Opposites Attract

Chapter Nine

She is just really cool, she's different. She isn't worried about makeup or how her hair looks, she is just beautiful.

"Julian?" I hear her interrupt my thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Is there something wrong with me?" She asks, playing with her braided hair, not looking up. I felt odd about answering the question, not wanting to say the wrong thing.

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, it's just... No one really likes me. My mom and dad didn't, and I only have like two friends. What if they are just being my friends out of pity? And I think when my mom and dad adopted me, they regretted it right after, although I know I shouldn't think that way. I've never even had a date before, Rachel and her friends all hate me, if just seems like a lot." She finished, it was a lot to take in, and I feel my heart sink with how much she bears on her own shoulders. I remember back to what the old man spoke to me.

"You know, Ashley, some situations may seem very dark on the outside, but on the inside, the situation may have more light than you think." I try to repeat the saying as best as I can and she listens to my words, nodding her head, but not responding.

"There is nothing wrong with you. You are a beautiful girl, nice, amazing, smart, and any person would be lucky to have you in their life." I speak, there is a silence between us, and I don't like the feeling it brings.

"I'm sorry, I just threw all this at you. I just don't talk about it much to anyone else..." I plays with her hands.

"It is okay, you don't have to apologize for feeling a certain way." I debated on whether to tell her how I really felt, but it was hard.

"And, I am glad that you got adopted, because if you hadn't,I would have never met you." I smile at her, and stare into her hazel eyes once she looks up at me.

"Really? So you are happy you met me?"

"Yeah... Now don't make me say it more than once," I tease ,"Are you happy about me?" I ask, I want to know, but don't want to know all at the same time.

"Yes. You kind of brighten up my days, in a weird way."

"Really?"

"Of course, Julian. I mean, even when you are mean to me. You make me have this weird feeling, I just like having you around." I can't help but smile at her words. That was the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me, something shifted in me as I looked up at her hazel eyes.

"Ms. Bally? Would you like to see your other visitors now?" The nurse walks in, and we break our eye contact.

"Uh, yeah, and please, call me Ashley." I watch as Max and a small girl walks in the room, I look at Ashley wave.

"Ashley! Look at you! Look at your leg! You scared the living shit out of me, I thought you were going to die!" The girl yells, Ashley just manages a small laugh.

"You are so dramatic, I wasn't going to die or anything."

"Well now I have to kill you for being so dumb, Ashley why did you go out in a storm? I mean, could you be any more stupid?" She chews her out and Ashley interrupts her rant.

"Julian, this is Trina." I nod my head at her and she shakes my hand.

"Hello." She takes a second look at me, and I feel weird and out of place.

"We are just glad that you are alright." Max chirps in and smirks at Trina. Trina and Max both take a seat and we began to talk amongst ourselves.

As I watch Trina and Max leave the room, an awkward silence falls between Ashley and I. I look around the room and spot a black marker on the desk behind me, looking up, I smile and reach back grabbing the marker and removing the cap. I knelt beside her bed and began to write on the hard cast.

"Julian, the floor is dirty, you can sit on the bed." She offered, with a smile on my face, I sat next to her and continued to sign it.

"What does it say?" She covered her face, peeking out of the small crack between her fingers.

"Just, don't be mad." I teased, her eyes opened wide as she gasped.

"Let me see the sharpie..." She spoke and I handed it to her, I watched as she grabbed my shirt and pulled me closer, holding my hand, she wrote something on my arm.

LAME, I read it out loud and shook my head, looking up, I see a smirk on her lips and can't help but smile. I rip the sharpie out of her grasp and write on her hand.

"I am an idiot." She reads and we both laugh; we were close enough for me to notice how beautiful her green eyes are. I let a small breath go and she breaks the eye contact and reaches for her bag and I quickly give her space.

"Stick out your tongue." I hear the command and do so, waiting for the reason why. She quickly tosses a mint in my mouth and giggles.

"It stinks that bad?" I ask: trying not to let her know I am embarrassed.

"Yes." She chuckles and we move our heads close once again. She pops a mint into her own mouth and blow minty, cool air on my face, I shut my eyes.

"Smells... Okay." I blow back and she smiles.

"Way better than before."

"I don't know why everyone thinks you are so nice Ashley, you're mean to me." She playfully shrugs her shoulders and I smirk. Moving closer, my eyes drift to her dark pink lips and I can't stop the boiling desire to place my own on hers.