A few days later I met Kaz and Tom in the hallway leaving school together. "We haven't seen you in Chaotic lately. Are you alright?" Tom asked and I nodded, adjusting the shoulder strap on my backpack.
"I've been busy with homework and stuff," I explained getting a blank stare from Tom and a raised eyebrow from Kaz which made me shrug, nearly dropping my backpack on the floor. Once I fixed the strap and pulled it back on I rubbed at my eyes. "Actually I wanted to port to Chaotic to get a scan of Iron Pillar but I'm not sure exactly where it is."
"Why didn't you come and ask us?" Kaz asked before Tom could and I felt my cheeks burn, fiddling with my sleeve which caused Tom to grin at me.
"You didn't think of that huh?" Tom teased and I nodded, unable to stop myself from looking even more embarrassed as he laughed. "Alright meet me in Chaotic in half an hour." He offered and I quickly nodded, heading home with two very red cheeks.
"Ashley's new to Chaotic and all so it's not that embarrassing is it?" Kaz asked once I was out of earshot and Tom just shrugged, staring at my back before he and Kaz parted ways.
I ported to Chaotic a short time after I returned home, dropping my backpack on my bed before I pulled out my scanner. "It's just a short trip to Iron Pillar to get a scan of the location. No big deal." I muttered to myself, quickly porting myself to Chaotic before I could change my mind. Checking the Port Court and finding that Tom hadn't arrived yet I found an empty table before I sat looking at my scanner for long enough that I didn't see Peyton and Sarah porting in a few minutes later.
"Hey, it looks like Ashley's already here. Wonder if she wants to go to Lake Ken-I-Po with us?" Sarah asked as she and Peyton approached me watching on as I fiddled with my scanner.
"Is it just me or does Ashley look kind of nervous?" Peyton pointed out and Sarah nodded after she studied her friend for a few minutes. I was so focused on waiting for Tom to arrive that I didn't even notice when Peyton and Sarah arrived which caused me to jump when they joined my table.
"Whoa easy there, Ash. Looking for someone?" Peyton teased, his new nickname for me making me snort at him to hide my surprise.
"I'm guessing Tom right?" Sarah asked and I quickly nodded, a faint smile on my lips when Tom and Kaz ported into Chaotic. As they waved to us I waved back giving Sarah all the confirmation she needed that I liked Tom. "See I told you so." She hissed to Peyton who just stared at Sarah blankly.
"About what, Sarbear?" Peyton asked and Sarah groaned, leaning in close enough to whisper something into her friend's ear. When he blinked quickly glancing from Ashley and Tom and then back to Sarah he broke into a huge smile. "So Ashley's crushing on Major T? Wonder if he knows?"
"Judging from the way he's acting I'm guessing he still doesn't know," Sarah replied, waiting for her friends to join our table. Tom and Kaz had barely sat down when Peyton opened his mouth and I froze both eyebrows raised at him when he started to speak.
"Hey, Tom did you know that Ashley..?" Everyone stared at me, especially Peyton when I reached across the table quickly clamping my hand over the Mipedian player's mouth. "Mmph."
"What Peyton's trying to say is that yes, Tom knows I wanted to get a scan of Iron Pillar." I rapidly said, giving Peyton two narrowed eyes which I also gave to Sarah who shrugged at me not looking at all fazed. Shaking my head I climbed from the table and Tom, still relatively clueless, followed me but before we ported out I managed to give my friends (mostly Peyton and Sarah) another cold stare.
"Okay what was that all about?" Kaz asked, watching the exchange with some amusement especially when he saw his newest giving his friends the death stare.
"Well I was talking to Ashley the other day and she told me that…" As Sarah filled Kaz in on my 'secret' I followed Tom to Iron Pillar which I immediately found out brought out my fear of heights for me.
"Whoa easy there, Ashley. Don't want to fall from this height like I almost did." Tom said, grasping my arm when I leaned way too far over trying to see how high up we were.
"Wow, I didn't even know how high up we are. Didn't have a fear of heights until this point." I replied, looking a little pale Tom noticed before I shook myself. "Still let's get that scan," I added, holding up my scanner and as I scanned the location Tom looked down.
"This location's pretty cool but watch your step. If you end up using this in your next match remember that…." Tom started and I grinned, looking around the area.
"Battlegear doesn't work here right?" I finished for him and after a brief nod, he grinned at me. "See I have been paying attention." I laughed and Tom chuckled as I stared down at the floor far below. "Now where should we go next?"
