Once Upon A Time~ Ashton Irwin fanfiction (AU)

Part 2

"Oh goodness, I'm sorry! Here, let me help you," Ashton said after bumping in to the quiet girl in the halls, her books tumbling to the ground. He glanced up at her after a moment when she didn't answer, her books in his hands. She was just standing there, eyes wide, her hand covering her mouth, gripping her sweater. She didn't say anything as he stood up.

"Are you alright," he asked her. She quickly shook her head, took her books back, and began walking away, telling herself to stay calm. Ashton ran up to her, ignoring the bell warning that class was beginning. He grabbed her shoulder to let her know he was there and walked in front of her, only to see her eyes brimming with tears.

"Are you okay? I'm really sorry I bumped into you. Did I hurt you?" He inquired nervously. Something about the girl's silent tears made him worry that he had done something wrong.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," she responded without emotion.

"You're crying...do you want to talk about it? Maybe I can help," he smiled, his teeth showing the slightest bit.

"You don't even know me. What could you possibly do?"

"Well, I'm Ashton. I think we have a few classes together. And I don't like seeing people upset. Now I'm not a stranger."

"I'm Andi. And I don't want to talk about it. I'm fine. Thanks for making my bad day worse, ass hole."

Ashton stared after her as she walked away, a look of disbelief on his face. He silently walked to his next class, blankly staring, trying to figure out what had happened with Andi, and how he could make her day even the slightest bit better.

Ashton's next class was Music, his favorite. He had that class with Andi, which he didn't know until he walked into the music room to find her in the middle of a beautiful song--the Mozart clarinet concerto, he soon found out. He didn't realize it until someone bumped into him with their stand that he was stopped in the middle of the hallway. He was knocked into a line of chairs, creating a heavy distraction, causing Andi to stop playing. She looked embarrassed, knowing that Ashton had been watching her, and she quickly returned her stare back to the music in front of her, her pencil flying. He slowly approached her and said "Wow you're amazing. How long have you been playing?"

"I've been playing for 7 years. It would've been better had I not gotten distracted. I suck."

"You're kidding, right?! I mean come on--" he stopped short, realizing he didn't know Andi's name. "Wait...I never caught your name earlier."

"That's because I didn't give it. I'm Andi," she said, still looking down writing rapid notes on her music.

"Well Andi, you certainly do not suck. Would you mind if I sat and listened to you play?"

She shrugged, slowly placing her pencil down, and picked up her clarinet, preparing to play. It took about 2 minutes before Ashton figured out what was so captivating about her playing. Yes, she was technically outstanding, but what was intriguing was the emotion she played with. She was a different person when she played. There was a light in her eyes, and you could feel her emotions pushing through. But then, the piece ended, and the light faded. She went back to the place she was in when they met earlier that day. He was determined to bring that light out again. She just wasn't ready to let him see it.