Right Now

38.

I sit in the park. I smile as Ashton climbs all over the jungle gym. "Guess what?" He days to me and I him in response. "Someone turns eighteen in a couple days." He says excitedly.

"Oh, God," I mumble, not ready for that excitement just yet. "Please move on from the subject, I have better and worse news. Charlie asked me if I would tutor him."

"Did you tell him no?" He asks me, pulling himself on top of the monkey bars and sitting on the edge as he looks down at me.

"Yes, of course I said no." I say and he jumps down, landing next to me in the grass.

"Good, fuck that guy. Have you seen your little face? You look like a toddler done your eye shadow." He says to me with a bewildered look as he pokes the opposite cheek.

"I was going to tell Calum, but the guys showed up and you know how it goes," I say and pull at the grass. "I honestly hate him so much sometimes, it was important. I had something else to tell him, too."

"What a bastard. Who could hang out with stupid boys when your pretty, but wrecked, face is around?" He says and I laugh at his expression.

"I know, that's what I was thinking!" I say and laugh. "Wanna go get a coffee? I still get everything free for six months at the diner, if you have forgotten. Me and Lyle went. We actually had an interesting conversation I want to tell you about, too."

"Yeah, let's go, we can talk. Hey, maybe they'll let my new, super cool band play there." He stands and I follow. He puts his arm around my shoulder and hugs me to him and I smile. I missed Ashton.

"Yeah, maybe." I say and shrug.

"How come you never come to the practices?" He asks me.

"I never know about them. Are they often? No one ever tells me anything anymore." I say, feeling a little left out about it, but I don't say anything.

"Randomly, but yeah. Michael and Calum have been working on a song, but Calum wouldn't let us hear it, but he is playing it today. Show up around nine at my house." He says and I nod.

We sit in the diner as a guy sings horribly and Ashton mimics his actions with a coffee straw. "Stop being mean." I say and try not to laugh as i throw a tissue at him.

"Your dogs sing better than Justin Timberlake over here. You'd think he was driving a bike over gravel with that sound," He takes a drink and I cover my mouth as the guy looks over at me with narrowed eyes. I lay my head down and Ashton looks back. "Oh shit, he is fuming. Sorry!" He calls over his shoulder and the guy rolls his eyes and continues.

"Where is Lily at today?" I ask him, trying to calm myself.

"She is visiting her grandparents, she'll be gone a few days and I didn't want to spend them alone. Plus, we don't hang out as much as we used to and I've missed my little sister."

"Aw, Ash, I miss you too. Hey, so about what me and Lyle discussed... I'm switching schools for the last semester. Partly because he asked, partly because I don't want to stay here. I don't want to stay in this place. Maybe if I experience something new I can escape this little town." I say and he nods his head as he takes a bite of his cookie.

"I think that would be good for you, Emmy. Why not get out of here, right? Go experience something other than home." Ashton smiles warmly and I sigh in relief. I thought he would be mad at me.

"So you won't hate me for leaving?"

"You're not leaving, you'll still be here for me to bother. Now, if you were moving it would be a different story."