Asher's Heart

Chapter 29

"Let me confront her," I said with no room for argument, but Brooke was the kind who could squeeze her way anywhere.

"No! Let me. I'm far better at confrontations than you," she said.

True. But I didn't want her to get suspended or anything so I calmed her down and assured her if Kelsey really did this then she can break her nose. And ribs too.

I didn't know what to expect when I entered the class. By now everyone would know about it. Illinois Academy put shame to high speed Internet in sharing information.

It was the first time something like that happened with me. People didn't straight out bashed me but my supposed friends didn't speak to me either. I didn't have many classes with Brooke or Megan so I felt alone. More alone than I felt before I started hanging out with Kelsey and her clique two years ago.

I didn't know why she did this or if she even did this but I didn't find her so I could ask her myself.

****

"I'm so excited!" Brooke gushed, making me looked at her rather than behind her. We were at the cafeteria and so far I only got stink eye from some girls, adding to the list of potential culprits.

I smiled at her.

"I know you are," I said.

"Dave is finally coming to visit me," she told me. Again. She got a call from him this morning after the 'incident' telling her that he was coming over for a week.

"About time," my gaze flew back to the scene behind her.

It'd been three days of me ignoring Asher. I would say it was easy, but honestly, it wasn't. More so because we were living under the same roof. He was undeterred these past few days. He never left a chance to make me feel uncomfortable. He used the knowledge about the effect he had on me as his dagger and shoved it again and again in my heart.

And it hurt all the more that Kelsey was sitting beside him, being excruciatingly friendly. Now I wanted to believe it was Kelsey so that Brooke could break her nose and some teeth. I wanted to confront her now but I didn't want to cause a scene. Did Asher know about what happened? Of course, he knew. Everyone knew. He just didn't care. Just like he told me not to.

"Earth to Ellie," Brooke waved her manicured hand in front me.

I blinked at her.

"What?"

"Are you even listening to me?" she asked, a bit annoyed that all her attempts to distract me were going to waste.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" I said, my eyes glancing behind her on their own accord before settling on her frowning face.

"Because you were sipping from the already empty juice box for past two minutes," she said.

I furrowed my eyebrows and shook the juice box and sure enough it was empty.

"How do you even know it's empty? It's not like it's transparent or anything," I said, putting it down.

"You were making those slurping noises," she said. "What are you even looking at?" She started to turn around and I panicked. If she knew Kelsey was here then she would march right up to her without giving it a second thought.

"Nothing! I'm not looking at anything," I blurted and mentally slammed my head on a wall.

She narrowed her eyes on me and turned her head back. Her fingers, holding a plastic fork, clenched. I looked at what she was looking and my heart stuttered. Kelsey was leaning onto Asher, whispering something in his ear. But that was not what made my mouth go dry. It was Asher. He was looking straight at me. His eyes were focused on me with such intensity that all breath left me and I didn't realize when Brooke stood up and strode towards their table.