Chapter 3
A/N: Sorry for the long break I was busy with school and stuff. I know the last chapter sucked because it was so sappy. This one will be better. Oh and how do you fix the word spacing problems? How about I just double space everything?
Zach P.O.V
"ZACH, HURRY UP! We're going to be late!"
"Calm down, I'll be down in a minute! Jeez it's the last week of school"
God, she can be so impatient sometimes, it's been twelve years since I first met Ashley and she hasn't changed one bit. She's still the same stubborn, impatient, intolerant, beautiful, WOAH! I can't believe I just thought that! I had the weirdest feelings when I was around her these days and it was….puzzling. It was a happy feeling but foreign to me around her. It was like the feeling I had when I liked someone. I don't know how deep her feelings ran for me so I decided to keep my feelings to myself. I'm probably just paranoid, there was no way I could like Ash more than a friend. Last year my house caught on fire when we left on Saturday evening to go grocery shopping. It was one of the most traumatic experiences I had ever faced but I had Ash and she helped me get through it and now, my family and I were living at her house until the construction crew rebuilt ours. Since the fire Ash and I have become joined at the hip. But that doesn't mean she doesn't drive me nuts every now and then. "Exactly" she yelled back. I decided to annoy her a little more and stayed in the bathroom. I heard her run upstairs to my room; I sneaked out quietly and stood behind her. She walked into my room and tripped over something on my floor; it was really funny sometimes how well she played soccer but couldn't walk two feet without tripping. After she steadied herself she looked around my room, I decided that it was the best time to show myself. So I wrapped my arms around her and she jumped. "Zach! You scared the crap out of me." she yelled and I couldn't help but smirk. "You know if you just waited downstairs for me we could have avoided this whole problem" I replied. "Well if you weren't trying to pretty yourself up in the bathroom for an hour than I wouldn't have come up here at all" she snapped back. This time I couldn't help but chuckle into the crook of her neck. As much as I didn't want to let go of her, I loosened my arms around her and she turned around to face me. As I looked at her head on, my breath was literally knocked out of me. She could have traveled back in time and the people would have called her a goddess. She's tall, almost as tall as me, with wavy mahogany hair that flows down to her waist. She has hazel/golden-ish eyes that I love and has a curvy athletic figure (according to some very perverted people in class, but also confirmed by me and my not perverted friends) and to top it of she has naturally tanned, olive colored skin that most girls at school would kill for. I was still looking down at her face and I noticed she was studying me. I smirked and said "See something you like". "Actually no, I'm just wondering when you were going to let go of me and get your lazy butt downstairs so we can go to school and not get in trouble for being late" she said calmly. I looked at her and said "You're cute when you're angry" I said seriously. She looked at me and scoffed and I couldn't help but laughing. It was like a kitten acting like a tiger. After I finished laughing, I let go of her and we both shared a knowing smile. I ran out of my room and down the stairs with Ash right next to me, all of a sudden she tripped as we reached the bottom of the stairs and stumbled. I was going to help her but decided that she could handle it when she sent me a glare. So I ran ahead laughing to the kitchen where the car keys were sitting on the counter. I grabbed them and leaned against the island table. I put a goofy grin on my face as she walked in. "Looking for something?" I coyly asked her. She frowned at me and said "I can't believe you ran past me like that without even helping me up." My grin slowly slipped of my face as I took in her expression, she looked really upset. Oh crap, maybe I should have helped her. Why do girls have to be so confusing? I was about to help her when she sent me a glare, so it wasn't really my fault, right? Oh who am I kidding, I'm screwed. "Did you get hurt?" I asked carefully. She looked me in my eyes forcing me to look in hers. God, I could get lost in her eyes. I wouldn't mind hold her in my arms now and staring into her eyes. STOP, I snapped myself out of my thoughts and paid attention to what she was saying. She slowly smiled and said "Yeah, in here", while placing a hand over her heart. I smiled at her and knew she wasn't mad at me, but I decided to humor her. I walked over to her side and bent down to eye level with her. I almost forgot how to breathe when I looked at her head on. I regained my control and said "I'm really sorry" and gave her grin. This was the same trick I used on her when were younger, I think she's immune now though, but it was worth a try. She looked at me and leaned in close and said "Nice try pretty boy, but it's going to take a lot more than a smile and a sorry for me to forgive you. Now come on we're gonna be late." I frowned but let her lead out to the car.
