Chapter 15
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"Absolutely not," Scarlett said, as I threw back on my sweatshirt. It was 6:00 in the morning and we were getting ready for school.
"I don't have any of my clothes," I reminded her.
"Here," she threw me some of her clothes. "Throw these on." She told me as she was finishing applying her mascara.
They were black, ripped short shorts, and a tight, long sleeved maroon shirt that dipped into a fairly-low V in the chest area. I didn't have much going on in that department, but I still didn't trust one of my little girls to not pop if I wore this shirt..
"This outfit it super cute... but for school?? The top is pretty revealing," I said, and she realized that I was right. She stepped away from her vanity and walked into her closet.
She came back out with a new outfit in her hands. She smiled as she handed them to me. I thanked her and slipped the new outfit on. It was the same pair of light shorts with a cropped, dark grey hoodie.
"Scar, this is cute!" I told her, looking in the mirror as I laced up the doc-martens I had left at her house a few days before.
"I know. I picked it out," she said and smiled.
At lunch, the table seemed a lot lighter. The first couple of minutes were silent, nobody quite knowing what to say. Kevin decided to finally break the silence.
"So, Eli... Don't you have something to say to everyone?" Kevin hinted to Eli, and a lightbulb went off in Eli.
"Oh right! I completely forgot!" Eli started. "I'm having a party on Saturday, which you all are going to."
"I should be ungrounded by then.. but if not I'll still be there. You can't have a part without the life of it, after all," Kevin added, and Eli raised an eyebrow.
"Why are you grounded?" He asked.
"My step-mom found a bunch of condoms in my room. I cracked a joke about her just wanting more little Kevin's in the world instead, and then she grounded me," he shrugged, and Eli nodded it off as if it was a typical occurrence.
"Who's going?" Scarlett asked. Eli shrugged in response.
"The whole grade, probably some crashers from other schools," he told us. Wow... Sounds like a blast! Especially for an antisocial person such as myself! Note the sarcasm..
"That's a lot of people," I chimed in. "Isn't your house gonna get like destroyed or something?"
"Yup. But my parents are away for a couple of days so I'll just fix and replace everything before they get back." He replied subtly. I wonder what it feels like to be that rich...
The table continued on talking about the party, which I slightly listened to as I played with my food. I really wasn't in the mood to eat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ashton's chilling eyes upon me.
I looked up to them to drive them away from me, but instead of fleeing from my eyes, they looked even deeper into them.
A few moments later, he looked back down at his lunch and continued to eat. I did the same. Why were things always so awkward between us? After lunch, I started to walk to Biology.
When I sat down next to him, his eyes stayed focused to the front of the room. I couldn't help but notice how good the shirt he was wearing looked on him, and how his hair looked amazing even though he probably didn't even try.
He turned his head to face me, catching me with his blue eyes. I looked back, trying to show as little emotion as possible. People were still talking and laughing around the classroom, waiting for Mr. Gletzo to come in.
"Yesterday..." he started, but didn't finish his thought. "Are you... okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." I said and turned my attention back my notebook, pretending to jot something down.
"You may have them all fooled, but not me." He said softly to me, and looked back at the empty board.
Ashton obviously was much more intelligent and perceptive than he made himself out to be... and it really sucked.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I played it off, hoping that he didn't notice my change in breathing. He sighed and looked at me.
"Yes you do. Trust me. Coming from someone who hides their emotions well- you suck at hiding your emotions."
"What? I'm not even trying to hi-"
"Cut the shit," He looked me dead in the eye, and I looked away. "See? You can't even keep eye contact."
I didn't respond, and we didn't talk for the rest of Biology. I was extremely aggravated that he was able to read me that easily. Why did he care anyway? I mean, I wasn't sure if in California it's different... But I was pretty sure that when you loath someone, you don't really care about their emotions.
I had told Scarlett that I was going to change back into my clothes at my house and then come by to drop off her dress and to pick up my clothes.
I got in my car, anxious to get home and to see what kind of a mess my mother was. When I pulled into the driveway, I stared up at the artificially welcoming house. When I stepped out of the car, I heard my front door opening.
I looked up and saw my mother running towards me, crying. Right as she was about to reach me, she threw her arms out and embraced me in a huge hug. I hugged back, crying as well.
"Honey, I am so, so, SO sorry." She apologized.
"I know," I replied and let go.
"I can't believe that I did that. I got rid of all my alcohol. I'm never doing that to you- to us again." She said and I hugged her again. "What I said to you was NOT true."
"Mom, its okay. Today is a new day." I let her go once again and walked to the front entrance. The lingering smell of alcohol was gone, and was replaced by a nice lemon scent.
"I'm in rehab." I heard my mom say. I spun around to see my mom smiling at me. "It's time to move on."
I felt the tears forming in my eyes as I ran over to her and threw my arms around her.
"I love you," I said.
"I love you too sweetie." She told me.
That night I watched Netflix until I started to get tired. I peered down to my phone, looking at a picture that Scarlett, Savanah, and I took. Then I realized that she never told me why she had to leave dinner early the other night.
I decided that I would just ask her tomorrow sometime, not wanting to have to stay up any longer. I shut off my TV and slowly drifted to sleep. I had another nightmare, but it wasn't too extreme. And it also wasn't about my brother...
It was about Ashton.
I dreamt that he had figured out the secrets of my past and told everyone about it. The results were catastrophic. But the dream also did me good.
It did me good because it reminded me that no matter how much I would want to, I couldn't open up to him- or anyone for that matter. Not even Scarlett or Savanah.
I could tell no one,
Trust no one,
and I guess... love no one.
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Hopelessly Devoted
Teen Fiction"Never call a girl a bitch," I glared into his eyes as he opened them, piercing into me, the bright blue drink I had just poured over him still dripping from his dark hair. "Or she just might act like one." I gave him one last sarcastic smile before...
