chemical kiss | ashton irwin

Chapter Three

By this point there were only five more days of school in total. It was now a Friday and I wanted nothing to do with Ashton, I just didn't care what he did anymore. I mean, unless it got bad, but so far he just stuck to calling me toilet paper.

Fridays at KH consisted of better pizza at lunch and no homework, so everybody loved them. I was starting to feel less excited about this Friday because of who I would have to go to class with.

I locked my bike onto the rack once I arrived at the school and scowled to myself when Luke's white sports car came into view. He was driving toward the school with Ashton sitting right beside him and the other two sitting behind them. Ashton had a cigarette in his mouth and it made me wonder how Luke could see the road clearly with all that smoke hovering in his vision area.

I adjusted my backpack on one shoulder like I always liked to have it and walked up to the brick wall. The buses didn't arrive yet so I couldn't speak with Janie whilst I waited for the doors to open.

This time, with my book in my bag, Ashton didn't sprint up to me, but he and the others slowly cakewalked my way and stood around me in a semi circle. I tried not to make eye contact with them, especially not Ashton, because he was still smoking and it burned my throat. He seemed to be the leader of the group, given the other three didn't talk much and he was always making the jokes.

Ashton stood his ground when the bell rang as well as the other boys, so I couldn't go inside. I waited for them to speak up and tell me why they were stopping me from entering the building.

"Wouldn't you rather be called a few foul names than go to this hell?" Ashton asked, pointing at the school entrance.

"No," I said. "That would be awful."

"Oh, I guess it's too bad for you then, toilet paper," Ashton chuckled rudely.

He let out a bitter puff of smoke and it shocked me how he could stand through it without his eyes watering or anything. The other boys stood still as well, Luke occasionally reaching up to play with his repulsive blue hair.

"What are you even keeping me out here for? You're wasting your own time, just standing here," I mentioned.

"No I'm not, I'm smoking," Ashton argued. I narrowed my eyes, he was being so unreasonable and idiotic. Ashton took his cigarette out of his mouth and passed it around to his friends who all took a few drags each. Ashton pulled out his pack of cigarettes and took one out, as well as a black lighter.

He lit the cigarette and held it in front of my face. I didn't move despite the urge to cough because of the smoky air, which seemed to infuriate Ashton.

He shifted his weight impatiently, saying, "Take it."

"Wh-- No!" I shouted. I tried to back up further but I was standing against the wall and couldn't move a muscle out of fright. My hands were trembling though, and my breath was hitching in my throat, I was avoiding drawing in deep breaths due to the smoke floating around the five of us. "Get away from me. Go smoke elsewhere and ruin another person's day, how's that sound?!"

"Suit yourself," Ashton said, tossing the blazing tobacco product onto the cement beneath our feet. He gestured for the other boys to go inside and waited for them all to disappear before talking to me again. "You'll regret denying it, just watch."

"What's it to you, anyway? Why do you make it a point to hurt me and my esteem?" I interrogated. "What did I even do to deserve it?"

Ashton stared at me, his charming and handsome hazel/green eyes burning into me like barbecue coals on a grill.