Aliyah P.O.V.
I never know what happened with Ashton having to go to the office yesterday during school, but when I arrived this morning, everything seemed normal enough. Ashton greeted me at my car like he usually has been in the mornings and acted normal. I pulled my textbook from my locker and jumped in surprised when someone closed my locker.
"So, how about me and you go get some ice cream after school or something?" I looked at Ashton and slightly blushed. I wanted to yell 'Yes!' but, that would sound like I was practically waiting for him to ask, even though I have been.
"Yeah, sure. See you in history." I walked away from my locker and towards my first class, why did I just walk away? I still have twenty minutes until my first class starts! I mentally slap myself for not staying to talk to him and walk towards my class.
I silently take notes and sit through the class, bored out of my mind. I keep wondering what will happen with me and Ashton. I admitt that I like him, a crush, nothing more, but something about him is different. I've never met a guy anything like him. Ashton always seems to smile whenever he sees me rounding a corner or walking towards him. How when I'm sitting beside him, he will occasionally steal a glance over at me, or how the few times he's held my hand, he rubs his thumb over to back of my hand, making me more relaxed.
I smile just thinking about him, and how he's different. I'm snapped out of my thoughts when the teacher calls me name. I immediately look up at her and my smile falters. "Do you care to share what has your not paying in attention in my class and smiling so widely?" I shake my head and look down at my notebook, doodling in the corner. "Come on, speak up." I shake my head and rub my sweaty palms together. I begin to get uncomfortable under the stare of all my classmates as my teacher still urges me on.
Without thinking much of it, I quickly exit the room, hearing the laughter of kids behind me. I head towards the bathroom and lock myself in the stall farthest away from the door. You may think I'm over reacting, but the truth is, talking in front of people I have no trust in terrifies me. It terrifies me even more to talk in front of people who laugh at me. I may seem confident at some points, but it can all come crumbling down in one moment for me. I don't cry, there's no need for that, I just needed to be away from the preasure that was put on me.
I close the toilet lid and sit on it, crossing my legs and pulling out my phone. I aimelessly scroll down my facebook feed as I hear the bell ring. I stay put until the second bell rings, signaling that everyone should be in class by now. I pick myself up and exit the bathroom, walking towards my locker. I wasn't going to get my things, they would have to sit there. I know the teacher would yell at me, and I know I would probably end up going off at her. I'm furrow my eyebrows together when I see my backpack sitting in front of my locker. I cautiously look around, but no one is in sight.
All of my belongings are in my backpack, nothing missing. I swing the bag over my shoulder and take out my science book. "You know, the teacher felt bad after you left and went into the halls looking for you." I jump slightly when Calum leans against the locker beside mine. I shake my head and shut my locker. "And I got your stuff for you." I smile in appreciation and turn towards him, leaning against my own locker.
"Thanks, I was going to leave it all in there, get it after school sometime." He nods and does something I didn't expect. Leans in and hugs me. He wraps his arms around my torso and squeezes slightly. I stand slightly shocked before wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him back.
"I'm sorry for what I said at your house the other night, things got out of control." Calum releases me and looks down at the floor. I wasn't really thinking about what had happened at my house. How my brother threatened him, and how I yelled at him.
"No, it's fine. I shouldn't have yelled at you either, it was wrong of me. I guess I'm just sensitive about things like that." I frown, I really shouldn't have yelled at him. It was uncalled for and rude.
"I deserved it, now get to class before you're late." I stand shocked for a moment when Calum presses a kiss to my cheek and walks off. I quickly turn directions and go towards my science class. Today, has been an eventful day so far.
Ashton P.O.V.
I sit alone in the back of math class, thinking about what I had witnessed. Ashton and Aliyah skipping class together. No, I hadn't been skipping class, I was running something to the office for the teacher. I also couldn't get the picture of their arms wrapped around each other like that, but smiling.
Calum is the one who said I should do the bet, but now he's making it hard for me. I've been unnecisarily nice to a girl I don't like, so I can win a bet, and he's ruining my chances of winning. The only reason I'm with Aliyah, or even hanging out with her is so I can win this bet. I'm spending most of my free time on this girl just for a bet, that I already know I can win. I'm doing the things read in the love novels, glancing over at her occasionally, smiling when I see her, even holding her hand.
Acting like I give a shit about her, when I couldn't care less about where she is, what she does or who she's involved with. She could continue eating her lunch alone at that table pushed away in the corner,with pealing paint on the seats for all I care.
