Ditched

Getting Caught

When Asher and I get let out of The Basement, we go directly to our room. It's already eleven o'clock and we can barely force ourselves to walk up the stairs, we're so tired.

I flop onto my bunk and groan. "So tired." I whine.

Asher laughs, hurtling himself into the top bunk. "I can barely make it up to my bunk."

I grin, my smile hidden when I pull the covers over my head and close my eyes. "Goodnight, Ash."

"Goodnight, PJ." And then we're both asleep.

*****

"DEANGELO, LAVATO, GET UP!" Mrs. Haggerty's voice wakes me from my slumber.

"Ugh." I groan. Asher is already sliding off the top bunk, landing on his feet next to my head with a thump. I jump. "Jesus, Asher. You scared me."

He rubs his eyes and yawns. "Sorry, kiddo." He shuffles across the hall and stumbles into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I roll out of bed and close the door. I brush my hair and pull it into a French braid. Asher comes back from the bathroom, cleanly shaven and his hair flipped nicely to one side. He sits on my bunk, on his phone while I throw on a t-shirt and jean shorts.

"Ready for another catastrophic breakfast?" He asks, offering me his hand.

I nod, grab his hand and pull him down the stairs. We sprint into the kitchen and grab our bowl of oatmeal. Everyone gets the EXACT same thing for meals: a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, a PB&J sandwich for lunch, and a plain bowl of macaroni without ANY topping for dinner. Usually not filling us up, Asher and I slip out after meals to run to the pizza parlor down the block.

We sit at a table across from a bunch of kids we don't know. We slide onto the bench next to a girl we kinda know, Lily.

"Hey, Lily." Asher says smiling way more than he should be at this moment. Why is he always so cheery?

She nods at us and continues to shovel her oatmeal into her mouth. Finishing, she gets up and walks away.

"Bye, Lily." Asher calls after her. She doesn't turn around. Asher turns to me. "Well, then. She's a pleasure in the morning."

I laugh. "Come on, hurry and eat. I want.....a meatball hero today."

Asher grins. "Then why eat?" He winks at me, slides his bowl across the table and mutters, "Up for grabs." Six hands snatch at the bowl and Tommy Sinker gets a hand on it first, clutching it to his chest.

Asher grabs my hand and pulls me toward Mrs. Haggerty's room. We tip toe in and find her asleep in her bed, snoring loudly. I laugh, but Asher slaps a hand over my mouth. He saunters over to her purse, grabs a twenty and we're out.

Giggling, I sprint out of the room, with Asher on my heels. "Let's go." He says, opening he door.

We hear someone clear their throat behind us and we stop dead in our tracks. "Excuse me, what you think you're doing?" I'd know that voice anywhere.

My eyes widening, I look over at Asher. He winks at me. "It's okay." He whispers.

We slowly turn around, closing the door behind us. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Haggerty, we didn't mean to intrude. We were just-"

"Stealing from me?" She asks, holding her hand out.

Asher slumps and hands her the twenty. "Piper, get back in the kitchen. Finish your breakfast. Asher come with me."

I look suspiciously at Asher. "No banishment?" I ask quietly.

He just shrugs. "Guess not." I walk into the kitchen and sit back down at my own table, putting my head in my hands. Great, now I don't have breakfast.

Asher slumps back in a few minutes later, a fresh bruise forming under his left eye. "Ash!" I shout, getting up to meet him in the kitchen doorway. "What did she do?"

He shrugs. "She said she isn't banishing me because...." He trails off. He doesn't look at me in the face, instead he stares at the ground, his face twitching. "Because...well, I'm-I'm behind adopted."

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A/N hey guys!! I hope you are all liking the story. Don't worry we'll have some Griffo action in the next chapter or two. It's gonna get juicy from here. Lol luvya and keep reading❤️