Trouble

Chapter 5

Juliana POV
"Come on Ash, just one more please?" I beg for one last kiss. It's Friday and I won't see him again until Monday.
"Ok ok fine, but only because tutoring was so much fun." He winks looking around before puling me in for a kiss. I try to go a little further, but Ashton pushes me back.
"Easy there, I gotta get going. See you on Monday." He kicks his bike to life, and I watch him put on his helmet. The he's racing of to god knows where.
My head is spinning. I mean yeah we aren't technically official, but our make out sessions and more in the library everyday are great. I'm really falling for him, and I feel like he's falling for me too.
We haven't had real sex in the library, that's where I draw the line. Not only could I not trust myself to be quiet, but I don't want to do it for the first time on the itchy smelly school carpet.
I'm daydreaming as I walk right into dad's car, I hadn't even noticed he was home.
"Shit, I hope he didn't see me kissing Ash." I say aloud running for the front door. I slip my key in the lock and hear the three familiar clicks of the deadbolt opening.
I'm standing in the door way and I can smell stale cigarettes and body oder, it smells nothing like Ashton. You'd think living in this shit hole cigarettes would disgust me, but Ashton's cigarette smell is nice, different.
"Juliana?" Dad makes me jump.
"Yes?"
"Was that a motorcycle I heard outside?"
"Yes it was." I wasn't going to lie.
"Why are you getting a ride home from the Irwin kid?"
"How do you know it was him?"
"He's the only person in town to own that Harley, I know it by the motor. Now answer my question young lady." He's turning red.
"Why do you even care? I haven't existed to you for the past three weeks!"
"Answer me right this second Juliana Grace!" I couldn't believe he used my middle name.
"I'm tutoring him dad! There are you happy?"
"You're what?" His mouth is hanging open.
"Tutoring him." I repeat myself fuming.
"I heard you the first time. How long has this been going on?"
"Two weeks." I say rolling my eyes.
"I don't want you seeing him anymore."
"What, why?" I'm in shock.
"He's a bad kid and I don't want him to hurt you."
"Hurt me?! Dad I'm only helping him pass bio!"
"Alone in the library I'm sure! I refuse to let you see him!" He yells spitting on my face in the process.
"Why the fuck do you even care? Why the fuck are you choosing now to play the dad card? Do you not trust me or something? News flash dad this is the first time you've been home this early since I got here! You didn't even remember to pick me up on my first day of school!"
"Watch your language. He's a bad influence and i don't want you to see him. Now go to your room, I'm going out." He says grabbing his coat.
"I'm not going to listen you can't stop me from helping him!" I yell back, but he's already out the door.
I'm so angry I can't be in this house or I might start breaking things. I grab my bag off the floor and burst out the door.
I'm walking down the street before I can even have a second thought. Why is he playing the father card now? He didn't even know Ashton and I had a thing going. He isn't much better than Ashton, aside from the fact that my father brings a different girl home every night, ignores me, and forgets about me all the time. I am seething I can feel the heat in my face. I hear the bike approach before I hear the voice of its driver.
"Where the hell do you think you're going!?"
It's Ashton.
"Honestly I don't know I just needed to get out of that damned house!"
"Hey were you crying? Are you alright?" He asks me sounding concerned. I raise my hand up to wipe at my eyes and the wetness I found there proved that I had in fact been crying.
"Yeah I guess I was, and no I'm not ok! My dad is an ass hole and I hate him."
"We aren't going to talk about this here, get on." Ashton hands me his helmet.
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise." And soon we're racing down the street.
Where is he taking me? Its been 20 minutes since he picked me up off the street. We definitely weren't in town any longer because we are flying through rich green canopies. The sun is peeking through the leaves speckling us and the road in little golden flecks. It's all so beautiful, and I don't want to talk I'm afraid it will ruin the moment.
All of a Sudden Ashton turns down a gravel path that unless you knew about it you would have driven right past it.
"Can you tell me where we're going now?" I ask him.
"Just wait, you'll love it."
We turn a corner and all I see is a giant oak tree with a giant tree house in it.
"Well here we are." Ashton kills the engine.
"Where is here?" I'm looking at this tree house and it's amazing. Someone could live up there.
"This is where I go to get away from the world, you're the only person to ever be here."
"So you're telling me you built this all by yourself?"
"Yeah I did, I'm not completely useless." He chuckles.
"I never said that. How did you even find this place?" I ask dismounting his bike.
"I ran out of gas right at the mouth of the gravel road and I decided to follow it. Come on." He motions for me to follow him.
We walk up to the boards he's nailed into the trunk and begin the 20 foot climb.
***
Finally we reach the top and he opens the door above us pulling himself through it.
"A little help please?" I call out, and he pulls me up.
Once I'm inside I instantly smell him, cigarettes, peppermint gum, and a little something extra but I'm not sure what it is. I look around the rather large space and the walls are painted black with splatters of various neon colors. There are lava lamps and rock posters everywhere, and weirdly enough I feel at home here.
"You have power out here?" I ask pointing at the lava lamps and black lights.
"I run a generator." He shrugs.
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Ashton's POV
I can't believe I brought her here! This is the worst idea I've ever had, but oddly enough I couldn't give a damn. Having her here makes me feel complete, like someone finally trusts me. Maybe I do like Juliana, but I still didn't know for sure. I know she likes me our "tutoring" sessions prove that one to me, but I just don't want to hurt her.
"Here sit." I point at the mattress in the corner of the room. "Want a drink?" I ask walking over to the tiny fridge.
"Sure, what do you have?"
"Beer." I say when I open the door.
"Oh, I don't drink. Sorry."
"Oh come on what's one beer going to do, kill you?"
"Well I guess one couldn't hurt." She says messing with her fingers. I pop the lids off and walk over to the mattress. I hand her a drink and lay down on my side beside her.
"So why were you walking around exactly?"
"My dad is an ass hole that's why." She sips her beer making a weird face.
"What happened?"
"He doesn't want me tutoring you because he thinks you're a bad influence."
She takes another sip smoother this time.
"But I am a bad influence. How did he even find out about that?" I ask instantly getting a little nervous.
"You are not don't even go there, and I told him because your bike engine gave you away."
Damn, I forgot he knows the sound of my engine like its his own name.
"He didn't see us did he?"
"No, and he doesn't know we aren't studying either." She laughs.
"So does this mean we aren't meeting after school anymore?"
"Of course not! Just because he finally wants to play dad doesn't mean I'm going to listen to him. Besides this is more fun." She puts her half empty beer down and gets on top of me.
"Sitting on me is more fun?" I tease and she rolls her eyes.
"No, but this is." She slowly leans forward, the tips of her straight hair tickling my nose. I go to close the distance between us by sitting up, but she puts her hand on my chest pushing me back down.
"Oh no, now it's my turn." She closes the distance and her lips taste like strawberries.
"You're right, that is more fun." I say when she pulls away.
"Want more?" She asks winking.
"Always."