Ashley sat quietly in the back of the old car. Proof and Marshall, having their own conversation in the front. It was a conversation she wasn't the slightest bit interested in. They were talking about rap and hip-hop music. Ashley didn't have much experience, when it came to the genre, so she decided to keep quiet in the back. Letting the two boys debate who had the better verse, or whatever they were arguing about.

''Yo Ash, please tell me you've actually listened to rap. Otherwise, we might have a problem,'' Ashley wasn't quite sure if Proof was joking or not, but either way she felt compelled to answer.

''Does walk this way count. I mean I only listened to it cause of Aerosmith, but I liked it,'' she replied. Proof had turned around and begun to stare at her rather intently.

''Hmm, yo slim what you think?'' He turned to Marshall instead, who didn't seem as interested in her response.

''Yeah, whatever. We're here anyway so it don' t matter,'' Marshall got out the care very quickly. The action must have been out of character because Deshaun furrowed his eyes brows, watching his friend slam the car door behind him.

''Hey why don't you stay here for a second, Imma talk to him,'' Ashley nodded, allowing Proof to hop out the car, closing the door with less of a slam than Marshall had before him.

It was then in the silence of the vehicle, she realised that she should have swiped her walkman from the spare bedroom at Proofs house. Ashley had never liked silence, it always made the slightest of noises so much louder. The added fear of being alone in an unknown environment caused the hairs on her back to rise, prickling her spine.

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''What's got up your arse?'' Marshall rolled his eyes as Proof approached him. He couldn't help but glance back at the car just to make sure Ashley was inside it before he turned his attention to his best friend.

''Why did you want to bring her here man. The whole ride over I've been thinking of why and I ain't got a single idea. The kid doesn't like rap or hip-hop, she knows fuck all about the community we, well you got in this place,'' Marshall ranted throwing his hands up in exasperation, ''she's just a kid, she shouldn't be getting involved in what you do man.''

''Doody we're just showing her around the shelter. What if she's out late and gets lost she needs to know there are places she can go. She's already got the record shop and my place; but what if there's no one at those places,'' Proof explained holding Marshalls gaze intently, ''I also got a plan to get her to sing, man I just know you gotta hear her.''

''So what if I like how she sings I ain't got no deal yet what am I supposed to do?''

''Well if she's good enough she could get a deal and then we just slide in,'' Proof moved his hand to illustrate a sliding motion to which Marshall just slapped his hand away.

''Fine get her out of the car I'll get the door,'' Marshall finally gave in turning away from his friend towards the building which held an underground room, which held the largest rap battles in Detroit.

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Ashley jumped, she'd drifted off into a daydream, until she was awoken by Proof taping on the window. Opening the door she revealed his smiling face (she was very much certain that he never stopped smiling or being happy in general) a pair of crutches in his hands.

''What was wrong with Marshall?'' She asked, looking around for him, before finally spotting the brunette by an open door.

''He just stressed over work,'' Deshaun shrugged. Ashley narrowed her eyes at the back of his head as he moved away from her.

''Doesn't he work in a restaurant or something,'' She questioned, hobbling behind on her crutches; not believing the explanation Proof had just given her.

''Hospitality is a very stressful industry, little missy,'' Ashley stopped, ''yo why'd you stop,'' he turned around after he could no longer hear the clunk of her crutches on the pavement.

''Your lying to me and I don't appreciate being lied to Deshaun Holton. The last person that lied to me ended up with a very distinct black eye. So you better tell me the truth. What was up with Marshall?'' Proof opened his mouth, but no words came out. Ashley tilted her head to the side to see Marshall approaching them, while Proof just stood his mouth opening and closing kinda like a fish.

''What's taking you two so long?'' Marshall called, he'd moved closer to them, but he still wasn't close enough to hear their conversation.

''My leg just needs a moment, we'll be over in a moment,'' Ashley shouted back.

''How'd you, what...?'' Deshaun was dumbfounded for a before he was able to collect himself to finally reply to Ashley in a full sentence, ''He couldn't understand why he wanted me to bring you here. That's all I swear, please don't punch me I'm too handsome,'' he lifted his arms in surrender.

''Ok, but if I find you're still lying, I live with you at the moment. Just remember that,'' Proof had never been so afraid of a teenager in his life.

''So this is the stage ya know where people go head to head,'' Ashley nodded and smiled at how enthusiastic Proof appeared to be. She was afraid he'd dive into an explanation about why the toilets meant so much to him because the tour seemed to be leaning in that direction.

''Two people go head to head and try to out rhyme each other?'' Ashley questioned, sitting on the edge of the stage in between Marshall and Deshaun. She'd tried to take in all the information that was being thrown her way, but Proof had gone a hundred miles an hour, making it hard for her to keep up with what was being said.

''Kinda, but you gotta be clever try and play to your strengths. Tear your opponent down, kinda like getting into a fight, but instead of punching...'' Proof flinched moving away from Ashley slightly, ''someone you say it with words.'' Marshall explained. It was the first real sentence he'd spoken to her since they'd arrived.

''Although it can get physical sometimes,'' Proof muttered, glancing over at Ashley form the corner of his eye, ''yo why don't you try, I'' get a couple microphones,'' before Ashley could so much as blink Proof had stood up and disappeared.

''I... I can't rap,'' she stuttered out as he came back, handing her a microphone.

''Sing then, you said you write, right,'' Marshall raised an eyebrow to that, it was a piece of information that his friend had neglected to tell him.

''Nope, no nothing I've written will remotely be of any use to you at all,'' Ashley shook her head, placing the microphone down on the stage. She saw Marshall mouth something to Proof, but her lip reading was always atrocious so she had no idea what was being said. Not that it mattered because a couple seconds later Proof started to sing.

''Well, you're a real tough cookie with a long history, of breaking little hearts like the one in me. That's okay, let's see how you do it Put up you dukes, let's get down to it Hit me with your best shot Why don't you hit me with your best shot Hit me with your best shot Fire away,'' He gestured for Ashley to pick up the microphone, ''come on I know you know the song,'' he started again. He was way off-key and Ashley was sure her ears were about to bleed.

''I normally sing with my guitar, but because I want you to stop,'' Ashley rather reluctantly and in a bid to get Proof to stop, picked up the mic and began to sing.