Life in Search ✔️

9 ~ Annoyed

"Ashton, wake up, Hun." Mom shakes me for the millionth time.

Begrudgingly I open my eyes. "Is it six?"

"No, it's nine. You wouldn't get up earlier, so I figured you could use the rest."

"What?" I jump out of bed. I missed first period, meaning I missed Scarlett. I never sleep in.

"It's okay, I dropped Ronnie off for you. Just get ready and head in, I have a meeting to get to." She hugs me before running out the door.

Grabbing my phone, I head to my closet, a video from Sage momentarily distracting me from running late. After throwing on clothes and rushing out the door, I make it to school halfway through second period, Sage and James waiting on me.

"Wow, I thought you were gonna skip." James admits, tossing me a basketball.

Yeah, that won't be happening unless I want my mother to kill me. "Nope, how's life as a free man?"

James smiles but before he can say anything Sage cuts him off. "Uneventful, he still hasn't spoken to Stella in person. He went with me to their lockers and they just stared at each other like a pair of idiots."

He blushes, "Not true, we said hi." We give him an incredulous look. "It's different talking in person than over Snapchat ok."

Man what I would've given to see that exchange. How someone spends so much effort liking someone just to be a complete disaster is a mystery to me.

"Did you see my video?" Sage asks with a goofy grin. Sometimes he acts like he's 30 other days it's three, the balance is refreshing.

"Yeah." A thought pops into my mind. "Why exactly are you talking to me if your sister's mad at me?"

He obviously knows, the Rhodes siblings practically tell each other everything. Sage shrugs, "I understand, everyone gets jealous every once in a while."

Coach blows the whistle to go get dressed but I can't move. "I'm sorry, come again?"

He puts the basketball up, "Jealousy. The feeling of envying another or in this case, protective of what you want."

"Yeah, I know the definition but why would you use it?" I demand, unable to process his words.

James and Sage share a look, "Umm, because you are."

"Don't worry. Scarlett doesn't realize it so you can just brush it off as anything." Sage adds.

I stop walking, "No, I'm not. I have no reason to be jealous."

I've never been jealous. I don't get jealous. Especially over a girl. Scarlett and I are friends, nothing more, nothing less.

"Dude, no offense but you spent all of last night pouting because Scarlett hugged me, and you know I like Stella." James points out.

"No, I didn't." They have amused looks on their faces, annoying me beyond words. I was just in a mood, that's all. The move and football and my exhaustion all decided to hit me at once and I took it out on Scarlett. It was a minor episode of sensory overload. "I'll prove it to you. I'm not jealous, you're just stupid."

I've never heard something that idiotic in my life. Do they know how many girls I've messed with before without a second thought? It was only yesterday I made it blatantly clear I don't do girlfriends; they need their hearing checked.

Walking to third period I can't help but laugh, what a bunch of idiots. I expect to find Scarlett in her desk but instead she's talking to a Zev by the pencil sharpener. Time to apologize, I have it all thought out but then I hear her laugh.