"So are we not gonna talk about what happened the other day?"ask Sam, as she leans against the locker beside mine. Her hands are placed on her hips as she waits for an answer. Well, silently demands an answer.
I've been trying to avoid this conversation with her all weekend, but I knew that when Monday comes I'd have no choice.
Today's Monday.
"Nothing," I answer nonchalantly as I close my locker.
"Don't you lie to me Jamie Marie Paige."
"Honestly, nothing." After much contemplation, I decided that I was most likely overanalyzing things. It was most likely that Ronnie was toying with me, as after all he's a major tease and has done it before. If anything, it was probably my teenage hormones placing thoughts in my head.
"All I'm saying Jamie, you need to figure your life out." Bending over so she can place her thick, brown hair in a ponytail, she scoffs. "Look who's here," she announces as she stands upright again. Turning around, I see both Ashton and Ronnie making their way toward us.
"Can you two look anymore thrilled to see us?" Ronnie questions with a lopsided smile.
Ashton tilts his head in feign concern. "Are we interrupting something?"
"Yes, but that's never stopped you guys before," mutters Sam.
"You're right," admits Ashton as he claps his hands together, "So like I was gonna ask, you guys free Friday?"
I glance over the two, suspicious of their plans. Really, I'm always suspicious of their plans. "Depends. Where are we going?"
"Lizzie has a band, and we're supposed to round up some people to go," Ronnie inserts.
Ashton quickly glances at Ronnie before turning to look at me. "Yeah, but we thought it'd be better if you guys came with us."
Sam places her hands over her heart. "That means you guys actually enjoy hanging out with us."
"Now we didn't say all that buttercup," Ronnie says as he tucks a stray hair behind her ear.
Sam hastily smacks his hands away. "It was implied."
"So you guys coming--" Ashton trails, his palms face up waiting for an answer.
I shrug and look at Sam. She shrugs in response, and I take it as a sure. "What else do we have to do?"
***********
Sam and I enter the small café: the Red Hen. Some alternative band is currently on stage, and they're certainly not bad. Actually they're pretty good. I've never been here before, but it's the go to place for hipsters in our area to find new talent and eat some decent food.
The place is dimly lit, and waiters dressed in burgundy rotate between tables. The tables are decently packed, with only few vacant tables. I search the room for the familiar face of either Ashton or Ronnie, but the dim lighting is making things a little difficult.
Sam points to a table near the stage. "There, I see them!" Following her finger, I spot Lizzie's signature red hair first before seeing the boys beside her. Grabbing my wrist, Sam leads the way toward them.
Ronnie looks up first as soon as he sees us, his gaze flickering between us two. "Look who decided show up."
"We're here on time," I state although barely. Lexis was taking her sweet old time getting ready so she could drive Sam and I here.
"I'm pretty sure I texted you saying eight o'clock," Ashton says pulling out his phone. Sliding my hand into my back pocket, I pull out my phone as well to flip through our recent text messages. I quickly scan the text before letting out a small oops. "My bad, I thought you said eight thirty."
Sam turns to Lizzie. "Did we miss your performance?"
"No I'm on next, which reminds me I should start warming up. Thanks so much for coming," she says with a smile, accentuating her dimple piercings. She stands up to give us each hug, before bidding us all a temporary goodbye.
Sam sits in Lizzie's recently vacated seat, and Ashton reaches over to the table beside him to grab another chair. Tapping on the cushion, he motions for me to come sit. Taking the seat next him, I tilt my head. "So how good is Lizzie's band?"
"Their actually pretty good. They're some punk rock band. Kind of reminds you of Paramore," Ashton answers.
Sam shakes her head, and I know what's coming next. "No way. Paramore is life." Sam is one of Paramore's biggest fans. She's a superfan; the kind of person you'd call a stan. She used to have Paramore posters all over her wall, paired with some Indian singers, and One direction. She took most of those down except for one Paramore poster and one picture of Zayn Malik from One Direction.
