Scattering Lilac Ashes

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lila woke with a start the next morning. Her first alarm wasn't due until half an hour and she was wide awake. Lila contemplated trying to go back to sleep. But her desire to catch the earlier bus to avoid Piper was far stronger.

Lila threw herself together as quickly as she could, the pits of her stomach tying itself into knots. She tried not to think about yesterday and failed miserably. It was all she could think about, the image of Piper's distorted face having been burned into her mind's eye.

She was too nervous to pack lunch today, so hauled herself to her bus stop ten minutes before the first school bus was to arrive. Though March could still be blisteringly hot, this morning a cool breeze brushed past Lila's face as she waited. It eased her somewhat, but the humidity underlying this breeze hinted at an overbearingly hot lunchtime.

After boarding the bus and confirming that Piper was not there, Lila checked her phone. The calls and texts had increased even further and she felt like throwing her phone into a creek. Biting her lip, she looked out the window, trying to distract herself with the scenery.

While Lila was hopeful at the prospect of Asher finally ending the rumours, they hadn't actually discussed how or when Asher would have his conversation with Piper. Shaking her head, she pushed the thought out of her mind. Leaving behind the empty, roaring bus, she gradually made her way to her locker, distinctly unenthused by the fact that she was at school far earlier than she needed to be. She had Maths first up with Ms Wang, so she could potentially get started on revision in the library...

When Lila entered the locker room, however, she saw Asher leaning against her locker, looking deep in thought. She looked around to see whether there was anyone else, but it seemed that it was just the two of them in there.

Gulping, Lila tentatively walked up to Asher. He didn't seem to notice her.

"Hi," Lila said uncertainly. Asher jumped, looking around wildly before locking eyes with Lila. A beat passed before he moved away from her locker.

"Sorry," he said, somewhat sheepishly. "I didn't think you'd be here so early."

"Neither," Lila replied, putting her school bag away with a sigh. "I woke up too early."

Asher nodded. "Same."

Another pause passed between them before Asher spoke again.

"Where was the photo?" he asked, gesturing to her locker. Lila pointed at the mirror on the inside of her locker door and he let out a low hiss.

"That's so creepy."

"Sure is," Lila agreed. "Trying not to think about it, actually. So... what's the plan?"

Asher ran his fingers through his hair, grimacing. "I don't have one."

Lila raised an eyebrow at him as she shut her locker and locked it, having sorted out her book bag. "You don't have one?"

Asher shook his head. "She's so unpredictable. I can't make a plan around what she'll likely say."

"I guess it would be hard."

"I thought of about fifteen different plans that I could do, but none of them feel right," he said, leaning against the locker next to Lila's, his arms folded. "It feels so odd, knowing that I should be able to think of the perfect one so easily but being unable to."

"How long have you been here?" Lila asked, leaning against her own locker now.

"About half an hour. I took down all the photos in the boys' bathrooms," he said, averting his gaze.

"How are you feeling?" Lila asked after a few moments of silence. He gave her a sideways glance before sighing, kicking at the floor.

"Feeling like I could raze this building to the ground."