Monday morning Ashley got up and covered her injuries as well as she could. The black eye was still visible, but it didn't look as bad as without the make-up. While waiting for Dylan to pick her up, she made his lunch. When Sharpay was leaving and Dylan still hadn't shown up, Ashley decided to get a ride with her sister. She figured she could talk with Dylan at lunch about why he was late.
Throughout her classes Ashley could feel the eyes of her peers on her. They were wondering what happened to her eye. It was understandable. If someone she knew arrived at school with a black eye she would wonder where it came from too. She just wished it wasn't her.
At lunch, Ashley looked for Dylan. He wasn't at their usual table, or at any other table she could see. He wasn't in the hallway, but she didn't really expect to see him there. She didn't feel like sitting at the table without Dylan because she didn't actually know any of his friends. All she knew were names, and she didn't even know all of those. So with no other options, she sat down at her siblings' table.
"Hi Ashley. Why aren't you sitting with Dylan?" Sharpay asked.
"He's not here today." Ashley sat in the only spot available, between her brother and Chad. She pulled out the lunch she made for Dylan and looked at it for a few minutes. It was weird to eat lunch. She had grown accustomed to giving her lunch to Dylan.
"Are you just going to stare at your lunch or are you going to eat it?" Chad asked her, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Why? Are you so hungry that you also need to eat my lunch to fill you up?" Ashley enjoyed poking fun at Chad. But when she turned towards him to tease him, she saw his face change as he looked at her eye.
"What happened to your eye?" he asked, all other thoughts gone.
"I fell off my bed Sunday morning and hit it on the bed post," Ashley said quietly. She decided to eat her lunch. If she were eating, she couldn't answer questions.
"Uh-huh." She knew Chad didn't believe her, but she couldn't have him causing problems with Dylan if she told him the truth. "You and Dylan left the dance early on Saturday. How come?"
Ashley shrugged. She had her mouth full of food and knew it was rude to speak with your mouth full. She also didn't want to answer any more of Chad's questions. Thankfully, Troy got Chad involved in a basketball conversation, and Ashley was left in peace. She didn't talk during the rest of lunch. She was content to listen to the others' conversations. When the lunch bell rang, Ashley was one of the first ones up and walking to class. Chad followed her.
"Ashley!" he yelled down the hall. She turned towards him. "Do you really expect me to believe you gave yourself a black eye by falling out of bed?"
"If you don't want to believe me then that's up to you, but I answered your question. I told you how I got it. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get to class." Before she could leave Chad said something else.
"Just know that if you ever need a friend I'm here." He headed off to his class after that.
Ashley was surprised by his last sentence. It seemed out of character for him. She supposed he was only trying to help. If she suspected Chad or another one of her friends was being abused, she would probably be doing the same thing.
The remainder of her classes went by fast. After school, remembering Dylan wasn't around to give her a ride home, she asked Ryan how long their rehearsal was. He told her that it would be long because the show was being performed at the end of the week. She resigned herself to walking home.
While she walked she thought about her relationship with Dylan. Why am I dating him if he's such a jerk? He's given me numerous injuries, insulted me, and stolen my lunch ever since I started school, so why am I still with him? Am I happy with him? When he's not mean, he is a really nice guy. He's sweet, considerate, but jealous; although he only seems to get jealous when I talk to Chad. I know he's the one that gave me the spiked punch at the wrestling party. I just don't know why. He does something but then always apologizes for it. If he doesn't care about me, why does he do that? She had only gone a few blocks from the school when Chad pulled up next to her in his car.
"Need a ride?" Ashley nodded and got in.
"Where's Taylor?"
"Decathlon meeting again. Why are you walking home? Doesn't Dylan usually take you home?"
"He does, but he wasn't at school today. Remember, I ate lunch with you today? I forgot about the drama meetings after school, so I figured I would just walk home."
"And you didn't think to ask me for a ride?"
"You were already gone." Ashley didn't actually know if Chad had already left when she started walking, but she didn't want to find him and ask in case Dylan found out. She knew he'd be mad if she spent any time with Chad. "Do you have any plans for spring break?"
"Not yet. I'm going to see the musical. Are you? You must be. You probably see all the school productions because of your siblings."
