Confessing to Her (And other Olympic-level Feats)

Chapter 14

While she walked to her mom's car, she caught a glimpse of her little brother, Lucas, looking at his phone in the front seat. In the back seat, Pepper was peeking her head out of the window, wagging her tail and barking loudly.  The redhead went to sit next to her brother.

"Okay. Before we start- tell me why you were so late today." Chelsea's mom asked as she started driving off.

"Olivia happened. Though we're okay, now," Chelsea said.

"Ahhh," Her mother replied. "Want to talk about it?"

"No, it's fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Chelsea said with a smile. Her mom made a half smile herself.

"Thank goodness." She said. "I was hoping it wasn't anything bad."

"It wasn't at all, really..." Chelsea said.

"Chelsea?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know an 'Ashley'?"

"Ashley?" Chelsea asked."Uh..Does she have white hair?"

"Yeah. She was in my after-school club today."

"They have after school clubs in that elementary school now?" Chelsea said. "When I was there they didn't."

"Sucks to be you," Lucas said. Chelsea narrowed her eyes.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that," The annoyed sister said. "Anyway, how do you know Ashley?"

"She was a volun-...Volunt-..."

"Volunteer?" Chelsea corrected.

"Yeah, that. She said I looked like you."

It was definitely her.

"Huh." Chelsea said. To think she volunteers for elementary schools. Yet another new thing she's learned about that ash-haired girl.

"And she told me she wanted to talk to you or whatever over the phone. Oh, and she asked about Dustin, too."

Oh boy.

It was then when she got a message on her phone. She checked it, and saw it was from the one in question herself: Ashley.

'I never knew you had a little brother.' She said. 

If what Lucas had just said didn't just confirm it, this text definitely did.

'Yeah, haha' Chelsea replied.

'He's so adorable. He wanted to show me the monsters he was training in his phone game, whatever it is, and was all like 'look! Look!' it was so cute.'

'Bleh, figures he'd do that. Anyway, he said you were asking about Dustin..?'

'Uh yeah, I was gonna text you about that. I'll tell the truth, uh, I'm unsure what I'm feeling is... y'know. So I want to go meet him for myself again. Is he at your house? Invite him over or something.'

Chelsea narrowed her brow.

'Uh... you sure about that?' she texted. 'You were literally a stuttering mess the first time.'

'I know I was. Right now I'm fine, but when I was there in front of him, I just crumbled. It was so weird... Also, sorry about that earlier, thanks for saving me, too. I owe you one.' Chelsea couldn't help but smile. Both at Ashley's naivete and how kind she was. 

'No that's fine, you helped me with Olivia. Consider our debt settled.'

'Ok. Anyway BTW I'm outside your house again.'