Chapter 4: Oh the Nerve!
It has been one day since my hair went in shock because of too many chemicals. Yes, I have orange hair and no, it isn't a pretty sight. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about it until the weekend so I'm forced to walk around with this bundle of mess on my head.
"It's not that bad!" Marco said, while Ellie tried to hold in the laughter. I had my locker opened and stuck my head into it. Perhaps I can hide in here forever or just until the end of the day.
"Hey Ellie, how's it going?" Sean asked and I removed my head from my locker.
"Good. See ya later Sean." Ellie replied and smiled. Marco and me looked at Ellie in curiosity.
"Ellie, are you and Sean hot for each other?" Marco asked.
"Oh don't be stupid. Sean and I are just two people who know each other." Ellie responded while I watched from the sideline.
"Stop playing the friend card. Ash and me know the truth."
"Well do you mind filling me in?"
"You and Sean are secretly dating. Come on Ellie you can't hide from the beat of your own heart forever. You got to be true to yourself!"
Ellie folded her hands and bowed. "Yes, master of wisdom." I laughed and Marco cracked a smile. I think he took it as a complement. Dylan walked up to us with a ton of books in his hands.
"Hey girls! Marco can you help me out with these books?" He asked.
Marco said, "Oh sure. Bye Ashley and Ellie!"
Then they walked off together leaving Ellie and me alone. I could tell Ellie was upset. I guess it's true what they say, "All the good ones are taken." Either that or they're gay. That was the circumstance for Ellie and I know she would change it if she could, but that was impossible. Ellie and I went our separate ways to our separate homerooms. Whenever I walk into this class I get a couple of blank stares. They're probably thinking, what the heck happened to her hair?
"So Ashley are we still on for tonight?" Paige asked while Hazel filed her pink painted nails.
"Um I might have plans." I replied innocently.
"Then cancel them. You need some healing from your heartache and that's what you'll get at my house tonight." Man, she loves to cross the line doesn't she? She thinks she knows everything about me and I wish she didn't.
"I'm fine."
"Denial."
"No the truth." I said and then the announcements came on disturbing our dispute over my heartache. Thank God! And there was Liberty on the screen with a huge smile across her face.
"Hello teachers and students of Degrassi on this lovely morning. Now here are the announcements. All of the members of newspaper staff are to meet in the library after school. The talent show will take place in two weeks so practice, practice, practice! The grand prize is a shopping spree at the mall. That is all. Good-bye!"
Paige's eye lit up when Liberty mentioned what the grand prize was, but I wasn't surprised. She lives to shop. I should know because at one time we were actually best friends. Yeah, right now I find that hard to believe. After the announcements class was dismissed and I headed over to English. Our assignment is write a poem portfolio, which consists of a whole bunch of different poems written by us students. This could actually be fun and quite fulfilling. I love writing poems and songs. I can express all my feelings and put them into writing without being asked any questions.
---Leave Me Alone---
Don't look at me
Don't pretend like you see
Don't act like you care
Don't pretend like you have no fear
Because you don't understand
You don't walk in my shoes
There is no way you can
Because you're never ever blue
Miss Popular get out of here
Miss Popular you don't care
Just let me be
Only I can see
Do me a favor Miss Popular
Leave me alone...
What the heck is he doing? Why is he pacing back and forth in front of my locker? I need to get into there before I go to Algebra, but I can't just walk over there and act casual. That is not how I work, but I need to get my book or else I'll get detention. That wouldn't exactly be the whipped cream topping to an already bad day. Fine, I'll just walk over there and pretend I don't see him.
"Hello Ashley!" Craig said.
"Oh hi. I didn't see you there."
"I deserve that so how are you?"
"Horrible, isn't that you what you want to hear?" I said and slammed my locker. Then I heard Manny's footsteps behind me, so I turned around. But Manny wasn't there for me.
"Well I see you're busy now so I'll get out of your way. Bye Craig!" I said and walked away quickly.
What is Craig trying to do? Is he actually attempting to get on my good side? He can try as hard as he wants, but it will never happen. Manny and him make me sick to my stomach. They're always making out and don't care who sees them. It is so gross! No wonder she got pregnant. She has no control and neither does Craig. Darn racing hormones!
"Hello class I have a little surprise for you...a pop quiz so put away all your books. All you'll need is a pencil or pen." Mr. Armstrong announced and passed out the quizzes. Well isn't this ironic? So the test was pretty easy considering I wasn't prepared. I did study, but I just kept thinking about someone, uh something I mean. Oh whom am I kidding?
"Ashley want to walk home together?" Ellie asked.
I replied, "Uh sure."
"What is wrong? You're too quiet."
"I'm always quiet you know me."
"Is it Craig?"
"No...I was just thinking about Paige's sleep over tonight. She won't let me hear the end of it."
"Oh I see. You want to go don't you?" Ellie said and laughed.
"Kinda, but that is stupid right?"
"No not really. Go if you want to and tell me about everything that happens. Then we can laugh about it Saturday when we have an actual girl's night."
"Alright I'll go but only for observation."
"Yeah okay."
"Hey do you want to come along?" I asked.
"No thank you. I'll leave this to you carrot top."
