Chapter 18 - Love Can Change You
Kim's POV
My head still wrapped around the thought of earlier in the day of Asher wanting to talk to Katie at lunch. Asher barely ever talked to Katie about anything, they barely talked period and I've been wondering impatiently for the past two period what they could have been talking about. My butt vibrated as I pulled out my iPhone receiving one text, Spencer. A smiled made its way to my face as I saw his name.
'Hey I came to pick you up at class. Where are you?'
I slide my fingers over the keys to respond: 'Katie's locker. Needed to talk to her ASAP!' I saw Katie's blond head walking her walk to me. Then another text from Spencer came.
'Want me to wait for you and bring you home?' He's so sweet! But I didn't know how long our conversation would last and I didn't want him waiting so long.
'Pass, just for today. I'll catch a ride with Katie.' I respond back.
'Alright, I'll call you later love ;).'
'xo talk to you later.'
As I sent the last text I still find Katie coming down the hall with Asher just in her tail. OK seriously what's up with them? Asher has never shown an interest in Katie nor has Katie ever shown interest in him. If this is one of Asher's player pick up plans then he's so dead if he breaks her heart! They both came up to me laughing almost as if ignoring my presence, "Hey Kimmy kins!" Katie greets me opening her locker.
"Hey, I need to talk to you." I say under my breath not looking at Asher who was standing between us. I grin up to him though and look back over to Katie.
"I think I'm going to leave. Coach will have my ass if I'm late to practice. I'll call you later?" Asher said to Katie he said with a determined look. Oh hell no. This cannot be happening. You've got to be freaking kidding me! Is this legit, am I being punked?! Where's Ashton Kutcher?
"Yeah sure go. I'll catch up with you later." She told him waving him off.
"Cool. See you later." Asher said waving. His hand briefly touches her back and then withdraws as he hurries along. I look between the both of them, curious and wondering eyes directed to Katie. Still no freaking way. My two best friends aren't hooking up, I know them too damn well. Then again, Katie has all my secrets and I don't want them passed down to Asher.
"What's going on?" I whisper to Katie, eyeing her as she shrugs on her jacket.
She sighs, rolling her blue eyes three-sixty, "He's been up my ass all day asking about you." She mutters under her breath, looking around the hall.
"You didn't tell him did you?" I ask nervously, my eyes widening in anticipation.
"I told him he has to ask you himself." She takes a deep breath, closing her locker door, "You should just tell him Kim, he deserves it, and he's worried about you. He thinks he did something wrong."
I whine, walking along her as we walk our path to exit the school, "I don't know how to tell him." I confess.
"Simple. Hey Ash, can we ease up on the whole romantic friendship. I have a boyfriend and I don't want to screw things up with him. Plus, I gave up on my old feelings to you because you didn't have them back and now it's hard to move on, with my boyfriend, when you're acting flirty with me. Oh and by the way you kissed me the other night when you were drunk." She explains, summing up pretty much what I had told her Sunday night.
I sigh, running my fingers through my hair and shaking my head, "I cannot tell him all that." I snicker, crossing my arms over my chest.
I told Katie all what Nick had told me Friday morning. Asher was acting like more than a best friend and I kept letting him treat me like that and get so close to me because I always wanted it. But I needed to officially let go of that and move on, with Spencer. I hate to admit it but Nick was right, about everything, and if Spencer found out that Asher and I sleep in my bed or cuddle when we watch movies, kiss each other and say how much we love each other then he's not going to want to be with me. No one will because they'll just see it as Asher practically being my boyfriend, but truth was Asher and I are just close.
"He misses having his best friend around. Sure he also might not like the guy, but he's trying to accept it, but you're pushing him away and giving him the cold shoulder without telling him why. I think if you just tell him he'll understand. You have a boyfriend and all and he'll respect the boundaries you set." Kate reprimands. "They both love you and they both want to spend time with you. But you just got to learn how to balance out time and what you do with Asher is different than what you do with Spencer.
I sighed looking at the school as the kids started fleeting out ready to head home for the day. "I'll talk to him. Soon. I just don't want to get him upset and never talk to me again. I feel like he'll take it the wrong way. He already told me once that I'm replacing him with Spencer." I just need time to think how I'm going to tell Asher, tell him in a way so he doesn't walk out of my life forever because I still want Asher to be my friend, but how would I ever have a relationship with other guys if Asher was always acting like that other more important guy in my life?
Katie's POV
I know it's already ten o'clock at night, but I didn't think Asher Knight would be asleep at this time. I told him I'd let him know about Kim and what she was planning on doing, and he's been texting me all night about it so I decided to put the pour guy out of his misery.
"Finally you fucking called back!" Asher shouts on the other side of the phone.
"Nice to hear your voice too Asher." I sigh, rolling my eyes. On the other end I could hear some rustling, an annoying and loud noise that had me pulling my ear away from the phone. Murmurs like 'shut up' and 'cut the fuck out'. Then I heard 'tap that ass!' and I knew that voice all too well, the same voice that interrupted every English class, that same laugh that boomed in the back room; Tyler King.
They're hanging out together obviously. When aren't they when Asher isn't with Kim? Tyler King, confession number one: I have a huge crush on Ty. Ever since freshman year it just happened. He changed a lot over the summer. He looked hotter and every year it's like his body looked better and better. Every year I felt like he came back to school looking hotter than the year before, which I didn't think it was ever possible.
