Switched // a.f.i

Chapter 16 - Waffles

I continued to put a frozen waffle in the toaster to heat up so I could eat it. I felt eyes on me the entire time.  Soon, Janessa broke because of the staring.

"What do you guys want!?" She yelled at her family who wouldn't quit staring at her and me.

"You don't know? What was that loud sound Jillian heard from your room last night, then?" Janessa's dad questioned us. I had no idea what Jillian hear, but if Joseph was implying that he though Jillian had heard noises from Janessa or me, he was wrong.

As a perfect break in the awkward silence, my frozen waffle popped out of the toaster, no longer frozen but cooked and warm. I took it out and took a bite out of it before Janessa spoke.

"What do you mean?" Janessa questioned her father. He pounded his fist onto the counter.

"You know what I mean. Jillian said she heard a noise coming from your room, Janessa, and she thought it might've been you and Ashton," he looked at his daughter sternly, then looked at me for a split second with a look of disgust on his face.

"Yeah, Dad. That was Ashton," Janessa sighed. My eyes widened as I heard her tell her father that. He looked at me and tensed up as he took a huge breath. Janessa grabbed her father's arm and calmly told him, "Ashton fell out of the bed last night while we were asleep. That might've been what Jillian heard."

"I don't think that's what Jillian heard," her dad spoke through gritted teeth.

"I don't remember it completely, Mr. Winters, but I might have groaned after falling out of the bed. I was half asleep and had no idea what had happened. I'm sorry if Jillian thought something else was going on, but that's all that happened, I promise you." I looked at Joseph to see what he thought of my story. Did he think it was fake, or did he believe it?

"Okay. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I won't do that from now on, I promise," Joseph sighed and smiled at me.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Winters. I really appreciate it," I smiled back at him.

"Yes, Dad, thank you. You should know to trust me. I can't believe you were so quick to jump to conclusions..." Janessa put her hand on her hip and sighed at her dad.

"I'm sorry, Nessa. It was Jillian who jumped to conclusions first, then I just went off of what she said. Again, I'm sorry," he apologized.

"It's fine, but please trust me. I haven't ever given you a reason not to."

"I trust you, Nessa. I promise." Her dad then looked at Jillian. "How late did you say you heard the noise?"

"It was, uh, about one in the morning.." Jillian shrugged. Joseph looked at her suspiciously.

"And you were up that late, why?" He wondered.

"When he fell, it- it woke me up," Jillian stuttered and bit her lip. You could tell she was lying.

"Jillian, Ashton's fall did not wake me up, and you know how light of a sleeper I am. You were up at one in the morning. Why were you up that late?"

"I was talking to a friend, okay?" Jillian sighed, looking away from everyone in the family.

"What kind of friend?" Joseph pressed her more.

"A boy, okay? A boy my age. And we've been talking for a little bit now, for about two weeks. He said he wants to meet me soon. Maybe go out with me on a date or something. And then, it might even turn into something a little more than that. You happy now? Now that you know?" Jillian got defensive and didn't wait for an answer to stomp off to her room.

"Now it's not me you're worried about, huh?" Janessa giggled and looked at the expression on her dad's face. "It's Jillian you're worried about now..."

"It is for me! How could she not tell us?" Mrs. Winters exclaimed.

"Maybe we should all go.. Maybe get Jillian so you, as her parents, can talk to her? The rest of us should go, though." I suggested.

"That would be a great idea, Ashton. Yes, could you or someone go get Jillian and bring her here. And then give us some privacy," Joseph asked nicely.

"Definitely," I nodded and walked out of the kitchen. Janessa and her three brothers walked out after me. Janessa quickly made her way up the stairs to go to Jillian's room because she knew she would be the best person to talk to Jillian.

I heard Janessa talking to Jillian, then saw them walking down the stairs, Janessa behind Jillian. Jill made her way into the kitchen where her parents still were so she could talk to them. Janessa walked over to me.

"I'm sorry about my dad in there.. He can get a little overprotective of me sometimes," she sighed.

"You mean this kind of thing had happened before?" I questioned jokingly.

"Definitely," she nodded sarcastically.

"You know what the bad thing is about this situation right now?" I asked Janessa the rhetorical question. She looked at me questioningly and smiled.

"What would that be, Ashton Fletcher?" She wondered curiously.

"It's that my waffle is cold," I pouted and laughed with Janessa after she nudged my side.

~

I LOVE WAFFLESSSSS

WHO ELSE LOVES WAFFLES? I BET YOU DONT LOVE THEM AS MUCH AS I DOOO:) lol

btw this book will be finishing soon:(

-Lizzie xx