a small note / irwin

six

For an entire two weeks, Cathy has been avoiding the four boys. It was actually easy since she was basically invisible.

But then as she kept her head down in the school hallways, she was stopped in her tracks as a tall figure stepped in front of her.

"H-hey Ashton." She mananged to mutter, not letting her eyes meet Ashton's.

"You've been avoiding me." He replied in a joking yet serious tone.

"I thought, you see with uh your practice and you student meetings and band and--- uhh you'd be busy and I thought that maybe you didn't---"

"I'm barely busy since we played the last game of the season a week ago, and the student council is basically on hold. " Ashton cut her off, "Plus the band is just me and other three idiots prancing around stage with instruments in front of random people." He finished, tilting her head up with his finger on her chin.

Her eyes even looked sadder if that was possible.

"Ashton, I'm sorry okay?" She put his hand down. "But I just--- I can't... Don't get me wrong but I absolutely love y-- hanging out with you and the others and it's just a really bad time for me right now."

She held back tears and gave a half-hearted smile. Something she was good at.

He felt sorry for her, not just that, but he felt a slight pain in his chest seeing her in this sad state. Sure, her smile was quite convincing, but her eyes gave it away.

"At least let me walk you home." He offered.

"I thought you were driving?"

"Calum borrowed my car again."

They both laughed at the memory from almost a month ago, when the 'lessons' all started.

The walk home was in comfortable silence, the two teenagers occassionally stealing glances and chuckling when their eyes met.

When they arrived at her house, saying their gooodbyes, an idea popped into Ashton's mind.

"Remember those 'self-interestingness' lessons?"

"Yeah, why?" She asked confused on the reason he suddenly brought this up.

"I never got to give you mine."

"And?" She dragged out the word.

"We'll have a one-on-one on Friday night."

Cathy raised her eyebrows, impressed.

"Do I even have a choice?" she faked disinterest and groaned to make it seem believable.

"This lesson plan has no takebacks."

"It better not be boring or I'm giving a bad evaluation of this educational program." She mocked.

Ashton gripped his chest dramatically and pretended to be hurt, "You wouldn't dare."

"Yes I would. Now, go forth Irwin, your friends await you." Cathy spinned him around, seeing that indeed, Luke, Michael and Calum were in his car staring at the exchange between the two on the porch.

"Well, bye then." He waved and semi-jogged to his three friends while Cathy went into her house.

"Care to explain why you're here?" Michael smirked.

"I just walked her here since she's been avoiding me for no particular reason and decided to ask her out." He said the last three words almost inaudibly, but the three were able to hear him perfectly.

"Yes, using the lesson thing we tried to make a month ago." Calum pointed out.

I swear that boy's ears are WELL.