The next day...
Ashley was dropped off at school with Tyler and Brittany just as TJ and the others walked up the street.
Tyler began to sing 'TJ and Ashley sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G'
Ashley narrowed her eyes at Tyler and pushed him up the steps.
"Hey Ashley." smiled Gretchen.
"Like, hi guys." said Ashley
"Where'd you get to last night?" asked TJ as the gang walked into the school.
"I, like, had to get home." smiled Ashley weakly.
"Anyway we were wondering if you wanted to play some kick ball after school?" asked Vince.
"I don't know I'll like think about it and let you know," said Ashley before she quickened her pace to get to the classroom.
TJ frowned while the others made their way down the corridor to their room.
He sensed Ashley wasn't being honest but then again after what happened yesterday in recess she'd been acting a bit strange.
He walked in and saw Ashley sat alone with her diary on her desk.
She was ripping out every single page, ripping the page into pieces and the pieces were falling all over the floor.
TJ sighed as he walked past her to his own desk.
He had to talk to her at recess and ask her what was wrong.
At recess...
Ashley rushed out the room, clutching her diary, and ran toward the nearest girl's toilets.
TJ cringed.
He'd wanted to talk to Ashley but going in the girl's bathroom was against the playground rules.
Gretchen was already stood outside debating to her self whether she should go in or not. "Gretch, will you please go in and ask Ashley to come out?" asked TJ.
"I don't know Teej. I mean I can try if you want but..." begun Gretchen until TJ just sighed in a way that made her give in.
"Fine I'll see what I can do." sighed Gretchen.
TJ smiled and Gretchen walked in.
One stall was closed, on the door was written 'Ashley A loves TJ Deitweiler 4va'.
Gretchen knocked on the door and heard sobbing from the other side.
"Ashley? Want to talk?" asked Gretchen.
"Like no thanks Gretchen. I'd, like rather be alone," sobbed Ashley.
"But Ashley, TJ wants to talk to you." Said Gretchen.
"Well tell him I don't want to see him. I just want to be alone," said Ashley, the tears slowly subsiding.
Gretchen sighed and walked out the toilets.
TJ was stood waiting for Ashley to come out and when Gretchen came out and shook her head TJ felt he had to take matters into his own hands.
"Gretch will you take watch outside?" asked TJ.
"Teej what are you going to do? You can't go in there," said Gretchen.
"I need to talk to Ashley and if she won't come out then I'm going in.," said TJ.
"Fine I'll keep watch but don' be too long." said Gretchen.
TJ walked into the girl's bathroom and Gretchen stood in front of the door to keep people out.
"Ashley we need to talk." said TJ.
"TJ what are you doing in here?" asked Ashley through her tears.
"We need to talk. Please come out of there," said TJ standing outside the cubicle.
Ashley sighed and wiped her tears as she got off the toilet.
She opened the door and saw TJ stood leaning against a wall near the hand dryers.
"Want to tell me what's wrong Ashley?" asked TJ.
Ashley closed the door behind her and walked slowly towards TJ.
"I've just felt like such a loner since the others rejected me. Like last night I knew you were trying to involve me out of pity. I like don't want to be pitied," said Ashley nervously putting a piece of hair behind her ear.
"We know you don't want to be pitied Ashley, but it's kinda hard not to." said TJ with an apologetic look.
"I suppose." smiled Ashley.
"So what were you doing with your diary this morning?" asked TJ
"I've decided that diaries are like nothing but trouble. Which is why as of now, I'm officially a no diary girl," said Ashley gesturing to he diary she'd thrown in the bin.
"But you don't need to give up on writing a diary just be cause of your brother." said TJ.
"But I'll only be embarrassed again and I don't want that to happen, especially if it embarrasses you too," said Ashley turning away from facing him.
TJ sighed, as his heart pounded in his chest.
"Now I think you'd better leave Teej before you get caught in the girls bathroom. Lord know what King Bob will do to you for coming in here." said Ashley looking in the mirror.
TJ put a hand on her shoulder before he walked out the main door, where Gretchen was still stood keeping guard
"What did she say?" asked Gretchen.
"I think you should talk to her. I sure as hell just messed things up," sighed TJ leaning against the wall next to the door.
Gretchen frowned as TJ sunk to the floor.
Gretchen walked into the toilets and saw Ashley staring aimlessly into the mirror.
"Are you OK?" asked Gretchen.
"I'm fine. I just think that TJ and me shouldn't be so close. Enough rumours are going around. Maybe I should just be a pale kid," said Ashley.
"Ash you shouldn't let what happened yesterday effect you so much," said Gretchen in a reassuring tone.
"Me and TJ will never be close, with everyone watching." sighed Ashley.
"Come on Ashley. TJ may like you too, you just need to find a way to ignore all the whispering." said Gretchen.
The bell went for class and Ashley smiled at Gretchen as the two walked out the bathroom.
TJ was already in the classroom, sat next to Vince and Ashley took a deep breath as she moved from her usual spot to sit next to Gretchen and behind TJ.
Gretchen smiled at her and Ashley couldn't help but smile too.