Ronnie scoffs. "You're a Parawhore?"
"Actually, I'm a part of the Parafamily. Get it right."
The music of the current band comes to a close and successfully ends the Paramore conversation, which I'm certain would have devolved into Sam stating why Paramore is the best band ever. I've had that conversation one too many times. Believe me.
The lead singer and guitarist, holds up a hand to wave to the audience. "Thanks so much for listening. You've been a great audience. Next up is Forgotten Nicotine! Goodnight everybody!"
As the crowd gives the band an applause, Lizzie and her bandmates take their places. It's an all female group--the drummer being a petite girl with bright blue hair and dark eyeliner, and the guitarists being twins, one with short black hair and the other with short white hair. Lizzie makes her way to the mic, cupping it between her hands.
"Hello everybody! I'm Lizzie. This is Tara, Teegan, and Maya," she introduces, pointing to the twins and then the drummer, "And we're Forgotten Nicotine!"
"Who came up with that name?" Sam asks, a chuckle hidden in her throat.
"I did," Ronnie answers proudly.
Ashton leans in toward my ear. "He got it from a band name generator," he whispers, causing me to scoff.
Ronnie leans forward and puffs up his chest. "What? You got something to say?"
Ashton simply shakes his head. "Nope, you got it Ronnie."
"That's what I thought," Ronnie replies, slumping back in his chair and causing me to chuckle.
"I hope you all enjoy this first song. It's called Twisted Addiction. We promise it's not as sad as it sounds." Lizzie takes a deep breath, her chest rising slowly as she counts her bandmates in. The band begins to play a slock rock introduction, the bass and electric guitar mingling together perfectly before the drums come in with a snare.
Lizzie's voice comes out strong and tortured, as if she's feeling the pain of every lyric.
Wrap me in your sweet forbidden kiss
Surround me in that long awaited bliss
Surround me, Surround me
My great
twisted addiction
take my
my inhibitions
Glancing toward Ronnie, I notice how tight his jaw remains as though he's trying to contain himself. Clearly, this isn't some experiment with a different narrative; this song is Lizzie's narrative. Looking at Ashton beside me, I see how his head hangs causing his hair to fall into his face and blockade my view of his expression.
I reach across the table to where his arm lay and gently touch his hand, in an effort to show my support. Ashton cerulean eyes quickly scans my face, before he envelops my hand with his own. There is no doubt that Lizzie and her band are great. The emotions she manages to evoke are ever present in the room, but I'm so thankful when the song is over. It was so personal.
Ashton continues grasping onto my hand after the final strum of the guitar. Jostling my hand to grab his attention, I mouth the words, "Are you alright?"
He furrows his eyebrows, and then he nods. "I'm fine. Are you okay?"
I tilt my head in confusion, before feeling the wet trail running down my cheek. Quickly I wipe the tears away. "I'm fine." There's a flicker of skepticism in his eyes, but he gives my hand a tight squeeze.
"I didn't know you were going to get all emotional on me," Ashton says.
"I didn't know you were going to get all emotional on me," I reply.
Sam nudges me. "They're actually really good."
"I told you they kind of sound like Paramore," Ronnie says over the music.
Sam sticks her hand up. "Don't go there Ronnie boy. I said they were good. I didn't say they were Paramore."
"So for our third and final song," Lizzie announces, "we're gonna play a song that's dedicated to that someone you'll always love." She gazes around the crowd until her eyes land on Ashton. As soon as his eyes meet his, his hand drops mine, sliding underneath the table.
I drive you crazy
But you always return
Everything's hazy
When we're all alone
And even though I know that
we're far away
I know that in my heart is
where you will stay
I will love you for the rest of time
Cuz deep inside I know you'll always be mine
I will love you til we're grey and we're old
cuz you will never let me be all alone
I just wish I could fade away into my chair. You ever see your parents kiss and just feel super awkward, like you should look away or leave. That's how it feels as I watch Lizzie all but serenade Ashton. Once she finishes, the crowd erupts in applause and cheers and I, less than enthusiastically, clap along.
