Goals Off Court | SatoSere

Chapter 41 - Advice Night

The day Ash and Serena arrived back on campus, they separated and went on their own ways to their dorm rooms. Mind still reeling over the things that happened over their time together til about the time the sun began to set, Serena asked her girls to come over, which they did within a few minutes.

"I'm sorry for the short notice, you two." Serena sat on her bed, frowning. "Me and Ash just made it back in town from being at my mom's—"

"Your—? Hold on. Girl, what?" Dawn gasped, her dark blue eyes widening as she clearly didn't care about the short notice, but—

"Your mother?" May finished for Dawn, who tilted her hand in gratitude at that. "You took Ash to your home?"

"Yes, it sounds crazy, I know, but I was nervous," Serena admitted, her bottom lip captured under her top teeth. "You two already know how things were with me and my mom. Ash just decided to come as support. I appreciated it and as even more crazy as it sounds, he helped me not run away."

They should be enjoying a girl's night, but it had quickly deteriorated into an 'Mental Support for Serena' night.

Dawn flipped her hand dramatically. "Well, I have nothing to be upset about," she said, continuing. "Besides the fact that you didn't tell us this at all — me especially — a girl needs her updates, you know?"

Serena narrowed her eyebrows. "Nothing happened for me to be updating you on, Dawn." The lie was clear as day; she was a terrible liar if that wasn't also clear.

May moved her attention to her nail supplies, opening the box and unzipping her nail polish bag. "Have you forgiven him yet?"

"Not necessarily," Serena tells her, watching her trying to choose through colors.

Dawn gives her a look, a growing grin shown. "I feel there's more you haven't mentioned." She picked up the magazine at her side and opened to the thin pages. "Did you two happen to kiss during your time together?"

"God, no!" Serena looked at her terribly attentive friend and somehow the flashbacks of her time with Ash came back. "Okay, it was one time. That's all." She saw how Dawn stopped looking at the magazine with a raised eyebrow at her tone. Serena moved her gaze away with a flush swimming up to her cheeks. "Twice, but it isn't what you think."

May gasped, stopping her hands in her makeup bag, and Dawn couldn't help but burst into laughter at the truth. "And I would think one for you would be a stretch for now, but two times? Girl, did you even try?"

Serena huffed out a breath. "The first time wasn't intended to happen. We were at this ball, some woman came onto Ash, and he seemed uncomfortable. I went to act like his girlfriend and he somehow got the idea, but he kissed me. I didn't stop him, knowing it was an act and it wouldn't mean anything. Still, the way he kissed me was so... God, I can't explain."

"If you want to kiss him again, go for it. No need to worry. I'm not here to judge; I'm here to cheer you on." Dawn continued flipping through her magazine, clearly not paying much attention to Serena's frustrations. "You need some more taste of action in your life, Serena."

"Dawn, I can't. I can't let it happen again." Serena sighed, staring up at the white ceiling. "Not after what happened between us because of what he did."

Dawn raised a brow and shrugged, turning the page again. Her eyes shined at some fancy outfits shown. "Then don't kiss him."

Serena rolled her eyes, her blue eyes heading back to her friend. "I would greatly appreciate if you were less unhelpful."

"What?" Dawn voiced, a teasing lining on her features. "You did say you were going to forgive him if he did the competition with you. Isn't he doing that?"