Gamble a.i

5. "Your blanket smells really good"

I run around my house frantically, picking up and cleaning everything that looks dingy. I have no clue why I feel as if my house needs to be perfect for Ashton, but it just might be the fact that he probably lives in a rich neighborhood with big house and sports cars and heated pools.

I live no where near the rich neighborhoods, I definitely don't have a sports car and our pool is a small kiddie wading area we got from the local dollar store.

It's not like we're poor; we just don't need anything like that. We're perfectly happy with what we have. My house isn't small, but it's not huge. It's just the right size for my family, and that's all that matters, really.

I shove a yoga mat under the couch as the doorbell rings the annoying chime I've begged Mum to change. I roll my eyes, finger comb my hair, and walk to the door.

"Ashton, hey," I breathe.

"Hi," he smirks. What's with arseholes and smirking? I don't get it. Maybe he thought I was out of breath racing to meet him, but in all reality, I slipped and fell on the hardwood, and I'm now trying not to show the pain.

I scowl at him, but I still invite him into my home. "I have to get my notebook," I say, bounding up the stairs.

When I open the door to my room, I notice Ashton followed me. "May I help you?" I snap.

"Nah, I just wanted to see what your room looks like. Maybe it'll help my biography on you," he shrugs.

I huff and go to my bag, digging out my spiral bound notebook. "You have a really good taste in music, Mac," Ashton compliments, looking at my shelf of CDs above my stereo system.

"Thanks?" I'm confused; why is he being nice all of a sudden?

He studies my room as he walks around it. I study him. What's his motive, anyways?

"Um, should we start on the biographies?" I ask.

He nods and sits on my bed. I stare, dumbfounded. What the hell?

"I meant in the kitchen."

"It's more comfortable here, though."

"Whatever," I roll my eyes. "You'd better have good questions."

"I do," he promises with yet another shrug. He's trying to play cool, but I can tell he wants a good grade just as bad as I do.

"Alright. You first, Irwin," I challenge.

Ashton flips his straightened hair from his eyes. I don't know why he isn't fond of his natural curly hair, but maybe it's an insecurity. Either way, I'm going to find out. "Alright, Brooke. If you had a chance to do something over in your life, what would it be and why?"

Ashton never fails to surprise me. I expected "what's your favorite color?" but then he pops a question like this and for a second I can't breathe.

"I would go back and beg my best friend to stay the night. There's not enough words to describe the pain I felt when her mom called me and told me Carli was involved in a hit and run," I sigh, picking at my nails.

He stares at me intensely, trying to figure me out. It won't happen. I won't allow it to happen. The only person that knows me as well as Carli did is Erica, and she's the only person I trust.

"That sucks, it really does." Ashton asks, scribbling in his notebook.

"I don't need your sympathy. Who do you idolize and why?"

"My grandpa, without a doubt. I don't know who my dad is, and me mum won't tell me, so my grandpa is the man I look up to."

I nod and write down the gist of what he said.

This continues until my mom comes home at a quarter to seven with my step dad and little sister. "Macky, I'm home!" she calls up the stairs.

I set down my pencil and stretch my hand out. "I'll be right back, Ashton."

He nods and sprawls out on my bed.

I walk down the stairs and yawn. Answering Ashton's questions wore me out, but he's not as bad as I originally thought he'd be attitude wise. However, I still have yet to break the surface of him, and I'm sure there's something he's hiding.

With someone like him, there's always secrets hidden behind closed doors.

That's okay, though, because I'm hiding a lot of things, too.

"Hey, I brought home some pizza and a movie," Mum tells as I step into the kitchen, shivering as my bare foot made contact with the cold tile floor.

"Okay, I'll tell Ashton," I walk back out, only to have to walk back into the damn kitchen due to my mom's frightful gasping.

"Who's Ashton?" Mum asks.

"He's my partner, remember? I have to write a biography on him?"

"Oh, yeah, okay."

I jog into my room where Ashton is still laid out on my bed. "Your blanket smells really good," he says without looking at me.

"Thanks?" I question again. I am genuinely confused beyond recognition at this point.

"I'm serious," he says, finally meeting my eyes.

"Right, well, my mom brought home pizza, do you want any?"

"Nah, I should be getting home, anyways," Ashton sighs, sitting up. "I won't be around tomorrow, but we can still interview during class."

"I'll walk you out," I says as I lead the way, only to get stopped halfway down by my younger sister.

"Who are you?" she strains her neck to see Ashton, which is completely adorable.

"I'm Ash. What's your name?" Ashton crouches down to Miranda's level.

"I'm Miranda."

"Well, hi, Miranda. We'll be seeing a lot of each other over the next couple months," Ashton says.

She giggles and walks to her room, saying something about Ashton being cute. She's not wrong; Ashton is very cute, but he's a total dick.

Ashton chuckles and stands up, knees cracking.

"Let's go before my mom shoves pizza down your throat," I walk down the stairs without being interrupted this time.

Updating tomorrow! And ohemgee it is so HOT where I live, which is good because then I don't have to go outside (yay!).

QOTD: What's the temperature where you live today? (06/20)

AOTD: Like 95? HOTTT

So please vote/comment/add to your library!

Erin xx

(I also realized that chapter 4 was named 5, so I fixed that btw, you're welcome)