When Kat Came Back

Chapter 34

"Ash!" Jonah called across the hallway. Ashlynn stopped and turned around.

"Happy Thanksgiving. What are you doing for the break?" He asked.

"Dinner at my brother Kevin's house with my sister and Patrick. And my mom, obvs. Then I might have to go to my dad's at some point," she grimaced.

Things with David had not improved by much. But he was trying. Even Ashlynn had to admit that. They'd had a couple of awkward conversations. And he tried to plan more things besides movies and watching TV. Sometimes Ashlynn had too much homework to do much else, and David understood. Those weekends they stayed in, and David tried to help Ashlynn if she needed it. She rarely did.

"How about you?" Ashlynn asked.

"Well, most of my family is out west, so I think we're getting together with some friends of my parents on Thanksgiving, but otherwise just hanging out at home."

"Sounds like fun," Ashlynn smirked. Jonah shrugged.

Just then, Ashlynn's path was blocked by a very large person. Ashlynn looked up at the figure in her way.

"Oh for the love of," she rolled her eyes. "What do you want?  My hip is healed. Are you going to re-fracture it for me?"

"No," Mason said, frowning.

"Then could you get out of my way? I have to get to class. You know. The room with all the tables and people and books?" Ashlynn snarked at Mason.

"Funny," he frowned at her. She smirked back and tried to step around him. He moved into her path again.

"Seriously. What is your issue?"

"How are you?" He asked. Ashlynn stopped and looked at him.

"I'm fine. Now can I go to class?"

"Good. I'm sorry I bumped into you that day," Mason said.

"Oookay," Ashlynn said, trying to step around him again. "Thanks for that, like a month later."

"Yeah. My bad. I should have apologized sooner," he said, running his hand through his hair.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I'd like to not be late for class," Ashlynn said and managed to sidestep Mason and continue down the hallway.

Jonah stepped in beside her.

"Mason never apologizes. To anyone," he said.

"Well, lucky me, I guess," Ashlynn said as they walked into their science class together.

Somehow, Mason managed to get in her way all day.

"Seriously. You need to get out of my way," Ashlynn said when Mason stood in front of her as she entered the cafeteria lunch line. "This is a bit much."

"You interest me," Mason said.

"Great. That doesn't sound creepy or threatening at all," Ashlynn rolled her eyes.

"I don't mean it that way," Mason said. "Shit. I'm sorry. Look, I want to start over. First off, I really am sorry I banged into you on your first day. I wasn't paying attention and well, wasn't expecting you around the corner."

"I thought we already established this this morning. Apology accepted. Especially if it'll get you out of my way."

"I wanted to see how you were doing because I looked you up after I found out you'd passed out after class."

"Yeah. The pain was awesome. Thanks for that."

"Come on. Give me a second chance, okay?  I'm not really a bad guy. Most people are just afraid of me because I'm big. They assume I'm also mean. And I kinda ran with that. But that doesn't mean I am."

"Look, I know all I need to know about you. You're Mason Anderson, captain of the football team and currently harassing me everywhere I go today."

"You don't know anything about me," Mason smirked, crossing his arms across his chest but not moving out of Ashlynn's way.

"Are you aware we have a finite amount of time for lunch? And you are currently taking up that very finite amount of time where I can get something to eat before sitting through another class?"

"What are you having for lunch? I'll get it for you."

"Not necessary," Ashlynn said.

"I know Jonah told you I don't apologize to anyone. And he's not wrong, but I dunno. There's something about you. I felt really bad about that whole thing. And maybe intrigued because everyone else seems to be afraid of me."

"Intrigued, huh?  That's a big word for a football player. Who taught it to you?" Ashlynn frowned.

"I deserve that. I acted like an ass. So let me start over, okay?  Hi, my name is Mason. I'm on the football team. I don't think I've seen you here before. Are you new?"  He held out his hand to shake.

Ashlynn couldn't help but smile.  Ashlynn was hardly "new" anymore.

"Hi. I'm Ashlynn," she smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Ashlynn. Since I whacked into your broken hip and made you pass out, can I please apologize by buying your lunch today?"

Ashlynn scrutinized the football player and looked around him. No one was watching and snickering behind their hands. Jonah was watching with curiosity, but otherwise, no one was paying much attention.

"Alright. Sure. You can buy my lunch," she said, and they got in line together.

They chatted a little while making their lunch choices. Mason insisted on taking her tray and walked to the table she shared with Jonah, Brian, Devon, Katie and Amanda.

"Hey guys, mind if Mason joins us?" Ashlynn shrugged.

The five of them looked up at Ashlynn and Mason with not a little surprise. Mason never sat anywhere but with the football team. Usually mocking underclassmen and bullying the freshmen.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Amanda said, moving her bag off the chair beside her. Ashlynn slid in beside Amanda, and Mason sat beside her, putting her lunch in front of her.

"You eat like a rabbit," Mason said, looking at Ashlynn's salad. The cafeteria pizza looked... sad, and the other hot lunch on offer was something that might have been meatloaf, but Ashlynn didn't want to chance it, so she'd grabbed minestrone soup, a salad, a yogurt, an apple and milk.

Once they got used to Mason sitting at their table, the seven teenagers started talking and joking as if they'd all been friends forever.

Jonah wasn't sure what to think about Mason and Ashlynn as he watched her laugh at some antic Mason described. Amanda and Devon were also laughing, but it bugged Jonah that Ashlynn was laughing with Mason for some reason. He'd caused her to pass out because he walked right into her fractured hip on her first day. But Ash was willing to just let that go?  Jonah had caught her when she fainted and carried her to the nurse's office! Jonah had classes with Ashlynn! They'd worked on their science assignment together!

Now Mason was trying to what? Jonah was confused. Then he realized... he had feelings for Ashlynn and felt threatened that she might like Mason more.

When lunch ended, Ashlynn thanked Mason for buying her lunch, slung her bag over her shoulder and started to get ready to head to her next class. She had History next with Jonah. She began to walk away and looked back at the table.

"Jonah, aren't you coming to History?" she asked.

He blinked.

"Oh, yeah. Of course," he rolled his eyes.  What was he thinking? Ashlynn was a friend, and she was allowed to have other friends. Even if that other friend is Mason Anderson.