I Never Said I Hated You

Speak of the Devil: Chapter 1

No One's POV:

"God she's annoying. She is so freaking annoying Ricky, you don't understand." Big Red, rolling his eyes as he shut his locker.

"Believe me I'm aware. You should hear her when she's warming up before rehearsals, it's nonstop." Ricky told him, as they rounded the corner to meet Kourtney and Nini at the latters locker.

"You talking about Ashlyn? Believe me, she can get so annoying, it's irritating." Kourtney said, Nini agreeing alongside her.

"Yeah, when EJ and I used to hang out she was constantly following him around everywhere we went. She's like a lost little puppy." Nini said, as she looked up, "speak of the devil."

As the three other teens turned their heads, among other heads rounding the corner, a very specific set of red tresses were seen rounding the corner. Ashlyn smiled at some joke her best friend, Gina, had made as she ran right into Big Red's chest.

"Woah, watch where you're going little orphan Annie, wouldn't want you to run into the wrong person. Might end up badly for you." Red said, with a menacing smirk as he glared at the girl.

"Yeah, I'd cool it with the nicknames. I'm not the only carrot top around here." Ashlyn yelled towards Red as she and Gina kept walking away.

"See. Annoying." Red said as he huffed and walked in the same direction...because of course they HAD to have the same class. With none of their other friends.

"Hey we were all friends at one point before everything happened, just try to get along. None of us particularly enjoy fighting." EJ said as he walked away towards his class.

"I mean he's not wrong, but hang in there buddy, you've got it." Nini told him as he opened the door to his class. It was some personal class that everyone in school called human interactions *no one knows the actual name* and everyone thought it was stupid.

"Good morning, class. Before you sit down, we are doing a partner project, and you can find your name tag on the desk next to your partner." Mr. Stuart said, as he motioned towards the desks.

"Um, Mr. Stuart, where is my seat? I don't see my nametag?" Ashlyn asked as she walked around the desks, looking at the name tags.

"Yes, about that, Ashlyn and Big Red, would you follow me, please?" Their teacher asked as he held open the door for the two redheaded teens.

Rolling their eyes angrily, the two teens followed their teacher out of the door and into the hallway: ready to hear Mr. Stuart's unimaginable idea.

"So.... I actually paired you two up to work together. I know you don't get along anymore, but maybe you can overcome that by doing this project." He explained, with a hopeful glint in his eyes. "Your seats will be in the back corner of the room."

"But that's not even near anyone else, or you, what if we get in a huge argument." Ashlyn asked, already upset over this situation.

"Yeah, cause she'll probably start it." Red said pointedly, causing Ashlyn to roll her eyes.

"That's why I put you in the corner, so no one would need to listen, if it's really that bad you two can talk to me, but until then chop chop and get to work." Mr. Stuart told them as he walked back into the classroom.

"I literally hate you. Why would anyone think this is a good idea?" Red asked out loud - certainly not towards Ashlyn - to no one in particular.

"Yeah, yeah. Can we make a truce, at least while we do this project?" Ashlyn asked him, smiling warmly, she just didn't want to fail this class.

"No. Stupid that you thought of that suggestion." Big Red told her, slapping her hand away.

"Ow. Don't touch me." Ashlyn told him, rubbing her now red hand.

Big Red paused in the doorway of their classroom. He had never hit anyone, on accident or on purpose. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you."

"You're not forgiven, obviously, but thank you." Ashlyn told him, walking in the door behind him.

"Whatever. Doesn't matter to me." Red told her,  as he sat down in his chair.

"C'mon at least listen to me a little bit. We just need to finish the project and you can get back to hating me." Ashlyn suggested, resisting the urge to roll her eyes again.

"Or I'll just hate you during the process." He countered, glaring at her from his desk.

"Okay, whatever." Safe to say that Ashlyn didn't resist rolling her eyes this time.

As the two pulled out their pencils to get to work on their packets, Ashlyn's phone buzzed as she got a text message from her dad.

"I heard you got the lead, again. Shocker really, Nini really wanted it." Red said as he sat down in the chair.

"No. Stop." Ashlyn said as covered her mouth with one hand as she stared at the phone in her hand.

"No. You know as well as I do that Nini deserved the leading role." Red continued ignoring Ashlyn's cry's for him to stop.

"My and your friends were sent to the hospital!" Ashlyn said loudly, getting the attention of some of their peers as she lowered herself into her seat.

"What do you mean they were sent to the hospital?" Red asked. They may not get along anymore but EJ was still his friend.

"Exactly what I said, they were sent to the hospital. Mom said for me to meet them there but I don't have a way to get there." Ashlyn said solemnly, texting her mom back quickly, "I don't know what to do she is going to be mad if I can't get there."

"Well, since it's your friends and mine too ....I want to check on them obviously. I can drive you if you want. No talking, and no mentioning this to anyone, got it?" Red asked, already picking his stuff up from the table.

"Thank you. I know you hate me, but I just want to be there for my friends." Ashlyn told him as they signed out of the school, backpacks in tow.

"True, I do hate you, but I want to be there for my friends as well." Red said as he unlocked his car and opened his door. Once he sat down and buckled in he turned to Ashlyn and pretended to zip a zipper over his mouth, "not a word to anyone, say someone else gave you a ride,and buckle in."

"Got it, my lips are sealed." Ashlyn told him - copying his lip sealing motion -  as Red started to back out of his parking spot...