that Lucy's confidence ever faltered. She was strong and didn't show weakness ever. That small shake in her voice was one of the few times he'd ever suspected fear from her, but he didn't say anything. He couldn't let her feel weak in front of him, not if she wasn't comfortable with vulnerability. He laughed lightly and rolled his eyes, "Of course. Warrior princess all the way." He shook his head with a small smile on his lips.

As tempted as Ash was to push back her question, he knew she'd get it out of him in some way. The girl didn't give up, much like Avinea. Put together...ugh. He shrugged at her comment, "It's whatever, could be worse y'know?" He said barely above a whisper. When she asked her question a slightly brighter smile lit his face. The thought of Tae always made him happier, "It's actually going pretty great. Her aunt and uncle love me and have a spare bedroom that I've been sleeping in. It's nice not dealing with the projectile objects and screaming anymore. It's much quieter."

[Lucy Holiday]

Lucy snickered lightly. It was true, Avi was wound pretty tight. But Lucy had to admit that she had a flare for drama as well. She shrugged lightly. "What can I say. Us girls are just wound tight like that." Of course some where wound tighter than others. Between the two of them, Lucy would be the most chill. Lucy freaked out in quieter, less obvious ways that didn't drive everyone as nuts as Avi could. Unless Lucy got mad. Then Lucy drove everyone nuts!

The shake in her voice was a mixture of anger, fear and frustration. It was the build up of blocked emotions that her doctors had been worried about. She knew they were right. She knew it was building to a boiling point, but Lucy just wasn't ready to let it out. She wasn't ready to let everyone in. And so the little glimpses were all they got. "Of course, having kick ass side kicks helps, too. I sortta forgot that for a while." Yep. She had. She had tried to go all Lone Ranger and it had come close to backfiring. But that was over. Lucy was finally starting to reach out and reconnect with the world around her. Starting with the two friends that meant the most to her - Avi and Ash.

Reaching out meant reminding herself that they needed her, too. It actually felt good to be needed. It made her feel...normal. Lucy inched closer to Ashton an nodded. "Yeah. That's true. No matter how bad things are, they could always get worse." Her own voice was a reverent, understanding whisper. Seeing his face brighten lifted Lucy's spirits as well. Lucy hadn't gotten a chance to get to know Ashton's girlfriend yet, but she'd heard lots of good things. She chuckled softly. "How could they not love you. You're like, the most adorable house guest ever." Still chuckling, Lucy reached up and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad to hear you're getting some peace and quiet."