Welcome back to The Wrongway Legacy!!

Last time, we saw Ashley and Liam grow into teenagers. Ash ended up dating a boy and then having second thoughts, whilst Liam made some friends at the pool. While all this was happening, Ralph (our family's villain), was plotting away.

So, onto this chapter!

Another beautiful day on the campus of La Fiesta Tech, and Ash was up and wandering around her dorm. She hadn't been there long, just a week or so, but already she knew her way around.

Ash had kept her old trait of being shy around strangers, but gradually, she was coming out of her shell.

“Good morning.” Ash greeted the cafeteria worker. “How are you?”

“Not so bad.” The worker nodded twice, and went back to fiddling with the oven, Ash looked up from her pancakes, and for somewhere to sit, spotting a girl sat alone.

“Hey, who's the alien girl?”

The worker shrugged. “She's a quiet one. She only eats in her when no one else does. Word has it that she has a mini-fridge.”

“Huh.” Ash smiled, and headed over to the girl's table.

“Mind if I sit here?” Ash asked, nicely. The alien girl gave a timid look at Ash and nodded once, a small movement that would be missed if you blinked.

“What's your name?” Ash questioned, attempting to fill the awkward silence that now fell over the girls as they ate.

“Stella.” The alien girl put down her fork and sighed. “You're probably just here to ask what's up with my hair.”

“No. I just wanted to get to know people.” Ash then added, confidently. “I'm a Popularity sim.”

“Does friend making come easily if you're a popularity sim?” Stella was extremely shy, and down, by the looks of things.

“Not really. Being naturally shy really doesn't help things.”

“Do you want to know why I dyed my hair pink and cut it?” Stella leaned back in her chair. “To get the attention of a boy who wouldn't realise I exist otherwise.”

Ash paused, carefully putting down her fork. “Did he notice you?”

“No. Not one word.”

“How 'bout I give you a makeover? Make you gorgeous! He'll notice you then!”

“How does it look?” Stella asked, timidly. Ash gave her a thumbs-up.

“Right, did you call him? Because that's what I asked you to do,” Ash grinned as Stella nodded. “Right, get dressed, and we'll make him realise he loves you.”

Stella moved towards the communal bathroom, leaving Ash to walk down the front path towards the boy who Stella liked...

But Ash stopped in her tracks when she saw who was waiting outside. Grown up and in a new outfit, stood Ash's boyfriend from her teenage years, Travis Shaw.“T-T-Travis?” She stuttered. “I didn't know you were coming to uni!”

“Well, I wasn't going to. But then you did, So I thought I'd join you.” Travis beamed. “This is George, he's joining the fraternity I joined.

“George and I have met.”

“We're thinking of letting girls join the fraternity soon, if you're interested.”

Shaken up by the return of the boyfriend she had hoped to leave in her childhood, Ash turned to George, who was more handsome than he had been as a teenager.“How are you?” She questioned, reaching for a hug.

“Good thanks. So you're dating Travis?” George raised an eyebrow. “The boyfriend you had as a teenager?”

Ash's voice lowered to a whisper. “Truth be told, I was hoping he wouldn't come to uni so that I could date some other guys...”

George pulled a face, but didn't comment, still having difficulties accepting that Ash had dated Travis instead of him.

Travis nudged George out of the way, and trailed his hand down Ash's face. She caught his wrist, and gently pulled his fingers from her cheek.“I'm glad we're together again, aren't you?” Travis chuckled. “We can be super-awesome fantastic friends again!”

With an uneasy smile, Ash dropped Travis's wrist.

Stella appeared in the doorway at the wrong moment, just in time to see the boy she liked caress Ash's face. Ash spotted Stella, and with an encouraging smile, introduced her to Travis.“This is Stella, she's in your class, right? Incredible how you two haven't noticed each other before today...”

Travis snorted. “Do you think I'm blind? Of course I've noticed her! Look at the clashing that goes on there!”

Horrified, Ash took a step back from Travis. He blindly continued.“Besides, I don't want to meet any other girls now that I've got my girlfriend back.”

Filled with hurt and humiliation, Stella tried to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. Instead of facing Ash, the best friend she almost had, Stella ran into the building, away from the hurt that stood outside.“Stella! Wait!” Ash called. Desperately, she threw her arms out into the air. “Where are you going?”

