On The Line (Ashton Irwin)

Chapter 5- Then

Chapter 5- Then

-Ashton's POV-

"You seem excited for school today," Mum commented as I entered the kitchen for breakfast. "Especially for it being a Monday,"

I shrugged. "What can I say?" I asked her, "I'm ready to learn,"

"Or you're just ready to see Madison," Mum said, and I stopped short in front of the fridge, spinning around to face her. "Why do you say that?"

Mum shrugged. "I don't know. She's a lovely girl and you two are becoming friends. Seems natural that you'd be happy to see her."

"Oh," I said, turning around and grabbing the jug of orange juice out of the fridge and the box of toaster waffles out from the freezer and putting them into the toaster.

"She is just a friend, right?" Mum asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, she's just a friend." I told her. "Why?"

She shrugged again. "Ashton, it's been awhile since you'd last talked to me about a girl, and so I was curious... Do you care for Madison that way?"

Did I? I mean, Maddy's a great friend and all, but was I starting to develop feelings for her that way?

"I don't know," I told her. "I mean, she's great, she's funny, and she's pretty much the only friend I've got at Richmond."

"Then snap her up before someone else will." Mum said, patting me on the shoulder affectionately.

"Wait, but what if I don't think about her that way?" I asked her.

"Then you don't think about her that way." Mum said. "All I know is, she's a great girl and I think she would be a perfect match for you."

Great. Even my own mother was giving me relationship advice about my best friend.

When the waffles popped up, I pulled them out, drowning them in syrup and eating them quickly before grabbing my backpack and running out the door to meet Madison at her house, for which I was late.

It was a bit cool this morning, in the mid-sixties, but it was pretty warm out, so I unzipped my black hoodie as I walked quickly down the street to Madison's house, and found her already sitting on the front steps with her backpack, donning a gray shirt and black ripped skinny jeans, along with her gray Keds.

"Hey," she said, her face breaking out in a grin as she grabbed her messenger bag and ran to greet me. "Morning,"

"Morning to you too, Sunshine," I laughed, noticing the spring in her step as she walked. "It is Monday, you know that right?"

"Yeah," she said. "I know,"

"So why are you so happy?" I asked her, still laughing.

"I may or may not have had coffee this morning," she admitted, looking down at the ground briefly before looking back up, her smile never fading.

She had the kind of smile that could brighten up any day, no matter what sort of mood you were in, and I couldn't picture her not having that signature smile on her face. Almost like if it were gone, then nothing was going right.

Wait, a brightening smile? Focus, Ashton.

"Coffee's always good," I agreed, nudging her as we walked down the street towards the school building. "Maybe we could grab some after classes?"

"Definitely," she said, her smile still never fading. "It's a date,"

"You know, not a date, date, but... a date." I stuttered, mentally facepalming.