As the bell goes off, signalling lunch, I grab my bag and head towards my locker. Acting like I like this girl, is tiring, and I'm ready to just skip today, but I know I have to take Aliyah for that date after school. I walk into the cafeteria and place my lunch sack on the table, sitting next to Luke.
"How's the bet going so far?" Michael chuckles and I shake my head.
"I really regret doing it. She's as boring as a stick and has nothing interesting about her." I laugh at the truth, we had nothing in common and she was nothing but a boring nerd, a nobody. No one knew who she was until I started hanging around with her, and no one knew she even existed.
"Then call the bet off." Calum speaks up as he looks around the lunch room, his eyes trailing from table to table. I laugh lightly and sigh, I would never call off a bet, I wouldn't lose, when I know I can win. "I gotta go." Calum stuffs his lunch back in his sack and rushes out of the lunchroom.
"What's up with him?" Luke asks, staring at where Calum walked out.
"Probably has a hook up in the janitors closet." We all laugh is off and continue with our lunch.
Aliyah P.O.V,
I change my location at lunch today, sittng under a tree in the school parking lot. Science class was boring as ever, I sat alone in the back, finishing a lab report that isn't due for another week, then collected some information for me and Calum's history report. I'm not sure how to feel about Calum, he made me mad last night, not appreciating his mom, but then today, he was nice, and sweet to me and apologized. I'm not sure if last night he was just in a mood swing or if today he was just in a mood swing.
I pull my phone out of my pocket as it silently buzzes, signalling I have a text message.
From: Richard
Aunt Mari wants us over for dinner tonight, we leave at 5
I sigh and set the phone down. I love my Aunt Mari, she does so much for me and my brother, but my cousins, are not my most favorite people in the world. They're both my age, one a year younger than me and one a year older, Josh and Kendle, both overly perverted and immature, with no boundries whatsoever.
"You know, sitting in a parking lot alone with no one around is dangerous." I look up and smile lightly at Calum, who sits across me, leaning against a tree. "With the project, I looked up some information and printed it out, I was thinking, one of us could make the poster and one of us could write the report, but we should use the same sources, to make sure they correspond. I'm not very good at doing posters, whenever I glue things, it always clumps and things are never straight and alligned, but-" I laugh and cut him off.
"Calum, you're blabbing." Calum smiles a little and hands over a small stack of papers. "I have plans after school today most of the day, and I'm probably going to a party tonight, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to work." Calum nods, and pulls out a sandwich biting into it. I bite into one of my strawberries and stuff my phone back into my pocket. "Why are you out here with me, and not with your friends." I ask and Calum shrugs, biting into his sandwich again.
"Because, I need my grade up in history so I'm taking this project seriously, and I wasn't sure when else I would be able to talk with you about it." I nod and stiff my sandwich back in its bag, not very hungry.
~
The day passes by rather quickly and I find myself slightly dreading the fact that I'm going out with Ashton, I'm tired and my face slightly hurts I stop at the edge of the school building when I see both Ashton and Calum standing in front of my car, pointing fingers at each other. I just slightly shake my head and walk towards them.
When Ashton notices my presence, he smiles, and drapes an arm around my shoulder. "Hey babe."He places a kiss on my cheek and I blush, stuffing my backpack into the back of my seat. Shrugging his shoulder off.
Ashton was being really friendly, and I liked friendly, but overly friendly wasn't so great. Ashton seemed to glare at Calum the whole time I stood trying to unlock my car and get the door opened.
"Bye, see you later." I don't direct the sentence at Calum or at Ashton, but they both reply immediately, telling me goodbye. I start my car, pulling out of the parking lot slowly, making sure not to run into anyone crossing the street. My drive home is uneventful, I just drove the long way home, not bothering to look around, my mind focused on Calum for an odd reason. I wasn't sure why he was so interested in his History grade being higher, from what I know, he doesn't care about any of his other grades being higher, so why care about his history grade?
I pull up in my driveway and notice Richard's car. I would have assumed he wouldn't have come home before meeting me at Aunt Mari's. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and pick up the tiger Ashton had gotten me the other day, I had never taken it inside for some reason. I greeted Richard as I passed the living room and headed to my room. I set the tiger at the foot of my bed and sit down at my desk, beginning my homework. I pull out my phone as it begins to ring, answering the call from Ashton.
"Hello?" I speak quietly, writing down a math equation on my notebook.
"Hey, so am I picking you up for our date or what?" I internally groan. I totally forgot I had a date with Ashton today. He had told me he was going to take me for ice cream this morning and I forgot.
"Um, I'll just meet you at the ice cream place. I have to be somewhere afterwards." We say a quick goodbye before hanging up. I put my loose leaf paper into my textbook to mark my page and slip my shoes back on, grabbing my car keys.
