Opposites Attract

Chapter Thirteen

Ashley's POV

"Okay and how are you in on all of this Julian?" The principle asks him. I look up at the small light fixtures in the office, thinking about how much trouble I am going to get into makes all of this much worse.

"Well... I saw the fight and broke it up. Pretty simple." Julian shrugs his shoulders, looking nervous. I feel so terrible bringing Julian into this, even though he isn't in trouble. He is not my babysitter and shouldn't have to be distracted with my problems.

"If you and Rachel have been having this problem for this long, why did you pick now to fight her?" The principle questions me.

"I am sick and tired of her. I told you guys what was going on too many times. I cannot keep waiting for you to take action. I guess I just have held on so much anger over the years, that I exploded. I know I shouldn't have done it, and I am really sorry, but for the record, she walked up to me and started picking a fight. I was minding my own business. I already had gotten angry with her this morning and I was trying to avoid her so something like this wouldn't happen." I explain each sentence slow and clear, pausing between sentences to think straight.

"I see... Well, if she didn't hit first, I cannot help your case, Ashley." He folds his hands on the desk.

"Wait... You remember the first fight me and her got into?" I ask and he nods his head.

"Well, Rachel did hit me first that time. I promise you and you believed her without any witnesses." I speak, watching his face carefully.

"Okay, but we aren't talking about then. We are talking about your actions today." He speaks.

"Yeah, but the rule here is that you only really get one warning when it comes to starting fights. This is the first time I ever started a fight in your school." I only hear silence from him and I wasn't about to speak to interrupt his thoughts.

"You can't prove that Rachel threw the first punch that morning in the lunchroom."

"You're right, but neither can Rachel. All I am saying is that, it makes sense that since you don't know who threw the first punch.... My first warning should actually be now instead of then." I speak, trying to make the punishment less harsh.

"Okay Ashley, I want you to know that I hear what you are saying to me. I am going to try my best to lessen your punishment. I have told you before that this school has a 'no fighting policy'. So, you are getting in house for a week and after school detention. But you should know that Rachel's parents are not going to be happy about this. And they will try to go through the school and have you expelled." He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Okay, well I think that what you are saying is fair." I think about what he said, being expelled was never something that I had to worry about. They don't have that much effect on the school, do they?

"You will start Monday, as for now, I do not want you two walking through the halls. I am going to have to call your parents and you both are excused to leave campus. I want you to go to the front office, I'll make the call." He writes a note out for us to walk in the hallways. Handing it to us, I give him a small apologetic smile and walk out of the room, Julian following closely behind.

"Wow, he seems to be a lot cooler than you made him out to be." Julian speaks, recalling back to the stories I have told him.

"Yeah, weird, wasn't it?" I question, I wonder why his attitude toward me shifted. I didn't change any of my behaviors, it was a bit confusing.

"Well, I've never met the guy before. So for all I know, you could've been making it all up." He smirks and gently bumps into my shoulder.

"I was not... He just liked to play favorites that's all, and one of his favorites sure wasn't me." I shove my hands deep in my pockets and start to feel pain in my head where she had pulled my hair.

"I am sorry about your mom Ashley." His voice was low and sincere.

"Nah, it's alright..." I shrug my shoulders as we walk.

"What was she like? If that isn't too much, I mean." I take a deep breath, remembering back to her.

"Well my hair is just like the way hers was and she had these deep blue eyes. She was always so nice to everyone, it seemed like she had a large heart.. And her face always looked so smooth, no blemishes. She was beautiful..." I stop, not really wanting to go any further. It was a long time ago, but it still makes me upset when thinking about her, it just makes me emotional.

"What would you do if she came back?" His words pull me out of my thoughts and I look up and stop.

"What?" I ask, too surprised to move. No one has ever asked me that before.

"If she came back and said that she wanted to be a part of your life, what would you do?" He questions.

"I would say that she should have thought about that a long long time ago." He nodded.

"What if she said that she just wanted to be there. Nothing else. Just be there for you. Would you not let her back in your life? Or would you give her a second chance?" He questions.

"I don't know!" I snap, he looked up, surprised.

"I'm sorry..." He speaks softly.

"No, I am sorry, it is just that I've thought about all of these so many times. Thinking every birthday maybe she will call. Maybe she thinks of me, maybe she wants to be there but is too afraid. She never sent letters, she never came to see me. She knew what she was setting me up for giving me up to a foster home. Every parent goes in looking for babies or newborns or even toddlers. But me? No one would've wanted someone my age, too much emotional damage. She knew that and she still went through with it." Mixed emotions showed on my words as I spoke; anger and sadness grew the more we spoke about her.

"Oh." I could tell he didn't know what to say. Neither would I and it isn't his job to make me feel better about it, what happened happened. We approach the front office and they hand us our passes to leave campus early and we head out of the doors. I definitely can't call my mom and since neither of us have a car, that means that we are going to have to walk home.

"Yeah. So, what is your mom like?" I speak, changing the subject to fill in the silence. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a breath.

"She was the nicest woman in the world and I messed everything up."

"What happened?" I ask, not really knowing what to expect.

"I don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone" He walks off in a different direction and I just take a deep breath.

I will never understand him until he lets me in. I really want to help him feel better, but he is just so rough around the edges. He doesn't want anyone to talk about anything sensitive to him. Julian is like a ticking time bomb, just ticking and ticking and holding everything inside, but one day he is going to explode keeping so much emotion inside. It isn't healthy...

Ten minutes pass and I can't help but think about all the mysteries that Julian is hiding. He has this whole life and it freaks me out that he literally had to move across the country to get away from his life. One that I know nothing about, that isn't something that sets well with me. It can't be that bad though... I mean, if so, my father would have never taken him in to our home, there is good inside of Julian. He is just scared to show it.

I hear footsteps behind me and I turn around and see a tall man and my chest begins to hurt.

"Hey you! Where is Julian?" He asks, I could tell he was not a friendly guy and I didn't know what to do.

"I don't know." I say, my adrenaline rushing.

"Tell me where he is," The man pulls out a gun and I panic, tears spring to my eyes ,"Now!" He yells.

"I really don't know!" I put my hands up terrified of what is going to happen next.

"I'll be back for you, Ashley." He says and jogs away to where his car is parked. How did he know my name? How long has he been following me? How does he know Julian? Is he is danger? I have to find Julian. I watch as he peels out, his tires smoking against the road. I walk as quickly as I can in the direction that Julian went off to, I don't want Julian to get hurt. Or worse...

Killed.