Under The Covers {joshler}

sophomore year - part two

Apparently the notion that Josh and Ashley were "dating" was something of a big deal. Like, the world was about to end or something.

It started with lunch period, where for once Josh and his friends decided to brave the cafeteria - because Brendon and Colin almost got caught smoking on the roof earlier that day and staying in plain sight was usually the best way to convince teachers you're not up to something. Josh sat down opposite Hayley and Brendon and before he knew it Ashley was practically sitting on him, wrapping her arm around his neck. Josh just rolled his eyes and continued eating until hayley froze, gripping her plastic fork half way to her mouth, a grape still attached to it.

"What the fuck is on your neck?" She asked staring. Brendon and Colin both looked over at him.

Josh blushed bright red and stuttered, Ashley just rolled her eyes before combing a hand through Josh's hair.

"It's called a hickey Hayley." She laughed.

"I know that, but who gave it you?" She said dumbfounded turning back to Josh.

Josh's heart was pounding a mile a minute but the subtle rub of Ashley's hand on his back was helping calm him immensely, she was a good friend, even when she was driving him head first into a train wreck.

"I did." There it is.

"What?!" Brendon shouted, throwing his head back in a hearty laugh. His face immediately dropping when he realised she wasn't joking.

Hayley just stared at the pair and Josh winced at the sight. She looked like she was about to -

"I just got carried away, my bad, sorry Joshie." She smiled fondly at him, kissing his cheek sloppily.

- Snap.

There it was, Hayley's fork snapping in two as her eye twitched.

"This is not happening." She looked pale. Josh reached over the table to hold her wrist, gently prying the broken utensil from her iron grip.

"Are you okay?" He winced when she stared past him, nodding and then standing up and walking out, Colin assured that he'd look after her before jogging after the redhead.

"This is real? Like for real, real?" Brendon clarified. Ashley just snuggled in closer to Josh.

"You betcha!" She smiled faux sweetly.

"I wanna hear Josh say it." Brendon said folding his arms, challenging.

"Uh, it's, we-we are dating yes." He said leaning into Ashley a little as though to put the point across. What was he doing?

Brendon raised his eyebrows but said nothing more than a "well, alright then" plopping back in his chair and continuing to pick at his lunch.

After that, Ashley held Josh's hand all the time, practically dragging him to classes, Josh's hickey combined with their newfound closeness causing everyone to put two and two together.

The thing about Ashley was that, despite spending 90% of her time with her four friends and no one else, skipping class and smoking and just ignoring most people, there was no denying that she was attractive. Not only was she hot, with her long brown hair and wide eyes and high cheekbones, but she was often in detention for dress-code violations, she had a good body and she knew it. She knew she was pretty and it didn't seem to phase her that boys liked to stare, sometimes girls too, but she enjoyed that. So when jocks heard the news, that the hottest girl in school (excluding half the cheer squad probably) was dating the same loser kid they'd been shoving into lockers for being gay they knew something couldn't be right. Naturally the first question people asked was "you're joking right?" and then after that they questioned where the source of this gay rumour had even started, because now they thought about it Josh never actually said he was gay he just hadn't denied it.