You're Not My Babysitter

Chapter 9

Andy

Ashton looked beyond pissed when she noticed that I showed up to her school to pick her up and I started to feel a little guilty. I wasn't trying to be difficult but, it seemed like this was the only way to get her attention. Besides, if she could be difficult, so could I.

"Andy," she greeted me in a monotone, "this is Presley, Gracie and, Sydney."

I reached out to shake each of their hands and gave a small smile, "I'm Andy."

They all smiled back and threw out a hey.

"Uh, I guess I'll see you guys later." Ashton gave her friends a small smile while she began to nervously pull at the straps of her backpack.

"Call us if you need anything ok?" Presley mumbled before hugging Ashton and walking away with the other two.

Why would she need anything?

As her friends walked away Ashton turned back to me, the small smile replaced with an unreadable expression.

"Are you ready to go?"

She nodded her head so, I opened the passenger door that I was previously leaning against and closed it after she got in. I then crossed over to the driver's side and got in myself.

By time I pulled in her driveway the silence had become unbearable so, I decide to speak up.

"So, how was your day?"

"Well," Ashton gazed out the window for a moment before continuing her response, "it was pretty ok other than the fact that this random douchebag was blowing up my phone for more than half of it!"

"Oh no," I feigned distress, "who would do such a thing?"

"Fuck you Andy!" she yelled before storming out of the car, into the house, and to her bedroom.

That was great Andy. I don't think you could've handled it any worse.

I wasn't any good at confrontation because I didn't know how to handle it, and when I don't know how to handle something, I had the tendency to just act like an asshole to cover up the fact that I don't know how to handle it. It's a full proof plan and I don't understand why it never works.

"Ashton," I knocked on her bedroom door for the second time today, "can you open up? I think we should...talk?"

I didn't mean for that to come out like a question but, I also didn't know what the hell I was doing.

"Listen, I'm sorry ok," I continued to speak to the piece of wood that was standing between us, "I should've reacted better and- and not just about you being upset."

After about a 30 second window of silence I heard Ashton's lock click.

"I'm sorry too," she responded, "I just- I should've told you that I was leaving I didn't mean- to- scare you."   

The last word had barely left her lips before she broke into tears.

Fuck. I don't know what to do.

Just fucking hug her Andy.

I slowly wrapped my arms around her feeling extremely uncomfortable. She then buried her tear stained face into my chest which, somehow, warranted all of the awkwardness between us to fade away.

"Shhh it's alright," I lulled her as I rested my chin on top of her citrus scented curls, "it's alright."

We stayed there, in that position, for what felt like hours.

"What's going on," I whispered as she finally pulled back and let me see her face.

"I don't know I-," She then shook her head, "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing, look at- you got my shirt all wet!" I smiled trying to lighten the mood.

She let out a small giggled, "That's what she said."

I then removed my hand from her back and ran it down my face before letting it rest on my chin and sighing. This action caused Ashton to burst out with laughter which caused me to do the same. As we composed ourselves and figured out what to do for the night, I moved the question to the back of my mind.

What is she hiding?