The friendship between Ashley Kerwin and Ellie Nash, known as Ashlie (Ashley/Ellie), began in the second season of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Friendship History
Season 2
After Ashley was ostracized from her group of friends at the end of Karma Chameleon, she met fellow outcast Ellie, a punk girl with a penchant for heavy make-up and wild hairstyles. The two quickly began to develop a friendship, and Ashley cultivated a new goth style to go along with her status as school pariah.
In Weird Science, Jimmy Brooks tried to ask her out. Ellie said that he was cute but declined as he previously dated Ashley, her new best friend. She did however, give Spinner Mason her number.
In Drive, when Ellie decided to get her cartilage pierced by her cousin Atilla, Ashley wanted to get her belly button pierced to impress Ellie. When Ashley was about to get it done, she decided that she couldn't go through with it. Later, she told Ellie that she has a huge fear of needles but she was going to have it done as she wanted to be "cool" and score some points with Ellie. Ellie assured her that she was her friend and did not need a piercing to impress her.
By this time, Ellie had seemingly been to Ashley's house on at least one previous occasion as she had already met her mother Kate Kerwin.
In Shout (2), Ellie was very impressed by Paige Michalchuk and the Sex Kittens (PMS)' song about rape at the Pro-Voice Song Writing Contest. Putting her arms around Paige and Ashley's shoulders, she lamented that the band had been robbed as the song had only gotten an honorable mention. Given their poor relationship, Paige was surprised that she liked it but Ellie said, "Paige, you were awesome. Truly."
In Take My Breath Away, Ellie sent secret admirer emails to Marco Del Rossi. In Media Immersion class, Ashley playfully teased Ellie about her new crush but Ellie refused to tell her who it was.
Ellie and Marco are on the verge of becoming a couple in Careless Whisper. While the two have gone out a few times for coffee, Ellie tells Ashley that she's concerned about the fact that Marco treats her more like a friend than a potential girlfriend. Marco asks Ellie on a "real date" to the movies, but fakes a sneeze when Ellie tries to hold his hand in the theater. When Ashley asks Ellie how her date went the next day at school, Ellie tells her that Marco was not affectionate with her at all, and comes to the conclusion that Marco must not be romantically interested in her. Ashley on the other hand, suspects that Marco's lack of affection and peculiar behavior around Ellie could mean that he is gay. Ellie, however, angrily insists that Marco is straight.
After an awkward attempt at making out with Ellie at Ashley's house, Marco confesses to her that he isn't sure whether he is attracted to girls. Ellie agrees to act as his girlfriend while he sorts his feelings out.
In Hot for Teacher, both Ashley and Ellie made faces when they smelled Spinner's unpleasant body odor in Math class. Ashley wondered whether they should tell him. Ellie said that honesty never hurt. She walked over to him and said, "Rule number one of puberty, shower every day." Later that day, Ellie was impressed by Ashley's short story in English class, which ended with the line "Milan just stared into the soul of the eclipse and saw the world for what it was. A shadow of black, empty, despairing nothingness."
In the meantime, Ashley and Jimmy have rekindled their relationship, but Jimmy is still put off by Ashley's new style. She decides to revert to her former, preppier look in Dressed In Black, a choice with which Ellie did not agree as she believed Ashley had been "tamed". Ashley later returned to her goth look, much to Jimmy's dismay.
In How Soon is Now?, Ashley gushes to Ellie about what a perfect couple she and Marco make. Meanwhile, Ellie is frustrated with the shows of affection Marco makes in front of their peers, without having committed to a relationship with her. Marco later tells Ellie that he is certain he is gay. Ellie is heartbroken, but agrees to continue pretending to be his girlfriend until he is ready to come out. She keeps this secret from everyone, even Ashley.
After Craig's father Albert Manning died, in Tears Are Not Enough (2), Ashley confided in Ellie that Craig had laughed at the funeral. Ellie said, "Funerals can be stressful. Weird things happen." After Craig walked over to them, a concerned looking Ellie said "hey" to him. Craig told Ashley that he had signed them up as candidates for king and queen for the end of year luau, much to her surprise. Ellie tried to take their picture but Craig told her to save it for the dance.
