Ashley Ranger

Ashley Kendra LaBras Ranger is a former student of SQSS and best remembered as a tragicly positive, HIV-positive sculptor. She is introduced at age 16, as a junior at Southern Queens Secondary School.

In her inital appearences, she is described as of average height, with a bright smile, and long, wavy brown hair, which she straightens daily. As she ages, she is shown to be very attractive, but becomes dangerously thin from her disease, which was contracted from ex-boyfriend, Ben Campbell.

Early Life
Ashley Kendra LaBras Ranger was born to Maureen LaBras and Eric Ranger, when Jenna was 17 and Eric was 18, in Akron, Ohio. Her past is revealed in parts, and it is implied that Ashley lived with her maternal grandmother while her mother went to school, and had a very strained relationship with her father, whom she rarely sees. Ashley and her mother moved to Grey Gardens, Washington, because her new step-father was posted to the military base, and her half-sister, Holly Dumott was born in 1986. She lived on the base until she was 12, in 1995, and made friends with Kate Harris and Laura Dunn, before being posted to Phoenix, Arizona.

In Arizona, Ashley became very popular, and a cheerleader. Before leaving to return to Grey Gardens, briefly experimented with crystal meth.

Upon her return to Grey Gardens, she attempted to re-connect with old friends, but found to have little in common with Kate. Soon, however, she found her niche with Laura, and her friend, Jack Scarlett. Jack and Ashley experimented with drugs and alcohol together, away from Laura's "obsessive morality." She met Kyle Belliveau, a tough womanizer to whom she lost her virginity. Ashley graduated in 2001, and was voted class clown. She parted ways with her old friends, and went to Sarah Lawerence, to focus on creative arts.

Adulthood & Death
Ashley dropped out of school in 2003, and moved to New York City, and became a fairly prominent folk artist. By 2018, she had moved in with her boyfriend, Ben Campbell. Unbeknownst to both of them, Ben was HIV-positive. Only after her and Ben drowned in the Hudson River, in 2019, did she get tested. Not only did Ashley learn she was HIV-positive, but she was also pregnant. Facing both birth and death, Ashley safely gave birth to a daughter, Claire Ranger, on August 12th, 2020. Not long after, she learned that her illness had advanced to full-blown AIDS. She made arrangements for her baby, and arranged for Laura Dunn and her new husband, Chase Kommer, to take Claire when Ashley was unable to care for her child. Ashley died on August 23rd, 2021, and fulfilled her last wish, to see her daughter's first birthday.

Ashley was cremated, and her ashes were scattered in the Hudson River, at a service attended by her family, and Jack and Laura and their families.

Family Relationships
Ashley has complex relationships with her multiple half-siblings and biological and step-parents, briefly outlined below:

Maureen LaBras
Maureen is Ashley's biological mother. They are supportive of each other, and often joke and have a very strong bond.

Eric Ranger
Eric Ranger is Ashley's biological father. He did not want Jenna to keep their daughter. He is rarely seen, and is shown as distant and detatched, and somewhat resentful of the responsibility having Ashley forced into his life.

Carol Ranger
Ashley mentions her only once, briefly. She is the mother of Ashley's half-brother, Joe Ranger. She is seen as stren, strict, and compulsivly neat and germaphobic.

Rob Dumott
Rob Dumott is Ashley's step-father, and is usually who Ashley refers to when she mentions her "dad." They are very close, and Rob is protective of Ashley. They consider each other to be biological father and daughter.

Holly Dumott
Holly Dumott is Ashley's half-sister, by her mother and Rob Dumott. The two have a playful relationship, when they were younger, Ashley often helped Holly with her appearance, and Holly was protective of her sister around boys. In general, they are the closests of Ashley's siblings, and had a good relationship until Ashley's death.

Sara Dumott
Sara Dumott is mentioned by Ashley as much younger than her, and very annoying, in her opinion.

John Dumott
John Dumott is Ashley's youngest sibling, and he is often mentioned by Ashley. He is autistic, and Ashley often played with him to encourage social development.

Joe Ranger
Joe Ranger is mentioned once, in a story told by Ashley. She is visiting her father in Ohio, and Joe's mother, (Ashley's step-mother), takes the two to a toy store, where she refuses to allow the children touch anything in the store, in fear of spreading germs.

Trivia

 * She is left-handed.
 * Ashley plays both the piano and clarinet well.
 * Her old black-and-gold cheerleading uniform is seen framed on the wall of her hospital room, before she died.
 * She mentioned that in drama class in Phoenix, she played Duckie in an abridged production of Pretty In Pink.