Infinite

Chapter Four

First impressions are everything. Which kind of sucks, because there are no do-overs. In fact, there are no do-overs in life. You just bumble through it, make mistakes and hopefully learn from them. Life is just one big first impression.

With that being said, my first impression with Ashton wasn't the best.

Okay, that's putting it too lightly. It was horrible.

"Ah- could you- could you possibly try not to hurt me more!?" Ashton hissed as he winced.

"Don't be such a baby. This is supposed to help." I dabbed more cleanser onto his cut. "Maybe if you didn't wear trashy ripped jeans, you wouldn't have a big cut on your knee."

In the end, Ashton had fell out of the tree trying to catch me. I admit, it was very heroic (I mean, he did cradle my body and absorbed most of the impact) but with all of the whining and complains he was doing made me want to push him out of the tree again.

Stop being so mean. The boy practically saved your life, I scolded myself as I put a big bandaid on his knee.

"There. Now we're all set and I can finally introduce myself. Hello, my name is Mad-"

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't you going to take care of your scratches?" After still looking at him in confusion, he pointed to my face. I brought my hand to my cheek, only to draw it back once I felt blood.

"Oh." I said a little shakily. "Just a scratch. Right?" Please just be a scratch. I couldn't afford any medical bills and I certainly wasn't going to rely on my grandfather to pay for stitches.

Thankfully, Ashton nodded and reached for a bandaid with his free hand (the other was occupied with holding a bag of ice to his head).

"Hold my ice, would you?" I did as he asked, holding it to his head as he peeled off the bandaid and carefully applied it to my face. His long fingers (like holy crap they were longer than the perimeter of Mexico) smoothed it out gently and I hate to admit that I got goosebumps.

"You know, you were a lot nicer at the shop than you are now." Ashton whispered, seeing as we were pretty close. Too close.

"S-sorry. This hasn't been the best day for me." I moved his ice from his head and tried to feel for a bump in his wild hair. To my surprise, it was super soft. Like, what kind of conditioner did he use because damn I needed to invest in some of that-

"I don't think you have a bump or a concussion." I cleared my throat. Focus, Maddie.

"Well that's good. I guess my light headedness is just coming from you, darling."

I groaned. "Okay, if we have to live together, there's going to have to be some rules. First off, no flirting. Secondly, you-"

"Live together? What are you talking about?" Ashton scowled.

"Kim said that you needed a roomie, and since she kicked my out of her house, here I am." I explained, omitting the whole "grandfather contract" ordeal.

"Woah, woah, woah. Kim said my roomie was a dude."

"Yeah. She told me that you were a girl. Well, sort of. She didn't exactly tell me you were a boy."

Ashton laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "Clearly there has been some miscommunications. Look, you can stay the night, since its sundown, but tomorrow morning you have to go."

"And go where? I have no place to go! I can pay rent, I swear. Kim is going to forward all of the checks to you-"

"I don't want your money. I can't live with a girl in my house!"

"Why, are you some mysoginistic freak or something?"

"What? No!"

"Oh, your twenty girlfriends will get jealous when they come around and see that there's already a girl here."

"That's ridiculous and not to mention rude. I'm just saying-"

"Ashton, please. I'll stay out of that crazy mane that you call hair, and you stay out of mine. You'll hardly know I'm here. I just need a place to stay, and once school starts up I'll barely be around! I promise, I'll be neat and stay away whenever you want."

"That's not it, I just-"

"I'll do anything. Anything, just name it."

"Anything?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"You creep! This is a serious matter!" I shoved him lightly. "Why do you all of a sudden have a problem with this? With me? You seemed like you were more than willing to have me come over when you were flirting with me at the shop."

"Not for you to live with me!"

"Thank you for proving me right! You are one of those guys! You use girls and throw them to the side once you're done and I'm just like all of the rest of them and-"

"Would you let me speak?! Damn." Ashton slammed his ice pack down in frustration, causing me to jump. He sighed.

"It's just that there will be a lot of complications, ya know?"

"Yeah. I get it." I bit my lip, feeling a bit guilty for all of the rude things I had said. Well, more than rude. I was being a complete bitch, and I'm sure that that wasn't working toward my favor.

"How about this? We'll have a trial run. For a month I'll stay here, and I'll pay rent for that month and everything. If things don't work out, I'm on the streets. But if they do work out, you're stuck with me."

Ashton groaned. "Fine, whatever. But under one condition."

I grimaced, prepared for another sexual innuendo.

"...you can't fall in love with me."

"What?" I laughed in relief. "That's kinda assuming a bit too much. I mean, you're good looking, but not that much."

"You have a habit of insulting people, did you know that?"

"Sorry." I shrugged. I had a habit of having no filter. "Why that condition, anyway?"

"Feelings complicate things."

"Huh. Then why flirt and lead girls on?" I wondered.

"A guy's got to get some action somehow."

I scoffed in disgust and turned on my heels. "Keep that up and it's not going to be difficult to not fall for you." I marched out to the porch to start moving my things in.

"Again, with the insults. Ever hear of not biting the hand that feeds you?" He said, following me.

"Ever hear of treating girls with respect and not using them for your pleasure?" I retorted, heaving a garbage bag over my shoulder as he picked up a box.

"This trial thing has gotten off to a great start. I'd watch my mouth, if I were you."

I opened my mouth to respond (with something really witty and cool and totally not with the lame like "make me") but closed it, realizing that he was right. If I say the wrong thing or mess this up in anyway, I could be homeless. From now on, I would have to learn to filter.

"Oh, and we have to share a bathroom until I fix the toilet in the other one."

Yeah, I'm going to be living in a cardboard box pretty damn soon.