Season 3
In Against All Odds, Ashley and Ellie were going to Montreal for R&R that weekend. Ellie said that she packed too much for the trip.
In Accidents Will Happen (1), Ashley and Ellie called Manny various insults, such as calling her a "boyfriend stealer".
In Accidents Will Happen (2), when she and Craig bumped into each other, Ellie angrily told him to watch where he was going. As he had his arm around Manny at the time and he later kissed her, Ellie surmised that they had begun dating and told Ashley.
In Rock and Roll High School, Ellie was very supportive of Ashley when Craig Manning cheats on her with Manny, and they both made snide remarks towards them. During a Battle of the Bands competition, Ellie joined Ashley's anti-Craig band, Hell Hath No Fury, along with Paige Michalchuk and Hazel Aden. Hell Hath No Fury's song "Mr. Nice Guy" was about Craig and he confronted her about in Media Immersion class. Ashley said, "Typical. Self-absorbed Craig actually thinks the song is about him" to which Ellie responded, "Wow. So vain." In the end, Downtown Sasquatch won and, as Ashley started to forgive Craig, so did Ellie.
Season 4
In Anywhere I Lay My Head, Ellie reveals to Ashley that Sean asked her to move in earlier that morning. Ashley tells her that she can't do it, but Ellie is actually considering it because her mother isn't doing too well. At Parent teacher conferences, Ashley introduces her father and his partner to Ellie and her mom. After Ellie's mother almost burns their house down, Ellie uses Ashley as an excuse so that she can move in with Sean.
After Craig kissed her in Neutron Dance, Ashley told Ellie that she was thinking about giving him another chance and getting back together. Ellie, still bitter over her recent break-up with Sean Cameron, said, "Guys suck, Ashley. They enjoy messing with our feelings - and then sticking us with the rent." She believed that it was only a matter of time before Craig cheated on Ashley again. However, Ashley ignored Ellie's advice and she and Craig got back together the next day.
In Secret (1), Ashley said to Ellie that she was worried about Craig as he was bipolar. Ellie told her that it was not her job to worry about it and that she should take from "another sicko". Craig sat down beside them and asked them who was a sicko. Ellie told him that she was referring to the goulash on his tray and promptly left. Craig then asked Ashley what they had been talking about and she lied to him by saying that she had not told Ellie that he was bipolar. She told him that there was a support group for teenagers with mental health problems and advised him to go. While he predicted that he would hate it, he went anyway and found it beneficial until Ellie arrived. The next day at school, Craig yelled at Ashley for sending him to Ellie's group. When she told him that she did not think that he would mind, he said that she did not think at all.
Several hours later, Ellie came to Craig's house on the pretext of having her guitar repaired but admitted almost immediately that it was an excuse. She told Craig that she used to cut herself, saying that, "What's bizarre is I'm always going to be a cutter. Even if I don't do it for years, it's still me." He confided in her that he was bipolar and she tried to cheer him up by reminding him that the same was true of Kurt Cobain. She then advised him to talk to Ashley, telling him that she cared about him. Craig said that he knew that but he was bothered by the fact that all she ever talked about lately was his medications, his therapist and his moods. In his garage that night, Ashley said that she should have told him that it was Ellie's group earlier. Craig told her that he wanted to be her normal boyfriend, not some crazy guy that she had to save all the time, and talk about things like music, movies and even goulash rather than his condition. Ashley kissed him and they reconciled.
Season 5
In Venus (1), while Ashley was away in England over the summer, Craig and Ellie bonded, becoming best friends. On the first day of school, Ellie received an email from Ashley, telling her that she had met a boy named Alistair and started a relationship with him.
When Ashley returned home from London in High Fidelity (2), Ellie told her that Craig was in Vancouver pursuing his solo music career and that he was dating Manny. Ashley said that this made her "vaguely itchy", referring to their love triangle two years earlier. When Ashley asked if she was dating anyone, Ellie told her that she was crushing on someone "as usual" but it was never going to happen "as usual". She was referring to Craig but Ashley believed that she meant Jimmy, who confided in her that he had feelings for Ellie.
