Scattering Lilac Ashes

Chapter Seventy-Five

The next morning started off with PE, the activity for which deviated from the norm. Once all the students assembled and the roll was marked, Ms Wright announced that they would be going on a walk.

"A walk?" Lila heard Connor grumble behind her. "In winter? This sounds like condoned torture."

"It's either a walk, or we all play dodgeball," Ms Wright said sternly from next to Connor. Lila heard him squeak in reaction to Ms Wright's words. Connor notoriously hated dodgeball, given his proclivity to be targeted mercilessly.

"Shame. I love dodgeball," sighed Lila, glancing over at Ms Wright. Ms Wright turned to her and nodded.

"We'll put it on the agenda for next term," Ms Wright replied, smiling kindly down at Lila. "I thought a walk would help get these tired brains flowing for the last stretch of Term 2. Besides, that was an empty threat. I don't have the energy to deal with dodgeball today."

The class congregated into one conglomerate, with Asher standing beside Lila. They set off, with Ms Wright stating that they'd walk to the nearby koala sanctuary. If they had time, they'd also be let loose on the nearby playground.

Asher and Lila walked at a moderate pace, with Lila wordlessly enjoying Asher's company. Despite how upset he'd been yesterday at Lila's, he seemed relatively okay this morning. Perhaps the walk was doing him some good.

Eventually though, once the class approached the koala sanctuary (which was more or less a forest of eucalyptus trees with the occasional koala sitting in them, and park benches and other amenities dotted around close to the entrance), Asher's mood began to turn.

"I've been stressing," he admitted to Lila in a low voice as they stood some ways away from the rest of their class, who were resting after the walk. Lila glanced up at him before searching the trees for a glimpse of a koala.

"Makes sense," she said softly, shielding her eyes from the needlessly bright winter sun. "I've been anxious about it too. I hope it goes okay."

Asher nodded grimly. "I think I might be overthinking. Psyching myself out."

"That's understandable. We haven't seen Livi upset, really. I hope Vi's there, at least. She seems to be able to rein Livi in."

"You don't hope that Theo's there?" he was inspecting a cautionary sign showing a koala and what not to do when encountering one with great interest as he asked this.

"I'm... apathetic about whether he's there or not."

"Apathetic, aye... he seemed pretty cut up about you," Asher's eyes glinted as he glanced at her, a grin creeping up on his face.

"Doubt it," Lila replied bluntly. "It was never going to go anywhere."

"Then why'd you go on a date with him?"

"I told you why, and I told you the info I got out of it. I'm not going to change my answer."

Asher fell silent before placing his hands on the top of his head. "I would've thought you two would be a great match."

Lila shrugged. "He's a lot different than he is at school. It took me by surprise. It wasn't necessarily a bad different. But he's not for me." A blush started to rise on her cheeks and she turned to face the entrance of the sanctuary to hide it from him.

"Do... you have a crush on someone?" Asher asked softly. Lila whipped around to face him. His face was entirely serious. Lila suddenly felt the urge to take Asher by the shoulders and shake the daylights out of him. But she restrained herself. He opened the proverbial door. It was her turn to follow through.