First Impressions

Chapter VIII: Affinity

I did not see Ashton for the rest of the day, nor did I particularly want to. I had no interruptions on the way home and no unwanted questions from prying parents. It was nice. It was easy. It was usual.

But it was dull.

There was no denying that my dreams that night were more exciting than my afternoon. As much as I hated to admit it, even dream stalker Ashton was more interesting than the four white walls of my room. However, interesting as he may be, I was quite disturbed when I awoke in the morning to find that I had dreamt of him all night. I seemed to be forming an unfavorable habit.

I was a little apprehensive when I went to school that Tuesday, but the morning passed by harmlessly. And it was easy enough to ignore Ashton during lunch period because I was on the other end of the cafeteria and facing away from him. If he wanted me to not get involved with him, I would happily refrain from doing so.

Thus, one uneventful hour later, Britt and I were sitting at a table in the library, studying. Britt had an English paper to write, and I was happily wrapped up in my science homework.

I was just turning the page of my textbook, when a shadow fell across my view. That shadow was accompanied by the voice of Josh Presley. "So this is what you do when you aren't busy being intimidated."

Snapping my head up, I looked at him in shock—and at the two boys behind him too. Josh was watching me with his signature grin, all charming and mischievous and annoying at once. Dave was smiling a little more innocently, and as for Ashton, well, I refused to look him in the eye.

Fixing my gaze on Josh, I replied, "No, I'm terribly intimidated right now. Homework doesn't do itself."

He laughed, and I could have sworn I heard Britt drop her pencil—not at my words, but at the sound of his laugh, surely. I'd once heard her describe him as having the voice of an angel.

Angel or not, he had a knack for disturbing my peace.

As if reading my thoughts, Josh pulled out the seat directly across from me and sat down. Then he leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands, observing me. I gave him as weird a look as I could muster. He just smiled more and glanced to his left at Dave and Ashton. "Take a seat, guys. Maybe Maine is onto something here."

Then he pulled a book out of seemingly nowhere and pretended to read it. I could tell he was pretending because his eyes were darting all over the page at a hundred miles per hour. He wasn't even trying to be subtle.

Shaking my head, I returned my gaze to my science book and tried to block the boys out. That was easier said than done when Dave sat down on Josh's right, and Ashton was forced to take the only seat left—the one next to me.

Beyond uncomfortable, I brought a hand up to the right side of my face in an attempt to create a shield between us. I was still very much lacking the nerve to look at him.

As it were, I didn't have to work up the courage myself, for Josh was already busily working on it. No longer holding his book up, he looked between the two of us and said slyly, "Is this what a relationship of intimidation looks like? Awfully boring."

Gritting my teeth, I pulled my hand down only to slam it on my textbook. "Just forget the intimidation thing, okay?"

He laughed again, enjoying this far too much. "How could I forget it? It's the funniest thing I've heard in weeks."

Fighting the urge to reach across the table and choke him, I instead gripped my science book so hard my knuckles turned white. "I'm not intimidated, okay? There, I said it."

Josh glanced between me and Ashton again, still smiling. With a nod, he conceded, "All right. I'll take your word for it." As I was about to return to my homework, he said suddenly. "You hear that, Ash? She's not intimidated."