"You're funny." I said sarcastically and we said our good-byes. When I got inside Toby was already home.
"Hey little bro, so how was your day with Kendra?"
"You're right the cologne wasn't a good idea." He said, took a seat on the couch and opened a bag of chips.
"So I take that it didn't go too smooth."
"Yeah instead of her running away though she just laughed in my face."
"Oh I'm sorry. Are you still together?" I asked hoping they were because I would hate to see him with a broken heart.
"Yeah, but she made me promise her to never wear that smelly cologne again."
"That's good. Can you tell mom and dad that I'm going to Paige's to spend the night?"
"You at Paige's. There has to be a story behind this."
"There is, but let's not get into the details." I said and went upstairs. I threw on a gray and black striped shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Then I gathered up my sleeping bag, pillow, and overnight clothes. I wish Ellie would come with me. Should I call Paige and tell her I decided to come over or should I make a surprise entrance? Yes, I love surprises.
"Bye Toby!" I said and walked outside. As I was about to make my way around the corner a car came zooming by and stopped in front of my house. Paige and Hazel got out of the car and started making their way to my door. I ran up to them out of breath.
"Oh Ashley we were just going to come pick you up!" Paige announced and gave me a big hug.
"Was that part of the plan?" I asked catching my breath.
"No, but it was getting late and I thought you were having second thoughts. But now that you're here lets rock and roll."
"Okay." I said and got into the car. When I got inside there I saw Manny in the seat next to me and she was trying so hard to ignore me. Yeah, well I was trying even harder to ignore her.
Hazel was sitting up front with Paige. "So Ashley do you mind if we stop at the video store to get some movies and snacks?"
"Oh yeah that's fine with me." I said and started to play with the ring on my left finger. Then the car stopped and we went into the video store. Paige, Hazel and Manny decided to rent She's All That and Chasing Liberty, not my kind of movies, but I said yes and went along with it.
"Hazel and me are going to go upstairs for a moment, but we'll come back in a few minutes. Now what shirt did you want to borrow Hazel?" She said and her voice got quieter as they walked up stairs until it disappeared completely.
"God, why does she have to go and do that?" I said out loud wishing I would've kept my mouth shut.
"That's nice. Very Nice." Manny shouted.
"What do you expect seriously? I'm not going to be all buddy/buddy with you suddenly. Manny you stole my boyfriend. These kind of things take a while to work themselves out."
"Oh Ashley give it a rest. You've made quite a scene already telling the whole cafeteria I was pregnant with Craig's baby. I don't need you to bring it up again. I feel horrible already as it is, okay so drop it."
"Fine, but you brought this to yourself." She just sighed and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later I heard some popcorn popping in the microwave. This is turning out to be a lovely night, but I brought this onto my self. I would've never come if I knew Manny was going to be here. Paige came downstairs holding a container of make-up and I turned on the movie.
"Make-overs girls! Manny you're up first." Paige shouted and Manny sat beside her.
"Cool, but just as long as you don't make me look like a clown." I laughed at that, but for my own reasons. She already wears too much make-up as it is.
"Ashley can I give you a make-over?" Hazel asked with puppy eyes and her hands folded.
"Yeah if it will make you happy?" I smiled and she started with some eye shadow, but I don't know what color. When we were all done Paige and Hazel told us to go look in the mirror so Manny and I got up and walked over to the mirror. When we saw our colorful faces in the mirror we started to crack up and so Paige and Hazel, the people who did this to us. I had two black eyes, red blush and bright orange lips. Then the door rang. "I'll get it."
When I opened the door in came Jimmy, Spinner, Marco...and Craig.
Jimmy shouted, "Nice make-up job Ashley. Can I get one too?"
"Ashley, next time warn us. Hey ladies!" Spinner said and went over to Paige and the others. Marco and Jimmy followed him. Craig stood there and stared at me with my face covered in too much blush and eye shadow along with my orange hair. Wow, that must been a scary image!
"Hey baby." Manny yelled claiming her man, pretty lame man if you ask me? Craig turned away from me and hugged his girlfriend followed by a long kiss. Someone put me out of my misery now...any minute now. I'm waiting!
"Come sit with me."
"Uh I will in a minute, but I need to talk to Ash." Craig said. Then Manny looked and me and I swear I thought she was going to come attack me.
"I'll miss you."
"Save a seat for me." He replied. "Let's go somewhere to get some privacy." So I followed him outside like a fool on a leash.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I wanted to say sorry."
"I think you just did. Now can I go?"
"I know I broke your heart and I'm so sorry believe me. I feel really bad for cheating on you. Will you forgive me?"
"Whatever Craig! If you felt so bad why didn't you lie to me in the first place?"
"I was stupid and got caught up in the moment. I just want to make things right between to you and me so are we friends?" He smiled as if everything was okay, but the truth was it isn't?
"Do you really want to know my answer Craig? Do you?" I shouted, but he just stood there like an idiot with his hands in his pocket. "No. The answer is no. I admit it I loved you, but you aren't ready for a commitment like that. So go back to Manny and leave me alone...forever." Then I ran and felt the tears running down my cheek.
"Ashley wait." But I didn't answer I just kept running into the night and didn't turn back, not once