Travis began to laugh, somewhere behind Ash, but not a Stella. He had found a small group of butterflies to chase while Ash followed Stella, with unsuccessful results.

Later on, Ash was taking a time out from her problems at the local bar, when a stranger in a formal uniform walked in.“Hey,” he said, walking alongside the bar towards her. “My name's Talin, otherwise known as the Love Guru. Wanna dance?”

Ash looked at him as if he was crazy.“Are you kidding?”

Talin stopped looking at the drink on the counter, and faced her. “Would I be? You seem like the kind of girl who likes to dance.”

“I love to dance. But I have too many issues, all caused by guys, to dance and get involved with another guy!” Ash's voice grew higher until it was just a squeak.

“Sorry I asked.” Talin examined his hands. “No worries. Don't fret, true love doesn't happen straight away.”

“It's nothing like that.”

“Then what is it?”

Ash took in a deep breath, and pulled a face at Talin.“My best friend likes this guy, who I used to date but no longer want to, but he still thinks we're together. However, I secretly like, and have always like, his friend from the fraternity, and to top it all off, the friend thinks I've made a huge mistake dating the boy I did, and my best friend thinks I did it on purpose!”

Talin waited for a moment. “That's quite an issue.”

He turned to walk away. “So you're a guru who's not going to help?”

“Sometimes, we have to solve our own problems.” He answered, leaving her to fret over her own issues.

But instead of leaving, like anyone normal would have, Talin walked over to the bass and began strumming, singing.“This one goes out to the crazy girl I just met, with a lot of problems.” He winked at Ash, who stood across the room.

“Pretty Woman, walking down the street, Pretty woman, the kind I like to meet...”

The bartender looked up from her drinks to catch a few of Talin's lyrics. She sighed, and flipped her blonde ponytail.

“Why do I always get the weirdos in my bar?”

Ash clapped and laughed as Talin continued his song. He may not have had any useful advice, but he had made her feel better.

Still not knowing what she was going to do about the whole mess, Ash went home with a smile on her face.

Thanks to Talin's unhelpfulness and the night at the bar, Ash had made a decision. She was going to take things step-by-step, and relax a little. There were plenty worse things that could happen, after all, like the return of that man that had threatened her in the woods as a child.

“Hey, George. I was wondering, did you want to come over? We can watch a movie or something.”

Fifteen minutes had passed, and things were going well. Ash and George were like they were in the past – just good friends.“Won't the others in this dorm get the wrong idea?” George asked, turning his attention away from the television.

“About what?”

“Me disappearing into your room for a few hours?”

“At least I know the truth, right? Who cares what they think?”

With her thoughts spinning, about what people think, Ash thought of Stella, who had ignored all of Ash's phonecalls since the day Travis had re-entered Ash's life. Tears began to form, and Ash had to fight to keep them away.

George noticed quickly. “Hey? What's wrong?”

Ash didn't say anything, but George took a guess.“Is this about Stella? Travis told me she's not spoken to you for a while...”

“She won't speak to me at all.” Ash admitted, feeling like a child again.

George reached out and pulled her close, onto his lap, and smiled at her.“No matter what, you'll always have me.”

“I thought you didn't like me after I chose to date Travis over you.” Ash looked away, uneasily, trying to ignore the fact she was in the arms of someone who wasn't Travis.

“Don't hate me, but I don't think you and Travis will last much longer...”

“I don't hate you.” Ash whispered. “I'm still with Travis...mostly because I don't know how to end it with him...I don't want to break his heart, George.”

George and Ash got off of the sofa, feeling guilty. Ash knew it was wrong to date two guys, knowing this would only hurt them both in the end.“Ash, what's on your mind?” George asked.

“How do you know you can trust me? Even if we could be together publicly, how would you be able to trust me knowing I did this to Travis?”

George was silent for a moment. “I'm not going to lie to you. That is the kind of thing that scares me, but for now, let's just think about you and me.”

“Travis will have to know eventually...” Ash paused.

“Eventually.” George agreed. He reached up to her face, and Ash didn't stop him like she had stopped Travis. “It's going to be dark soon. I'd best get going.”

“No! Wait! Stay the night!”

George smiled. “Is that really a wise idea?”

