Beauty and The Bad Boy

Chapter 9

*Ashton's P.O.V*

I dialed Aubrey's number for the millionth time. Voicemail.

"Aubrey," I said, ready to cry. "Please answer. I'm worried." I was now sitting alone at my dining room table. My mom was working and Bethany, of course, was in hospital. I put my head in my hands and tossed my phone across the table. Not five seconds later, it lit up started buzzing. It was Aubrey's mom.

"Hello?" I said impatiently.

"Aubrey called me."

"What did she say? Where is she?" I asked urgently. I had to know. I could not go one more second without knowing where she was.

"She wouldn't tell me," said Aubrey's mom. She was taking short, uneven breaths. "She just told me she needed some 'time away'." A knot formed in my stomach. This was my fault. Of course. Aubrey was scared of me. She hated me. Everything was my fault. Everything was always my fault.

Silence on the other end screamed in my ear.

"Do you know why she needed time away from here?" Aubrey's mom said.

"No," I said.

"Has she been acting weird at school? Has she been bullied? Have you noticed anything different about her?" her mom asked.

"No... not really," I said. I hear a sob on the other end.

"Okay. Bye Ashton. Let me know if you hear from her."

"Of course. Bye."

The next day at school I had to basically drag myself to school. I eyed Cameron suspiciously as I walked by. Something was o about the guy. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was definitely wrong with him. I put all my shit in my locker. The day dragged on. I didn't take notes when I was supposed to, and I didn't do any of my work. I didn't care about anything anymore. During lunch, I sat with my friends.

"Hey dude!" Bryce said when I sat down. I gave him a wave.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Aaron said, slapping me in the back of the head.

"Tired," I mumbled. These guys wouldn't understand feelings. When they were dating a girl, it was for one thing and one thing only. Someone gripped my shoulder. I turned around and I was looking at Cameron. I shrugged off his hand and stood up.

"What do you want?" I said bitterly.
"I just wanted to tell you," he spat. "That continuing to date Aubrey would be a big mistake."

"Why?" I said, challenging him. I wasn't scared of him.

"Well, because I'm back."

"Oh?"

"I dated Aubrey a year ago. And I bet I got further with her that you ever will," he said. I wanted to kill him.

"Whatever douchebag," I said. "You're not together anymore, remember? She's not your property."

"It won't be long before I'm in her pants," he said, "AGAIN." And then I was on top of him, furiously throwing punches. I wanted to hurt him. I'd known something was off about him. And I was right.

Bryce pulled me off of him. He had a fat lip and a black eye from me. Then I turned and walked away. I walked away before the principle could tell me off again, and I broke into a run. I ran all the way home, not stopping or slowing down. I rolled onto the gras in my front yard and stayed there, looking up at the bright sky. I fell asleep on the grass.

I woke up a few hours later when my mom's car pulled into the driveway next to my head. I stood up and went into my room, stomping up to my room and slamming the door before my mom could try to talk to me. I called Aubrey again, and thank god, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Aubrey!" I practically screamed. "Where are you?" There was silence for a few seconds.

"I'm around."

"No seriously Aubrey. I need to see you. I have something I need to tell you." I begged, "please."

"Ashton, I don't want you to worry about me, okay? I'm fine. I needed to get away for a while, but it's not your fault. Please, try to understand. I need to figure myself out, okay?" She said.

"But why did you have to leave?" I protested. "Everyone is worried about you."

"I'm sorry," she said. "But I have to go." The line went dead.

"I'm sorry too," I said into the empty room.