vapor || a.f.i.

0.3

zoe strode down the street, music ringing through her earphones and into her ears. she stopped at the front of the cafe where her friend sat. she walked in, turning her music off and tucking her earphones away.

"zoe, hey!" her friend yelled, grinning at her from across the cafe. zoe smiled and scurried to the table, sitting down.

"how are you, michael?" she smiled as she picked up the menu, reading through it.

"i am doing just great!" he grinned, pressing his hands onto the table and began to ramble on and on about how his trip overseas was.

"i'm happy that you had a good time." zoe smiled and he smiled wider.

"oh god, it was amazing zoe you wouldn't believe!" he gushed, "if i could have taken you, i would've."

zoe chuckled, flicking through her menu and looking up as someone walked through the front door of the cafe.

"oh my god." she groaned, leaning down and hiding behind her menu as ashton walked towards the counter.

"what's wrong? who is it?" michael whispered loudly, looking around frantically, his eyes landing on ashton. he turned to zoe, who rolled her eyes. "oh shit. did you... did you sleep with him?"

"what? no!" she snorted awfully loudly, making everyone, including ashton turn to look at her. she froze in place, everyone's glares burning into her. ashton scoffed and turned back to the counter as she let out a sigh.

"then why were you hiding from him?" michael began as she hid behind the menu again. "you're hiding again? he already saw you."

"maybe he'll think i left." she nodded slowly.

"or he'll walk over." michael muttered. "like he is right now."

zoe cursed under her breath, continuing to hide behind her menu. ashton stood at the table, looking down at her with his eyebrow raised, as she looked down trying to be unseen.

"zoe." he said politely, standing up straight as she looked up at him with a glare. "i see you're on a date."

michael watched intentionally as zoe put the menu down and looked up at ashton.

"actually, i'm having breakfast with my friend. who is gay." she spat.

"bisexual." michael piped up, raising his finger in the air to but in.

"he looks like a furby gone wrong." ashton scoffed. zoe rolled her eyes as michael frowned with a confused expression.

"i think it's time for you, and your smoke scented exterior to leave." she grimaced, looking up at him with anger. michael's mouth fell open in shock.

"i was actually just leaving." he scoffed, turning and muttering over his shoulder, "i didn't wanna stay here with some tight ass anyway."

zoe fell silent, burning holes into the back of his head as he exited the cafe.

"so you didn't fuck him?" michael asked. zoe groaned loudly, hitting her head on the table.

ashton sped down the street, his car lighting up the road in front of him as rain covered the streets. as he drove down the main street of town, he scoffed as he saw zoe through his window wipers and the rain walking in her work clothes home, covered in water. attempting to speed past her, hopefully hitting a puddle and drenching her with muddy water, ashton instead slowly pulled up beside her, winding the window down and leaning over the passenger seat to talk to her as he continued to drive.

zoe turned to him, rolling her eyes and picking up her pace. cars over took ashton as they began to become impatient.

"as much as it displeases me..." he huffed. "do you want a ride?"

"i don't think you want some tight ass sitting on your good leather seats in your expensive car." she spat, crossing her arms as she walked in the rain.

"just get in the car zoe." he spat, making her scoff.

"no."

"if you don't get in the car i will get out and shove you in." he muttered.

"so you're basically saying, if i don't get in the car, you'll kidnap me?" she raised her eyebrow, pushing the water off of her face.

"stop being so frustrating and get in the car for christ's sake." he groaned, stopping the car completely on the side of the road.

although zoe really didn't want to get a ride from him, she got in to avoid the chance of her getting a cold. the cold air con of his car made her shiver. ashton hesitantly switched it to heat.

they sat in a piercing silence, zoe slowly bubbling up, wanting to say every possible curse word she could.

"go ahead." he huffed.

"what?" she frowned, turning to him.

"say what you wanna say to me." he shrugged.

"oh, ok." she fumbled with her hands, finally cracking and beginning to rant. "so you can be an absolute dick to me, i don't care. but if you're rude to my friend. i will tear you a new asshole! michael is the best person i've met! and you, you are by far the worst! calling me a tight ass seems as all i dislike something from traumatic experience, you make me sick."

"ok." he nodded, tapping the steering wheel. "that seems fair."

"oh, i'm not done!" she shook her head, "then, suddenly, you seem to pop up everywhere i am! are you stalking me? should i even be in this car with you? if you think that because of your attempt of an apology, we're going to be all fine and dandy, then you are wrong. i dislike you almost as much as i dislike what you do! and if you think we can be friends and you and your badass attitude can make me like your charming looks, you are digging in the wrong hole!"

"did you just say i have charming looks, zoe?" he smirked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"what? no. no i didn't." she shook her head, trying to save herself.

"well what if i said you're gorgeous?" he smirked wider, making her shift in her seat and look out the window as they began to get closer to her house.

"i would thank you for the compliment." she nodded. ashton chuckled softly, tapping the steering wheel softly.

"well you are, if you're wondering." he smiled. she nodded hesitantly, making sure not to look at him. "even though you think i'm a complete dick."

she breathed deeply as they arrived at her house. turning to ashton, zoe stopped as his hazel eyes stared into her chocolate ones. her wet hair covered half of her face as she began to panic.

"i'm going to leave now." she muttered as he nodded slowly. she hopped out of the car, the fresh air filling her senses and replacing the smoke scent that filled his car.

"see you around, zoe." he winked, making her frown as he drove off, standing in the rain.

"hopefully not."

ashton pushed open his loft door as he lit his cigarette, kicking his shoes off at the door. turning his tv on and sitting down, he flicked through the channels, a smoking ad lighting up his house. snickering, he turns off the tv completely, putting out his cigarette, and heads for the shower.

zoe clouded his mind, although he felt a strong grudge towards her due to her feelings towards smoking.