Apologize

Lovely Little Lies

It's been three days since the migraine first started and Paige's only gotten worse. Apparently she has the flu, not a migraine. So now I'm going to be all alone for lunch.

I walked quietly into the cafeteria and towards the food bar to get today's meal. After grabbing a tray, I looked through all the foods. They had pizza, burgers, and salads for the main dish, corn, apples, bananas, and broccoli for the fruit and veggie choices, and water or milk for the beverages. I got a burger, an apple, some corn, and milk and made my way to an empty table. The cafeteria was just as loud as it always is, filled with laughter and yelling and arguing and the occasional regular conversation about some recent test and such. But I could still hear that one voice that made me slightly nervous every time it was directed at me.

"Sunshine! Over here!" The whole cafeteria was silenced immediately. I froze. All eyes turned to me. Heat rose to my cheeks and ears as I slowly inched towards Ash's table.

Here's the thing about popular people at my school: lots of them think that they own the place. Which means that everyone thinks the same. Well, mostly everyone. But nobody dares to sit at the same table as someone who is popular without an invitation. And if you are invited, it means that they noticed you. It means that they either have some serious beef with you or they want to be friends. Maybe even more than friends. And I'm scared of both.

Even by the time I reached Ash's table I still felt eyes watching me and the cafeteria was no where near as loud as it normally is. Ash patted the empty seat next to him and the boys at the table chuckled, quietly whispering something among themselves. I took the seat and almost immediately I was greeted by a kiss on the cheek that made me recoil in surprise.

"What was that?!" I asked Ash, obviously surprised. The boys laughed, as if this was amusing. It probably was, but they weren't the ones who's hearts were beating so loudly that it echoed throughout their body.

"It was kiss. What else would it be, babe?" Ash answered nonchalantly. Did just call me babe? I was about to go off on him when I heard my phone ding, meaning I had gotten a new text. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and read the text. It was from Ash. What was so important that he couldn't just tell me in person? I was sitting right next to him, after all!

just play along. may or may not have told them we were dating

Why would you say that?!😤

because they dared me to ask out Jewl. didn't want to so i lied.

Idiot.

i know. just play along, k?

Fine. But you'd better not brag about it to anyone else.

I coughed and tossed a glare at Ash before answering him, "Right! Of course it was!" I recognized a few of the boys. Two of them from that day in the locker room when they cornered Paige , a couple that I always see Ash hanging out with, some from the baseball team. The rest were strangers to me.

"Hi, Ashey !" Squealed a voice form behind me. It was Jewl. Of course it was. I internally groaned as she took a seat on the other side of Ash.

"'Sup," Ash replied in a flat, almost bored, voice. But his clear uninterest didn't seem to faze her.

"So, I was wondering if, like, you'd like to go to the movies with me this Friday?" She asked boldly. Something I could never, ever do. I felt Ash's arm around me and saw him shake his head.

"Sorry, I'm with Sunshine, here."

"You could use my real name, y'know," I spat sarcastically. Ash laughed and kissed me on the cheek again. I just sat there, wondering how the bloody hell I got here in the first place.

"Oh... Okay! Maybe some other time, then!" Jewl chirped before picking up her tray and walking off quickly. She was obviously hurt, but smart enough not to show it by crying like a lot of girls end up doing.

​​​​"So, how'd you end up dating a brat?" One of the boys, the same one who's hand I slapped when he grabbed Paige , challenged. Ash laughed, but I glared.

"Oh, lighten up, Kayla ," Ash lambasted. Who was he to tell me how to react? I rolled my eyes and took a small bite of my hamburger. "I guess she caught my eye at the Masquerade Ball." I almost choked on my bite, he sounded so genuine. No, Kayla , it's all for the lie. "Naturally, like all girls, she said yes."

"Pfft." I rolled my eyes again, which made Ash pinch my wrist under the table. I held in a yelp of pain and instead stomped on his foot. He winced, but it wasn't very noticeable. He'll get it worse today in tutoring.

"I'm surprised you haven't broken up already, though it seems like you will, seeing as you guys act like an old married couple," another boy laughed. Little did he know that that was the one thing holding me back. Heartbreak.

•••

"We'd better break up soon," I groaned to Ash as he walked into the library. He shrugged and tossed his backpack onto the table.

"Oh, but that'd mean that I would lose the bet!" Was this seriously some game to him?

"What bet?" I growled. Now I can see why some people would call me a brat.

"The boys and I made a bet that if I couldn't stay with a single girl for less than a week, I'd pay them each fifty bucks. I n told them that we'd only been dating since yesterday." Great.

"Fine, but don't even try to make me be more convincing, because it's not happening." I got the worksheets and textbook out from my backpack, setting them at his normal seat.

"Oh, I won't have to make you," he said cheekily, sliding in next to me. I rolled my eyes for the eleventh time today since lunch, which seemed to really annoy Ash. He quickly moved in from beside me to in front of me, holding my chin in his hand. My face burned furiously.

"Your eyes will fall out if you keep rolling your eyes so much," he chided. I rolled my eyes once more, partially in defiance and partially just to annoy him even more. But that didn't seem to work out quite as I wanted it to. Instead of giving up, his head moved to the side of my neck and he kissed the area right under my ear, making me freeze. He started to leave a trail down my neck before I pushed him away. A sly grin spread on his face.

"What was that?" I yelped with a mixture of annoyance, frustration, confusion and craving for more building up in me. "Never mind, just so the damn worksheets," I grumbled, taking a seat and hiding my face behind Son. At least now I can read this book without a risk of losing my lunch like last time. Ash laughed and took his usual seat.

This boy is too much.