(It's been 2 weeks and I've already got 2000 reads!! THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH! I love you <3 Keep commenting and voting. This chapter is kind of a filler, but: "all chapters are important chapters, or else they wouldn't be in the book" - Quote by me. Still hope you like it. xx )
Monday morning and I’m up before the alarm goes off, just like always. I join my parents in the kitchen downstairs, but the minute I step in I realize it’s a mistake.
“Joselyn,” mom starts, putting her coffee mug down. “If you’re going out, please tell us first where you’re going and when you’ll be back home. And for God’s sake, you could at least have woken up for dinner last night.”
Well you could have tried waking me up, I think to myself, but decide not to tell her. She’d get mad. I was still asleep when she came home yesterday and slept throughout the evening. I didn’t wake up until now, actually. 18 hours of sleep, and yet, I’m still tired.
“Yeah, yeah. I did tell you I was going for a walk.” My mood quickly turns and mom lowers her head but keeps her eyes on me. She’s not very happy either.
“We’re just worried. I know we said we would give you some more space, but we still…”
“...care. I know. You told me already.”
Mom closes her mouth, not expecting my quick return. She looks confused, not sure whether she should say something back or let me be. She chooses the latter when she starts talking about her new work and a co-worker who already asked her to grab a coffee with her. It’s amazing how fast they can adapt, I think to myself. Dad is getting along very well at his work and mom, too. Adam has already gotten a few friends and me, what do I have? Ashton? Michael? I had talked to a lot of people, more than I used to talk to in a month or even a year, but it was nothing compared to the rest of my family.
It’s been a week since I ran into Michael here, I think as I walk back to my car after class. I wrote 5 pages of notes and had to explain why I did it by hand instead of on the laptop, to the girl with glasses next to me. I’ve always preferred writing over typing. I learn more and it’s easier to study reading off paper than off a screen. The girl started talking about saving trees and the global warming, so I shut her out. How come there’s always that one girl who’s passionate about the environment, in every class?
Unlocking my car, I realize I really do want to run into Michael again. Not as much as I want to run into Ashton, though, but I know Amy will be with him so it would ruin my mood. Maybe I should go to The Diner or Sunday’s? They might be there. Michael did seem to like me so maybe we could become friends. Am I ready for that? Am I ready to finally have a friend?
When I step into The Diner it’s almost full, but I manage to get a table in the back. The waitress quickly takes my order – a cheeseburger and fries. Girls nowadays never eat that kind of food and yes, I can understand why. It goes straight to the thighs or stomach, but it’s just so good. Salads never tastes as good as burgers. They never will taste as good as them. The fries aren’t as hot as I expected them to be, but I’m too hungry to even care. Halfway through my meal I see two people with blue and red hair walking through the bar, trying to find a table. Just when they find one, one of them raises their heads and meets my eyes.
“Hey Joselyn. Long time, no see,” Emma smiles and walks towards me. I stand up to give her a hug. “Can we..?”
“Sure,” I gesture to them to take a seat.
“Actually, you did see each other just the other day,” Michael says to Emma.
“Nah, it was a week ago?”
“Try more, three days ago. You were too drunk at Luke’s to remember.”
“Ah, you were there? What did you think? Those two can really throw some crazy parties.”
I immediately feel uncomfortable in my seat and take another fry to avoid answering.
“They have another party this Friday. You should totally come,” she says, probably forgotten she asked me a question.
“I’m not sure Joselyn would like that...” Michael tries but I interrupt him.
“Maybe I will.” Wait, what did I just say?
I’m not going back to Luke’s house. Sorry, mansion.
“Yay!” Emma cheers.
Their food arrives and I see that both of them ordered the same as me. We make some small talk and I find out Michael and Ashton are best friends, which doesn’t really surprise me. Michael had told Ashton what I studied. I find out that Gavin, the guy I met at the smoothie bar in November, is Emma’s cousin and he is indeed good with computers, just like I had thought. Emma also tells me she recently got out of a relationship.
“Apparently, he had enough of my hair dye,” she laughs.
During the chat, I can swear Michael’s trying to catch my eye, like he wants to talk to me, alone. When Emma announces she has to go to the bathroom, he doesn’t wait a second before he drops it.
“I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to you since Friday, but I know Ashton has. I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry for what Luke did. I didn’t know he would try something like that on you. I should take the blame. I’m the one who invited you over.”
He talked to Ashton? Of course, he would tell Michael, that’s what best friends do, right? Shit, what exactly did he tell him? I don’t want to ask, what if I reveal too much. I feel my cheeks heat up and my heart speeds up. What if I really had misjudged Ashton?
“It’s okay.”
It wasn’t all okay. The invite was okay, but not what Luke had tried to do.
“So how have you been?” He asks after a while.
“Good.” My reply is short, glad he changed the subject, but I’m not sure what else to say.
“Enjoying Sydney so far?”
“Yeah, it’s a nice place.”
“And you understand us? Not many people do.”
“It was hard in the beginning, with all slang and you’re really lazy with the pronunciations. But I’ve learnt and now I don’t even notice it anymore,” I tell him. “I’m a fast learner.”
