Girls [ WATTYS 2016 ] ✔️

chapter thirteen

chapter thirteen

TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE the first bell rang, I found myself at my locker getting my books for History class. I don't know why, but I was in a good mood for whatever reason. I don't want anything to bring me down today; that's my goal.

"Hey, Ashley," someone spoke from behind me. I turned around and smiled at Mackenzie who wore the same happy expression as me. "Did you have a good time at Olivia's party?"

"Yeah." I smiled and shut my locker so I was able to fully turn to her. "What about you?"

     "It was fun." She smiled sweetly. "What are your plans for lunch?"

     My eyebrows raised and I looked at her with a shocked expression. I didn't know how to hide it; no one ever asks me what my plans are for lunch.

     "Um, I'm not really sure yet, why?" I furrowed my eyebrows together.

     "Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to go get some pizza with me and a couple of friends." She offered. My body fluttered and I couldn't hide my smile.

     "That sounds fun," I smiled, "Sure."

     "Okay, cool. Let's go then." She smiled and started walking down the hallway. I held my History books close to my chest and walked beside her, my heart pounding along my ribcage due to nervousness. What if I say something stupid around her friends? What if they judge me? What if they talk about me behind my back?

     We walked outside the school doors and started to walk down each step of the concrete stairs. She waved over to a group of people at the bottom of the steps, I'm assuming were all her friends, and they waved back. My heart beat faster, if that was even possible, when I looked at all of them. They just looked so neat and clean and perfect in every way you can imagine. They were like exact copies of one another.

     I stopped at the last step when I locked eyes with Julia Rink. My face drained of all its color and my mind completely went blank. Suddenly, I didn't know how to move or think of a proper sentence.

     "Ashley, you okay?" Mackenzie stepped closer to me and furrowed her eyebrows together. I quickly shook my blank mind away and smiled at her.

     "Yeah," I lied, "sorry, I was just thinking." I tried to laugh it off with the rest of the group.

     "Okay, well, everybody, this is Ashley. She's in my language arts class."

     "Hey, Ashley." A few people greeted me and I smiled back. I'm one hundred percent positive that Julia wasn't one of the people to welcome me.

     "Alright, so, pizza?" Mackenzie smiled. Everyone agreed and nodded their heads as we all began to migrate on to the sidewalk and over to the pizza place. It was only a few blocks away, I know, so we'd have no problem making it back to school on time for class.

     Somehow in the twenty seconds that we started walking, I seemed to get pushed to the back. I didn't even know these people, yet alone their names, and now I was trailing behind them like a lost puppy. I just had to keep reminding myself that this day was going to be great - I can't let anything, or anyone, take that away from me.

     "You're the girl dating Mason, right?" Some blonde kid asked me. He was also in the back of the group with me. I smiled faintly and nodded my head in response; I didn't feel like speaking because I knew Julia could hear me. "That's cool." He added. "Mason's a pretty chill dude."

     "Mhm." I hummed and nodded my head again. I'm always known as 'Mason's girlfriend' no matter who I'm with or where I am.

     In an attempt to be less awkward, I slipped my phone out of my pocket and began to text May. She was the only person I knew who could make me feel better.