| Episode: | Season 1, Episode 1 – Chaos! At The Gala |
| Location: | Stelvik Middle School Hallway |
| Written By: | Ashley Ortega Ellie Reyes |
| Date: | 08/08/2026 |
| Word Count: | 1,069 |
Ashley leaned back firmly into the wall of lockers, her books were pressed against her chest and her arms crossed over them. She looked slightly to her left, her friend Ellie was standing right next to her. Ashley had known Ellie since the first grade, and they’d been friends ever since meeting even if Ellie was one grade higher than her.
“My sister is going to that Gala thing,” Ashley said softly as she turned and faced away. The younger girl wasn’t sure what else to say at that point. “I guess she’s going to want me to go too.” Ashley had watched it on the tele-net loads of times, but that had been something she did with their mother, not going with her sister.
“What’s so wrong with that?” Ellie asked as she closed her locker. The school day was nearly over, and it was the last day of school for the week. The Gala always meant school was on break for the next few days. On the off years the school district tended to take other measures to give their students time off.
“I don’t know,” Ashley shrugged. “I don’t really think I want to go.” She sighed, the girl felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. She ignored her fellow middle schoolers as they walked past the two of them.
Ellie leaned her right shoulder into the side of row of lockers as she considered what her best friend had just said. The other girl didn’t want to go? That made no sense, because as far as Ellie had known both Ashley and her mother had always wanted to go to this thing. “What happened to dreaming of going?”
Ashley sighed, “That was before.” She quipped.
Ellie didn’t press any further, she knew the look on her friend’s face. That was enough to make her hesitate, “So what are you going to do instead?” She asked the other girl.
Ashley didn’t have an answer, she thought about it and shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I’ll have to either find something else to do or I’ll have to go with Alex.” She pointed out with a heavy sigh and lowered her shoulders. The look on her face said everything that Ashley wasn’t saying. She didn’t feel comfortable doing this without her Mom.
Ellie smiled warmly, “What if you came over and spent the night with me? We don’t have to watch the Gala if you don’t want to.”
Ashley looked at Ellie, “That’s not fair to you,” She pointed out softly. “You like watching the Gala with your Mom just like I used to watch it with mine.” She didn’t like that option, though she was thankful her friend was willing to just invite her over like that.
Ellie shook her head, “Or, we could watch it together?” She asked just as politely as she’d been when she said they didn’t have to watch it. “I didn’t mention watching it because I know that your Mom and you were kinda ritualistic about it.”
Ashley smiled finally, “Well sometimes traditions have to change right?” She asked. The question was rhetorical and before Ellie had a chance to say another word, or answer the question, Ashley looked over at her friend. “We can watch it at your place that’s fine. We just have to make sure your parents are okay with me staying overnight.”
“And your sister,” Ellie added.
Ashley nodded, “Right.” She answered. Then she looked down at the floor for a brief moment. Ashley was trying to debate whether or not she actually would rather spend the night with her best friend or go to the Gala. There would be others, her sister’s political career had only just begun. Even other government officials went, political party members, and so on.
“I’m sure my sister will go to the next one,” She said suddenly.
“Or,” Ellie said softly, “You could bring me to the Gala?” She suggested, “You are allowed to bring a plus one being a family member of a political figure.” She crinkled her nose at the thought of just how jealous her mother would be if Ellie got to go.
Ashley thought about that, really considered it, then she shook her head. “Nah,” She said. “I’d rather just stay at your place where it’s quiet.” She answered, “I just hope Alex isn’t too upset about it that is…” Her voice trailed away.
Ellie shrugged, “The only way to know that is if you ask her, and we’ve got a couple days at least before the Gala anyway. That’s plenty of time to butter up your big sister and get her to let you stay over.”
She smiled warmly, “I can ask my Dad when we leave here.” Ellie calmly said. Her father was one of the school teachers and he regularly gave them both a ride. Sometimes Ashley stayed with Ellie until her sister came and got her, sometimes her sister was already home. It simply depended upon the situation.
Ashley nodded as she turned and opened her locker in order to grab a book from it, they had to start walking toward classrooms sooner or later. There was at least two more classes left before they were through the day. “Do you think your Dad will be okay with it?” She asked as she closed the locker.
“I don’t see why he wouldn’t be,” Ellie told her.
Ashley nodded again as they started down the hallway. Her classroom was before they got to Ellie’s going from this direction. “Did you mean what you said about going to the Gala with me instead of going to your apartment?”
“Yep,” Ellie replied. “Every word of it,” She added with a grin on her face. “And not just because it would make my Mom insanely jealous either.” She said and laughed a little bit. “I’ll leave it up to you what we do.”
Ashley started to turn toward the classroom, “We can talk about it on the way home from school.” She said to her best friend. “Okay?”
Ellie nodded, “Okay,” She said. Then she waited for Ashley to disappear inside the classroom before she walked toward her own. Ellie hoped her suggestion hadn’t upset her friend, but given the reaction it seemed that it hadn’t. A smile played on her lips as she found her classroom and walked inside.