Paint You Wings // Ashton Irwin [au]

Twenty-one

Emilia's POV

This month has gone by so fast due to the events of my birthday, the party, and Jared's restraining order. Halloween is just a week away and a few weeks after that, we'll be off for Thanksgiving break. We're already halfway through the semester and I don't even know how time has passed so quickly. It's only been two months and the amount of excitement and activity has tripled in my life. The days of heading straight home after class and sitting alone in my room to study hasn't been an option since developing somewhat of a social life. It's not bad thing or anything, but I wouldn't mind some time to myself without being surrounded by four, semi-thick Australian accents.

"So how much work do you and Ash have to make up?" Michael asks, nudging my shoulder and making me forget the rest of the note I was jotting down from Professor Saldivar's lecture.

I sigh, giving up on any chance of remembering the tidbit of information that has been wiped from my memory. "Not much," I say. "We only missed one day of class and all that we have to make up is a short test on Wednesday." I'm glad that Professor Ross is even allowing us to make up the test.

Michael hums. "That's good. Don't need you falling behind since mid-terms are coming up in a couple weeks and I'm going to need you to help me study without you being distracted with other classes."

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to take some notes during class. Maybe even record the lecture?" I suggest, but it's obvious that he just let the idea go through one ear and out the other when he changes topics.

"So everything is settled with Jared?" He asks, lifting his legs and letting his feet rest on the empty seat in front of him.

I glance down at the fading bruises lining my wrists. "He's no longer an issue," I say confidently. "The restraining order is in effect and he's out of my life. I put an end to that chapter and I'm starting a new page. Now there shouldn't be any more drama. I think I've had enough to last a while."

"I can't argue with you there. You've had to go through enough these past couple weeks. It was just one thing after another. I'm surprised you're not completely worn out by now."

"Have you not see the bags under my eyes?"

"Oh, I have," he says. "I was just being a good friend and didn't say anything about it." He chuckles.

I roll my eyes. "Thanks, friend."

The rest of class goes by rather slowly and once we get out, I can't stop myself from bolting out the doors with Michael and getting away from the never-ending history lecture. Sometimes I wonder if Professor Saldivar understands that there is a scheduled time frame for his classes and that he can't just keep talking about how the French Revolution was "a time of idiots making idiotic decisions and screwing up everyone else's lives for the sake of money," because some people have a job to get to.

I give Michael a quick hug and goodbye before he takes off to his next class, leaving me to meet Ashton outside alone. I notice as I'm walking to him that a grey beanie is covering his mop of curls today, leaving only a small portion in the front visible. As much as I like seeing his hair flop around, I really like the way the beanie looks on him. Ashton hasn't noticed me yet, so I take this opportunity to snake around the crowd of students exiting the building and sneak up behind him. Since he's as tall as a giraffe, it makes it a bit difficult to snatch the beanie off of his head, but a little jump helps with that.

He quickly spins around to face the culprit with an unamused and slightly pissed off expression, thinking that it was some asshole and not me. I pull the beanie down onto my head and give him a guilty smile, which allows him to drop his guard and laugh.