Vanilla And Cocoa

Chapter 33 "It Takes Time"

"Where's Justin?"

I promptly ignored Ashley in favor of stuffing my notebook into my book bag. I shouldered it, sliding past her and out of the door.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" The slap of her flats against the floor grew louder as she caught up to me.

"Ashley, I seriously do not have the patience for you right now." I muttered, moving around other students in the crowd as I hoped to lose her.

"You do not get to ignore me after you humiliated me in front of the entire school."

"Do you hear yourself sometimes?"

She stood in my path and I groaned. "I need to get to class."

"Tell me where Justin is and I'm sure you'll get to class just on time."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Are you serious right now?"

She faltered under my gaze but pushed her chest out with confidence. "I heard about what happened to him. What he did."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Mind your business."

"Justin is my-"

"He is not your anything," I hissed venomously and she flinched. "Move out of my way."

As soon as her leg shifted out of the way, I brushed past her. "Don't you want to know who has been telling?"

I stopped, barely looking over my shoulder. "No, I don't. And what am I supposed to do about it if I do know? People will talk, even if you breathe the wrong way. I wouldn't be surprised if you were running your mouth, too."

"I wouldn't." She said so softly that I almost didn't hear her.

The bell rung overheard and students started to run to class. I let out a suffering sigh and scrubbed my hands over my face. I'm late. Maybe I had more patience for her than I thought.

"Is he okay?" She said suddenly.

My mind flashed back to how tired Justin looked this morning as he slept. The bags underneath his eyes, the furrowing of his eyebrows, and his lips down turned in a slight frown. The memory of sitting on the edge of the bed and running my hands soothingly through his hair until his face relaxed made my lips twitch upwards.

"He's...trying. I think he's getting better."

"So, he really did do it.."

"So, what?" The hallway was quiet now. I turned to her with a frown and she stuttered on her words. It was an unusual sight. The ever confident and annoying, Ashley Larough, was flustered just by being confronted. Maybe she was like this, too, after the incident in the auditorium but I didn't get a chance to see because I left so quickly. You lose some, you win some, I guess.

"...I was trying- I mean- I guess- I was worried. I'm not that shallow, okay?" She mumbled.

"Oh, so, you are self-aware." I said blandly.

She surprisingly didn't respond to that, instead choosing to engage in a silent, staring match.

I crossed my arms over my chest and jutted my hip out as I waited. I watched as she worked her jaw as she tried to find words.

When she did, she pursed her lips. "You love him. Don't you?"

I felt my mouth go dry at the question and ignored the nudging in the back of my mind to run away from this. "What would you know about that?"

"You can't hide it. No one can. Besides, I know what it feels like." She admitted, almost sadly.

"Okay," I sniffed, shifting on my feet. "What's the point? You want a pity party? I'm not giving it to you, if that's what it is."