Project Fuckboy || a.i

Chapter 2// Mr. Nice guy

Ashton looks almost as surprised as I am to see me at his doorstep. He takes in the dress I'm wearing with a low whistle under his breath.

"Nice get-up. Are you my new neighbor?" He asks, an amused look on his face.

"Yeah, but don't get any ideas. I change with the shades drawn."

Ashton leans on the doorway, his arms crossed. "Why are you here?" He questions.

"To drop off some cupcakes." I give him a sweet smile. "I hope you like red velvet."

Ashton begins to reply, but is interrupted shortly. "Ashton? Who's that at the door?" A woman calls from inside.

"Shit," Ashton grumbles under his breath. "No one, mom!" He calls, attempting to close the door in my face. I stick a foot in the doorway, forcing it open. Just seconds later, a woman with short blond hair and a smile identical to Ashton's appears at the door.

"Oh, hello! You must be the girl next door!" She welcomes. I can tell by the clothes she's wearing and her quirky way of speech that she's no ordinary woman. Her eyes literally sparkle.

I shift roles quickly, so that I am the exact opposite of who I actually am. "Hi, I'm Azalea. I brought you some cupcakes my mom baked," I tell her politely.

Ashton's eyes nearly bulge out of his head, noticing my attitude change. He watches as his mother takes the tray of cupcakes. "Thank you, honey. Come on in," she says.

Ashton groans.

.....

"You're such a nice girl," Mrs Irwin gushes, and I can't help but notice the flyaway hairs at the top of her head. It's like she doesn't even have time to notice; everything is just so new and frantic and exciting to her. "And what did you say you like doing?" She asks me.

"I like acting. Uh, improv. Stuff like that."

"And you get such good marks, too. Oh! What a wonderful role model," She says in admiration. Then she gasps so suddenly that I almost fall off the couch I'm sitting in. "What if you were to babysit my children?! Your mom suggested it today, when we met this morning. I wasn't sure, but once I see that you're an absolute star model, I would definitely hire you." She giggles. Yes, giggles.

"Sure, I love little kids," I lie, still pretending to be the girl next door.

'Oh, no, not just the little ones," she whispers, leaning in closer. "I have a special request for you."

Oookay?

"I'm worried about Ashton, Azalea. He used to be my sweet, sweet baby boy. Our entire family is crowded with moralists, but he just doesn't seem to care! He thinks I'm clueless, you know. That he's sleeping with girls. But how can I be, when I find a new pair of female undergarments under the bed every week? That's when I found this great program and I realized...I should sign him up for Cadets."

"Um, what's that?" I ask, having heard the word before but not very familiar with it.

"A program for teens, run by the government. Military style." She picks up a brochure on the table next to us, and shows me a page full of intimating photos of kids shooting air rifles, camping, and parading in ugly get-up.

"So, like a military camp?!" I ask in horror. I may dislike Ashton, but I certainly feel bad for him at this moment.

"Precisely. With the program, I can control what he does after school. But, really, my concern is... what he'd be doing at school. And since you seem to be the only friend he's made so far...I want to ask you to keep a watch on him at school. If he's violating any rules. If he's keeping his grades up. If he's sleeping with any girls."