Rob dropped me off at school late the next day. He and Claire let me sleep in because I couldn't get to sleep.
I wanted to avoid Ashton as much as possible, afraid of him being abruptly rude to my face or making another kind of physical contact, bruising my fragile frame of a body.
I clutched my books tight to my chest as I closed my locker.
"Josie!" I jumped slightly and turned around, facing the voice that called my name.
"Ruthie,"I sighed as she approached a closer distance to me,"hi."
"Where were you first period?" She rested her body weight against the locker next to mine. I gave myself a minute to think before answering.
"Oh-I-uh, my foster parents, uh, let me sleep in, yeah, I wasn't feeling well last night." I nodded as I spoke, mainly to reassure myself. And honestly, I wasn't feeling the best, it was all a mix of fear, disappointment, nervousness, and exhaustion.
"Aww, I'm sorry," Ruthie stroked my arm,"Hey, well, I hope you feel better." A folded my lips inside as she continued, but a group of people coming around the corner lost my focus on Ruthie and our conversation. They strutted closer to us, oblivious that I was standing there, my eyes growing wider.
Ashton took his palms and long fingers and tangled them in his hair, ruffling the messy rats nest back for his vision to actually serve a purpose.
A girl slung her arm on his chest as she laughed at what someone else had said. Ashton sloppily hung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.
His eyes finally caught my large ones. His smile fell from his lips as he quickly turned to the girl, cupping her chin and forcing his lips against hers. Her dark waves washed over their faces as his lips forcefully attached to hers.
He wanted me to see it. And that's when I felt it. The hot feeling inside my body building, begging for an exit.
"Josie?" Ruthie touched my forearm and all the muffled noises became clear.
"Sorry." I mumbled, then quickly closed my mouth, afraid something more would leave it.
"You really don't look well." My glances kept turning to Ashton, who was now emerging closer, and Ruthie, whose face held a concern gaze on me.
"Yeah, I-" but my own sentence was cut short when I needed to find a garbage can.
I dropped the books that my clammy hands held, passed the large group that I wanted to never see again, and emptied my sick stomach into the metallic can. Many gasps were expressed from the group as they stuttered away from me.
"Whoa guys! Josie must have a little morning sickness, right?" I wiped my lips and panted as my eyes with dark circles under them made a gaze connecting with Ashton. He held a smirk on his face that I just wanted to slap away. His eyebrows raised waiting for a comeback, or any reply at all. But my body remained too weak to express anything towards him. But I forced an extremely hurt look upon my face.
Ruthie quickly rushed to my side.
"You're such a dick, Ashton." She yelled to him and his group. His smile only grew which I found to be highly disrespectful.
"We need you to get you to the nurse." I nodded slowly, not wanting to let go of the support I held against the trash can. I felt like an elderly getting assistance.
"Hold on." I stumbled over to Ashton, and his dark headed beauty he had under his arm.
"You're a real coward. You won't even believe me, and then you go and slap me,"I raised my voice, making sure everyone could hear me,"I come here, thinking you'll respect me. I was hoping you were understanding me when I told you all those personal things, but if you wanna spend the rest of your life, not knowing what it's really like having a real relationship, fine by me. Just don't ever, and I mean ever, speak to me again if you're gonna hurt me." My eyes fell heavy as the entire hallway fell silent.