While we were driving through the winding cul-de-sac, I was thinking about the "surprise" that was waiting for Ashley at school. I looked over at her and noticed that she was deep in thought. You know, I actually think that she forgot her birthday. I looked over at her again. "Zach" she asked me worriedly. I replied with "Oh you're talking to me, does that mean you forgave me?" "No I have not forgiven you yet and do you know if there is something going on today?" she asked. "Nope" I replied while looking at her innocently. Wow, I can't believe she actually forgot her own birthday, but then again she has been swamped with all of her homework lately. Well, she deserves a break sometimes so she is definitely going out to celebrate tonight. Hopefully she likes my surprise this year, last year I went a little overboard for her birthday with a surprise party. As we drove up to the schools parking lot, I looked over at Ashley and she looked nervous, there's a big surprise. We walked up the schools pathway and into the main forum of the school and to the hallway where the lockers are located. When we got to the spot where Ashley and I usually parted ways, I followed her to her locker instead. "Where are you going?" she asked me with a confused expression on her face. "Oh, I needed to borrow one of your textbooks." I replied with ease. Ashley and I had all the same classes; it was really cool but a little weird sometimes when all the girls sent Ash death glares when we walked to our classes together and laughing. When we were about to turn the corner to her locker, I put my hands over eyes. "What are doing?!" she screeched. "Calm down, I have a surprise for you, stop squirming." I instructed firmly. I felt her relax against me and I led her around the corner to where Bex, Liz, Macey, Grant, Jonas, and Alex were standing by her locker.
I gave them a wink and they got in their positions and I lifted my hands off Ashley's face. As soon as my hands came off of her face, everyone shouted SURPRISE. Ash did a little jump and yelped. But a grin stretched across her face. I let out a sigh of relief under my breath and leaned in next to Ashley's ear and whispered "Do you forgive me now?" She turned around and gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek, I chuckled and said "I'll take that as a yes" She turned back around to face our friends. First she gave a Bex a hug who whispered something is Ashley's ear. When Ash turned to Liz, Bex gave me the chocolate cupcake she was holding. When Ash was going to give Liz a hug, Liz stopped her and said "Wait, you have to blow out your candle first." with her southern accent coming through. Liz turned Ashley around to face me and I could tell that Ash was happy. "Make a wish Birthday Girl" I said as she made her way back to me. She laughed and blew out her candle. Everyone started singing Happy Birthday and after they were done Ashley went back to the hugs. "Now can I give you a hug?" she asked Liz. Liz giggled and pulled Ashley in for a hug. Next was Macey who had taken the lilies that were in Grants hand and gave them to Ashley, then she handed Ashley a white box with a blue satin ribbon tied up in a bow around it. "It's from the three of us" said Macey while gesturing to Bex and Liz. Ashley opened the box and gently pulled out a silver charm bracelet with gold A. "Aw, guys you shouldn't have, but thank you and it's beautiful" she replied. Next she turned to Alex who looked way too eager for a hug. I was gonna have to have a talk with Alex; I can't believe how blind he is to Macey. Ashley laughed as she leaned in for her hug. "Happy Birthday, are you going to take us out tonight?" he asked hopefully. "Us?" Ashley asked. "Yeah the girls and us guys." He replied, as if it was so obvious. Bex, Liz, and Macey's smile got wider when Alex stated this. God, it was so obvious that the girls belonged with the guys. I mean Grant and Bex were like the ultimate couple(I think that was the most un-manliest thing I have ever said) and Liz and Jonas were the like the two smartest bookworms/computer geniuses I have ever met. It was like they were all matched up perfectly. Alex and Macey on the other hand were more complicated. They had this weird flirty thing going on. I don't see why they can't just get together; they were obviously made for each other. Well, back to the subject, after Ashley turned from Alex she turned to Jonas who was blushing like crazy from the look that Liz gave him. "Awww, look at our Jonas, all grown up and liking girls", Ashley took the mocking words right out of my mouth. This time Liz and Jonas blushed like crazy. I almost started laughing. After Jonas recovered from his blushing fest, he slyly smiled and said "You're gonna pay for that" and he attacked Ashley and started tickling her. I felt a brief pang of emotion in my stomach that I didn't recognize. After he tickled her he pulled her into a hug. As Jonas let go of Ashley, Grant picked her up and twirled her around. Ashley giggled (Grant and I could do that to girls, it wasn't on purpose….most of the time) as Grant put her down. He put her down and practically yelled, "Happy Birthday Ash!" I swear he was such a kid sometimes but then again I guess that's why he was my best friend. Behind his back, Grant pulled out a small box out of his pocket and handed it to Ashley. Oh finally, I straightened up off the wall I was leaning on and paid attention intently as Ashley took the box in her hands. I picked out the charm when I saw it at the mall that Ashley practically dragged me to. Well, I guess we'll see if she likes it or not. She opened the box gently and took out the small silver puppy with green rhinestone eyes. I saw something flash in her eyes, it looked like…….recognition? "Zach picked it out and it's from all four of us" Grant said, he was practically jumping up and down. It looks like someone had too much sugar this morning. Ashley turned back to look at me and walked over to the wall where I was leaning before. She put her arms around my neck and turned her lips to my ear and whispered "Thank you, you're the best". It sent shivers up my spine and my hands wound themselves around her waist. She let go of me and looked up at my smirk (It's like my thing, the coy smirk). I took her hand gently in my hand and clasped the puppy dog charm onto the bracelet. "It has double meaning, it's your favorite and animal and when you look into its eyes I want you to be reminded of me so you'll never forget me" I whispered. Did I just say that? It came out before I could stop it. Thankfully no one else heard it. I looked into her eyes and after what seemed for hours, the bell rang and broke our gaze. Everyone was starting to leave knowing that we would meet up after school anyway. Ashley was about to turn to her own locker when she looked down at our hands. They were still intertwined and I was drawing random circles into her palm. I looked up at her and gave her a soft smile and said "I'll meet you back here with my stuff" and turned around to go to my own locker. As I was about to turn the corner, Ashley said, "Oh and Zach, I could never forget you". I was pretty sure my breathing stopped for a moment and I gave her grin and said "I'll be back soon."