“Who cares? It's my last night in the dorms, I'm moving to start a Greek house in the morning, so who really cares what people think here?”

As the sun set outside Ash's window, both Ash and George curled up on the bed in her room. There was no woohoo, just their soft murmurings as they talked, like they had done in the old days.

Ash temporarily forgot her troubles, and allowed herself to be happy with George, even if it was just for the night.

The Greek house turned out to be an almost-disaster, thanks to the lack of funds. Thankfully, Liam joined the university quickly and was soon able to enter the Greek House. Still, money was tight...

“I love what you've done with the place.” Liam said, sarcastically.

“Shut up! You have to live here too!”

“How am I going to impress Lucy with this place?”

It was true that Lucy had made it to university, but her feelings for Liam were no longer as strong...

“So we can continue the fairytale romance.” Liam concluded, after a long explanation of his vision for their future. “What do you think?”

“It sounds pretty good!” She told him, enthusiastically. “But I think...we're at uni now, we should...I don't know, date different people?”

Liam's face crumpled, and for a moment, Lucy felt guilty.

“But Lucy, I love you.” He murmured. Lucy laughed, and he felt silly as a green alien girl walked past.

“You don't know what love is, Liam.” Lucy straightened up, noticing Liam's gaze tracing Stella's movements. “You like Stella?”

“You know her?”

“Sure. We joined the same sorority.” Lucy smiled, and waved at Liam. “I'll see you around, maybe.”

Knowing that Stella had distracted Liam, Lucy could now leave without any guilt.

Liam, forgetting he had literally just broken up with his girlfriend, walked over to Stella. She turned around to find him staring, in a green coat that he hadn't been wearing a few moments ago, while a Cow Mascot laughed behind him.

Liam fell shy again, like he had at the pool when he had met Lucy. “I...”

Stella raised an eyebrow. “You want to talk to me, then date me, and so on. But I'm sorry, I don't want any man who isn't Travis.”

“But I...” Liam frowned again. Why was it that he struggled with women so much?

Ash had found herself a way of earning a little extra money to put towards the Greek House, to decorate and buy furniture, which would take a while because the job didn't pay too well.

She was working behind the counter in a coffee house, dressed in a uniform that looked like George's had done when they first met.

During one of her shifts, Talin, the “Love Guru” from the lounge had walked in with a woman. Talin had recognised Ash, even if he still didn't know her name.

“I'm going to go get a coffee.” He told his friend, and walked with a smile over to the counter.

“Hey.” He began, same as last time. “How have you been?”

“Good, thank you. And you, Talin?”

“Not bad, not bad at all.” Talin nodded, relaxed completely. “How's the guy problem?”

“Better, but more complicated in a way.”

“Uh oh. Sounds like trouble.”

“Not really. I started seeing the guy I liked.”

“But?” Talin asked, taking his coffee that Ash had finished making.

“But I'm still with the first guy, sort-of, in a lukewarm, I-don't-really-like-you-like-that kind of way. And my best friend still won't talk to me.”

“That's a shame.” Talin winked. “Better go. My only advice this time-

“Advice 'this time'? You gave me no advice last time!”

“I made you realise you weren't carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. This time, simply let nature take its course, and see which guy you love more.” Talin grinned. “Until I bump into you again, girl.”

While Ash worked, Liam had taken up sports – he'd been visiting the Recreation Centre daily, working out with help of a coach, playing games like basketball and meeting people with similar interests.

But never before had he met this girl.“Hey, um...” Liam felt the nervousness he got from talking to most girls. He noticed her jacket. “You play sport?”

“Nah. I'm here for the art room. I'm Cassidy, your average art student, really.” Cassidy waggled her eyebrows at him. “I'll see you around.”

Once alone, Liam let out a breath. “Why do all girls say that?”

There was something about Cassidy that drew Liam to her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was easier to talk to than most of the other girls he came across. Plus, she was creative – and Liam loved creative girls.

After working out, Liam entered the art block. Funnily enough, he had never been in there before, despite his love for artistic girls. Cassidy was hard at work on a lump of clay, she didn't even notice him come in.

Cassidy was completely lost in a world of her own, sculpting and creating. For her, there was no bigger freedom than her imagination, than her ability to simply make art.

So usually, she didn't like distractions. But when she heard the voice of the good-looking guy who'd stopped her outside earlier, she didn't mind too much.

