The Hand I'll Hold // AI

Chapter 7: Knight in Shining Converse

Ashton and I were finally heading back to the apartment complex. He seemed tense for most of the time at the cafe.

I looked over to him and he still seemed on edge.

"Hey," I nudged his shoulder, "You all right over there, Mr. Famous?"

He looked down at me and gave a small smile, "Always."

It had gotten really dark, so I stuck close to him. It's not really the dark you are afraid of, but more of what's in it. He started drumming on his legs while he walked and the perfect thought popped into your head.

"Don't stop doin' what you're doin'." I picked up the pace some. I heard some giggling behind me.

"Every time you move to the beat-"

"It gets harder for me!"

Both of us yelled out, "AND YOU KNOW IT, KNOW IT, KNOW IT!"

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A Few Days Later: After School

"I'm sorry Zaria, I hope you're okay with it."

"Ash, I can walk home on my own perfectly fine. You don't need to apologize. I'll let you go so you can get back to fixing your drum set, and no I'm not upset. I'll talk to you later, bye Ash."

Apparently during Ashton's music class, he broke his drum set again. So, right now he's having to fix his baby again. I smiled at the thought of him calling it his baby, it was cute to see the adorably soft side to him.

This will be the first time since I've started school in Kyoto, Japan that I actually walked back to my place alone. Every since the cafe, Ashton hasn't let me go walking by myself, not like I was in the first place. It was a sweet gesture, but sometimes a girl just wants to be by herself.

"That can't be her." I hear someone say behind me. I wasn't even halfway to my place, so stopping was the last thing on my mind.

"Why would someone as beautiful as him be with some trash like that?" Another voice chimed in. Obviously, these girls were pointing their comments at me, but I didn't have time to deal with catty girls. My teachers assigned so much homework for over the weekend, and if I was ever going to break in my new TV then I had to finish it ALL today.

"Ugh! Look at her! She's acting like we don't even exist, that little-" I felt a shove to my right shoulder causing me to drop some books I was carrying.

I looked up at the one who had shoved me. I'm blind! I've never seen so much female skin in my life! This girl who stood before me was your typical cake-face. She dressed like she had gotten in a war with a blender and her clothes lost. Don't be sarcastic... It'll only make it angrier.

I picked up my books and began walking away again, "Don't you walk away from me, skank!" Well, excuuuUUUuuuuseeee me for not wanting cake today. Haha, good one.

A hand pulled me back by my hair making me yelp out by the force, "Hey! Watch it!" I spat.

"Oh, you watch it! I just don't know what he sees in a thing like you!" I was suddenly surrounded by a hoard of cake-faces. This is going to end well... Death by cake.

"Who is the he in all of this?" I ask dryly.

"ASHTON! You trash." She really needs to work on her insults, dust bunnies can throw better flack than that. She takes me by the shoulders and pushes me to the ground. I'm not the one for fighting, heck, I would rather just ignore the problem all together, but this chick wasn't going to let up any time soon. A kick to the ribs knocked me out of my thoughts of fighting back.

"Don't you DARE go near him again!"

"He's mine!"

"Trash!"

All of the insults thrown at me were soon followed by kicks and slaps. I wasn't about to fight back, not against this many people! It was a stupid thought, obviously I would be taken down in secon-

"Back away now!" I heard a guy's voice yell over the now screaming girls, "I said! GET AWAY FROM HER!"

A clearing was made and I looked up at your "hero". The pain from your sides made things blurry, but I could make out blonde hair. I was then gently scooped up into muscular arms.

"Thanks." I let out roughly, it was hard to breath and talk so there wasn't much getting out.

"I'll take you back to mine and Ash's place. We have some ice packs to put on your sides to stop the pain." It was Luke... Luke Hemmings.