Not A Bad Thing//A.I.

13

For the rest of the week Ashton found himself once again in Michael's car during lunch getting high.

He really did want to stop, he didn't want to slip back into his old habits. But he just felt anxious and stressed out whenever he wasn't high.

Everly knew what they were doing, she chose to ignore it. She felt like it wasn't her place to tell Ashton what to do. They weren't friends for that long and she didn't want to chase him away, she really liked him.

She liked him.

That night, after she found them in Michael's car for the first time, she was in denial about liking Ashton. She barely knew the kid, but she felt like she had known him for years, like she grew up with him, like the rest of the guys. But he was different. He was so different.

He wasn't an arrogant asshole like a lot of the boys at her school. He had manners, he was an actual gentlemen. His appearance was a trick, he looked like someone who didn't give a fuck, but he did.

Ashton had called Everly that same night apologizing for what had happened, saying he didn't want her to think of him any differently.

"Why do you care what I think of you?" She asked not sure why he would care if she thought negatively about him.

"Cause I do. I care Everly. I may not look like I do, but I care. A lot." He confessed.

They had talked all night long. That confirmed Everly's crush on him. She knew that she liked him, and she couldn't deny it any longer. But she knew better than to act upon her feelings, so she decided just to keep her mouth shut.

"Hello earth to Everly." Stephanie said snapping Everly out of her thoughts.

"Oh sorry. What'd you say?" Everly said finally paying attention.

"I just asked if you wanted to go to the mall after school." Stephanie repeated herself, annoyed by her friend.

"Oh. Sorry I can't. I have to watch over Emma at her swimming lesson." She apologized.

"Are you really watching over Emma, or are you just going to go over to Michael's again." Stephanie bitterly said.

"How'd you know that?" Everly asked, like a dear caught in headlights.

"Allison told me she saw you leaving with Michael and that group." she remarked.

"Sorry. I only went cause Ashton was nervous about hanging out with them." Everly explained.

"Sure. Whatever." Stephanie said with a bit of an attitude.

"I'm truly sorry Steph. I didn't tell you because I know how it is with you and them." She continued to apologize.

"Whatever. So mall?"

"Sorry. I really have to go to Emma's swimming lesson."

"In the fall?" Stephanie questioned

"We live in California. Plus she's been begging my parents." Everly explained.

"How about this weekend?" Everly offered, giving Stephanie a smile.

"Fine." Stephanie agreed, acting as if it was a major inconvenience.

"So where's Australia at?" Stephanie asked, taking a drink from her water.

"I don't know." Everly lied. She knew exactly where he was at, but she definitely wasn't going to tell Stephanie.

"So what's going on between you two?"

"Nothing. We're just friends. Why?" Everly asked confused.

"I was just wondering." she said oh so innocently.

"Uh huh. Sure." Everly said.

The bell rang signaling lunch was officially over.

"Maybe I'll ask him out." Stephanie said out loud, while collecting her trash.

"What?" Everly asked taken back by Stephanie's confession.

"Yeah. I mean since nothing is going on between you two, I think I will ask him out." Everly began to mentally kick herself.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why?" Stephanie asked, as they threw away their trash.

"He's friends with Michael, Luke, and Calum."

"So, that's never stopped me before." Stephanie shrugged.

"Wow." Everly said not believing what her friend was saying.

"Unless there's a reason I shouldn't be asking him out?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I uh I. No." she nervously said.

Everly couldn't tell Stephanie about her crush, because if she did Steph would be doing everything her power to get them together, and Everly wasn't sure if she was ready for that. Or at least she didn't want it right now. She wanted a friendship with Ashton first, there was still so much they don't know about one another.

But she also didn't want Steph contaminating him. She knew how Steph was with guys, she would use them until something, or someone, hotter came around. And Everly cared way too much about Ashton to let her do that.

"Are you sure?" Stephanie asked again, with a knowing tone.

"Yes." she lied, then walked inside her class.
~~

Everly was sat on the benches as she watches her little sister with her swimming class.

"Hey." someone said sitting down next to her.

"Oh hi." She said looking up to be greeted by a smiley Ashton.

"Was not expecting to see you here." he said.

"Yeah. Same. I had to watch my little sister, while my mom ran errands." she said pointing to her sister who was in the pool.

"Little brother for me." he smiled.

"So your friend Stephanie came up to me today after school." he said after a couple minutes of silence.

"What did she want?" Everly asked. I didn't think she would do it so soon.

"She wanted to know if I was free this weekend." He said nonchalantly, looking at the pool.

"Oh. What'd you say?" She asked pretending not to sound interested.

"That I had other plans." he said looking over at her.

"Oh," she said surprised, no guy has ever said no to Stephanie.

"I lied." he said looking right in her eyes.

"Oh." that's all Everly could say. She could feel Ashton's hot breath on her face, and it was making her nervous.

"Yeah. She's not the girl I want." he said still looking right at her. He then returned his attention back to where the kids were swimming.

She was in shock. Did Ashton really say that out loud? She snapped out of her daze, and slowly looked back at the pool.

Now Everly felt more confused than she ever has had in her life.

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Sorry I haven't updated this story in a long time.

Not sure when the next update will be. It can be tomorrow, next week, or even later. I just want to take my time and not rush it and have it come out crappy.

By the way if there's any mistakes it's cause I did all of this from my phone.

But thanks for reading!!!

Hope you enjoyed
xx