“Hey, Cassidy...” Liam called. “It's er, me, Liam...we spoke earlier...?”

“I remember.” Cassidy grinned and let go of her clay.

“What's up, Liam?” Cassidy smiled. She had a feeling that Liam was going to try and ask her out, thinking he was a bold, to-the-point kind of guy.

So it surprised her when Liam started stumbling over his words.“I...I liked meeting you...Cassidy, and I was wondering if...you...er...wanted to...”

“Wanted to hang out sometime?” Cassidy asked, flattered.

“Yes,” Liam smiled slightly, still nervous but not as much. “What do you think?”

“I'd like that, Liam. But I'm working in the Student Kitchen tonight. You know, down the corridor, in the cooking department?” Cassidy's voice was saddened by this, as Liam's coach entered the room.

“I can...should I...visit...the kitchen, maybe?”

Cassidy grinned. “Yeah! That could be fun!”

“Liam, you're missing your training session!” Scolded the coach, and Liam shot Cassidy a sympathetic look before leaving with the coach.

Darkness began to fall, and Cassidy was still standing in the art room.“I really like him.”

Sighing, she cleared up her art materials, and headed over to the Student Kitchen, where she hoped Liam would visit her.

Liam entered the Student Kitchen feeling more nervous than he had done when he had just been talking to Cassidy. His coach was looking for him around the centre, and Liam was feeling shyer than ever.

“You're a bit late,” Cassidy told him. “We stopped serving food an hour ago.”

Liam looked at the floor, annoyed at himself for being this late. “I'm...I'm sorry.”

Cassidy shrugged. “At least you came,” her face pulled into a smile. “Well, I like you, so I've decided, how about you come by the centre again in a few days and we can spend some time together, working on a project or something. You like?”

Grinning, Liam nodded. “I'd love that, Cassidy.”

“Good.” Cassidy put away a clean glass. “And call me Cass.”

When Liam left, only a few minutes later, he was met by the coach, waiting to talk to him. She was angry.

“I'm warning you, falling in love will be the first distraction. It can only lead to you being distracted enough to leave the team.”

Liam contemplated this for a moment.“I'd rather have love that play basketball right now.” And he walked off, over the moon about meeting a girl who liked him.

While Liam was out at the centre, Ash had gone over to Travis's, because he had invited her to stay the night. It was the first time she'd got to see the Greek House he had been living in, but something didn't really feel right about the evening.

“So this is the living room. And that room behind you is where you'll be staying.” Travis grinned. “Over there is the corridor that leads to the study, and I think that concludes the tour.”

Ash tried to smile, but after the four years of university being filled with guy-drama, she couldn't pretend to be happy anymore.

The room where Ash was supposed to spend the night had not been what she was expecting – red, and luxurious, styled as if to seduce.

“I do not like where this is going.” Ash sighed, and decided to think positively. “It's fine, he just asked you to stay the night, nothing else.”

But then the door opened, and Travis walked in...

Standing there, grinning, was Travis, in tiny leopard print underpants.“Ready to put the woo to the hoo?” He asked, flexing. Ash said nothing as he crossed the room, just grimacing at him.

Even if Travis wasn't that intelligent, he knew something was up the minute he laid down – mostly because Ash had cringed away from him.“What's wrong?”

“This is, Travis.” Ash responded, sharply. “I'm not going to sleep with you, if that's what you're thinking.”

“Why not? Is it the leopard print? I thought you'd like them...”

“I'm not woohooing a guy I have lukewarm feelings for!”

“I'm sorry, Travis, but I think this is the end.” Ash sighed.

“The end? But we've been fine for weeks, why now? I even got us the nicest room in the fraternity!”

Ash shook her head. “I've got to go.”

Ash went running from the red room, leaving Travis behind, knowing exactly who she was searching for. She hadn't bothered to change back into her clothes, but she wished she had when she bumped into Stella.

“Hey, um, you wouldn't happen to know...”

Stella grinned. “I've missed being your friend, I really have. George's room is down the long corridor with lots of doors, first door on your left.”

“I'll talk to you later, over a coffee, but right now...just thanks.”

“You're welcome.” Stella smiled as Ash went running off again.

