Cloudless: Side-Trek

Okay, I know I shouldn't be posting another story... But this is a one-shot. And I wrote it a long while ago, so I decided, well, just to stall time while I work on my other story, why not post this? It's actually a sort-of prequel to the one-shot Spring from Seasons, as in, before the couple featured there were even well... a couple. It is an accompany story to another one-shot, but oh well... I'll leave that till another time. As for now, I hope you enjoy it(: Comments/votes, will be greatly appreciated(:

The frustrated groan that sounded in Ashton’s ear rang distinctly in his memory. And as he turned around to trace out the reason why that could possibly be so, he found that it was for a good reason too.

Standing right at the edge of the crowd, holding what seemed like a snapped heel off an evening sandal, was Jennnison frowning perpetually.

His arch-rival, and the thorn in his neck.

He wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

At first sight, there was a part of him that grumbled about it, grumbling about how it was complete bad luck that she had to appear as he was getting himself a drink, while strangely, after getting over the surprise of spotting her, there was the other part of him that was urging him forward to say hi.

He approached her apprehensively.

“Hey…”

The raven-haired girl looked at him in surprise. “Hi?”

Her attitude was slightly wary as well, probably wondering why the hell in the world the dark haired ‘nitwit’ as she so often called him, was actually bothering to acknowledge her. He didn’t blame her for that.

It wasn’t of anyone’s secret that they disliked each other. In fact, Ashton was having problems with identifying why he had done it either. He should have just gone with his first impulse and left for the other direction, or well, at least pretend he had never known of her existence.

This was starting to settle into a hugely awkward setting.

His eyes drifted over to her heels.

“Err… what happened?”

It hadn’t really been out of curiosity, just more of an attempt to resolve the tension between the two of them. Jennison however, had to take it in a bad way.

She glanced over at the shoe in her hand and grimaced. “It broke. Kinda obvious isn’t it? But of course, should have expected that from you. I mean, it is you after all.”

He glared at her. “Do you have to be so cynical about everything I say all the time?”

“You can’t exactly blame me for that. It’s not like you give me a reason to actually behave otherwise,” she replied drily before her hand went over the broken heel once more, examining it.

Alas, after trying tinkering with it for a few seconds, they drooped to the sides in a proclamation that she had given up trying to save it.

She turned to face him again, “After all, you of all people should be well aware of how badly we get along. It’s either you trying to get on my nerves, or me trying to get on yours. We haven’t been getting along ever since the day I knew you.”

Ashton rolled his eyes. That was simply putting things bluntly. The distaste that they held for each other was apparent, and he wasn’t going to deny it, yet he realised; he hadn’t started the conversation merely to have his intelligence insulted or to be reassured of the fact that the girl hated him.

“Look Jenn, I know that. And believe me, the feeling’s mutual, but I didn’t exactly come here to start another argument with you,” he told the raven-haired girl, suppressing the rising annoyance in him.