Ashley was dropped off at school with Tyler and Brittany just as TJ and the others walked up the street.
Tyler began to sing 'TJ and Ashley sitting in a tree K.I.S.S.I.N.G'
Ashley narrowed her eyes at Tyler and pushed him up the steps.
"Hey Ashley." smiled Gretchen.
"Like, hi guys." said Ashley
"Where'd you get to last night?" asked TJ as the gang walked into the school.
"I, like, had to get home." smiled Ashley weakly.
"Anyway we were wondering if you wanted to play some kick ball after school?" asked Vince.
"I don't know I'll like think about it and let you know," said Ashley before she quickened her pace to get to the classroom.
TJ frowned while the others made their way down the corridor to their room.
He sensed Ashley wasn't being honest but then again after what happened yesterday in recess she'd been acting a bit strange.
He walked in and saw Ashley sat alone with her diary on her desk.
She was ripping out every single page, ripping the page into pieces and the pieces were falling all over the floor.
TJ sighed as he walked past her to his own desk.
He had to talk to her at recess and ask her what was wrong.
At recess...
Ashley rushed out the room, clutching her diary, and ran toward the nearest girl's toilets.
TJ cringed.
He'd wanted to talk to Ashley but going in the girl's bathroom was against the playground rules.
Gretchen was already stood outside debating to her self whether she should go in or not. "Gretch, will you please go in and ask Ashley to come out?" asked TJ.
"I don't know Teej. I mean I can try if you want but..." begun Gretchen until TJ just sighed in a way that made her give in.
"Fine I'll see what I can do." sighed Gretchen.
TJ smiled and Gretchen walked in.
One stall was closed, on the door was written 'Ashley A loves TJ Deitweiler 4va'.
Gretchen knocked on the door and heard sobbing from the other side.
"Ashley? Want to talk?" asked Gretchen.
"Like no thanks Gretchen. I'd, like rather be alone," sobbed Ashley.
"But Ashley, TJ wants to talk to you." Said Gretchen.
"Well tell him I don't want to see him. I just want to be alone," said Ashley, the tears slowly subsiding.
Gretchen sighed and walked out the toilets.
TJ was stood waiting for Ashley to come out and when Gretchen came out and shook her head TJ felt he had to take matters into his own hands.
"Gretch will you take watch outside?" asked TJ.
"Teej what are you going to do? You can't go in there," said Gretchen.
"I need to talk to Ashley and if she won't come out then I'm going in.," said TJ.
"Fine I'll keep watch but don' be too long." said Gretchen.
TJ walked into the girl's bathroom and Gretchen stood in front of the door to keep people out.
"Ashley we need to talk." said TJ.
"TJ what are you doing in here?" asked Ashley through her tears.
"We need to talk. Please come out of there," said TJ standing outside the cubicle.
Ashley sighed and wiped her tears as she got off the toilet.
She opened the door and saw TJ stood leaning against a wall near the hand dryers.
"Want to tell me what's wrong Ashley?" asked TJ.
Ashley closed the door behind her and walked slowly towards TJ.
"I've just felt like such a loner since the others rejected me. Like last night I knew you were trying to involve me out of pity. I like don't want to be pitied," said Ashley nervously putting a piece of hair behind her ear.
"We know you don't want to be pitied Ashley, but it's kinda hard not to." said TJ with an apologetic look.
"I suppose." smiled Ashley.
"So what were you doing with your diary this morning?" asked TJ
"I've decided that diaries are like nothing but trouble. Which is why as of now, I'm officially a no diary girl," said Ashley gesturing to he diary she'd thrown in the bin.
"But you don't need to give up on writing a diary just be cause of your brother." said TJ.
"But I'll only be embarrassed again and I don't want that to happen, especially if it embarrasses you too," said Ashley turning away from facing him.
TJ sighed, as his heart pounded in his chest.
"Now I think you'd better leave Teej before you get caught in the girls bathroom. Lord know what King Bob will do to you for coming in here." said Ashley looking in the mirror.
TJ put a hand on her shoulder before he walked out the main door, where Gretchen was still stood keeping guard
"What did she say?" asked Gretchen.
"I think you should talk to her. I sure as hell just messed things up," sighed TJ leaning against the wall next to the door.
Gretchen frowned as TJ sunk to the floor.
Gretchen walked into the toilets and saw Ashley staring aimlessly into the mirror.
"Are you OK?" asked Gretchen.
"I'm fine. I just think that TJ and me shouldn't be so close. Enough rumours are going around. Maybe I should just be a pale kid," said Ashley.
"Ash you shouldn't let what happened yesterday effect you so much," said Gretchen in a reassuring tone.
"Me and TJ will never be close, with everyone watching." sighed Ashley.
"Come on Ashley. TJ may like you too, you just need to find a way to ignore all the whispering." said Gretchen.
The bell went for class and Ashley smiled at Gretchen as the two walked out the bathroom.
TJ was already in the classroom, sat next to Vince and Ashley took a deep breath as she moved from her usual spot to sit next to Gretchen and behind TJ.
Gretchen smiled at her and Ashley couldn't help but smile too.