Everblue

Chapter 11 - Ash

ASH

 

I walked into my room from being outside, shivering and anxious. My cell phone on the nightstand signaled I had a missed call. I picked it up and looked at the display before playing the message, hoping for a call from Tatchi.

"You have ten new messages. First message—"

My mouth gaped open. Ten messages? What?

Georgia's voice roared through the earpiece and I rushed to turn down the volume.

"Where are you? I've been dying to talk to you. You'll never guess what happened. I have to tell you in person. Call me back right away. Okay? Just call me back—"

My chest constricted.

"Next message—"

Georgia again. "Where the heck are you? I have to talk to you—"

Irritated, I clicked the delete button.

"Ashlyn, gosh, where—"

Delete.

"Are you like out or something? I have—"

Delete.

"It's Georg—"

Delete.

"I—"

Delete.

I jumped when the phone vibrated with another call, just when I was about to hit delete if I heard her voice again. Caller ID said it was none other than Georgia.

Great.

If I let it ring, she'd just keep calling and eventually fill up my voice mailbox. And, just in case Tatchi called, I didn't want to shut my phone off.

"You rang?" I said in a monotone voice.

"Ashlyn! Where have you been? I've like called a million times—" I held the receiver away from my ear at a more comfortable decibel. "—are you there?"

"Yes. What's up?"

 "Oh my gosh. I have news. Big news. Are you ready?" She took a huge breath, then giggled. "After you left practice, Callahan came over and asked me for—"

"—my phone number, I know."

I smiled at her sudden silence.

"You know already? Did he call? What did he want?"

I felt bad for stealing her thunder, but after knowing she'd left ten messages, I wasn't in the mood for her usual chirpy chatter.

"He called to ask me to Senior Ball," I said, my stomach rolling around like a cement mixer.

"He did?" Georgia squealed. I pinched my eyelids shut as a dull headache formed in my temple. "And what did you say?"

 Telling Georgia the news before I told Tatchi felt like a cardinal sin against our friendship, but her sudden absence left me no choice. "I told him I'd go."

She squealed again, but her excitement was more grating than thrilling. All I wanted to hear was Tatchi's more mature enthusiasm on the other line. Drained and suddenly worried about Tatchi, I just wanted to get off the phone.

 "Georgia, I hate to do this, but I'm really tired. Can we talk about this in the morning?"

"Are you kidding me? The cutest guy in school asks you out and you're tired?"

"I know—it's just been a super long day. Tomorrow, I promise."

She pushed out a gust of air, her voice filled with disappointment. "Okay. I guess. Talk to you tomorrow."

I hung up and slid onto my floor in a heap, tempted to turn off my phone entirely. My gut quivered in excitement and my heart hurt with worry. The biggest news of my life and the one person I wanted to tell wasn't home. Where did Tatchi's family go in such a hurry anyway?

: : :

In the morning, I managed to sneak downstairs, snag a piece of toast, and escape before anyone converged in the kitchen. With my swim bag in hand, I pulled on my thick coat and trudged down the street through a dusting of new snow. I'd already decided to take a little detour and walk past Tatchi's house on the way to the bus stop.

I stopped and stared at the wood siding for a second, my heart pounding. But no matter what I told myself, it was as far as my feet would could go. Disgusted, I couldn't even knock on the door, I turned to leave when someone tall and blonde walked around the corner, cursing something under his breath.

I gasped. His electric blue eyes met mine.

"Why hello," Handsome Boy said, flashing a crooked smile and sauntering towards me. "Can I help you?"

"Tatiana," was all I could mutter, my tongue glued to the roof of my mouth.

His eyes, deep and cool, sucked me into a watery vortex I wanted to sink into and look at forever. My mind and muscles went numb, like the time I'd secretly drunk Uncle Roger's beer in the cellar on a bet at the annual family reunion six years ago.

"Well, aren't you fun?" He walked closer and I couldn't stop staring. "Actually, my loathsome cousin isn't here and honestly, I hope she never returns."

I wanted to be concerned and ask how he could talk about her like that, but his lips, so soft and luscious, called to me to kiss them. I took a step forward. He reached out, about to touch my face when a gruff voice echoed from within Tatchi's house.

"Colin! Did you find those darn keys yet?"

Handsome Boy turned his face away from me and frowned—breaking the spell. "No. I'll be there in a second!"

I tore my eyes away and looked at the ground. The fuzziness began to melt away, drawing me back to clarity. I rubbed my forehead.

"Um," I garbled, "tell her to call Ashlyn when she gets back or whatever—"

As my senses returned, danger warnings screamed for me to get out of there—now! I stumbled backwards and high tailed it up the hill towards the road without looking back.

"Don't be a stranger, Ashlyn," Handsome Boy (I could only assume to be named Colin) called after me with a voice rich like chocolate.

My throat hitched as something inside wanted to turn around and look into his eyes again, but my feet kept moving forward, taking me to safety.

My heart thudded at an elevated rate the entire ride to school; partially from the weird interaction with Colin, but also in anticipation of seeing Callahan. Did this all happen, or was the whole thing some weird dream?

Georgia's expression after I walked through the gym doors confirmed it was real. Beyond us, a few zombies shuffled in and changed into their swimsuits. I focused back on her, knowing what she'd do next. Nothing like a squeal from Georgia to wake everyone up prematurely.

The shrill made me pinch my eyes shut. Then we were bouncing up and down, in joyous giggles.

"So, I guess I need shoes too," I said midair, letting her excitement creep into my life, finally.

That launched her into a monologue, words and questions speeding out of her mouth so fast, not even a court reporter could keep up.

"Whoa." I held up my hands as we walked across the deck towards the pool. "Let's take one thing at a time. I need to get a dress first."

"Oh totally. Let's go shopping after practice."

"Okay." I bit my lip, hoping Mom would be cool with that idea too. "And as far as transportation, we probably could all ride together in the same limo, but I don't know what Callahan's got planned so far."

Georgia grinned. "Okay."

I dove in the pool to escape her, thankful for the silence when an ecstatic scream could be heard echoing underwater.

This is going to be a long day.