The Chase ▹ Ashton Irwin

CHAPTER NINE

The next day was a 1-3-5 day. I had art that morning, with Ashton. I couldn't fall asleep last night, and I think it was because of him. It's weird...it's almost as if I felt bad for the kid, even though he most likely deserves whatever happened to him, because I know for a fact something's up with him. Gosh, I just wish I knew.

I rushed to get all my stuff together and put on something cute, because I have chemistry today with Nick! Maybe that's why I couldn't sleep last night, because I was excited to see Nick. Yeah, that was probably it. I honestly think I could start to fall for Nick very soon. The way he looked and his whole attitude towards everything was very attractive. I want him to ask me to hang out or something, ANYTHING! Whatever, I'll just have to keep waiting on him. I don't want to seem like a try hard, but I think adding just a little but more eye shadow could help, and saving my cutest shirts for the days I have chem.

I joined my mother in the car and we drove to Palo Verde. "Thanks mom!" I said as I shut the door behnd me. I went on with my usual morning routine: find Jessie ad the rest of the gang and wait until the first period bell. I looked around the courtyard and finally spotted Jessie, along with Abby, and Amanda and Annie. "Helloooo." I said as I walked up to them. I gave them all quick hugs.

"Hey, I didn't know you were tutoring!" Amanda said. My heart instantly sank. Crap. I can't tell them I'm tutoring Ashton.. they'll kill me. "Uh.. y-yeah, I am." I managed to speak.

"Who is it?" Jessie asked.

SHE'S ONTO ME. A paniced voiced echoed in my brain. "Um..." I said. "Just some freshman." A weird sesation brewed inside of my stomach. I was guilty. I know I shouldn't lie to them, but I didn't know what else to do.

"Ah I see, well I bet you're going to do awesome!" Jessie smiled. "Is it for college creds?"

Relief spread over me and I was able to breathe again. "Yeah." I smiled back. The bell rang, and I almost instantly took off in full speed to the art room. I was one of the first people to get there and I sat slowly down into my seat.

I felt a little nervous, to be completely honest. Would it be weird to sit across from Ashton, now that I'm his tutor? I hope not. The bell soon rang and Ashton hadn't walked in yet. I'm not sure what kind of emotions were going through my head, but there was diffidently something.

"Alright class," Ms. Hullen said from the front of the class. "Today we're going to look over the basics of landscapes..."

Her voice seemed to trail off more and more as the minutes went by and Ashton still wasn't in the class. I ended up forcing myself to pay attention for the next 30 minutes, when all of a sudden, the door crashed open. A man that looked like the assistant principle came in, dragging in a boy by the collar. It was Ashton.

Ashton was staggering behind the assistant principle's feet. He was let go and he looked over to me and our eyes met. His hair was all messy and hs eyes were big and dark. He stood awkwardly, and I was getting a really odd vibe from his presence.

"Mr. Mason!" Ms. Hullen said, surprised.

"Ms. Hullen," Mr. Mason said. "Are you aware of the fact that one of your students has been outside of campus this whole morning, participating in unwanted activites?"

"I was having a smoke calm down." Ashton growled. "And I wasn't on campus so you can't give me shit for doing it."

"Oh yes, we can." Ms. Hullen said. "You were close enough to school grounds that you were skipping class and smoking God knows what."

"Um actually," Ashton said. "School policy says that you have no control of me when I'm off school grouds. And I'm most certainly positive that I was of at least a half mile radius off of campus."