There are still words I have no idea what they mean. But overall, I understand quite a lot.
Emma’s back, standing by the table with her phone to her ear.
“Yeah I’m here. Mike’s here too. Sure. Let me just…Yeah. No, we can come. Alright. See you there.”
“Kyle?”
Emma nods. “He wants us to come.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, we could finish our food if we wanted.”
Both of them look at me. I can see what they’re thinking.
“It’s okay. I’m finished anyway,” I say, grabbing my bag. I don’t want them to feel sorry for having to leave me.
“Don’t go. We weren’t trying to force you away,” Michael half smiles, but I assure him I’m okay and my plate is empty anyway. I leave some money on the table for the waitress before I walk out of The Diner, my head down, almost knocking someone over.
“Hey, watch where you going.” The guy turns around. Even though I already recognized his voice, it comes as a shock.
“Oh, Joselyn.” Ashton is standing in front of me with car keys in one hand and the other one in his hair, pushing it back. He’s wearing tight black jeans and a grey washed out shirt, the logo almost gone. It looks good on him, just like any other clothes he wears.
“Hi,” I quickly reply.
What is he doing here? Is he waiting for the others inside? Is he going to hang out with Kyle as well? He really shows up at the most random times.
“What?” He smirks.
“What?” I ask confused. “What do you mean with what?”
“You shook your head.”
“Oh,” I blush. “I just thought of something.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” I shake my head again.
“If you say so,” he shrugs and grins, making his dimples show and my knees once again go weak.
We stand there silent for a minute. No one opens their mouth, my eyes on his, his eyes on mine. I don’t want to break the contact, just the silence.
“Is that your car?” I point at the silver Mercedes behind him. It looks brand new, still shining.
“Oh no, I could never afford a car like that. It’s Luke’s,” he shakes his head, looking at the car.
“Is Luke here?” My voice is low, I’m surprised he even hears what I say.
Ashton looks at me again. First unsure, before it hits him.
“No, he’s not. He just lets me borrow his car sometimes. Mine’s at the mechanics.”
I breathe out.
“Maybe I should go…”
“Why? Are you in a hurry?” He starts spinning the car keys around his finger.
“Not really, but…”
But I know two of your friends will be out here any minute, and I don’t want them to hear what I have to say to you. What I need to say to you. I want to…
“Joselyn! I thought you said you were leaving?” Michael confirms my thoughts.
“I was but…” I turn around to face him.
“I stopped her for a chat. What took you guys so long?” It feels relieving Ashton’s the one answering.
“We had to eat, douchebag,” Emma opens the backdoor and practically throws herself in. “Kyle said we had to hurry. Come on.”
Michael walks around and opens the passenger seat.
“You coming, Ash?”
“Yeah, just a second.” But he doesn’t look at Michael when saying it. His eyes are locked with mine.
“So… I guess I have to go.” He bites his bottom lip.
I don’t want him to go. I want him to stay. I want us to sit down and talk about yesterday. To let me finish my life story or to hear his. I want him to hold me tight again. But this time without the tears. I wasn’t embarrassed of crying in front of him, like I usually am. When I’ve cried in front of someone, I find it hard looking them in the eyes afterwards, but with Ashton, I don’t feel that way.
“I still, uhm, got your sunglasses. I don’t have them with me but I can bring them for you or if you want to pick them up.”
“Sounds like a date,” He says and his cheeks turn red when he realizes what he just said. “I mean, not a date-date. Just…you know.”
“I know,” I say, probably as red as he.
“Okay, I’ll text you?” He says, or asks. I’m not sure, I just nod and he smiles before jumping into the car and drive away, leaving my heart beating faster than ever.
ASHTON POV
“So what were you two talking about?” Emma drops the minute I put the key in the ignition and turn, making the car roar.
I’ve never understood why people buy such expensive cars. I’m scared I will break something every time I borrow Luke’s car.
“Oh, nothing.” I keep my eyes on the road in front of me.
“Come on, Ash. I know there’s something between you two guys,” Michael nudges my arm.
“We just said hi.” Well, she said hi. I didn’t even greet her.
“You’re the worst liar in the world. Admit it, you like her.”
I shot Emma a glance through the rear view mirror. She’s smirking, raising an eyebrow. I don’t say anything. I don’t want to lie, and not since I apparently am the ‘worst liar in the world’. I like Joselyn, I really do, but I don’t want to admit it in front of Emma and Michael even though they’re great friends. They will tease me.
“Just don’t forget you’ve got a girlfriend.”
And because of that.
“I know…I know,” I sigh.
I know I’ve got a girlfriend. She keeps calling me, sends me text messages 24/7. I have to do something with her. I can’t be with her anymore, my heart beats for someone else. Someone who doesn’t care about make up or fashion. Someone who laughs and crinkle their eyes at my jokes. A real smile is hard to find these days, but this someone has one, even though it’s broken. And I just asked this girl out. What was going through my mind? I want to go out with her, but I’m not that kind of guy who cheats on his girlfriend even though he doesn’t like her anymore. This someone has driven me crazy.
Why did you have to come and drive me crazy, Joselyn?