Chapter twenty

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Bella Waters pov

Wednesday afternoon
I place my college folder onto the sofa next to me then make my way to the front door. Before I open the door I take a deep breath in, I've kinda been dreading this lunch with Ashton and Jess since he mentioned it on Saturday. I wouldn't mind if it was just me and him, but with her there, I feel things might become slightly awkward. As another knock sounds through my home I open the door and Ashton stands on the other side, a big smile on his face.
"Hey Bella"
"Hey" I pick my bag off of the floor and slide on my favourite black boots.
"You look lovely today" he complements as I step out of my small house and we make our way towards his small car.
"Thank you" I blush and look down at my clothes. I decided on an old red jumper and a pair of black skinny jeans. As I was doing my hair before college this morning I decided I wanted a change from my regular straightened hair, so I put it into a bun that sits tight on the top of my head.
As we get closer to his car, I see a girl sat in the passenger seat on her phone.
That must be Jess.
Ashton's car is one of those ones that are so small, it only has two doors. He pulls the handle on his side of the car then pushes the seat forward so I can get it.
"Thank you" I step pass him and squish myself through the small gap. Jess lifts her head from her phone and smiles at me then holds out her hand as I sit and Ashton climbs in himself.
"It's nice to meet you Bella"
I shake her hand and smile back.
"You too, Jess?"
She nods then looks at Ashton and places a kiss on his cheek.
"So where are we going to go then?" She asks him. He turns around in his seat and looks at me.
"Bertie's?" He raise an eyebrow and I laugh at him.
"What? Why would you want to go to that old place?" Jess questions.
I don't say anything as I don't want to say the wrong thing.
"It's where me and Bella hang out sometimes" Ashton answers for us both and I'm glad he did.
"Oh, well, no I'm sure we can find somewhere a little-" she pauses to think about her wording, "nicer then that place"
I watch as Ashton playfully rolls his eyes at her then he starts the car and we pull out of the driveway. Jess locks her phone then puts it in her handbag.
"So" she turn around to me, "how was your day" she puts on a fake smile that Ashton falls for but I don't.
"It was good I guess, pretty much the same old Wednesday to be honest" I reply, "how was your day?" I ask.
"It's much better now I'm with Ashton again" she smiles up at her boyfriend and he places his hand on her thigh.
I can tell she is doing all this to annoy me.
"How was your day Ashton?" Ashton mocks us, using a high pitched girly voice, "ah it was great, thanks for asking" he replies to himself in his normal voice.
Me and Jess both laugh but she also does a great job at glaring at me.
After a few more minutes of driving we pull up outside some posh restaurant that I've seen on my way to college and stuff but I've never actually been inside.
"We're going here?" I ask.
"Yes, is that a problem?" Jess snaps as we climb it the car and she takes Ashton's hand.
"Um no, it's just a little posh for a mid week lunch?" I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Well, I only like to eat in posh places"
"Jess" Ashton whispers to her, in a sort of 'shut up now' kind of way.
We all head for the door, me tagging along as the happy couple walk just in front of me.
To be honest, thats exactly what it is, there going out for a nice romantic lunch and I'm just tagging along because I have nothing better to do with my spare time.
"Table for two?" A kind looking waitress asks us as we enter.
"No, there's three of us" Ashton steps to the side so I come into fall view of the lady. She gasps when she sees me.
"Bella Waters?" She questions.
Oh god. I have no idea who this lady is.
"Um yeah?"
"Oh my goodness! Look how old your getting! The last time I saw you, you were five! I haven't seen you in so many years? How are you?" She speaks really fast.
"Umm..." I'm not really sure what to say.
I look at Jess and she's still glaring at me. I look at Ashton and he's trying not to laugh.
"Bella, dear? Do you not remember me?" She asks. I examine her face. Her short brown hair is scrapped back into a pony tale and her large hazel eyes give off a warm feeling. I have to say she is slightly familiar. She rolls her eyes at me then smiles, "it's Mel? Me and your mother used to be best friends, you and my Georgia used to play together!"
Oh my god.
"Is it really you?" I gasp. Okay now I remember her.
"Yes-"
"For goodness sake! Can we stop taking a trip down memory lane and can you just show us to a table!" Jess interrupts Mel.
All three of us stare at her for a second.
"Yes I'm so sorry, this is so unprofessional of me, please, come this way" and with three menus placed in her hands she leads us through the restaurant to our seats.
"I'll send someone over in a a few minutes to take your order" Mel smiles.
"Thank you" me and Ashton say at the same time. We have a habit of doing that.
"Is there anybody else coming Bella? Do you not have a special someone in your life" she wiggles her eyebrows up and down. I look over to Ashton then back to Mel.
"No, just me and these two"
"Wow, I would of thought a pretty girl like you would have-"
"Why are you still here?" Jess snaps.
"Oh, I'm sorry" Mel quickly walks off and I look at Jess.
"She's annoying isn't she" she says while looking down at her menu.
Me and Ashton exchange looks and he mouths 'I'm sorry' at me and I shake my head to say 'it's fine'.
"I think I'm going to have the stake, it's £19.99, is that okay Ash?" She slightly pouts and in that moment I decide I don't like her.