When Lizzie comes from offstage, Ronnie gives her a big hug. "You were great!"
"Really, you were!" Sam agrees, giving her a quick hug.
"What'd you think?" Lizzie asks me.
"It was amazing," I reply. I'm not lying persay. I did think they were great. I just didn't really enjoy the last part.
"How about you Ashton? What'd you think?"
He nods, running a hand through his hair awkwardly. "Awesome as usual."
"Guys, I gotta get home soon. Actually like now. My Dad's home and he's strict with the curfew," Sam says, nudging Ronnie to leave so we can go home.
"Aw, you guys can't stay and celebrate?" whines Lizzie.
"Have you met my dad? You do not want to see my Desi father angry."
"Well in that case, have safe ride back guys! Thanks so much for coming!"
As we bid our goodbyes to Lizzie and her band, Ashton approaches me with a soft smile. "You riding on my bike?"
Despite the obvious sexual innuendo of that statement, I respond indifferently. "I think I'm going to ride with Ronnie and Sam this time."
Ashton grabs my wrist. "What's up?"
"Nothing," I reply, pushing his hand off my wrist, so I can head to the car with Ronnie and Sam. Sliding into the backseat, I slam the door behind me.
"Hey, be careful with that door. I cannot afford to get the door fixed because you're too rough," Ronnie says, smiling at me in the mirror.
"You definitely could," Sam interjects.
"I could, but do I want to?" With that, Ronnie starts the car and pulls away from the curb. The ride is filled with chatter from both Ronnie and Sam. Occasionally, I add to the conversation, but honestly I'm not really in the mood. As we travel toward Sam's house, I can hear the hum of Ashton's motorcylce in the background. At this point, he could have stayed with Lizzie to celebrate or went home. There's really no reason for him to tag along.
When we pull up near Sam's house, she lets out an audible sigh. "I don't want to go back home yet."
I shrug. "You still have thirty minutes until you have to be back. Want to go for a dip in your neighbor's pool?" I joke.
"If I come in there dripping wet, my dad will kill me. No matter what time I come in. There's no excuse for being wet."
Ronnie scoffs. "I could think of one." Sam gives him a light shove, causing him to laugh in amusement. "No but that would actually be a little fun. Take a risk."
"Um no."
"We could just dip our feet in?" Ronnie offers.
A knock on the window startles me, and I squint through the tinted glass to see Ashton's piercing blue eyes. He points to me, mouthing that he needs to talk to me. I sigh, but give Sam a small smile. "Well, I'm going to go dip my feet in the pool. Come when you grow some boobies," I tease before getting out of the car.
I begin to walk to behind Sam's neighbor's house, Ashton following closely behind. "What's up Jamie? I know something is up, so just tell me what it is."
My eyes remain on the ground as my feet kick along a rock as we walk. "I said nothing, right?"
"But I know you're not telling me the truth."
We stop in front of the pool, my eyes gazing over the blue, reflective waters. "I just felt awkward when Lizzie was singing at a certain point. I'm not a jealous person. You just dropped my hand, like you were ashamed of me or ashamed to be touching me. I know you and her have a bond, but I felt like I shouldn't be there, because clearly there's something between you two."
Ashton shakes his head. "It's not like that."
"Then what is it like? Because clearly I'm not understanding," I say as I sit down by the edge of the pool. Slipping my shoes off, I dip my feet into the water, feeling the cold liquid send shocks up my legs.
He pauses, pondering quietly over his next words. "Lizzie and I, we were together at one point. You know that. And we've been through a lot as Ronnie probably told you. I always try to be there to support her in everything, and while I love her as a sister she loves me, or thinks she does, as more than a friend."
"You sure about that?"
"I'm absolutely positive, but I really want to thank you."
I raise an eyebrow. "For what? I haven't done anything."
