Nap Queen

Four

Pic is Asher's car^^^^^

I end up walking into chem 30 minutes late. Asher's face lights up when he sees me. I smile back and slide onto my stool at our station.

"I didn't think you'd be here today. I'm glad you are though, we're starting a project." He says. He quickly explains the details of the project to me. We are assigned a periodic element to make a poster of. Easy. 

"We probably could've finished in class, but you weren't here. I just wrote down all the facts but we still have to make the poster. We might need to work after school."

"That's fine, we can go to my house. Does that work?" I ask. "The only thing is my brother has practice after school."

"Please, Evie. I'll take you home and then we can work on the poster there."

"Perfect." We fall into a comfortable silence after that. I'm highlighting the rubric for the project. I glance over and see that Asher is squinting to read the Wall Street Journal on his phone. He's so mature to be just sixteen. His black overcoat is hanging on the back of his chair and he's wearing a white button up again. What a strange boy, I'm glad we're friends.

The bell rings dismissing us once again and I find myself in third period calculus, and soon after fourth period government and politics with Liam. He isn't there when I walk in though. I find myself disappointed. He doesn't show all period. 

****

After school Asher finds me at my locker. His timing is perfect since I just took my pills before he walked up. 

"You ready?" He asks.

"Yep." I say popping the 'p'. I text my brother letting him know that my chem partner is coming over and taking me home so I won't be at practice. I grab the last of my textbooks (I'd been bringing them home gradually over the last three days) and shut my locker. 

"Let me carry those." He offers. I thank him and hand him the books. We walk out into the main hallway to leave the school and there is still quite a few people hanging around. A bunch of them turn to look at us walking down the hall together. Whispers ensue.

Is that Evie Walker and Asher Klein?

Are they together?

He's definitely carrying her books he isn't in calculus this year!

My face gets hot and I spare a glance at Asher. He doesn't seem to hear the whispers. Well if he can ignore them I can to. I set my shoulders and exit the school with him. He pauses to grab his keys from his pocket before walking to his car. I stop dead in my tracks.

"You drive a Porsche!?" I exclaim. I admire his car and run my hand over the door like a creep. It's a beautiful 2018 Panamera Porsche. It takes all my strength not to squeal. "This car is like $60,000."

"My parents paid for half of it." He laughs at my antics and puts my books in the back seat. "You forget I make my own money."

Forget I did. Not only does he come from a rich family he is also rich of his own accord. I want to cry. How do rich people sit in cars? He pulls out of the student lot and turns onto the main road typing my address into Google Maps. 

"We're friends right?" I question.

"Yes...?" He says uncertainly. 

"Then you have to let me ride in your car again sometime." I laugh. He laughs too. I can't wait to introduce him to the girls. We are about two minutes away from my house when he gets a call. He looks at me apologetically before pressing the answer button on his steering wheel. His phone is connected to the speakers.

"Hi, Liam. What's up?" Liam?

"Ash, I'm coming over to your apartment." Liam says dazedly.

"Are you drunk right now?"

"No?"

"Ugh it's not even 3 o'clock and your so drunk, well I'm going to a friend's house to do a project so drink some water or something and don't mess with Audrey Rose she's sleeping." He glances at me in a way that makes me feel as though I've heard something I shouldn't have.

"Fine man. I'll see you in a bit." 

"I'm serious, she just went down."

"Okay! Bye, I'll give her some cheerios or something if she wakes up." The line goes dead.

"Sorry I feel like I was eavesdropping." I say. 

"It's totally fine, Liam is a dumbass." He laughs. I laugh too. I wonder who Audrey Rose is... a girlfriend maybe? It's cool that he has his own apartment.

"I didn't know you were friends." I add as we pull into my driveway.

"We go way back, even if I don't approve of some of his 'habits'." To this we laugh some more.

We pile out and he grabs my books again. His car locks with a beep and I lead the way to my house.

"I'm home!" I call to my mom.