Ice cream, was not my thing. I hated how cold it was against my teeth and how it slides down my throat in a half melted clump, it's just unsatisfying. Yet, here I am, about to leave to go get ice cream with a boy i slightly have a crush on.
"Hey, I'll meet you at Mari's house, I'm going to run to the library to return the books i got yesterday and get some new ones." Richard waves a goodbye to me and returns to his room, doing who knows what. I'm not surprised he didn't ask about my plans. I actually do go to the library on a regular basis to do school work in a quiet environment and to read.
I begin the drive to the ice cream shop and cringe as I pull up. I wait inside my car for Ashton to arrive, his car not in site. I pull out my phone and check my messages. Kaylee messaged me about hanging out tonight and I told her about going to Mari's, something she would completely understand me having to do.
I jump slightly when someone taps on my window. I'm greeted with Ashton smiling warmly at me. I climb step out of my car and walk inside with Ashton, observing the different flavors of ice cream. I browse the menu hanging on the wall and decide I minds as well get a milkshake since I don't enjoy ice cream.
"What flavor do you want?" Ashton asks me as we approach the counter.
"Actually, can I just get a strawberry milk shake? I'm not in the ice cream mood." He nods and begins to order his ice cream and my shake.
I chose a table in the back corner as Ashton collects the order. He sets the shake down in front of me and I thank him quietly. He checks a message that pulls up on his screen and furrows his eyebrows together and responds to it. Kind of rude to answer a text during a date, but I assume it was important.
"So, there's a party tonight, at Luke's and you could come? It'll be fun." Ashton raises a questioning eyebrow at me and I findle with my fingers. I've never been to a high school party before, but I've heard of them. Drinking, drugs, sex. I'm not sure I was ready for any of those things. But, you never know until you try.
"Sure, what time does it start?" I mentally frown at myself for accepting his request, it would probably end up terrible.
"It starts at eight o'cl-." Ashton is cut off as a familiar voice approaches us.
"Aliyah?" I snap my head to the right as Richard approaches us. I stand up immediately, giving Ashton an apologetic look. "What the hell are you doing out with some guy, I thought you were at the library." Richard glares at Ashton who furrows his eyebrows together. As Richard's hands turn into fists, Ashton comes to my side. I know Richard would never hurt me, but I'm assuming Ashton thinks he would.
"Aliyah, why would you lie to me. Come on, we're going home." As Richard reaches for my arm, Ashton stands in front of me.
"And who are you?" I mentally curse at Ashton for talking back to my brother, something that was not very wise.
"I'm Richard, and who are you?" Richard crosses his arms and I move to stand slightly in front of Ashton.
"I'm Ashton, I've been going on a few dates with Aliyah." I sigh and watch as my brothers face turns redder and he begins to walk towards Ashton.
"Stop Richie." I speak softly and I'm surprised he could even hear me.
"Come on we're going home." I sigh and wave a slight goodbye to Ashton as I grab my shake and Richard pulls me out of the small ice cream shop. Richard pulls me to my car and slams his fists against the hood, leaving a small dent. "What the hell are you thinking? Being out with another guy, lying to me." He glares and leans against my car.
"I was thinking, I'm almost eighteen, I haven't had a love life in a year and that I can take care of myself." Richard glares at me and opens my car door for me, motioning me in.
"I'll see you at Mari's." He stalks off to his truck and waits for me to pull out before following me. Having Richard as a brother was good, yet it was also bad. He was like a parent that won't let you do anything. I'm grateful he cares, I just wish he would realize I am old enough to take care of mos things. I shake my head as I realize I'm doing the same thing Calum had the other night, not being grateful for what I do have.
My phone buzzes in my purse and I fish it out, keeping my eyes on the road and not checking the caller ID. I answer the call and look in my rear view mirror, Richard is watching me.
"Hello?"
"What the hell was that? Some big muscular guy walks in on our date, acts like he owns you, looks like he's going to beat me to shreds then says your going home with him? Is that like your boyfriend or something? Because I'm not getting involved with a girl who has a boyfriend." I sigh and try to focus on the road.
"No it's not my boyfriend, I don't have a boyfriend. Richard is my brother, who is slightly protective of me." Ashton sighs and then says sorry for getting worked up. He reminds me about the party tonight before hanging up. I pull into my aunt's driveway and get out of the car, entering through the front door. My aunt is one of the best people you could ask for, she enhireted a lot of money when he husband's parents passed away and she helps me and my brother out, she pays for our phone bills and when needed will help pay a few electricity or water bills. My convertible was actually hers, when she decided to get a new car she gave me her old convertible that was actually only two years old.