The next day, at the variety show before the graduation of the Class of 2006, Jimmy told Ellie that she had become one of his best friends and asked her if she wanted to take their friendship to the next level. However, she told him that she did not feel that way about him. Shortly afterwards, Craig returned to Toronto to surprise Manny. He waved at Ellie, who gave him an awkward look before averting her gaze.
Season 6
In Eyes Without a Face (2), Ellie and Ashley discussed the former's relationship with her new boyfriend Jesse Stefanovic in Ellie's house. Ellie told her that Jesse was "cute, funny, um, sexy, smart, intimidatingly so" and that she did not know what he saw in her. Ashley reproachfully said, "Oh c'mon, El." Ellie revealed that she felt inexperienced compared to Jesse as he was 22 and she had only dated Marco and Sean and did not have sex with either of them. She objected to Ashley's use of the phrase "doing it" as she found the fact that she was still a virgin hugely embarrassing. Ashley advised her to talk to Jesse about having sex and to be prepared for when it happened, reminding her that there was a health clinic on the Toronto University campus.
In Working for the Weekend, Spinner and Jimmy opened a store with money from Jimmy's academic fund while Marco, Ashley, Paige, Ellie and Dylan Michalchuk stood by their side for support.
In What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost? (2), Ashley and Ellie first attended Craig's gig in Toronto.
In The Bitterest Pill, Ellie is interviewing Ashley, and Ashley expresses that she feels bad for Mia Jones, as if Jimmy had died instead of J.T. Yorke, she wouldn't know how to handle it because she loves him so much. Ellie stops their interview and tells Ashley that she has had a lot going on in her mind recently. Ashley asks her how Jesse handled it when she told him that she kissed Craig, but Ellie reveals that she hasn't told him yet. Ashley convinces her to be honest with Jesse, as he might surprise her and handle the news well.
Season 7
In It's Tricky, Ashley showed Ellie her copy of Craig's album Of Two Minds. Ellie was slightly annoyed that one of the songs was entitled "Red-Headed For Trouble" as it was about her. After Ashley pointed out that there was another one called "Thong Girl, Wrong Girl" about Manny, Ellie realized that he had written a song about everyone that he had kissed.
The next day, Ashley played Ellie the recording of her and Jimmy's performance at the Degrassi Talent Show. Ellie told her that it was great and wished that she could have been there. Ashley told her that Jimmy's unrehearsed rhymes had gone done far better than her song and claimed that everything was easy for him. Ellie pointed out that he could not even walk. Ashley said, "Not what I meant. People thought I was Craig’s sidekick, I don’t want to be Jimmy’s. Does that make me a bitch?" but Ellie did not answer. Griffin came home and heard the recording. He was impressed, though more by Jimmy's contributions than Ashley's. He invited them to perform at the open jam the next night. While Ellie said that they would be busy, Ashley disagreed and told Griffin that they would both be there. This was the last interaction between Ashley and Ellie on the series.
Quotes
- Ashley: "I'm just scared on needles. I can't explain it."
Ellie: "So why would you try a piercing?"
Ashley: "I dunno, I just… thought it would look cool. And I thought I’d gain some points with you."
Ellie: "Points?"
Ashley: "You know what I mean."
Ellie: "No, I don't. Ash, you're my friend. You don't need a piercing to impress me." - Drive - Ellie: "I've never liked anyone like this before. It's weird."
Ashley: "It's love."
Ellie: "It's not your business. Shut up." - Karma Chameleon - Ashley: (referring to Manny) "Hey Ellie, do you smell something?"
Ellie: "I think it's the peculiar smell of a boyfriend thief." - Accidents Will Happen (1) - Ashley: (referring to Jesse) "So what's he like?"
Ellie: "Cute, funny, um sexy, smart, intimidatingly so. I don't know what he sees in me."
Ashley: "Oh come on, El."
