Ashley's Choice: Companion Novel to The Essences Saga (On Hold)

Chapter 2

"You can't avoid me forever, Ashley!" Amber called as I skipped out the front door and down the wide porch.

"Sorry, Sis! I'm gonna be late!"

I ran to the corner and met Holly and her mother. Holly has anxiety issues so her mom drives her to school. That doesn't really help her once she GETS to school, but by the time second period comes around, she's usually fine.

"Amber looks pissed," Holly whispered to me. Her mom shot a disapproving glance at her, and she mouthed, "Sorry."

"Report card," I replied and buckled my seat belt in the backseat.

"You got all A's, right?"

"And a B."

Holly blinked at me. Sweet and understanding as Holly was, she just didn't get it sometimes. The only child to divorced parents with blond curls she could do nothing about, and pink rimmed glasses that she was still getting used to, Holly and I got along great. I loved her, but she... Well, you'll see.

We arrived at school with plenty of time to secure our favorite bench by the side entrance and wait in the freezing cold for the bell ring. "Guess who called me last night," she said, pulling off her glasses. "Here, hold these."

She dug through her backpack for a make-up case and applied a heavy layer of eyeliner.

"Who?"

"Baker Collins."

"What'd he want?"

Holly peered at me over the tiny mirror. "He wanted to know about you and Josh kissing."

I growled, "I didn't kiss him."

"Whatever."

I stared at her. Talk about betrayal. She sighed. "Listen, I know you didn't kiss him. You know you didn't kiss him. JOSH knows you didn't --"

"That didn't stop him from telling everybody," I interrupted.

She finished her make-over, and removed her jacket, shivering in the chill. Yanking a fleece hoodie over her head, she smiled at the skimpy top underneath. "You like?"

"It's thirty degrees out here. Why are you wearing that?"

She shrugged and thrust her arms through her jacket again. "Just to piss off Mom."

I pointed out that her mother wasn't with us. She shrugged her shoulders again. "I know, but I'll get the satisfaction anyway. Back to Josh."

"I'd rather not."

Holly eyed me worriedly. "What?" I asked.

"You've been moody lately. Something going on?"

"Besides people spreading rumors about me?"

Repacking her backpack, she said, "I don't get you sometimes. Josh is really cute. So there's some rumors? Why not go with it?"

"Because it's a lie!"

"And? Jeesh, Ash! I'd give anything for some guy to claim he kissed me behind the stage curtains."

I looked at her black-lined eyes and purple eye shadow. "You keep looking like that, and you might get more than you bargain for."

She ignored that. "We're in ninth grade now. In high school. The guys here are soooo different from the ones in junior high..."

"They're the same boys we've seen since kindergarten," I said. "I don't think much has changed. Jerks, jerks, and more jerks."