"Actually, I don't know if I'm seeing the play or not." Chad was surprised and asked why. "I don't know if Dylan wants to see it."
"So if Dylan doesn't want to see it you won't see it?" She could tell by his tone that he didn't approve of her reasoning. "That seems a bit . . . controlling to me. Shouldn't you be able to do whatever you want, with or without Dylan?"
"Chad, if Dylan wants to do something else I may want to spend time with him instead of seeing another East High production. He is my boyfriend after all. He's not controlling me. He just likes to spend time with me." They pulled up to her house, but Chad wasn't done yet.
"Do you hear what you're saying? You're defending him! If you have to defend him to yourself there's something wrong. Ryan says that when he actually gets to see you, you don't even seem happy. Why are you dating this guy?"
"Look, I am happy. If you don't believe me, that's your problem, but don't insult my boyfriend."
She got out of the car and slammed the door in Chad's face. When she was in the house she heard Chad drive away. Then she went upstairs to her room. Both parents were out, meaning she had the house to herself. Instead of doing her homework right away, she decided to watch My Fair Lady until Sharpay and Ryan got home. When she heard them drive up, she went to her room and did her homework.
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Dylan picked her up for school the next day, but because his radio was on full blast they didn't talk. At lunch he only talked to his friends. After school Ashley went to Dylan's house like normal. They were sitting on the floor in his room when they actually spoke to each other. The conversation she'd had with Chad was still on her mind, so she asked Dylan if he wanted to see the play with her on Saturday.
"I can't. I meant to tell you yesterday but I never made it to school so I didn't get the chance. I'm going to Cancun for spring break, and I leave Friday. Once I bring you home from school, I leave."
"Oh. How much of spring break will you be gone for?" Secretly, Ashley was happy that she would be away from Dylan for all of spring break.
"All of it. I'll be back for the first day of school. What did you do for lunch yesterday?" Ashley knew this would cause problems, but she couldn't outright lie to him, so she told the truth.
"I ate with my brother and sister and their friends."
"Did you have fun talking with Chad?" he asked bitterly.
"Chad wasn't at lunch," she lied. "I only talked with Ryan."
"Really? That's not what my friends told me. They said you sat next to Chad and got a ride with him after school. Did you think I wouldn't know if you were lying to me? My friends tell me everything, and I had them keep an eye on you so I would know what you were doing while I was gone. Don't ever lie to me again, do you understand?" He yelled the last sentence at her.
While he was talking Dylan had pinned her to the floor. Ashley could tell by the look in his eyes that he was furious. He slapped her across the face and asked her if she would ever lie to him again. Ashley shook her head. Not satisfied by her answer, he began punching her in the stomach. When he was through with that put his knee on her stomach and forced all of his weight on that leg. Then he asked her again if she would even lie to him. She forced out the word "no" for an answer and he lifted his knee off of her.
"I think it's time you went home," he told her. "I'm sure you've got homework to do." He dragged her to his car and threw her inside.
The ride to her house was silent. She held her stomach, thankful at least that she wouldn't have to worry about hiding the bruises. When he pulled up to her house she saw her mom waiting at the door. Ashley jumped out of the car and Dylan drove off before her mom could walk over.
"Why didn't you tell him to stay?" her mom asked. "You know I've been waiting to meet him."
"He had wrestling practice to go to," Ashley lied quickly.
"Oh, well you tell him that when he brings you home next time I want to meet him."
Ashley didn't bother to tell her mom that she was never going to meet Dylan. Ashley was sure he would be a perfect gentleman and do everything to please her parents. She just didn't want her parents to say anything that would make Dylan mad and hit her later for it.
Her mom left for an appointment at a day spa. Ashley went upstairs to do her homework. When she finished, she made a quick dinner and ate in her room. Sharpay and Ryan got home late from drama rehearsal and didn't bother Ashley, something else she was thankful for. She just hoped the bruises wouldn't hurt too much in the morning. The last thing she needed was to give Ryan another excuse to talk to Chad, or for Chad to talk to Dylan.
Just get through this week and then you'll have all of spring break to yourself, she told herself. She went to sleep with that thought in her head.
