Playing With Fire

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Ashley sat down that next morning with a plate of fresh eggs and biscuits in front of her. She was the only one up and moving at that point. A loud knock on the door made her curse. Can't a girl enjoy her food anymore?



She walked to the front door, pulling her hair up into a pony tail. She opened the door and was immediately enveloped into a warm hug.



"Oh, Ashley, dear, it's so good to see you," the woman smiled, walking inside.



"Jeanne?" Ashley choked. "What are you doing here?"



"Jason called me last night. He said there was an emergency with Kelly," she said looking around the foyer nervously. "Where is she? Where's my baby?"



"It's ok; everything's fine," Ashley assured her. "She's still sleeping."



Jeanne nodded, calming down a bit.



"Um, look," Ashley said, leading her to the kitchen. "I just made breakfast, and you look like you could use something to eat. So, go ahead, enjoy, and I need to go talk to Jason real quick, ok?"



"Thank you, sweetie."



Ashley smiled politely, before turning to rush up the stairs. She banged on Jason's door. After several minutes, he opened it in his boxers and a t-shirt, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.



"What the hell?" he grumbled.



Ashley shoved him into his room, closing the door behind her.



"I thought we agreed to wait a few days!"



"What?"



"Your mom!" Ashley cried. "She's here! Now!"



"My mom's here?" he asked, a smile forming.



"We agreed to wait!"



"I know, but I got to thinking, and decided that we didn't have time to wait."



Ashley glared at him.



"I don't understand what the big deal is," Jason sighed, sitting on his bed.



"Oh, I don't know, maybe now isn't exactly the perfect time for your mom to be here."



"Why not?"



"Because Carrie's here!"



"Carrie's here? As in Carrie Underwood? In my house?"



"Yes," Ashley replied.



"Why?"



"To settle this fight that they've been in."



"Carrie and Kelly were fighting?"



"Are you really that dense? She's the reason that Kelly's been like she has!"



"I didn't even realize they were that close of friends."



"You are such a guy," Ashley rolled her eyes.



"Meaning?"



"Meaning that you are completely clueless and oblivious!"



Jason frowned, knowing that she had a point. Half the things she and his sister discussed went straight over his head.



"I still don't understand why it's a bad thing that my mom's here."



"Well...I just hate to have her come all this way and worry, and there's no need anymore. Kelly will be fine once she and Carrie...talk, and I just don't want your mom's being here to...inhibit that."



"Why would she inhibit them from talking?" Jason asked confusedly.



"Ugh!" she sighed. "Never mind. Just, forget about it, alright!"



Ashley turned and exited the room, slamming the door. Jason raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off, lying back on his bed. He was asleep in two seconds.



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Carrie looked in the mirror, pulling up her hair into a neat pony tail. She smiled nervously. She had put on a pair of jeans and a pink fitted-t. Finally satisfied, she left her room. She looked both ways down the hall and frowned. Last night it had been dark when Ashley had led her up here, and now, she had no idea how to get to wherever the hell it was that she was supposed to be going.



Carrie slowly walked down the hall, trying each door, finding nothing but different rooms. She opened another one and froze. It was a bedroom, and she knew to whom it belonged the moment she stepped into it. It just had this aura about it.



++++++++



Kelly stepped out of the shower and dried off. She wiped the fog off the mirror and frowned. She had been losing weight. Most people would be thrilled to see the way she looked, but she wasn't. At least the circles under her eyes had receded after last night's hard slumber. She didn't know what had caused it, but sometime during the night she just suddenly had the feeling that she was safe again.



She placed her hand on the door knob that led to her room, but decided at the last minute to wrap a towel around herself. She wasn't even sure why she did it. Normally, she had no problem walking around the house nekked.



+++++++++



Carrie smiled, picking up the frame in her hand. It held a picture of Kelly along with the rest of the top ten from season one. She sat down on the edge of the bed, the frame still in her hands. Kelly just looked so young and innocent in that picture that Carrie couldn't help but smile down at it fondly. Unfortunately, she knew that at that point in her life, Kelly had already been through more than anyone ever should have to go through, and she's been through even more since then.



A door on the side wall opened, causing her to jump. She quickly caught the frame before it hit the floor.



+++++++++



Kelly froze. She felt her hear stop and figured she was having a heart attack. Or maybe, she had already had one, and she had now gone to heaven, or hell, it depends how you looked at it.



Carrie's mouth dropped. She hadn't expected to see Kelly. Well, she knew that she was going to see her eventually--this was her house after all--but she just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.



Kelly looked at the blonde in awe. Even in a t-shirt and jeans, she was still the most beautiful thing in the world.



Carrie's gaze dropped to Kelly's attire, and she suddenly found it getting very hot. The short texan stood before her in nothing but a fluffy white towel. No matter how hard she tried, Carrie couldn't pick her jaw up off the floor.



"I-I was l-lost," Carrie managed.



Suddenly, Kelly felt wave on wave of emotion wash over her, as she relived the past few weeks. She felt her eyes begin to sting with tears as she backed away slowly.



"Kelly dear," the front door of her room swung open as her mom entered. "It's time to wake up. Mom's home..." her voice trailed off when she noticed the blonde sitting on the bed. She then turned to see Kelly, wide eyed, standing in a towel.



"How many times have I told you, Kelly Brianne, that it is not appropriate to walk around in front of your company without clothes on," her mom scolded.



"Sorry," Kelly replied. Her voice completely void of all emotion. "I'm gonna go change."



She quickly exited back into her bathroom, locking the door behind her, leaving Carrie alone with her mom in her room.



"Hi," Jeanne greeted. "I'm Jeanne, Kelly's mom."



Carrie stood, shaking the offered hand, "Hi, I'm Carrie Underwood."



Jeanne's eyes widened as smile formed, "Why, yes you are."



Carrie couldn't help but smile.



"I didn't know you and Kelly were such good friends. Although, I wouldn't now would I, I mean, I haven't heard from her in weeks. But, I'm glad to see you are friends. I always told Kelly she should meet you. I mean, you two have so much in common with Idol and all..."



Carrie's smile widened as she followed Jeanne downstairs. So, now she knew where Kelly got her rambling habits from. Her smile faded softly at the thought of what Jeanne would say when she found out that she and Kelly were a little more than good friends. She had a feeling that Jeanne wasn't one of those open-minded parents. She also had a feeling that if Jeanne found out that Carrie was the reason that Kelly hadn't been calling her, that she wouldn't be as fond of the blonde as she was now.



The slight look of fear in Kelly's eyes when she saw Carrie, replayed in her mind. This definitely wasn't going to be easy, and she had a feeling that with Kelly's mom here, it would be even harder.