Dustin isn't particularly pleased when his mother's freshly divorced best friend, Cathy, decides to temporarily move in with them. It means a whole lot of late-night gossiping, chick flicks, and mood swings. But things get interesting when Cathy tur...
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On Monday morning, I found Ash already at the breakfast table. She had a plate of half-eaten toast in front of her, and a tall glass of milk. But she couldn't focus on her meal. Instead, she scratched irritably at her wrist, muttering incoherently.
"Not a fan of the uniform?"
She looked up at me, flustered. Some hair had fallen loose from the knot on the top of her head. The unruly curls fell across her face, sticking to her freckled cheeks that had turned pink from frustration. Ash scowled.
"Is it supposed to be this itchy?"
I smiled. "Unfortunately. It takes a couple of washes, but it eventually softens up."
She looked up at me with silent suffering, but she bunched her hands into fists to refrain from scratching any further. While she concentrated, I turned and started making my own breakfast. I had barely gotten out a bowl and the muesli when Ash let out a defiant roar.
"I can't take it!" she yelled.
She scratched furiously at her skin, her face pinched with conflicting sensations of pain and relief. I walked back towards her, trying to take her wrists in my hands. She struggled defiantly, twisting her body away from me, but I managed to lock her down.
"Jesus, Ash," I said, completely breathless by the time she finally settled. She looked at me, a furious twitch in her eyes. "You're going to hurt yourself."
"My skin is on fire," she whispered as she jittered restlessly on her chair.
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Good god," I said, smiling as I released her. I pulled off my jumper and handed it to her. "Here."
Ash took it hesitantly, her fingers running over the softened material and across our school's crest. For a second, she forgot about her burning skin. She looked up at me curiously, tilting her head.
"If you scratch any harder, you're going to cut yourself," I explained. "Until we can get your uniform sorted, you can borrow mine."
"Won't you need it?"
I shook my head. "Nah. Lyon isn't that strict. As long as I have my tie and blazer, I should be fine."
That was all the confirmation she needed. She abruptly pulled her jumper off and flung it half way across the room, letting it land in a crumpled heap by the sliding doors. She sagged in defeat, sighing happily.
"Bliss," she whispered.
While she pulled my jumper over her white button-down shirt, I went back to my muesli. I was in for a busy afternoon and in-between classes I barely found the time to eat. Breakfast was my only chance to fill up.
"Ash, honey?" Cathy appeared a moment later. "I have work this morning so I'll be taking the car. Do you mind riding with Dust?"
"Mum, aren't we bothering the Reeds too much?" she groaned.
