Digging Trenches

Kurt tugged Ashley by the arm all the way out to the living room, far enough away from the ears of the others. She resisted, though not at first, the shock of being physically dragged from the room stopping her from doing much until she was half way down the hall. Then she pulled in the other direction, using all of her weight to pull against Kurt. But she wasn’t exactly heavy and Kurt was strong, yanking her the rest of the way despite her resistance. He threw her off his grip, the blonde stumbling but managing to stay on her feet in front of him.

“What the hell was that?” Kurt demanded.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ashley growled as she straightened out her clothes, amidst glaring up at Kurt.

“I mean about Victoria,” Kurt clarified, folding his arms and waiting defiantly for an answer. “And taking it out on Madison. That was just pathetic.”

“She stole my clothes. These clothes mean something to me.” Ashley held up the clothes in her hand, still warm from Madison’s body, and pushed them under Kurt’s nose. “And Victoria knew they would be important, but she dressed Madison up like me and paraded her around while she lied and manipulated my boyfriend into completely questioning his ability to trust me,” Ashley angrily elaborated. “I think I’m entitled to give her a piece of my mind.”

“Didn’t I just tell you that this was because of Shawn?” Kurt retorted as he rolled his eyes. “I got through to her, and she told me everything. He’d gotten inside her head, just like we imagined, but I managed to convince her that it wasn’t worth it. That-”

“And like I told her, stop blaming Shawn,” Ashley said. “Even if he gave her specific, detailed, step by step instructions on how to interfere in my relationship, she still made the choice to go through with that. She still decided to fuck over her best friend for a piece of cock. And I’m sorry, but I must have missed the part in our agreement where you were supposed to help her fuck my boyfriend.”

“Blame your boyfriend. Zack seems more than willing to be culpable for that,” Kurt insisted, gesturing down the hall towards the door to the master bedroom. “But going after Victoria is a really stupid idea. Even if you are mad, which I understand, you’re not the only one to be hurt by her and pushing her away right now is a bad idea. I only just managed to bring her back from under Shawn’s influence. What do you think is going to happen if her friends turn their backs on her? Where do you think she’ll go if she thinks she has no where else to go?”

“So, we’re all supposed to walk on egg shells around her?” Ashley scoffed. “If she’s that fragile, she hasn’t really been fixed. And if all she needs is a reason, then let her run off back to her asshole of a boyfriend. Quite frankly I’m beginning to think they were made for each other.”

“Yeah that’s exactly the kind of stupid comment that’s going to drive her all the way back into his arms,” Kurt told her pointedly. “No one is asking you to like it, but if you can’t at least be civil towards her, just stay out of her way.”

“Why am I being treated like the criminal here?” Ashley balked. “She’s the one who was messing with her own friend’s lives because, as she put it, it was fun.”

“What’s with all the shouting?” Chloe asked, the two blonde teens turning to see the source of the voice. Chloe having been in the bathroom and missed the entire confrontation. Physically, at least. Even in there she heard the shouts bouncing off the tiles.

“I just found out that Victoria lied to Zack that there was something going on behind his back between me and Gavin. Zack found out what I said during the party game a couple of nights ago,” Ashley explained to the red-head. “Obviously I stormed over to her room to tell her what a shitty thing that was to do, but apparently I’m not coddling Victoria enough.”

“No, you’re just treating her like the enemy rather than a fallen friend who needs help,” Kurt snapped at Ashley, then, looking at Chloe, said, “I found out what happened between Victoria and Shawn. He was giving her daily tasks, but a lot of the things Victoria did she did willingly because she was confused and troubled by how good she felt when Shawn fucked her. I’m not sure any one of us…” he looked around at the two girls. “…can imagine what it’s like to go through that, or say how we would react.”

“I wouldn’t lie to my friends and try to ruin their lives,” Ashley insisted adamantly.

“No, you’re just looking for a scapegoat,” Kurt accused her. “You’re putting the blame on Victoria so you don’t have to admit your relationship failed because you messed up. It’s not really any different than Hannah, letting Lisa take the fall for her botched prank.”

SMACK

For the second time tonight, Ashley lashed out. This time her hand found its mark true, her palm leaving a red, stinging print on the side of Kurt’s face, his cheek glowing. She paused, breathing through her nose in short, snorts. Then, without another word, she stormed off, just as she had when she came to find Victoria. This time though it was a retreat, to the bedroom she shared with Heather.

“Kurt,” Chloe said softly, reaching up to touch his slapped face. “That was too far.”

“Yeah, I realised that as I said it,” Kurt frowned as he exhaled resignedly. “But I just got so pissed. After all this effort that we went to, I went to, to bring Victoria back from that darkness, and now Ashley just wants to abandon her to it.”

“For what it’s worth, I agree with her,” Chloe said, withdrawing her hand. “Not kicking her out so much, but she definitely needs to face up to what she did, herself, without blaming Shawn.”

“How can you say that?” Kurt shook his head. “None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for Shawn.”

“A few days ago, I snuck into Gavin’s room. That’s the event you could say started this whole thing rolling. In a way, none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for me,” Chloe reminded him. “Am I to blame for Victoria’s actions then too?”

“Of course not,” Kurt replied, exasperated. “That’s not a direct cause and effect.”

“Even still, when I went to Gavin’s room that morning, I was feeling sorry for myself. I’d been using you, and sex, to feel better after Zack’s betrayal. I told myself that if Zack could do what he wanted then so could I. I didn’t care about Victoria’s feelings, or even Gavin’s at the time,” Chloe candidly confessed. “That was me, confused and upset by Zack’s betrayal, using and hurting my friends. But those were still my actions and I was still the one who had to face up to that and take responsibility. You helped me through that, as did Hannah, but not by telling me it was all someone else’s fault.”

“That’s completely different,” Kurt said defiantly. “What Zack did to you and what Shawn did to Victoria isn’t even comparable. And even if it was, telling her how bad she’s been and how awful a person she is won't make her want to change. I only ever encouraged you, I didn’t put you down.”

“Or maybe you were just trying to distract yourself from having a conversation that you didn’t want to have,” Chloe struck to the heart of the matter, looking to Kurt with a raised eyebrow.

“Chloe…” Kurt’s breath caught in his throat, his mind unsure how to respond. Chloe was right, of course, but he wasn’t even certain how he wanted to react. If he apologised, maybe he and Chloe could start over and have that conversation now. Did he even want that anymore? He looked down the corridor towards the room where Victoria sat. If he chose Chloe now, would she feel abandoned once again? Or was it something more important that was pulling him to stay?

Chloe waved her hand, attracting his attention and calming his anxiety. “Neither of us exactly waited for the other,” she said with a soft laugh. “I don’t expect anything from you. That’s not what this is about. I’m just looking out for you, because you’re carrying the weight of a world that isn’t even yours.”

“It’s true, in the beginning, I thought you had chosen Gavin, and I avoided having that talk with you. I know now that I was mistaken, but at the time, going with Ashley and Victoria, trying to solve the Lisa mystery, it was all a welcome way of getting me out of the cabin and away from you two. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say,” Kurt said, bowing his head. “But that was then. Now, I’m just trying to do the right thing. And I don’t think that is turning my back on a girl who’s lost her way.”

“All I’m saying…” Chloe said, as she turned on heel and walked off to her bedroom. “…is make sure the cause is worthy before you go martyring yourself.”