"Oh Aliyah it's so nice to see you again." She hugs me and I hug her back, then unlatch from her to walk into the kitchen where I can smell food. Different types of meats are spread around and some vegetables and a few loaves of bread. "I hope it will be enough. The boys eat so much now-a-days and I wasn't sure if I had made enough." I laugh as I look at the kitchen covered in more than enough food.
"I'm pretty sure it will be enough for the six of us." I smile and take another breath in of the home cooked meal. I frown when two arms are wrapped around me from behind and a kiss is placed on my jaw line. I remove the arms and turn around to glare at Kendle. "Pig." I hiss at him as he laughs.
"Leave your cousin alone, she'll stop coming over if you keep that up." Mari yells as she exits the room.
"Hey, dad slept with another girl before you and I was created, I am in no way related to this sexy lady." I hit his chest and take a seat at the table. Kendle sits beside me as Richard, and my uncle Parker enter the room. Richard site on the other side of me and refuses to talk to me. Mari and my other cousin Josh soon enter the dining room, taking their seats.
"Dig in." Everyone scoops food on their plate and I protest as Kendle put more meat on my plate, telling me I need to gain some weight and that I'm to skinny for my own good.
I'm completely stuffed halfway through my plate of mashed potatoes, meat and vegetables, but continue to eat it so I won't seem rude. The food was amazing, as usual. Mari went to culinary school when she was in college and the skills never left her. She's the best I know.
Small talk was made throughout the meal, but I mainly stayed out of it, until I was put into a direct question that is.
"Aliyah, why'd you drive separately from your brother? It would have saved a lot of gas for you two to ride together." I frown and Richard smirked.
"Yes Aliyah, why don't you tell them what you were doing before you came here?" Richard leans back in his chair and smirks at me. Though Richard is a nice brother, when he's mad, he will take it out on you.
"Is something wrong?" Parker asks, folding his napkin onto his lap and leaning against the table.
"No, I was just out to get a milkshake, had a craving." I mumble and Richard rolls his eyes at me.
"And who were you with?" I glare at him and decide to say what he wants me to say.
"Okay, I was on a date. Are you happy? I said it. Is it really such a big deal?" I sigh and pick up my plate, walking into the kitchen to set it in the sink. "Thank you for dinner Aunt Mari,it was delicious, but I think I should be going." She stand up to walk me to the door and Richard gives me a slightly sorry look.
As I start to walk out the door, my aunt stops me. She motions me to sit on the front porches steps and sits beside me, bouncing her leg. "So, I did a little bit of research on your mothers will that she left when she died." I look down and sigh, something like this never turned out well. "The house isn't your dads." I sigh and place my head in my hands. Of course it wasn't, it was probably no ones, we would be homeless. "It's Richard's. Your mom knew about your father's drunkenness so she left the house to Richard because she was scared your father would go out of control." I smile and hug her, this, was good news, we could kick him out, we wouldn't have to deal with him anymore, he would be out of our hair for good. "Also, she had this letter for you, I don't know why no one ever gave it to you." I smile and put the letter in my pocket, ready to read it when I get home.
"Thank you, I'll see you soon." I hug her and walk to my car, driving quickly back to my house. If I wanted to be at the party on time, I would have to get ready quickly, it was already seven o/clock almost.
I finish applying my last bit of make-up and pull on a pair of silver sandals. I was kind of excited to be going to my first party. I never thought I would go to one, but it seems like a little fun. I leave a note on the kitchen counter for Richard to see, telling him I was going to a party. I wasn't going to lie to him, but I'm going to this party.
Ashton had texted me the address for Michael's house and as I pulled into a neighborhood right outside Ashton's gated community, I stare in shock. Tons of people are little around in the yard and you can hear music from the inside. I park my car on the street a few houses down and walk to the party. A few people stare at me oddly as I walk in.
I search for Ashton but don't find him. I wander around the semi-large house and find the kitchen, where drinks are lined up on the counter and people are gulping down drinks. I grab a random drink and take a sip of it. It's not that bad, and it smells like whisky, so I'm assuming it's whisky.
I wander around a little more and then run into someone, spilling my drink on my t-shirt. I gasp and pull the cup away from me. I look up to see Kendle smiling down on me. What the hell is he doing here?
"What the hell are you doing here?" I gasp and he laughs and me, wrapping an arm around me waist.
"Shouldn't I ask you that? I thought you would be going home studying all night like the boring person you are, who knew, good girl, Aliyah Santiagos would be at a highschool party with a cup of alcohol on her hands.
