The Game We Play

Chapter Twenty

Ash was shaken awake but refused to get up. "Five more minutes..." she mumbled.

"No five more minutes, how about you get your ass up so we can get to school?"

She sat up quickly, remembering she was at Laurence's place.

"Sorry! I'm not much of a morning person." she said with a smile.

"Who is?" he retorted, offering her a hand up. She winced as she used her shoulder, feeling the cut she had received.

"Wait-" the thought suddenly crossed Ash's mind, "Did you tell Maia I was staying over?"

Laurence laughed. "Yeah, no. I figured you did."

"We're about to get chewed out." she sighed.

"Breakfast!" his mom yelled.

"You can't skip breakfast in this house no matter how hard you try." he grinned.

The two walked into the kitchen where a plate of waffles was set out for them. There were three smaller plates set out in front of chairs with lacy plate mats underneath.

"Have nice dreams, dearie?" his mom asked Ash.

"I did Mrs..." she stopped, suddenly forgetting Laurence's surname.

"Ryder, but you can call me Nancy." she said with a smile. "Laurence never brings any girls around here." Nancy commented.

"W-Well it's not like that ma'am, he just didn't want me walking home in the dark." Ash explained quickly.

"That's my boy." she smiled proudly.

Laurence rolled his eyes and took a waffle, coating it in syrup. As to not be rude, Ash took one as well.

"Well, I'll be off to work." Nancy said, glancing at the clock. "Have a good day at school you two!"

The woman hurriedly grabbed her purse and keys and headed out the door.

"She's really nice..." Ash said.

"She's the best." Laurence grinned. "I wouldn't be half the man I am without her."

The two finished up their food and Ash went to clean up the area she'd slept in while Laurence did the dishes. She grabbed her phone and noticed fifteen missed calls from Maia as well as forty messages. She grimaced as she slipped her phone into her backpack, figuring she'd be able to explain what happened in first block.

After tidying everything up, Ash slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out the door with Laurence.

"Thanks again for having me." she said gratefully as the two walked down the sidewalk.

"I just... wish I had been there... twice now." he said sadly, glancing at her cut shoulder.

The shirt she was wearing was certainly big enough to cover the cut, thankfully, and Ash debated the need to tell Maia about the incident.

"Ash, let me ask you something." he stopped and turned to her.

She was suddenly aware of her heartbeat as she met his gaze. "Go ahead...?"

"Why didn't you want to get her in trouble? She tried to stab you."

Ash thought for a moment. "She said something. Something about how she wished her father had aimed for my heart? I think she may be involved somehow with that gang and I don't really want more trouble than I've got already."