Ellie: "Ash, he's 22 with tons of experience. I've only had two boyfriends. One was Marco...gay and the other was Sean. We never...you know."
Ashley: "You think he wants to?"
Ellie: "Um, he's a guy."
Ashley: "Yeah, good point. So have you know, talked about uh doing it?"
Ellie: "Can we not say doing it? And no. No, we haven't talked about it. Not yet. I mean I find it a little embarrassing and by a little, I mean hugely."
Ashley: "Well, if you can’t talk about it, you should at least be prepared in case, you know, it just happens."
Ellie: "I hate when you're right."
Ashley: "Lucky for you there's a health clinic at the university." - Eyes Without a Face (2)
Trivia
- Both Ashley and Ellie have had feelings for Craig Manning, but only Ashley dated him. While Ellie's feelings for Craig were initially unrequited, he eventually developed feelings for her.
- Both girls have also had a rivalry with Manny Santos over Craig.
- Both of them were badly hurt by Craig: while he was dating Ashley, he had an affair with Manny from Should I Stay or Should I Go? to Holiday (2) and he manipulated Ellie by telling her that he loved her in an attempt to continue his drug use in What's It Feel Like to Be a Ghost? (1). However, both Ashley and Ellie eventually forgave him.
- Although both characters were on the series from Seasons 2 to 7, Seasons 3 and 4 were the only seasons in which they were both regulars.
- They both had kissed Sean Cameron, though only Ellie had a relationship with him.
- They were both love interests of Jimmy Brooks, though only Ashley had a relationship with him. Jimmy's feelings for Ellie were unrequited.
- They were both goths, though they eventually toned down their images.
- They both had tempestuous friendships with Paige Michalchuk.
- Ashley told Ellie to get some protection just in case anything happened with her boyfriend Jesse Stefanovic.
- Ashley tried (and failed) to set up Ellie with her ex-boyfriend Jimmy in High Fidelity (2).
- They both had ex-boyfriends that were directly involved in the shooting: Ashley dated Jimmy who was shot and Ellie dated Sean who stopped Rick Murray from shooting Emma Nelson.
- Ashley was the person to suggest to Ellie that Marco Del Rossi may be gay.
- Both initially had trouble with a close male in their life saying that they are gay:
- Ellie initially had trouble accepting that Marco would only see her as a friend.
- Ashley initially had trouble accepting that her father, Robert Kerwin, left her mother, Kate Kerwin, for another man, Christopher.
- They both were recurring characters on Degrassi: The Next Generation at some point:
- They have both been cheated on: Ashley was cheated on by Craig with Manny from Should I Stay or Should I Go? to Holiday (2) and Ellie was cheated on by Jesse with a woman in a bar before The Bitterest Pill and with Caitlin Ryan in Jessie's Girl.
- It is unclear whether Ellie ever told Ashley that she had feelings for Craig.
- Although Ellie and Terri MacGregor were two of Ashley's best friends, they did not really know each other.
- They were both originally members of the Class of 2006. While Ellie graduated with that class in High Fidelity (2), Ashley's year in England meant that she became part of the Class of 2007. However, she dropped out in Bust a Move (2).
- Ellie had a conflict with Ashley's friend Hazel Aden.
- They were both members of Downtown Sasquatch, though not at the same time.
- Craig wrote song about both Ashley and Ellie: "She's the Ash" (Ashley) and "Red-Headed for Trouble" and "Rescue You" (Ellie). "She's the Ash" and "Red-Headed for Trouble" were both included on his album Of Two Minds.
- They both attended J.T. Yorke's memorial service at Degrassi in The Bitterest Pill.
- They could both play the guitar.
- Paige said, "New year, new look, new Paige!" to both Ashley and Ellie: Ashley in Family Politics and Ellie in Ghost in the Machine (1).
- Ashley's stepbrother Toby Isaacs thought that Ellie was attractive.
- They were both members of Archie Simpson's Grade 9 homeroom class 9F from 2002 to 2003.
- Jason Mewes flirted with both of them: Ashley in Goin' Down the Road (1) and Ellie in Goin' Down the Road (2).
