Steal His Girl

49

"Hey ash." Colleen greeted me at my locker. I turned towards her smiling. I feel like it's been forever since we've actually talked to each other.

"Hey what's up?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" I asked brushing my hair. I took once last look at my decent appearance before shutting the door.

"I don't know, you've been kind of distant lately." She told me. This is true. I haven't been telling them much about this, and I was meaning to tell them but there wasn't really a good time.

"I'm sorry Coll, a lot has been going on recently." I stood by her locker holding onto my Vera Bradley lunch bag.

"Can you tell me? Is it about.. Andrew?" Colleen asked wiggling her eyebrows. "I see you two flirting with each other in language arts."

Andrew. Ugh, how I miss seeing him and talking to him. Even if he's still mad at me I just want to see him. Just one look. I'd do anything to look into his mysteriously dark brown eyes, or to get hold him tightly in an embrace.

Sadly there was still no sign of him.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Shut up!" I laughed.

"So what's been going on?" My wide grin slowly diminished at the thought of everything that's happened over the past few months. There's no reason why I shouldn't tell her.

I didn't want her to worry though, but she was my best friend. We tell each other everything, I should at least fill her in.

"There's a lot." I nervously chuckled. I pushed away a stray piece of my medium length hair behind my ear.

"I'm listening."

"You can't tell people though." I warned her with sad eyes.

"I won't, ashley I swear." She shut her locker with a brown paper bag with the Dunkin' Donuts label on it.

I explained everything to her in a low voice to make sure no one heard. It was lunch time so there was a lot of noise in the halls but I had to tell someone else about this.

Occasionally Colleen would gasp or look at me with an alarmed expression.

I had to keep myself from crying when I told her about Josh hitting me at the rink. She held me in a tight side hug every now and then.

I told her everything from Josh at the rink to Andrew being pissed at me for not kissing him.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" She questions holding me in a long hug.

"I didn't know how coll." My voice broke.

"I'm glad you told me, but honestly ashley what are you doing still dating Josh?" She lectured. "Are you stupid?"

"I feel bad .." She whacked me upside the head before I could finish my sentence. "Ow!"

"No! Ashley you are not allowed to feel bad!" I rubbed the spot she hit wincing from the minor pain. "You need to break up with him or I swear I'll do it for you! You can't let him abuse you."

"I know but I don't know how to do it." I responded. "Every time I try he gets angry."

"Do it over the phone, play that card."

"Would that work?" I questioned as we both walked to the cafeteria.

"Well duh! If you want to break up with that good for nothing twat, your going to break up with him and that's that."

"Your right! You know what? I've had enough of him." I ranted.

"Yes ashley! Dump that sorry prick. You deserve better."

I do deserve better. This whole time I deserved way better than Josh Wood. I don't know how I didn't see it before.

Little signs that I just carelessly ignored. I was too blinded by his appearance that I didn't see him for what he really was. A manipulator.

He could guilt trick you into anything. If he pulled the right card, he could get what he wanted. I didn't see it then but looked at it from a completely different angle I'm starting to see a whole lot clearer.

"And how's Andrew?" She asked.

"I haven't seen Him since Valentine's Day." I confessed. "No texts or calls, nothing."

"Are you being serious?" She was shocked at the fact that I haven't even heard from him since then. "Did you try apologizing?"

"Yes twice on that night."

"That's it?" She wondered in disbelief.

"Well I wanted to wait for him to come into school." I told her pushing the cafeteria door open.

"You told him you didn't want him, he's obviously going to be hurt." She pointed out. "Is that true though?"

"No of course not!" I confessed. "The problem is that I do want him."

"That doesn't sound like a problem to me."

"I'm so scared Colleen, I've never felt this way about anyone not even Josh."

"This so cute ashley! You need to tell him."

"But how he won't even talk to me." We sat down at our usual lunch table by the wall. Our two friends were probably on the lunch line or something.

"Give him some space, in time you'll find the right opportunity."

"Hey what are you guys talking about?" Mara questioned sitting down with her lunch tray. I told both Ava and Mara about everything that's happened lately. I knew I could trust them with these things.

I earned a few gasps and wide eyes as I went over the story for the second time. The more I thought of it the more confidence I built, trying to figure out when to break up with Josh.

I'm doing it tonight.

For real this time.

                                          •••

About to hop in the shower, thinking of doing yet another update cuz I just love all you guys!!

   If not a wayyyy more interesting update will be coming tomorrow.

Hmm.. any predictions??