All Eyes On Me | All American

Chapter Twenty-Nine

                                "I can give you a ride to school." Layla offers as I hook my duffel bag into my shoulder. "I don't mind."

"No, that's okay." I decline the offer then quickly added, "Asher's already outside waiting for me, I wasn't trying to wake you up by asking if you could take me to the school at this hour so I can go to morning practice."

"It's fine, I was doing that when you were staying with me back at the house. My body had got accustomed to waking up around this time, so you don't have to worry about asking somebody else for a ride, okay?"

I remain silent before asking, "I've been meaning to ask you, how did Spencer find out about your dad not actually being here?"

"He wouldn't stop questioning me and none of my answers was good enough for him, and I'd ended up letting it slip that he wasn't here and never actually back." Layla explains, I just nod my head. "I'm sorry, I should have warned you that he found out. I hope you're not mad."

"No, it's fine. It was only a matter of time before he found out anyway." I dismiss with a shrug of my shoulder to ease her nerves. "I'll see you later." Leaving the hotel I easily spot Asher car and happily climb into the passenger seat, tossing my bags into the backseat. "Thanks for picking me up."

Asher shoots me a smile. "And thank you for avoiding me, ignoring my attempts to try and get in contact with you when I needed you the most."

"Uh, ouch."

"I admit that was a lot, but you deserved it." Asher says as he takes his car out of park and puts his car in drive. "I know you said that you wanted to keep some distance between us since the whole kiss thing, but you also said nothing would change and I basically ghosted me. I don't even see you in school anymore, and we have three classes together."

"I know how it may looks but seriously, I was never avoiding you." I assure him. "I mean, I definitely was planning on avoiding you but there's just been so much going on in my life that I never had the chance to actually execute it."

"I understand that, but if you're not too busy can you carve out some time for me too? Olivia and Layla aren't your only friends, you know?"

Try telling them that.

"How about we meet up tomorrow?" I suggest. "You tell me what's been going with you and I tell you what's been going on with me."

"With the way you've been treating me, you're not gonna stand me up or something?"

"I would never."

"Then I would love that." Asher looks over at me with a genuine smile. "I'll send you the time and place."

"Great. You'll have to pick me up though."

"Of course." Asher rolls his eyes. "I'm just your personal Lyft driver."

"And give me a ride back home."

And just like that everything between us is back to normal, like the kiss had never happened so there's no awkward tension between us. It's crazy how far we've gotten with our friendship, from basically hating each other to us being friends — pulling each other out the slumps.

He's been more than a good friend to me, it's feels nice to be around somebody who's also going through something but isn't trying to fix me or being as clingy as Layla is being lately. He just wants me to lend an ear, and with everything on my plate all I can really do is lend an ear because if anything else gets added to my plate. . . Then it might start cracking.

"Hey, fellas! I brought something back!" Asher announce as he walks into the locker room first then I walk in after him. "It's Samantha."

"Hey, guys." I smile as I walk in.