Keeping Real - Ashton Irwin

Chapter 12

Despite my groans of protest, Monday morning rolled around. I checked my phone wearily, hoping that Ashton had tested me, even him being mad at me was better than just silence. Embarrassed of my outburst last night, I neglected to call him for a bit longer; hopefully he would understand that I wasn't ready to talk about what happened.

Luke's ringtone sounded out from my phone (the theme song from How I Met Your Mother, of course). "Paige is here. Whaddya want?" I answered. "I'll meet you at school, ah? Michael's driving me, unless you wanted me there?" I sighed, still sleepy. "Nah, I'm good. I'll meet you there bro." I hung up and made my way to the shower.

I lazily followed my morning routine, finally ending up in the driver's seat of my car, wearing my new Fall Out Boy shirt, my skater skirt, and Converse.

I had slept long enough, I had finished all of my homework, Connor didn't attend my school anymore: everything was as it should be, but I wasn't at ease. For one thing, I knew that I would have to tell Calum about the way his mom had treated me, and for another, I knew that I would have to face what had gone on with Ashton.

When I got to school, I boarded to first period just as usual, though today I was later than usual: waking up disoriented on the couch after crying to sleep hadn't done wonders on my hair.

Throughout the campus the students stared at me. I felt like I was in a movie: everyone stopped and turned towards me and then away from me to whisper to their friends. At first, I thought they might be admirable of me. After all, I had stood up to the richest and most popular boy in school and made him pay for what he had done to me.

But I was sadly shaken out of those thoughts when a girl that I had never met before stepped out in front of my board. I didn't have time to react: the board twisted over her foot, and I twisted off with it. I hit the ground. Hard. It jarred my wrists and stung my bruises.

"What the hell?" I asked poisonously. No one offered to help me up, even though half the school seemed to peering down at me.

She, the girl that had tripped me sneered at me, "Oh shut up. You're the girl that has mental issues," she looked me up and down, glaring. "And then you get the hottest guy in school. And he saves you from a goddamn car, you go and get him expelled!" Her voice rose several octaves. "You are the biggest bitch here-so get up off your ass and stop playing the victim here because no one believes you."

Tears rimmed my eyes, but unwilling to let any of them see me cry, I scrambled up and ran towards the restroom nearest my first period, which was often vacant because none of the locks on the stalls worked for some strange reason.

I slid down the wall, letting my board roll away from me. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want to be at this school anymore. I didn't want anything anymore.

I shuddered, more tears rolling off my chin and onto the black fabric of my skirt. Once the tears seemed to be gone, I stood up carefully. I didn't want to take another wrong step that would lead to disaster.

My steps down to the parking lot had let Connor hurt me. My steps into Calum's mom's house had let her hurt me. My steps toward Ashton had allowed me to hurt him and myself even more. I wanted to be done with taking the wrong steps.

I took a deep breath and looked into the scratched and foggy mirror hanging on the plastered walls of the school. I looked tired and sad, but I could put on a mask that made me determined and strong.

Walking out of the bathroom-my penny board in tow-I made my way to Mr. Toore's class. I knew he'd lecture me on the perils of being tardy and the ways in which that could translate into later life. But I was not going to let some girl trap me in a bathroom for the rest of the day.