I like-like you.

Chapter 1: Normal's boring

"Aston get up! You're gonna be late! Get up! Ashton!" Yelled Ashton's mother Gwen downstairs.

I reached my hand over the side of my bed and grabbed my phone. 6:30, I had to be on the bus by 6:58. I have time.

"Mom! I'll be up in a second! Can't anyone get some actual sleep around here?!"
"Don't give me an attitude Ashton!"

Ugh I hated waking up in the morning to yelling. I mean who does?

"I wasn't trying to give you an attitude!" I yelled back. Good thing we didn't have neighbors, or we'd have complaints every second of the day.

I dragged myself out of the comfort of my warm bed and my feet touched the cold wood floor.

The sting of winter danced up my spine and sent shivers marching across my body. I hate winter, "I hate Wisconsin!"
I yelled.

Mother didn't answer back, I was only answered by the silence.

Winter break seemed to fly by, missing Ashton Milo's by a heart beat. The cold air was unwelcoming and bitter. The mirror was fogged up and the windows were covered in a blanket of snow.

Really? I thought to myself, we just had to have a blizzard? Thanks Mother Nature, for nothing.

I searched through my drawer and found a pair of blue jeans that had little beading on the back pockets. Cute, I know exactly what to wear with this!

Quickly grabbing my black hoodie and bear paw boots I ran down stairs to see my mother sitting on the couch alone.

Ever since dad left it's just been me, mom, and Joey, the cat with no tail. Joey was the only thing mom had for company.

"Hey mom, you ok?" I asked plopping a seat next to her.
"Oh no I'm fine Ash, just not feeling so hot this morning."
I nodded and walked into the kitchen, it was already 6:47 and there was no sign of the bus anywhere.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw a message from Kale,

K: heyyyyy there's no school! Yes, now I can talk to u.....
A: lol hey looser, no school! Ugh I was hoping that there wasn't, thank god! XD
K:😄 I hoped the same thing lol, so whyts up?
A: well nothing now, lol
K: lol do u wanna come over??
A: I don't know... UR pretty sketchy
K:😔
A: I'm kidding! I'll ask
K:😃
A: lol

I dropped my bag and came into the living room, "hey mom there's no school, can I go to Kale's?" I asked, taking a seat next to Joey, the tabby hissed at me and I hissed back.

"Well I guess it's alright with me as long as there IS no school." She replied, stroking Joey's long soft fur.
"Oh my god mom, wow." I giggled.
"Haha I know you'd never lie to me, you're to sweet." Mom answered, landing a kiss on my cold cheek.

"Love you mom." I said, grabbing the car keys and my winter coat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~As I pulled into the long driveway the big Great Dane, Duke's, big body collided into the long window.

"Haha, you big dummy." I mumbled to myself. Kale came walking out of the door, his arms opened wide for a hug.

"Hey Ash! You look good." He complimented as he took my hand, helped me out of car, and gave me a friendly hug.

"I'm pretty sure I can get out safely Kale." I chuckled. "No really? Haha it's called being nice!" He laughed opening the door for me.

"Girls first, oh sorry ladies first, oops."
Kale always knew how to make me laugh, even if he wasn't trying to.

"Where's your parents? Aren't they here?," I asked as Duke catapulted himself onto me, "I missed you too Duke baby." Kissing Dukes fuzzy forehead I looked up at Kale's soft brown eyes.

"In New Orleans probably, that or they're making there way to California by now, either way they're not here." He seemed so happy for having his parents away, I'd be terrified without my mom, she's all I have....

"So are you hungry? Thirsty?" He asked, grabbing my coat and putting it on the hanger. Why was he being so nice? He's usually so, well Kale.

"Ok what's going on?" Kale being so gentlemen like was starting to get to me. "Nothing, just trying to be like a guy off the movies, you know always so nice to everyone, overwhelming you, isn't it?" He asked taking a seat on the couch.

The Collin house was huge, not a mansion but close enough. The log house was so well built and decorated, I'd love to have this for a home.

Looking around the changed house was distracting me from Kale. " You wanna play some games? I've got tons of 'em in my room, come on." Kale grabbed my hand and led me to his room.

Inside the blue room were shelves of games and books, in the corner was two computers and a laptop.

"Bookworm now?" I asked, Kale let out a small laugh and answered, "ya kinda, it's changed a lot since we were kids, hasn't it? He asked, grabbing his GTA game off one of the shelves.

I laid down on his bed and looked up at the ceiling, the house has changed so much, even Kale's interest in colors has changed. From green to blue, and football to baseball. Kale really has changed outside of school.

Kale joined me and we both looked up at the pictures on the ceiling, Kale's brown eyes never leaving the photos above us.

Quietly he said, "I wanna be a photographer when I'm older, it lets me escape from all the chaos and see what life really means."

I let my eyes look at him. His short brown curly hair curled up into bangs, the brown eyes I had grown so fond of gazed back at me. Surprised I looked away, "what's wrong Ash?" He asked concerned.

I looked at him again, "nothing, I just, w-, uh, why are you my friend? I mean I'm boring and not really, well normal I guess."

I was different from other girls at Lockwood High school, I had dyed hair and dressed so differently from them. But Kale didn't care, it didn't bother him that I was different.

He looked at me and said softly, "Ashton Milo's, normal's boring."