Always a Friend

Chapter 33

Now wasn't the time; I needed to be distracted with trying to figure out what was bothering Ashton. I had to get a good grade on this English test I'd been studying for all week. Ms. Clark said we could be excused once we finished our tests. She knew it would take us most of class to complete it. I didn't dare take my eyes off my test, fearing she'd come over and rip my test away from me and send me to the office for cheating. So, I kept my eyes on my paper while playing with my pencil, drumming it against my cheek and pressing the eraser against my forehead. I finally managed to get my thoughts off Ashton and back onto my test and finished it ten minutes before class ended. Ava finished her test five minutes earlier and was probably already in the library waiting for Chloe and me to show up. 

I stopped off at my locker before heading to the library so I could grab my Math book and work on homework. 

"Hey, Gemma." 

I paused, staring at the books leaning against the side of my locker. "Hi, Rhys." I closed my locker door and turned around. "I thought you'd be in the library already. I clutched my books to my chest. 

"No, I got out of class a few minutes ago." He started walking with me to the library. "What are you doing tomorrow night?" 

"What?" My eyes widened, and my mouth fell open. "Tomorrow night?" I repeated part of the question instead of answering it. I stared down at the multi-colored specs on the linoleum tile floor, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. I didn't want to prolong the question too long for fear he'd think I wasn't interested, which I was because he was hot as hell. I just didn't want to put my heart out there for some hot lookin guy to stomp on it again. I wanted to ask if I'd become some kind of game between the guys here at school...See which one can hurt me the quickest. Well, I was done playing their stupid game. I didn't want to be a pawn in their game anymore. 

"Gemma! Wait!" Chloe hollered behind us. I paused and turned to make sure Chloe hadn't stopped to talk to someone. She was talking to Maddie Ryan, one of Braedon's friend's girlfriends. She hung out with Maddie when they all went out on Saturday nights or when Levi and Maddie would show up at Braedon's house. So, I knew if I didn't try to get her attention, she'd stay there, keep talking to her, and make us late to the library, and we'd miss all the good tables. I could only hope that Ava was already in there and had gotten us a good table, but then again, she probably went to Caleb's locker before heading to the library. 

"Chloe, we've got to get to the library. Come on!" I motioned my head to the right in the direction of the library. She held up her index finger and eased away from Maddie, nodding and smiling. She finally turned away from her and walked over to us. I turned and started walking, leaving her a few strides behind me, trying to catch up. My head was still reeling over Rhys's question before Chloe hollered for us to wait on her. Chloe caught up with us a few feet from the library entrance. And that is where my day went from not great to disastrous. 

Chloe grabbed my arm, pulling me back. "There's a party tonight at Levi's house. She said you were invited too." Chloe's eyes beamed. 

"Party? I don't know." I looked off to the left, clutching my books tighter. 

"You aren't going?" Rhys asked, almost looking relieved. I wasn't sure how to respond to his relief that I wasn't attending the party. His relief turned to confusion when his eyes shifted between Chloe and me. "I didn't mean it like that." He looked off, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Really?" I blurted out before I could stop the words from flying. My body stumbled forward a few steps. I pressed my lips together, glancing over at Chloe. I stood there and stared at her, waiting for her to say something, but all I got was a shrug like she had no idea what happened. All I wanted to do was walk away from this awkward situation and get to the library. 

"I'm not like those other guys, Gemma," Rhys said, staring deep into my eyes. "I know what you've been through. I promise I won't do that to you." He stepped closer, lowering his head, and our mouths were inches apart. It felt like a mad rush of butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. "I'll see you in the library." He leaned down more,  gazing at my lips, and slowly, his eyes met mine. He stepped to the side and walked down the hall, saying hi to a group of guys that acknowledged him in passing. 

"He's hot," Chloe whispered, nudging me. "Are you going to the party tonight, then?" 

"I guess..." I shuffled along the hallway. I knew if I said no, Chloe would argue with why I needed to go, and I wasn't in the mood to listen to Chloe's five thousand reasons why I should go. So, against my better judgment, I told her I would go to the party. I wasn't going with any guy who could ditch me for another girl this time. "Can I go with you and Braedon so I don't have to drive alone?" I peeked over at her, clutching my books. 

"Yes, I wasn't going to let you drive to the party alone. What kind of friend do you think I am?" She laughed, hooking her arm around mine and pulling me toward her. "Besides, Braedon can't go. He's got to do something with his family. He's pretty bummed about having to miss the party." Jealousy swept over me because I wanted to miss the party, but I knew that wasn't happening. "What was that whole thing with Rhys?" She asked, opening the door to the library. 

"What thing?" I shrugged, playing like I didn't know what she was saying. 

Her eyes widened, and she turned around to face me. "The sex." She tilted her head. 

"What sex?" Ashton asked, walking up behind me.

I rolled my eyes, letting out a sigh. "Nothing." I glared at Chloe. "Aren't you late for class?" I turned my head, looking at the empty hall. 

"She excused us for the day. So, I thought I'd come in here." Ashton pointed past me to the library. "That is if you let me by." He raised an eyebrow. 

"I don't know...Can you handle being in here?" 

"Funny." He eased past me. He joined Claudia and a couple of her friends at one of the bigger tables across the room, away from the other students. I watched them as I strolled behind Chloe, trying to figure out what the hell Ashton saw in Claudia besides physical attraction. Most kids in the school liked Ashton because he was nice and personable, unlike his demon girlfriend, whose mission was to make my life a total hell. Claudia didn't even acknowledge Ashton for about five minutes while he sat there, looking at his phone, waiting for her to say something. I shook my head in disbelief as I set my books down on the table, wondering why he would put up with being treated like that. Then again, he could wonder the same thing about me. Except I didn't stick around Jude or Noah after they humiliated me in front of our peers. The more I watched them, the angrier I got at how Ashton let her sit there and ignore him like that. She kept her back to him while she continued to whisper and giggle with her bitchy friends. At one point, I could've sworn they all looked over at Rhys, sitting across from them with his head down in his books, busy writing in his notebook. 

"Why don't you go over there and sit with him?" Chloe whispered. 

"Huh?" I stammered, turning to my left. "Who?"

"Ashton." She raised her eyebrow, smirking. "You've been staring at him for the past ten minutes. 

"I have not." My brows furrowed. 

"Seriously?" Chloe tilted her head. "You're such a shitty liar." She laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. She opened her book and notebook, glancing up at me. "Well..." She motioned her head toward Ashton. 

"He's with queen bitch herself. I'm not going anywhere over there. Besides, I wasn't staring." I opened my Math book and notebook.