Always a Friend

I was sitting on my window seat, reading a book, when I heard Ashton’s car roar into his driveway next door. I should’ve moved the minute I heard his engine a few houses down the street, but I was too engrossed in my book to get up. What an exciting life I lead for a girl going into the end of her junior year. I looked around my empty room at my neatly made bed with pink and white decorative pillows and my vanity table where nothing was out of place. I was always cleaning my room when I wasn’t downstairs doing something.

I thought I was in the clear from being summoned outside, but then I heard Ashton yell my name below my window. I placed my bookmark in my book and looked out the window at Ashton standing there, shining his flashlight from his phone. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see him that well, except for a silhouette. I motioned that I was coming down, grabbed a sweatshirt and shoes, and then headed downstairs.

“Do you realize what time it is?” I asked, opening the door.

“Yeah...It’s time for you to come outside and talk to me.” Ashton flashed me one of his perfect smiles, showing his straight, pearly white teeth. He put his phone in the pocket of his jeans.

“It’s after midnight.” I looked down at my phone. “Besides, aren’t you supposed to be home at twelve-thirty?” I tilted my head.

“Technically, I am home.” He motioned for me to come out onto the porch.

“You aren’t home. Your home is over there.” I pointed to his yard.

“Um...Gemma, that’s grass.” He smirked.

“I know that’s grass.”

“Can you come out for a few minutes?” His voice was low as he walked over to one of the brown wicker chairs with tan cushions.

I turned around, looking upstairs. “For a few minutes. I don’t want to wake up my mom.” I closed the glass door. I tiptoed over to the chair while Ashton sat there watching me with a smirk on his face. “What?” I shrugged my shoulders, lifting my hands.

“Why are you tiptoeing across the porch?” His eyes narrowed. “We’re outside.” He dropped his head and laughed.

“The boards creak. I don’t want to wake her up. I can go back inside if you’re going to make fun of me.” I motioned my thumb over my shoulder, turning my head slightly to the right. He apologized and said he’d stop making fun of me. I finally made it over to the seat, trying to prolong the inevitable without making it obvious. The second I sat down in the chair, he started talking about how his date with Olivia Adams went. I had to keep repeating to myself to smile and nod. Honestly, I didn’t want the details about his dates, nor did I care, but we’ve known each other since grade school when my mom and I moved into the house after my father passed away. I guess you could say we became instant friends the minute our mothers started talking to one another. It was probably because our moms were always together when they had free time from work and their “Mom duties.”

“So, do you think I should ask her out again?” Ashton asked, running a hand through the top of his dark blonde hair.

I quickly looked away, trying to hide my disgust. He knew I didn’t like Olivia Adams, so he knew exactly what my answer would be. Olivia Adams was popular like Ashton, but her whole personality screamed bitch. Ashton was popular, but he wasn’t a dick to people. She made it her life’s mission to be a total bitch to the kids at school that weren’t in her circle of friends.

I kept my head straight ahead, trying to avoid eye contact because I didn’t want to argue with him over some snobby-ass girl from school. He could date whoever he wanted and didn’t need my approval, even though I wished the ground would open up and swallow her sometimes. I could feel the corners of my mouth turning up in what I assumed was an evil grin because, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Austin glaring at me. I slowly turned my head toward him; sure enough, he was sitting there glaring at me with a huge frown.

“What?”

“Why do you always get that evil grin whenever I talk about other girls like Olivia?” His eyes narrowed even more.

“I’m not smiling.” I peeked at him.

“Then what is it?”

I turned my head to the left and sighed as I let my body fall back against the chair’s cushion. “I think you can do better than Olivia, is all.” I turned to face Ashton, who was slumped back in the chair, facing the opposite direction. I knew I’d really done it that time, and I had to think fast to fix the problem. “It’s not for me to tell you who you can and can’t go out with, though. If you really like her, then ask her out again.” I stood up. “It’s almost twelve-thirty. If you aren’t home, you won’t have to worry about asking her out again because you’ll be grounded.” I laughed.

Ashton stood up, thanked me for listening, flashed me one of his bright smiles, then ran across the yard, up his steps, and into his house right on time. I went back inside, locked the door, and waited for my mom to yell from her room at me, but there was nothing but deafening silence. I wandered into the kitchen to get some juice while I tried to decide whether to finish the chapter I was reading or go to bed. I shut off the light in the kitchen and headed to the stairs when it hit me like a freight train. I did this pretty much every weekend. I stayed home, watched TV or a movie with Mom if she was home, and then read a book until Ashton came home from his date. And quite honestly, I was getting tired of always being at home. I needed to get out of the house more on the weekends.

I went up to my room, closed the door, and peeked out my window next door to see if Ashton was still awake. His light was still on in his room, which told me he was still up, probably texting Olivia the bitch. I walked over to my bed, curled up under the comforter, and sent Ashton a quick text that I wanted to talk to him tomorrow.

He messaged me immediately, asking me about what, and I told him I’d explain tomorrow. He asked me why I couldn’t tell him now, and I told him because I was going to bed and that I’d talk to him tomorrow. I set my phone down on my nightstand and turned my light off so he knew I’d gone to bed. I stared at my ceiling at the shadows dancing, hoping it would help me fall asleep.