Here to Stay || Ashton Irwin (completed)

Chapter 8

"No, yeah, I'm leaving now!" He called down, "Yes I know I'm late." Ashton's mom glared up at him, as we approached the top of the stairs, from the bottom of the grand staircase. She twirled her blonde hair around her finger as she leaned against the wooden banister and tapped at her watch. I followed as he sprinted down the staircase, pausing as he went to hug her goodbye. Late last night we had decided, rather Ashton had decided, that he wasn't going to school. Instead we were headed for the city today. We decided to take his car to the train station and then take the train in so that his mom wouldn't question the mileage.

Once out the door and hearing it slam behind me, I paused, "Wait."

"What?"

"Won't the school call your mom asking where you are?"

He held up his finger and turned around, still not talking and led me to the car. Once inside he dialed a number and put his phone on speaker between us. We waited for the other end to pick up.

"Central Academy," my eyes grew wide and he stuck his tongue out, "For the main office please press one, to report an absence, please press two..." the voice trailed off as Ashton pressed two. He cleared his throat, "Hello yes, I'm calling to report my son, Ashton Irwin as absent today, he's just feeling a little under the weather," he paused and I had some time for the shock of how similar he sounded to his mother to hit me, "Yes. I will tell him, thank you for understanding." He hung up and shrugged, "Now that that is over...." His voice trailed off.

I stared at him, amazed that he had gotten away with it so easily. He reached forward and started the car, “To D.C.?” 

“To D.C.,” I agreed.

Once on board the train, we sat at facing window seats and I pulled my notebook out of my black Jansport.

“What are you doing?” Ashton asked, leaning across to take a look. I hid the journal from it, or at least tried to as he reached to grab it from me, ending up successful.

“’Emma’s Book of To-Dos,’” he read aloud, “What’s this?”

I sighed and held my hand out, “I’m not telling you until you give it back.”

He stuck his tongue out and handed it over, “Fine.”

Once it was safely in my custody again, I looked over at him and took a deep breath.

“It’s my bucket list. Before I died, I wrote down everything I wanted to do, which I obviously didn’t get to. And yes this is the same notebook I retrieved from my house that day,” I read his face, “And no you still cannot read it.” He pulled back slightly, still frowning, “However,” I continued, “You have the right to know that I get to cross something off my list today.”

“And what is that?” He questioned.

“Number 10: take the train.”

His eyes widened as his smiled grew, “You’ve never taken the train before?”

I shook my head, “Nope. Never. Not all of us casually rely on public transport nor have a need to travel that far or even the money.” I hadn’t meant to sound critical, but sure enough his face fell again immediately sparking guilt in me.

“Oh well,” he paused, the gears in his head turning, “You’ve been to DC before right?”

“Yes I have,” I nodded, “On a school trip like five years ago.”

“Okay good, I would hate to have gone before you with you living your whole life here and me just moving in.”

“Hey what’s the deal with that?”