Always a Friend

Chapter 52

"We better get going before one of our moms catches us out here." Ashton kissed my nose, unlocking his car again. "Let's get some coffee." He walked around the car and got in the driver's seat. I couldn't tell you the exact moment we got our coffee or when we got to school because I was still thinking about the kiss next to his car. What did it all mean? Were we a couple now? Was it a mistake? Is this another joke on me? 

"Hey, Gem." Chloe walked up to Ashton's car. "Oh, my god! Something happened between you two!" She hollered, grabbing my arms and pulling me in for a hug. My eyes shifted to Ashton as he stood there with a sheepish grin and shrugged. I could tell he wasn't going to be much help. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off. He grasped his backpack strap, laughed, and told me he'd see me inside. 

"What do you mean something happened?" I asked when she finally decided to let go of me. "I didn't say anything, and neither did Ashton." I stepped away from Chloe and examined the rest of my iced latte before sipping it. 

"You're unbelievable." She rolled her eyes, throwing her hand in the air. "You two had sex, and you won't even tell your best friend." 

"What? Sex? Are you crazy?" I stopped in my tracks, staring at the back of Chloe's long, light brown hair blowing in the breeze. "We didn't have sex!" My eyes drifted to the fifty other pairs staring back at me within earshot. 

Chloe paused and turned to the left. "Sure, you didn't." She smirked, then kept walking toward the school. 

I jogged up to her and tugged on her book bag. "We. Didn't. Have. Sex." I stared at her, so I knew she heard every word that came out of my mouth. I didn't need her spreading rumors that weren't true, no matter how much I wanted them to be true. I told her again we didn't have sex and that I didn't want her to go around telling people we did, ruining something before it even started. I wouldn't let go of her book bag until she agreed not to say anything. After a few minutes of convincing her nothing happened last night, she finally accepted the fact Ashton and I didn't have sex. Then, it hit me like a bolt of lightning during a storm. Ashton was notorious for having sex with girls up in his room. Was I just another conquest of his? And if we ever had sex, would he toss me to the side like most of the girls? I gripped onto my book bag and sipped on the last of my iced latte. Chloe must have seen the worry on my face because she moved to the left of me, wrapping her arm around mine, and asked me what was wrong and what really happened between Ashton and me. I walked a few more steps, sipping on my latte, trying to wrap my head around the kiss. 

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Chloe blurted out. 

"Tell you what?" Sarah asked, walking up. 

"Something happened between her and Ashton, but she's not saying." 

"They had sex!" Sarah bellowed a few feet from the door. 

"Oh, my god! What is it with you two thinking I had sex?" I tossed my empty cup in the trash can by the doors. 

"Who you having sex with?" Ashton laughed, walking up behind us. 

I wanted the sidewalk to open up and swallow me. "No one." I smiled at him, motioning my head toward Chloe and Sarah. 

"Ohh..." Ashton glanced at them, laughing. "And the answer to your question. No, we didn't have sex." He took my hand and led me into the school, away from them. He pulled me close to his side, weaving us through the crowded hall. Guys gave him fist bumps as they passed, not giving it a second thought that he was walking with me. Me...Gemma Parker, the biggest nerd in the school. The one who guys had a bet on who could break up with me the fastest. Surely, they've got to wonder why someone like Ashton would be with someone like me. I would want to know and probably be the person that would ask. We continued to walk down the middle of the hall, where everyone could see us. The guys didn't care who Ashton was walking with, but the girls made a point to gawk and whisper. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they were talking about as we approached them. When their eyes bugged out of their heads, and they leaned in, whispering to friends, it's not hard to tell they were talking about you. 

"How do you do that?" 

"Do what?" Ashton stopped when it was time for us to split up and walk to our lockers at opposite ends of the hall. 

"Ignore all the looks and whispers." My eyes shifted on either side of Ashton. 

"Oh...That...." His head shifted from left to right, glancing at all the eyes focused on us. "Well, since they're staring." And before I could say anything, his lips were on mine. Our lips brushed against one another, the tip of his tongue teasing mine. "I'll see you in Math." He kissed the end of my nose, then turned and walked away. He left me there, standing in a sea of stares and whispers. Some even pointed as they walked by, which was more than enough. I turned on my heels and marched down the hall to my locker, knowing they were still behind me, making their comments. 

I reached my locker, resting my head against it, wishing it were big enough to crawl inside it for the rest of the school year. Just when I thought I was in the clear. 

"He kissed you in the middle of the hall?" Chloe screamed, walking up to her locker. "So, it's official?" She flung her locker door open, grabbing her Math book. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

"You didn't give me a chance! You were too busy being convinced we had sex when we didn't." I peeked around my locker door, raising an eyebrow. We continued our banter on our way to our classes when Ava came rushing around the corner. I froze a few feet from the door and leaned against the wall. Chloe stepped closer and placed her hand on my forearm as I clutched my books to my chest. "I can't do this." I closed my eyes for a brief second. 

"I've got to get to class before I'm late. Ava, try talking to her." Chloe turned and rushed down the hall to her class. 

"Gemma, what are you afraid of?" Ava asked, walking up. "I heard about the kiss in the hallway. Nice!" She smiled, nudging me with her elbow. 

"What if this is another joke on me? And he doesn't really like me?" I opened my eyes, looking at Ava's confused face. "Don't look at me like that," I sighed, dropping my shoulders. "You didn't have guys making bets to see who could break up with you the fastest." I raised an eyebrow, looking toward the classroom door. 

"Gemma, they were dickheads. Ashton isn't like that, and you know it. Come on before we're late for class." She tugged on the sleeve of my shirt. "Ashton isn't going to let anything happen to you." She eased me toward the doorway. I stood there staring into the room at Mr. King's desk, unable to move my feet. "Gemma, you've got to move your feet." My body lurched forward, and I stumbled into the classroom. "Whoops." She giggled, walking past me to her desk. 

Whoops? I raised an eyebrow, glaring at the back of my best friend's head. My eyes quickly moved off Ava and found their way to Ashton, sitting in his seat, smiling at me. I felt the warmth of my cheeks as the butterflies in my stomach awakened. What was it about Ashton that turned me to jello? Did he have this effect on all the girls in the school? And if he did have that effect on other girls, who was I to stop them from taking him from me? To everyone around here, I was the nerdy girl guys didn't want to date. I was good enough to ask for help with a question about their homework, but nothing else. 

"Hey, Beautiful." Ashton smiled. I did the stupid thing and looked behind me, then on either side of me as if he was talking to someone else. Muffled snickers escaped through his hand. "I'm talking to you." He lowered his hand. 

"Aww... That's so sweet." Ava placed her hands on her chest. 

"Hey, Hughes! Want in on the bet since you've decided to hook up with Gemma?" Rhys laughed from across the room. 

"What the fuck did you say, dick?" Ashton shot out of his seat, and Caleb placed his hand on Ashton as if that would stop him. 

Rhys stood up, taking a few steps. "I'm not scared of you!" 

"You should be!" 

"All right! Sit down and be quiet!" Mr. King bellowed, headed for his desk. "I'll talk to you two after class!" He glared at Rhys and Ashton. 

"Later, Hughes." Rhys's eyes narrowed as he sat down. 

"Rhys! Enough!" Mr. King yelled. "One more word out of you, and you'll be serving detention the rest of the week." Mr. King set his drink down on his desk, glaring at the rest of the class.