Her accent seems stronger and a lot posher than mine. Her hair is brown and curly and her eyes are a bright shade of blue. She's wearing a black lace dress that looks like it would of cost about £600 and her diamond earrings look the same.
"Yeah thats fine baby" she smiles at her.
"What are you going to have" Ashton looks at me.
What am I going to have? What can I afford?
"Um probably just the chicken salad" I shrug.
"Are you sure?" Ashton asks and I nod.
***
A waiter brings us our food along with a bottle of wine. He goes to pour some into my glass and I bite my lip and look at Ashton.
"No" he calls and moves my glass, "she doesn't drink" he says and the guy I believe is called Tom, according to his name tag, looks at me as if I'm some sort of murderer.
He pour the wine for Jess and Ashton then brings me over a glass of lemonade.
I watch as Jess and Ashton both place their napkin onto their laps. I better do the same.
Conversation between the two of them flows well and I join in a few times, a comment here and there.
"So Bella" Jess looks at me and takes a sip of her wine, teasing me even more, "what subjects do you do at college"
I swallow a tomato a just ate then place my knife and fork down.
"I do geography, biology, English and maths" I say and she nods, pretending to look interested, "what about you?"
She dabs the corner of her mouth with her napkin, "I do child development, fine art, drama and French" she says smugly.
"One day she wants to be a primary school teacher" Ashton proudly says then kisses her on the cheek.
I have to say, coming out with them was such a bad idea, I wish it was just me and Ashton. He's so much nicer when it's just him.
"Yeah I mean I love kids so much and one day me and Ashton are going to have a big family of our own, aren't we ashy?" She says.
Okay who calls a guy named Ashton ashy? What the hell?
"And their mummy and daddy will always be there for them, they will never ever leave them" she tilts her head on one side and smiles at me. That was defiantly aimed at me. Who does she think she is. She's trying to make me feel bad because my parents aren't around for me anymore! Just because she's a stuck up bitch who's parents love her and get her anything she wants doesn't mean she can go around saying stuff like that.
I've had enough of her.
I push back in my chair, it makes a loud scraping noise across the tiled floors and all the posh people around stare at me.
"I need to go to the bathroom" I excuse myself and throw my napkin onto my plate then run off. I literally cannot stand her at all.
I push open the door to the ladies and then go straight into the first cubical.
It must look so stupid. Me tagging along with them. Me being jealous of them together. Me having a chicken salad in a restaurant like this as I cant afford anything else!
I don't even know why I'm like this but all these little annoying comments and the way she keeps kissing him just gets to me!
It's shouldn't bother me that they are kissing as they are a couple but it does.
I sit on the toilet seat and rip off a piece of tissue to wipe my eyes.
I really shouldn't of come. This was the worst idea. No way am I going to her party this Saturday-
I hear a knock on the door but I stay quiet.
"Bella are you in there?" I hear Ashton say. Again I stay silent.
"Look if you want to go home then it's fine, Jess is being so annoying today and I don't know why"
"It's because she hates me" I unlock the cubical door then lean up against the main door wheres he stands on the other side.
"She doesn't hate you! I think she's just jealous that you looked better than her today" he hear him laugh a little. I shake my head at him but then open the door so I can see him properly.
"I'm sorry if I've ruined this lunch, you can stay with Jess, I'm just gunna head home, you can tell her I've got a headache or something" I smile.
"Do you want me to drop you back?" He offers but I shake my head.
"No I'll walk, it's okay"
He nods and we stand there akwardly for a while.
"I don't want you to go, ya know?" He says.
"I'll call you later" I lean in for a hug and watch as Jess starts to get mad as she notices us from across the room.
"I better go" I say and pull away from him.
We head back over to the table and I grab my bag.
"Leaving so soon?" Jess says and I find it hard not to roll my eyes at her.
"She has a headache and she wants to go home"
"Oh thats a shame, well see you at my party yeah? It's gunna be great!" She brags.
"I'll just walk her out, I'll be back in a bit" he kisses Jess' head then places his hand on my back and leads me through the posh restaurant.
As it's about 4:30 now and the room looks dark. The candles on every table shines and flickers along with the low lights that hang on the ceiling. I hadn't noticed before but a cute line of fairy lights go round the whole room.
"It's really nice in there" I say as we step outside.
"Yeah, thats my second favourite place to go" he says.
"What's your first?" I ask as a shiver runs down my back from the cold and crisp October winds.
"Bertie's! Of course!" She says.
"Me too" I agree, "well goodbye Ashton"
Before I can walk off he places a kiss on my cheek and smiles, "text me when you get home and call me if you need me" he says.
"I will"
I start to walk off down the road. I look back a few times and Ashton still stands there and smile on his face. He waves as I turn the corner then u guess he heads back inside.
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A/n:
So... Jess is a bit of a bitch then
Remember to comment and vote and tell me if there is any mistakes,
ily x

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