"Your mother would kill you if she saw you here, you know that right?" I laugh as Kendle hands me his drink, telling me I can have it. I take a sip and crunch up my face, it's much stronger than whatever I was drinking.
"She would kill you too, probably take back that pretty little convertible of yours. Now, lets dance." I try to protest as my cousin in law drags me to the dance floor, swaying his hips and pulling me closer to him. Yes, technically we aren't related by blood, but we are related through law, and even though I know he wants to hook up with me, I would never do it. I'm not stupid enough to do that.
I sway my hips to the music and have a bit of fun for once. I usually stay cooped up in my room all day doing nothing, or studying, it felt good to do something out of the ordinary for once. Kendle presses his lips to my neck and leads me off the dance floor, softly putting my back against a wall. I put my hands against his chest as he lips connect with my jaw line.
"Kendle stop, I can't believe you're already drunk." He laughs and pushed himself against me, making it harder to breathe. "Kendle stop." He looks at me for a moment before tracing a hand down my side, letting it rest on my hip.
"You know, ever since your aunt married my dad, I've had my eyes set on your perfect little body, and I still haven't gotten it. I say, you let me have it." He places his hand on my butt and the other on my hip and I try to back away from him, turning my head to the side. I still hold the drink in my hand. Kendle has me trapped against the wall and I squirm and he starts to reach his hand up my shirt.
"Kendle stop, please." He chuckled lightly, his warm breath hitting my neck.
"I told you, I want you, and I'm going to get you." He pushed me all the way against the wall, grinding on me slightly as his hand still goes up my t-shirt.
"She told you to stop." Kendle's head raises to look at the person speaking and he chuckles.
"This isn't your business, go away Hood." Hood? Calum Hood? I look over at Calum, who has a Luke standing beside him. I give him pleading eyes as Kendle doesn't move away.
"It is my business when you start messing with my friends, now get off her before I make you." He takes a few steps towards Kendle who backs away, spanking my butt before leaving. I slide down the wall and place my drink on the ground, sighing.
Calum bends down in front of me and places a hand on me cheek. "You okay?"He asks and touches the now purple spot on my neck. I nod and he helps me up. I grab my drink and take a sip of it, still not used to the taste. "Come on, me and the boys are upstairs playing a game." He takes my hand and leads me upstairs and into a bedroom, where several people are sat, including Ashton Michael and Luke. Ashton gives me an odd look as I enter the room with Calum.
I sit down inbetween some random guy and Calum as people spin a bottle. I suspected there would be kissing involved, but they were doing something I had never heard of. Seven minutes in heaven, apparently two people get stuffed into a closet together for seven minutes and you're suppose to make the most of it.
Several people have gone in and out of the closet, but I haven't been selected as one of the people yet, the bottle has hit Calum twice and the guy beside me thrice. I was glad I hadn't had to go in the closet with some random stranger. I had finished the drink Kendle gave me and then stole Calums because my throat got dry. Two and a half drinks, was apparently to much for me because I was slightly dizzy and my head was fuzzy.
When the bottle landed on me I groaned and stood up, steadying myself. I waited for another person to be selected by the bottle and mentally groan when it's Ashton. I didn't want to go in a closet for seven minutes with anyone, but especially not Ashton, not after what happened today at the ice cream shop.
I half walked, half tumbled to the closet and sat down in a corner, it was actually a pretty big closet. Ashton sat across from me and I picked up a drink someone had left in here, gulping it down, not thinking clearly.
"You're not looking so hot, how many drink have you had?" Ashton takes the empty cup from me and tosses it outside the door, letting a bit of light come into the closet.
"Only like four, but i only drank half of one, so like three and a half." Ashton laughs at me and I lay my head against the wall. I had a massive headache and the only thing that subsided it was having a drink to numb it.
"Maybe you should slack off." Ashton says and I laugh at him.
"You sound like my brother, slack off Ashton, it's a party, have some fun." I laugh and throw my head back, thinking something is overly hilarious, but really, it's mainly the alcohol. We stay silent for the rest of our seven minutes when I stumble out of the closet and make my way downstairs, searching for another drink. I open the fridge and pull out of long slender bottle, not caring to pour it in a cup, just taking it straight from the bottle.
I remember wandering around for about an hour more, then the rest is a blur...
~~~~
I know I haven't updated in two months but I've been so stressed lately with school because I changed school and such.
But, I plan to update regularly now, i made this chapter extra long because I was gone so long.
Love you guys
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~Stay Swaggy~