Girls [ WATTYS 2016 ] ✔️

chapter two

chapter two

I LIED TO Mason and told him that my mom needed help around the house tonight, so I cancelled our plans. I didn't feel bad for lying because he told me the birthday party was lasting longer than he had expected.

The truth is, May Parker invited me to an ice cream store down the street. Of course I accepted the invitation - she was gorgeous and I wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to make a new friend.

As we were walking down the street, I noticed the way she uses her hands a lot when she's speaking. I would think that it would bother me, but it didn't at all. I actually thought it was quite funny.

"Also," she said as she opened the door to the ice cream store and let me walk through first, "don't worry about paying for your ice cream. I've got it."

I furrowed my eyebrows together and opened my mouth to decline, but she shushed me immediately.

"I spilt milk all over you. I'm making it up to you and I'm begging you not to pay for yourself." Her brown eyes widened.

I giggled.

"Okay, if you insist." I answered.

She was so nice to me and we had only met a little over twenty minutes ago. Maybe she was just trying to make herself feel good by hanging out with me after I was just covered in milk. Come to think of it - do I smell bad?

I leaned my head down slowly and smoothly and sniffed my right arm. I mean, yeah, I smelled like milk, but it wasn't that bad.

I ordered cookies and cream in a sugar come and May gasped.

"I always get that same flavor too! It's like we're connected or something." She smiled. I laughed and waited for her to order the same thing I got, and then we proceeded to the cash register.

"Are you sure-"

"Yes, I've told you a million times that I've got it." She interrupted me and smiled as she handed the cashier a twenty dollar bill.

I sighed and followed her to a table near the window. We sat down across from each other and began to eat our ice cream.

I feel bad that she paid for me. She's probably got a million other things to do right now than hang out with me.

"You know," I started. She looked up from her cone and those big brown eyes captured my attention. I cleared my throat and shook my head. "You don't have to stick around with me just because you feel bad about pouring milk all over me. I'm sure you have other things to do."

She shook her head and took a second to process the huge chunk of ice cream she just licked.

"I'm not sticking around with you because of my clumsiness." She smiled. "I genuinely think you're a cool person and I want to get to know you." She answered.

I hope she's not lying because right now I really want her to be my friend and I don't want to blow anything.

I smiled and then she did too. We talked about our likes and dislikes, our family, pets, favorite food and colors, and so much more. It felt like my first date I had with Mason only five months ago, but this obviously wasn't a date.

I needed to get that out of my head. I'm dating Mason and I love him. I have to stop think about the 'what ifs'.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

As soon as I walked into school the next day, Mason rushed up to me and apologized five thousand times about our plans being cancelled last night.

I kept telling him it was okay, but he pouted his lips and blocked me from walking any further.

"I'm really sorry babe." He held my hands in his. "Tell you what: we can spend the entire weekend together." He suggested. I looked up at him.

May Parker and I were texting late last night about absolutely everything. Plans to get together again were tossed around and we finally settled on going to the beach where she was having a small get together with all her friends. I agreed to go.

"Mason, I-"

"Don't tell me you're going to stay at home and lay around, because I want to take you out on a date." He said. "We haven't been on a date in ages."

"That sounds really nice but-"

"Ashley," he whined, "what's so important that you can't spend time with your boyfriend?" By now he had let go of my hands and wasn't standing so close to me. I inhaled a sharp breath.

"I made a new friend and she invited me to go to the beach with her and some of her other friends." I said. He titled his head and furrowed his eyebrow. "Mason, think of it like this: I haven't had a single friend in a long time. I need to get myself out there." I explained.

Saying it out loud made me sound like some sort of lonely loser. But it was true, I only had Mason acting as my boyfriend and all my friends that I had lost.

He looked at me for a really long time before nodding his head and pulling me in for a hug.

"Okay, Ash." He whispered and stroked my hair. "I love you, okay?"

"I love you too." I breathed in his cologne. It was almost too strong.

He gave me a quick peck on the lips before we departed and headed to class.

I looked down at my phone and saw that May had texted me an image six minutes ago. I opened up the messages and smiled at the photo.

She had her head on some guys shoulder and was sticking her lips out in a duck-face position. The guy wasn't looking at the camera (she probably snapped it quickly) and he had very curly hair that stuck up in crazy directions.

She captioned it: this is fernando. he'll be at the party. (his name isn't fernando it's actually grant but if you call him fernando he'll give you weed but actually i'm totally kidding).

I laughed and rolled my eyes.

May Parker was one of a kind. Maybe she was right - maybe we will be best friends in three weeks time.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

anskdiwywiwofosmabshdudj.

FERNANDO BANDO HANDO!

Okay, sorry, I apologize for my weirdness above. I'm just so pumped for this book.

Ashley is so dumb I wish she could FIND HERSELF jeez Ashley get with it.

Please comment and tell me what you think because I love people (you, I love you) and I love Fernando's weed.

I am totally joking, by the way. Don't hold that against me.

See you soon

(also: the image at the top of the chapter is how I imagine Ashley James but you can totally look at her a different way if you want)