I walked to my locker with a grin on my face. I could never forget you. That probably just made my day. I realized that I was at my locker when I looked up to see that Grant, Jonas, and Alex were standing by it. They were looking at me expectantly as if I knew something they didn't. "Um, what" I asked. "Oh, nothing. We were just wondering when you and Ash became an item." Alex stated matter-of-factly. "Um, did you just say item?" I asked. "Uh, dude you might want to pick up your balls because they just fell off when you said that". Everyone cracked up laughing, even Alex, but then they became serious again. "Seriously, Zach, are you two going out?" He asked again. I looked at all of them and then replied "First off, don't you think we would have told you guys if we were. And second, why would you think that?" I asked. "Well, when you put the charm on her bracelet, you didn't let go of her hand and you two were staring into each others eyes like love sick puppies" Grant said in a rush. "Plus you didn't even hear me when I cleared my throat and coughed a few times trying to get your attention, which earned me a head slap from Bex." he complained. He took a deep breath and waited for my answer. "Ok. Ashley and I are not dating" I replied a little crestfallen. Unfortunately, the guys seemed to catch that too because they all had sly smiles on their faces. "What?" I asked innocently enough, or so I thought. "Dude, don't even try to lie. We know that you two are not dating but we do know that you and Ash are so in love that we could cut the tension between you two with a knife" I opened my mouth to reject their thought but Grant held up his hand and said "Save it, we'll help you". I scowled and said "You guys are idiots" but deep down I knew that they were not stupid and they knew all about me and Ashley and that they were going to help me with whatever I needed help with.
Ashley P.O.V
Zach and I walked to our first period class, Trigonometry (A/N: Do juniors take trig?), which is also the class I dread the most. The only reason why I can sit through Trig and not drop dead of boredom is because the girls and guys (A/N: From now on Macey, Alex, Grant, Bex, Liz, and Jonas will be referred to as the girls and guys. It takes way to long to type out all their names. My attention span is not that strong) are all in the class with Zach and I. The only problem is that I only sit next to Zach and I can't sit next to the girls. Zach is to my left and to my right is Kyle. He's nice but I have always had my doubts about him. He's on the football team so he's friends with Zach. In front of me is a girl named Lizzie and behind me is the wall. Up front Grant and Bex sit next to each other with Jonas and Liz on their right and Mace and Alex on their left. We entered the classroom and took our seats. Our teacher, Ms. Montenegro, is either really stupid or really smart. I mean she could have probably made her career as a supermodel and she went into teaching high school trig. All the guys wanted her and all the girls wanted to be her. I mean you could fill a public pool with the amount of drool coming out of the guy's in our class's mouths. Jeez it was ridiculous (but understandable). This was also probably why half the guys in this class were failing, but I guess I can't judge because if we had a drool worthy male teacher, we would fail classes too. But let's get back to the subject of math. Today's lesson was not entirely different from yesterdays so I started zoning out. I started thinking about what we could do tonight. There was new club that opened for teens, which would be fun, I guess. I snapped out of my thoughts when I saw that Grant was throwing Zach these looks. I turned to look and Zach and he looked irritated and I thought I saw a faint pink in his cheek. No way, Zach Johnson did not blush. I looked back at Grant and noticed that he was passing a not to Alex and one to Jonas. Jo and Alex read the note and turned back to look at Zach and I. I must have looked pretty confused that because Alex was trying really hard not to laugh. I looked at them and mouthed "What?" They shook their heads and turned back around. Well, I definitely need to find out what that was about. I turned my attention back to Ms. Montenegro and tried to understand what was written on the board. So much for raising my B in class, well you know a B's not bad so I'm pretty proud. Math's not really my strong point. I'm more of a science and LA person. Back to the issue at hand where am I taking everyone out to tonight. Ok, I guess Club 21 it is. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing, oh thank god. Trig is finally over and I get to my favorite class of the day, Art.