Alright here we go chapter 3 so sit back and enjoy and remember #StayInTheShadows

We start off chapter three with Ash and Gary

Gary: there you are Ash where were you?

Ash: just talking to Dawn about the project

Gary: so you got paired with dawn, what are the odds!

Ash: I know, let's go I don't want to keep the coach waiting

Gary: good point follow me

In the coaches office

Gary: Ash this is coach Rowan

Rowan: Nice to meet you Ash I'm Mr. Rowan the head coach of football here at Pearl High

Gary: he's also the principal

Ash: it's very nice to meet you Mr. Rowan

Rowan: so ash what can I do for you

Ash: well I'd like to try out at quarterback for football

Rowan: how exciting we have room for one more player for tryouts and we were hoping they'd be a quarterback as well

Gary: He's the real deal sir he was a starter at his old school before he moved here

Rowan: well it looks like we may have a quarterback competition between you and Kenny

Ash was almost cringing when he heard Kenny's name as all he could think about was what he did to dawn earlier that day. Fast forward a bit until after ash gets his equipment fitted and locker assigned

Rowan: alright Ash welcome aboard, remember tryouts are after school starting in 2 days

Ash: looking forward to it

Just after he left Ash's phone vibrated indicating he got a text. He opened his phone and saw a message from a unknown number it said "Hey Ash we didn't get a chance to finish our conversation earlier today so I asked Gary for your number so we can talk about the project, Dawn." Ash once again couldn't help but blush even from just the though of Dawn texting him. Ash than replied...

Ash: Hey dawn it's Ash thanks for your text

Dawn: No problem I was thinking we could go to my house after school tomorrow to work on the project, what do you think?

Ash: sounds like a plan I'll meet you after school tomorrow...but football tryouts start the day after that, so we wouldn't be able to meet until a little later

Dawn: oh a football player huh? Lol you any good?

Ash: well I was starting quarterback at my last school before I moved here

Dawn: good for you, best of luck with tryouts. Sorry I got to go Kenny is at the door

Ash: Ok bye

Fast forward until after school the next day

Dawn: alright Ash ready to head back and get to work?

Ash: Yeah right behind you

Dawn: ok I live right down the road so we can just walk to my house

Ash and Dawn started walking away but were unaware that Kenny was watching them the entire time

Kenny: so she's not going to listen to my warnings? Well I'll make them both pay for that

Ash and Dawn head back to Dawn's house and sit on her couch and start to work on their project for a while

Ash: hey Dawn can I talk to you about something?

Dawn: sure what is it?

Ash: I've heard rumors about you and your boyfriend Kenny...t-they say he's been abusing you i-is t-that true?

Dawn: what? Uh n-no of c-course not

Ash: Dawn please don't lie to me

Dawn: I'm not

Ash: no you see I know you really are lying...

Dawn: what do you mean?

Ash: the other day I saw what happened between you and Kenny where he grabbed you and held you against the lockers...

Dawn: oh man, you really saw that?

Ash: yeah I-I did

Dawn: well it's true he's been doing this for months and he's threatened to hurt me and my friends if I told anyone. (Tears started pouring down her face) I've had to put up with it for so long...I even c-considered ending my own life at one point.

Seeing her in tears broke Ash's heart. He did the only thing he could think of and pulled her into a tight hug. At this point Dawn was almost crying her eyes out. She hugged him so tightly he could hardly breathe. They stayed in that position for almost two minutes until Dawn let go and ended the hug.

Dawn: I'm sorry I lost it and...

Ash: Dawn don't even say that

Dawn: W-what?

Ash started to rub away her tears with his thumb

Ash: you have absolutely nothing to be sorry about

Dawn started to get a strange feeling...and even started to blush a little bit. She thought to herself "what's going on I hardly know him and I'm blushing do I maybe like him?"

Ash: Dawn I want to help you

Dawn: no Ash you can't Kenny would hurt you and could even get you cut from the football team

Ash: none of that matters to me as long as I know your safe and happy

Dawn: do you really mean that? My happiness means that much to you?

Ash: absolutely

Dawn: with all due respect but you hardly know me, why do you want to help me?

Ash: because you're an amazing person who deserves so much better than this

Dawn: well I've got better now

Ash: what do you mean

Dawn: I've got you now

Ash: wait wha...

Before Ash could even finish Dawn was suddenly pushed him down on the couch and kissed him. Ash had no idea what just happened but decided to just roll with it and kiss her back.

What a chapter am I right...we finally get a bit more on the romantic side, but will shift a little bit back over to football in the next chapter, which will be out sometime tomorrow. Until then this is the Shadow Man sighing off. Have a great rest of your day and remember #StayInTheShadows

Shadow Man out ? ゚メᆵ