But who am I kidding? Tyler King and I together? HA! Yeah right! I doubt he even notices me. I don't even think he knows I exist! I would never get a guy like Tyler King, never mind to even hang out with me, or even to have a talk with me. Plus, he's told Asher to... OMG seriously? TAP MY ASS?! What the fuck, no, that's not happening!
Confession number two: In all honesty, though, I did have a small crush on Asher when we were younger. Like Middle School younger. He was cute, still is too. Everyone in school has at least had a small crush on Asher at some point in their life. You'd be lying if you said otherwise. It's like saying not everyone has a crush on Leonardo DiCaprio. Everyone has a crush on the gorgeous Leo D!
"So do you want to talk to me or play around with your boyfriend?" I ask annoyed, ready to hang up the phone.
"You shut up too. So what did you find out?" He asks curiously.
"She's planning on telling you soon. She's just trying to figure out what to tell you in a way that you won't... um, let's see, uh, stop being friends with her?" I spit out, trying not to give too much away or say the wrong thing.
"What? That's ridiculous I'd never stop being friends with her." He says earnestly and quickly.
"Because he's whipped! He's a friend whore!" Tyler shouts on the other end. I giggle slightly, listen to Asher telling him to shut up. I guess he didn't want him mom walking in the room asking so many questions.
"How much does Tyler know?" I wonder, playing with a loose piece of thread from my comforter.
"Tyler has his own ideas. Listen, do me a favor, and just tell me what Kimmy is trying to tell me and then I'll go up to her and tell her everything is going to be ok and that we're still going to be friends." Asher says, trying to persuade me into telling him. I'd be dead if I did.
"No can do." I told him sternly. Truth be told, I was afraid that if I told him, or even if Kim wasn't careful with her words he'd get angry and feel like he was being replace. I think if it were me, I'd be doing what Kim has been doing, but less of the cold shoulder treatment. Still treat him as a friend, but just keep putting down boundaries. He'd get it eventually.
"Are we doing a three way booty call?" Tyler comments in the background with a loud, hyena laugh.
"Get out of my house! Goodbye, see you in school tomorrow. You pain in the ass, dirty minded bastard." Asher orders and I can hear more shuffling around. He probably didn't hear me say goodbye but I kept the line running just to have a good laugh hearing them bicker and horse around.
Asher's POV
We were back in school the next day. It was weird being along in my car this morning, but considering I was half asleep I didn't really care a whole freaking lot. I stopped at my locker, staring at the inside of it blankly and absent mindedly for God knows how long, until I felt someone presences alongside me. It took me a few moments to snap out of it, even when the person's hand shook my arm vigorously.
I blinked a few times and looked down at Kimmy, a worried look on her pretty face, "Are you alright?" She asks, her hand back down on her side.
"Yeah, fine, just exhausted." I tell her truthfully. I didn't sleep all that great last night. My mind was constantly thinking about what Kimmy might tell me or how bad it must be that she doesn't know what to say. I can't believe she'd think I'd stop being friends with her.
"Oh." She mumbles, watching me pick out my notebook in my locker.
"So, what's going on?" I ask, zipping my bag up and closing my locker.
"I was wonder if we could hang out later and talk." She says hesitantly, taking a deep calming breath at the end.
I tried to act like I was clueless about her wanting to talk, "Sure. What about?" I ask, walking side by side with her through the halls.
She chuckles lightly, pushing her hair behind her ears, "Ash I know Katie's been talking to you. Don't pretend you don't have a clue what it is." She says, calling out my fake cluelessness.
"You're not going to lose me Kimmy. Whatever you're trying to figure out to tell me, you're not going to be able to get rid of me." I tell her recklessly, not caring if that meant I was giving away Katie's knowledge of telling me what she knew.
"You don't even know what I'm going to tell you." She mumbles, stopping in the middle of the hall to look up at me.
"I know I don't, but," I grab her hand, pulling her to the side so we weren't blocking the flow of student traffic trying to get to their homeroom, "I don't know, maybe I'll take it better than you think." I shrug my shoulders, trying to make her feel better about telling me. I just want to know what's on her mind goddammit and know why she's pushing me away!
"I just... don't want to make you upset or angry or maybe even hurt your feelings." She mutters, speaking softly and looking around the halls.
"As long as you don't tell me you hate me or don't want to be friends anymore then I'm sure I'll be open minded." I tell her with a small chuckle.
"You? Open minded? Is Friends coming back with 236 more episodes or having a reunion?" She scoffs, shaking her head.
"Hey, shut up that can still happen." I warn her with a crooked grin. She laughs, saying how much she wished that'd actually happen. "But in all seriousness just tell me what's on your mind." I encourage her.
She bites her bottom lip, toying with a bracelet on her wrist. "Later, promise. We can hang out after school or something. Or you can come by my house after your practice?" She offers, giving a small one shoulder shrug.
"Only if you make chocolate and peanut butter chip fudge brownies." I negotiates.
"Alright, if that's what gets you there." She smiles, nodding her head once before turning around to go to her homeroom. "I'll see you in History."
"Alright, bye." I said giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head. Her hair smelled delicious. Mm, is she using a new shampoo? I should ask her about that later.
Her grin falters slightly. Her cheeks turn red and she darts her eyes quickly away from me before entering her homeroom. Her face almost looked like she was in pain. I was going to ask her what was wrong but the warning bell to homeroom rang and my class was all the way down stairs.
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