The Therapist's Son // Ashton Irwin [AU] ✔

17.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? I heard it was supposed to be a really good movie!" Luke exclaimed, but I shook my head, slamming the locker door before turning the lock back to zero. Luke apparently was going to see the new movie, Maze Runner with one of our peers named Eric.

I, however, silently thanked God I had gotten through another school day alive.

I had always hated Mondays with a burning passion, but today had just been beyond a living hell.

In the past two nights, I had tossed and turned until sunrise, and had only gotten about seven or eight hours of sleep. My mom had suggested I stay home for the day, but I refused, claiming I had a math test today - Which was actually complete, utter bullshit.

Looking back on it now, I don't know why I didn't take my mother's offer.

"No, Luke, I'm not feeling so hot today, I'm gonna go home and try to rest."

"Yeah," The blonde boy observed with an unpleased frown. "You almost fell asleep in social studies. Are you alright?"

"It was a long weekend."

"Clearly," He placed his history book in the locker before closing the metal door and adjusted the strap on his backpack to keep it from slipping off his shoulder. "Did you get wasted or something?" He joked.

"I wish," I laughed. Back home, I had never really gone near alcohol or drugs of any kind, but sometimes I wondered what the careless freedom of being high or drunk off your ass felt like. "I just have some stuff going on."

"Well, as long as it's fixable, I suppose its no big deal, right?" Luke muttered, turning the lock once more before heading down the crowded hallway, motioning for me to follow.

"Right." I forced myself to smile. Luke continued talking about the homework we were assigned, which I somehow managed to tune out.

Normally, my mom would have picked me up in the parking lot, but she had managed to get her first job interview today, which left me with two options.

One, I could have asked Ashton for a ride.

Or two, I could walk about a mile and a half back home.

So, I figured the exercise and fresh air would do me some good.

Dinner on Friday had gone...Smoothly, I suppose. My mom seemed to take a liking to Ashton and even suggested we hang out even more, to which I had merely asked her to pass the steamed broccoli - Since that's the only way I'd eat the vegetable.

As much as I liked Ashton, even as something more than a friend at times, I couldn't continue with whatever was going on.

Clearly, I was letting him closer to me than I had ever intended to do so. He knew something about me now that nobody else did. I wasn't sure if he was going to keep it between us, or use it against me.

But I couldn't take that chance.

Which is precisely why I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the too-familiar-car with the too-familiar-male in the driver's seat.

I muttered a swear as I scrambled to take my sunglasses out of my bag, putting them on before adjusting my hair to cover almost half my face - Just so I could sneak by without making it obvious.

I continued walking, almost making it by successfully. However, the giraffe boy walking next to me was a dead giveaway.

"Natalie!" I only muttered a quick goodbye to Luke before I picked up my pace, pretending I didn't hear anything.