"Well, I've been thinking that a camping trip to Lake Ken-I-Po would be fun," Tom suggested and I nodded so fast I made myself dizzy which made Tom snort trying to hold back laughter. "Okay, so we'll get some snacks and our sleeping bags and meet back in say two hours?"
"Sounds perfect, Tom. I'll catch you later." I agreed, porting back to Chaotic and Tom smiled porting back right behind me. I arrived back a few seconds later to find Sarah, Peyton, and Kaz who all smiled at me once they saw me porting back, and I frowned suddenly worried as I approached them.
"Is there something going on with you guys?" I asked, already dreading the answer when Kaz leaned back in his seat looking over at Tom who had just ported back.
"Sarah and Peyton just told me something interesting," Kaz explained and I groaned, running a hand over my face before I checked behind me to see Tom walking up to us. "Is it true?"
"Look please don't say anything to Tom. Please?" I pleaded, more embarrassed at having Tom finding out my big secret than begging my friends who exchanged looks of surprise before they nodded. "Thank you," I whispered, my head jerking up when Tom cleared his throat and had been standing behind me the entire time. I turned around to find him staring at me looking a little awkward before I cleared my throat. "Sorry, just something embarrassing that I thought no one would talk about."
"Oh yeah, I know about secrets. So everyone agreed for that trip to Lake Ken-I-Po?" Tom asked, getting a nod from everyone including me who he noticed was shifting from one foot to another. "Ashley, are you feeling okay?" He asked me and I smiled, alternating between keeping calm and glaring at my so-called friends still sitting at the table trying to focus on some Mugic scan that Kaz was showing them so they wouldn't see the face I pulled.
I'd been sitting on my bed, going through the homework for my Science class when my scanner beeped. Without hesitating I pressed the button on the top, allowing my Chaotic self to return. As my Chaotic self's memories flowed into my head I let out a breath torn between looking forward to the camping trip back in Perim and wanting to throttle my friends. Except for Tom of course and as I threw together my sleeping bag into my backpack I started to wonder just what snacks I should bring.
Porting back to Chaotic I used one of the Port pads to send myself to Lake Ken-I-Po, finding that Tom was the first one there. "Hey looks like we're early." Tom greeted me, watching as I set down my bag on the ground near the lake. "The last time we came here you were pushing me up the stairs to Najarin's castle." He added, poking at the fire he'd managed to get started before anyone else arrived.
"I thought you were too sick to remember that, Tom?" I asked him and he shrugged, poking at the fire again with a branch before he tossed it into the flames.
"Well, I remember bits and pieces of that day. But most of it's kind of foggy. Still from what I know mostly through Najarin, you went through a lot to help me and I'll always be grateful." Tom admitted, watching as I pulled out my sleeping bag. Once that was unrolled I unzipped my backpack producing several bags of chips and marshmallows. "We're only camping here for a night, Ashley." He chuckled and I grinned, dropping what I'd brought in my sleeping bag.
"Yeah but it never hurts to be extras," I explained with a faint smile, picking up a thin stick on the ground as Tom opened the bag of marshmallows. While we waited Tom and I roasted marshmallows, Peyton Sarah, and Kaz arriving not long afterwards. As they set up their own sleeping bags and helped themselves to the snacks we'd all brought I relaxed enjoying the peace and quiet.
It wasn't until I was sitting beside Tom that Sarah nudged me and I raised an eyebrow at her as she leaned in. "So have you told him yet?" She whispered and I blinked, wanting to sink into the ground as she frowned at me. "Oh come on what's stopping you?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe never being able to face him again." I responded, glancing over just in case Tom heard out not-so-quiet whispering but he was preoccupied with a Chaotic card game that Kaz had started and I breathed out, giving Sarah two lowered eyebrows. "Besides that was supposed to be a secret."
"Hey, I told Peyton that too," Sarah replied, not at all sorry apparently and I rolled my eyes looking up at the sky now that the sun had set. "Anyway, how do you know he doesn't like you the same way?"
"That's the problem so I'm not willing to ruin a perfectly good friendship by making it awkward." I hissed, not noticing that Tom had glanced over at us while we were whispering a little too loudly. "Now I'd like to watch this Chaotic game if you're through," I added, shifting closer to the fire and the game, and Sarah shrugged noting with a faint smile that I'd chosen to sit closer to Tom than my other friends.
"Now that just proves my point, Ashley," Sarah muttered, deciding to watch the game for herself.