"For being there for me when you saw that song was getting to me."
I let out a breathy laugh. "If anything you were there for me. I didn't even know I was crying."
"I don't like seeing you upset. It's like watching one of those sad dog commercials."
I scoff. "You haven't seen me upset. I'm horrible when I'm upset, and I look even worse. Almost as bad as you look."
Ashton lifts his brow in challenge. "Oh really?"
"Yeah, don't act like you're going to do something. You're not about that--" Before I can feel it, Ashton's hand pushes hard against my shoulder, throwing me off balance. I can feel myself falling, and so I grab onto his shirt, dragging him into the pool with me. I close my eyes as I sense my head being submerged in water. Pushing myself back above the water I let out a gasp for air.
Taking in what just occurred, I splash the water in annoyance as Ashton comes up for air. "You jerk! Why are you always throwing me into water?"
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm wet too."
"It doesn't."
Ashton fingers removes a wet piece of hair from my forehead. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Why not?" I huff.
He leans in closer, his face inches away from my own. "What if I said I wanted to kiss you right now?"
My breath quakes under the pressure of the question. What do I say? Do I say no? Do I say yes? Heaven knows I want to say yes. "Depends. Are you solid kisser?"
Ashton lips turn up into a smile, as we slowly move toward each other, our lips connecting. My mind goes completely blank, and I can think of nothing but how good his lips feel against my own--like the feeling of freshly shaved legs against sheets. Or something like that. I don't know. It just feels really good. Like complete bliss.
When we pull apart, we're both out of breath. I look into Ashton's crystal blue eyes reflecting the equal blue water and feel my stomach floating around, as though bouncing around in open space.
As we both begin to catch out breaths, a voice yells out from behind us. "If you kids do not get out of my pool, I'm calling the cops!" The man dressed in a blue robe and bottoms, holds his cellphone in his hand, his thick grey eyebrows furrowed in anger.
Quickly, Ashton and I scramble out the pool running toward his motorcycle. Sam, who stands outside her front door with Ronnie, watches in shock as we run by her. "You guys went in his pool?!"
With a quick yes, I hop onto the back of Ashton car. "We gotta go, he said he's going to call the cops!" As if Sam's eyes could get any wider, it does, and before she even has time to respond, Ashton kicks the stand up, turns on the engine and drives away, our clothes dripping along the way.
When we arrive in front of my house, I take off Ashton's helmet and give it back. The moment is kind of awkward, as it's clear neither of us know what to say. His thumb briefly brushes against my own as he takes back helmet. I stand on the curb, my clothes still dripping though not nearly as bad, for a few more seconds before finally saying goodnight. He returns the gesture with a small satisfied smile.
Taking that as my cue to leave, I go inside my house and hear his motorcycle leave. Inside, I can hear sounds from the living room television, and pray that it's not my mother. I don't really know how I can explain the fact that I'm currently soaked in water from head to toe. As best I can I try to sneak past the room, but to my dismay am quickly seen.
"Jamie?"
Turning to the voice, I see Kori sitting on the couch with her laptop. Her face has a mixture of confusion and amusement as she looks up from her screen and spots me.
"Don't tell mom," I beg, and instantly Kori lets out a laugh. "Let's get you some dry clothes."
A/N: AGHHHHH I'm so sorry it took long. Ugh I've been really slacking, but to my defense, I had to move with my family the week I was supposed finish this chapter (aka last week) and there was no internet there for the longest, so I was forced to wait until I got back to school. (Sadly that is where I am now). But here's the long-awaited chapter. I've had this chapter in mind since the beginning, and it was inspired by the music video above. I really want to know your thoughts!! I know this will have some people happy and others not so much, but I really want to know what you all think!!!!
I want to tell you all thank you so much for the support. This book is nearly at 16,000 reads, and I cannot thank you all enough! This story would not be as successful if it were not for each of you guys. Thanks so much for reading, and I will see you soon!