Ash burst into the room, calling George's name, not caring that it might be so late that the other members of the Greek House would be asleep.

In fact, George was asleep, when Ash arrived, but she woke him up.

“Ash, why are you in my room in your underwear?” George asked, sleepily.

“I finished it! I'm no longer with Travis!”

With a yawn, George straightened up. “Seriously? So...you're just dating me now?”

With a nod from Ash, George got up.“I'm going to take a shower if you want to get dressed or whatever. You're welcome to stay the night in here, if you'd like.”

George and Ash settled on the double bed in the corner of George's room, both fully clothed and happy.“You decorated this room? It's gorgeous.”

“It's not bad.” George agreed. “So you and I. We can be together publicly now?”

“Yes. And I was thinking, maybe you should meet my brother. He didn't think much of Travis, so maybe, if he likes you, that's a good sign.”

“That's such a childish, cute thing to say.” George laughed.

“I love you, George.” Ash told him, in a quiet voice. She was determined that the people in the nearby rooms would not be woken up again.

“And it only took your entire time at uni, plus some time beforehand, to realise that.”

Ash smiled and put her head on his shoulder.

When Liam arrived at the centre, dressed for basketball (with no intentions of playing the sport, he just wanted to look like he belonged at the centre), he found Cass outside, rather than in the art room.

“Um...Cass, is it really a good idea to...fix a car engine in your bikini?” He asked her.

Cass didn't turn her attention away from the car. “Liam, we are living in a desert. It is way too hot for me to try and fix this car when I'm not in my swimsuit. So go put on some swim shorts and you can join me.”

Surprised, Liam obeyed, and got ready to work in the desert sun with Cassidy.

While Cass had giggled at the colour choice for Liam's shorts at first, the pair of them quickly got to work on the car, with Cassidy tweaking the engine while Liam buffed up the bodywork.

They made a great team, Liam too shy to complain about Cass's loud curses when the engine blew up, and Cass was too determined to give up.

Soon enough, they had finished the car.

Waiting beside Liam and Cass was a beautiful yellow car that looked like new. Shiny and efficient, the car was perfect.

“Wasn't that worth all the work?” Cass asked with a smile.

“You mean, wasn't that worth burning in the summer sun in your swimwear?” Liam laughed. Cass joined in, and then smiled at him.

“Let's take it for a ride!” Cass grinned. “After we change back into our clothes.”

Cassidy was lounging on the front of the car when Liam came outside, deep in thought on top of the yellow car.

“You know, to drive it, you're supposed to sit inside it.” Liam called, joining her.

“I know,” she answered, playfully. “I just...it looked like a good place to sit.”

“You're right.” Liam told her. “It is a good place to sit.”

The pair of them remained in an embrace on the front of the car for a while, until the desert sun grew too hot, when Liam suggested something else.

A makeover.

When Liam actually unveiled the salon chair, however, that's when Cass began to have second thoughts.

“You're sure I'll still look alright? I kind of like having my hair short...”

“So we keep it short, Cass.” Liam waved an arm dramatically. Now that he knew Cass, he was no longer nervous. “Don't you trust me?”

“Alright. But if you mess this up, you will pay.”

“How do I look?” Cassidy questioned, the instant Liam was finished.

“I messed up.” Liam teased. “Nah, more beautiful than before. If that was possible.”

“I love it.” Cass announced, after seeing her reflection. She grabbed Liam into a hug. “You should come to an art exhibition with me, next week. My work might be on display.”

“I can't. My sister's graduating.”

“Then we'll all go out to celebrate her graduation.”

“Good idea. Let's do it.”

The day before the finals, Ash wandered down to the coffee house to meet up with George for a couple of hours. It wouldn't be long until he arrived, but until then, Ash had found Talin.

“So how's life, girl? Still chaos?” He expected the answer to be yes, but was surprised to hear the alternative.

“Nope. Just me, and George, now. My best friend is my best friend, my brother's happy...all is well.” Ash grinned. “Your advice did help, though.”

“Told ya I was the Love Guru.” Talin said, smugly.

Talin didn't get a reply, because Ash had spotted George, and had run as fast as she could over to him.

“Hey, someone's pleased to see me!” George laughed. “How are you?”

“That question is so over-used.”

