MONDAY IS USUALLY one of the days that I look forward to the most as it's always the start of a new school day, but not today. Today I was anxious about seeing Asher again and wondering if he would even talk to me considering I left him countless voicemails and texts asking him to talk but all went answered.
I walked to my locker with the hopes of spotting Asher there but I was only disappointed when I didn't see him standing there waiting for me. I sucked it in, grabbed my books and made my way to Physics class. At least learning about Gravity, Momentum and Kinematics would help distract me from my thoughts.
The morning classes went by in a blur with me mostly spacing out of each and every class I had because I could not, by the life of me stop thinking about Asher. And no it wasn't because I was secretly in love with my childhood best friend but more so the fact that I had potentially pushed away the only friend I had.
"Alexis what is the answer?" Mrs. Briggs asked.
I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to face the fair woman standing at the front of the classroom with her beady eyes boring straight into mine. "Can you repeat the question ma'am?"
"If you were paying attention to what I was saying rather than doing whatever it was you were doing, you would have heard the question Ms. Vance," she said narrowing her eyes at me and causing half the class to erupt into laughter.
"I'm sorry ma'am. It won't happen again."
"Very well then, you're one of my best students and I would not want to have to send you to the headteacher's office because of this."
After that, the rest of History class went by smoothly with me doing my best to stay focused on what Mrs. Briggs was saying and immediately the bell rang signaling the end of class, I was the first person to dash out of the classroom with my head hang low.
I went to my locker, packed away my books and made my way to lunch hoping that I could spot Asher there. But when I walked in, the only thing that I saw was an empty spot at the lunch table where we all ate at.
Just when I was about to turn around and forget all about lunch, a voice called out my name and I could never mistake that voice.
"Hey Alexis, over here," Parker called.
Slowly, I turned back around and made my way to the infamous lunch table and took a seat near Drake.
"Hey guys!"
Drake gave me a small head nod and went back to stuffing his face with his burger, Evan smiled and went back to eating his lunch while Rick and Asher were nowhere to been.
"Have you seen Asher today?" Parker asked as he turned to face me.
"No I haven't. I actually wanted to ask you if you had seen him around school."
Parker sighed and shook his head, "well he better be here before practice otherwise coach will eat him alive considering he's the Captain and can't miss any practice days."
Captain? Why didn't he tell me?
After that little conversation, Parker went back to talking to Evan while I sat there lost in my thoughts. I was abruptly pulled away from my thoughts by the bell resounding overhead and I grabbed my things but not before saying a quick goodbye to the guys at the table.
I made my way to Civic Ed class which was the last class I had for the day and hoped that Kai, Jake and Nick would be there this time round so we would officially begin our assignment.
I took my usual seat at the front of the classroom and pulled out my textbook, notebook and pen preparing myself for the lesson that was due to begin any time. After a few minutes of waiting, other pupils begun to fill in the classroom but there was not a single sign of the guys.
Please be here today! I chanted inside my head over and over again.
Ms. Thompson walked into the classroom and immediately went to asking how our assignments were going. Everyone seemed to be doing good so far with theirs and just when she was about to ask me there was a knock on the classroom door.
On the other side stood my Civic Ed partners who I hadn't seen over a week.
"You're late," Ms. Thompson said.
Kai tried to come up with a good response but Jake nudged him to keep quiet, "sorry ma'am, it won't happen again," he said with a smile.
"It better be. Now go find Alexis and talk about your assignment and you all must do the work because if I find out you let her do all the work then I assure you you will not pass my class and you will be held back from graduating," Ms. Thompson said slightly narrowing her eyes at them.
Jake and Kai rushed into the classroom and pulled up chairs besides me with Nick closely following behind.
"Hey Alexis! Long time no see," Kai mused.
I narrowed my eyes at him and then Jake, "yeah long time no see. You practically left me all week to do the assignment alone, not that I mind but at least you could have told me you weren't interested in doing it in the first place."
Jake rubbed the back of his neck, "yeah about that we're really sorry but something came up."
I huffed because at least he apologised. "Fine, you're forgiven."
Jake and Kai both smiled while Nick just scowled for some reason. "Thank you so much Alexis, you're the best," Kai said flashing me his charming smile with his pearly white teeth.
"So what's this assignment all about because honestly I don't remember it?" Kai asked.
"We're supposed to write a report on the process of a trial and provide concrete evidence," I said flipping through my notebook. "My dad's a lawyer so I can ask him to help us out with it if you guys are okay with that?"
"I'm in," Jake spoke.
"Count me in." Kai agreed as well.
Nick was the only one who didn't say anything and Kai seemed to sense my questioning gaze on his friend.
"Dude what do you think of what Alexis just said?" Kai asked his friend with a not so subtle nudge.
Nick glared at Kai before sighing, "fine count me in. The sooner we get this over with the better."
Wow! That has been the most I've heard Nick speak in the amount if time I've known him, which now that I think about it isn't really that long.
"Great I'll talk to my dad about it and we can meet tomorrow to discuss everything else," I said and just then the bell rang.
I packed up my things and stood up, "see you guys tomorrow and you better be here," I said with narrowed eyes before making my way out of the classroom.
The hallway was crowded with pupils hovering over their lockers, either packing their books or collecting their homework. I spotted a head of dirt blond hair heading towards the exist and I decided to follow him.
I took quick strides until I caught up with him as he was about to get into his car.
"Asher!"
He slowly turned around and fixed me with a blank stare, "what do you want Alexis?"
"I'm sorry. I tried calling and texting you but you didn't reply," I said nervously biting the inside of my cheek.
Asher folded his hand across his chest with the same blank expression, "I was busy."
"Oh!"
"Yeah. Now can I go? I've got better things to do than talk to a backstabber," his words cut deep but I knew I deserved them.
"I'm really sorry."
"If you really were then you'd change your mind."
With that he got into his car and drove off leaving me standing their feeling helpless and defeated.
I don't know how long I stood there staring in the direction his car drove off in.
"Trouble in paradise?" a voice asked.
I turned around only to be met with Kai, Jake and Nick walking towards me. I didn't know what to say so I said nothing.
"Need a ride?" Kai asked.
I shook my head but still didn't say anything.
"C'mon I'll give you a ride and I'm not taking a no from you," Jake said as he made his way to a black Ferrari. "You and Nick can go ahead and I'll catch up with you," he told Kai.
Nick shot daggers at Jake but followed Kai nevertheless to his black Audi and got in the passenger's side.
I followed Jake and got into the car as well. I told him my address and soon enough we were driving off in the direction of my house.
"You know Nick doesn't hate you right?" he asked after a few minutes of silence had passed.
I scoffed, "yeah sure he doesn't. Honestly I don't know what I did to him."
Jake guffawed, "trust me, he's far from hating you."
I didn't know what he meant by that and I didn't bother asking.
"We're here," he announced.
"Thanks for the ride, you really didn't have too."
"It's my pleasure," Jake said, "see you tomorrow and I hope all goes well with your best friend," he added before speeding off in the direction we came from.
~A