Beauty and The Bad Boy

Chapter 27

*Ashton's P.O.V*

I watched the wipers sweep across the windshield, pushing the drops of rain from side to side. It was the first day of school after Winter Break. I didn't know if Aubrey was coming or not, but I hoped she was. I was glad that we were back together so now I could help he through the rest of her junior year.

I pulled into a parking space towards the front. After entering the main hall, I saw a small crowd of people around Aubrey's locker. I pushed passed them, thinking they were harassing Aubrey. But instead I found sticky notes all over her locker.

'Slut'.

'Freak.'

'Stupid.'

'Sex slave.'

"Get away!" I spat. "Go!" I noticed the girl at the front of the group: Mia. Aubrey couldn't see this. I wouldn't let them do this to her. They scattered, clearly intimidated by me. Furiously, I tore the sticky notes down and tossed them in a nearby trashcan. Not five seconds later, the door opened and Aubrey entered.

For a minute the halls were quiet. Then there was the whispering. It was worse than if they had laughed at her. There was a not-so-well-concealed look of disgust on their faces as they whispered to one another.

She pretended not to notice and walked over to me. I immediately took her into my arms and shot glares at the people who were whispering. Within seconds the hall was alive with its normal chatter, and Aubrey relaxed.

"How are you?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Good."

Without warning, I pressed my lips to hers softly.

"Not in public," she reminded me. I pecked her lips again.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you," I said. She smiled, a real, actual smile.

*Aubrey's P.O.V*

At lunch I sat with Ashton under a big tree near the parking lot.

"Do you ever worry that it will never get better?" I asked. Oops. I had been thinking and accidentally said it out loud.

Ashton shrugged. "I don't know. No one can see the future, but I'd like to think I have a good one."

"I just feel like I'm waiting for something that's never going to come," I told him.

"I never feel like that," he said.

I turned to face him. "Why?"

"I already have everything I've ever wanted."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"You."

*Ashton's P.O.V*

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Finally. I wanted to find Aubrey, ask her if she wanted to come to the skate park. But first I had to find Mia. I need to know why she was doing this to my girlfriend, and find out how she found out about what happened between Aubrey and Cameron.

I found Mia behind the library, sucking faces with Ryan.

"Ahem," I said, irritation threading through my voice. They pulled away, and Mia looked amused when she saw me.

"What do you want Ashton?" she said.

"I need to talk to you," I said through gritted teeth.

She smirked at me. "I'm a little busy."

I rolled my eyes. "Cut the crap, Mia." The tone in my voice must have let her know how serious I was, because she pecked Ryan on the lips and told him she'd text him later.

"How did you find out?" I growled as soon as Ryan was out of earshot.

"Find out about what?" she replied innocently.

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't." I was not fucking around about this. Aubrey was important to me. I loved her.

"Fine, Ashton. Cameron told me," she said. Wait what?

"Why in the name of fuck would he tell you that?"

"Because..." she sighed. "We kind of.." Oh my god. She is such a slut. How did I go out with her?

I scoffed. "Is there a single guy in this school that you don't fuck?"

She smiled seductively. "You."

"Keep it in your G-string, Mia. I don't like you anymore."

She crossed her arms and made a pouty face.

"Why are you spreading rumors about my girlfriend?" I said, feeling uncomfortable about the topic.

"Why do you care? it's not like you like her anyway. She's just another throwaway girlfriend, just like all the others."

"That's not true," I spat. "I love her."

She scoffed. "Yeah, right. Face it. You call me a slut, but you've dated pretty much every girl in this school and it always ends the same. You date them for a while, then you get bored and break it off. It's going to be the same with Aubrey."

I was furious. "Not that I have anything to prove to you, but it's not. Aubrey is special, not a slut like you."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Whatever, Ashton. I don't know why I'm even talking to you."

She turned and walked away. My mind was whirling from her words. I tried not to think about it but her words wouldn't stop repeating in my head. 'She's just another throwaway girlfriend.'