“Yeah, but it gets a conversation going.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

George and Ash held each other, heads together, caught in a moment that no one else around them could feel...or maybe Talin could feel it, but only because he was so close to them.

“Talin, you can go now.” Ash laughed.

“You know, all this love makes me wish I had a girlfriend of my own.” Talin grinned. “Good luck with your life, girl and George.”

Ash had agreed to go with Liam to Cassidy's art show. Unfortunately, Cass's work had been rejected from the show, so they couldn't see her work. However, there was plenty of other art to look at.“What do you think?” Liam asked.

“It's a truly great piece.” Cassidy began.

“No, I mean about the show. I was sure there would be more people than this...”

“Maybe it's just a quiet evening.” Cassidy shrugged it off. “Where's Ash?”

“Bathroom, I believe.”

Ash had been stood in the doorway behind them as they had been talking, and had noticed something they hadn't.

“That's why it would explain why it's so quiet.” Ash murmured.

There, next to an antique pot, stood Ralph, leaning against the staircase, clearly unamused.“I finally tracked down the Wrongway siblings.” He said, quietly, only to get louder. “And now it is time to get my revenge!”

As if from nowhere, Hex entered from down the stairs. He stood so that he separated Ralph from the Wrongway siblings and Cassidy.

“Get the girls to a safe place, Liam!” Hex called. He turned to face Ralph.

“Let me guess, your gypsy friends told you I was here.”

“If you want to hurt the Wrongways, you'll have to go through me.”

“Alright, I can do that.”

In an instant, Ralph had moved from his position against the staircase, and had brought his knee up, and used it to hit Hex in his stomach.

With a groan of pain, Hex tried to fight back, but Ralph was unstoppable.

With a swift movement, Ralph landed a punch on Hex.

Blinded by pain, Hex tried again to strike back, resulting in more punches from Ralph.

From across the room, Cassidy, Liam and Ash were watching, each of them pulling agonized faces with each blow.

“This is really nasty.” Liam admitted.

“Who are these guys?” Cassidy asked, as Liam had yet to tell her his family's past.

“The red-headed guy is Ralph, my Dad's weird brother...I don't know the other guy.” Ash frowned. “But I'm not letting this go on any longer.”

The fight was nearing an end, and Hex was at a disadvantage. He had fallen, and could see Ralph closing in to finish him off.

“Hey, Ralph!” Ash yelled, tauntingly.

Ash stood opposite, her brother and Cassidy having hidden behind one of the larger statues to the left, now stood up for the man beaten on the floor.

“This isn't about that guy.” Ash said, determinedly. “This is about you, and the Wrongways. Leave him be and start the real fight.”

Hex could hear every word Ash was saying and he didn't like it. If he was to fulfill his job, he needed to move.

Protect the heir.

An inside voice commanded. Hex was too weak to move very much, too battered to stand up and take another punch. How was he going to protect the heir?

Hex swallowed and reached into his pocket.

Pulling out a wand, he waved it a little bit, pointing at Ash, and muttered some words...protecting her the only way he could...

Ash glittered and glowed, feeling a power surge. She was going to be strong, Ash decided.

She could beat Ralph if she tried.

Ash was so powerful she didn't need a wand to cast magic. She made shapes with her hand, made Ralph suffer a bit.

He squealed, like the coward he was, and ran, unable to take the pain he had inflicted on Hex only moments ago.

Ash reached down, ended her spell for Ralph, and working on Hex, helping him to his feet.

“Thank you!” She exclaimed the minute Hex was well enough to stand on his own again. She tried to hug him, but he politely refused. “Who are you, anyway?”

“I'm Hex. Think of this as a favour from the Protector of the Supernatural, right?” Hex paused, looking for an exit. “If trouble comes again, believe me, I will be back.”

He started to run away, Ash frowning after him.

“Look after your gift well, Ashley Wrongway!” He yelled, clearly referring to the new witch powers Ash had.

“Oh...how on earth am I going to tell Mum and Dad?” Ash gasped. “How can I be heir when I'm a witch?”

“I'm not sure what just happened.” Cassidy murmured. Liam pulled a face.

“I think Ash is doubting that she should be heir...which may complicate things for us...”___________________________Is Ash thinking of giving heirship to Liam? Will she struggle with her new powers? Will Hex track down Ralph?

Thanks for Reading! :)