The Spill Over

[4] There's No Giving In.

TUGGIN' & PULLIN' ON MY LITTLE HEARTSTRINGS

: : chapter 4 : :

Song of the chapter is When We Stand Together by Nickelback.

To the side is Heath Sparks, played by Jessie Pavelka.

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The first sound that came out of Ashley's mouth was a groan, courtesy Zac, because as soon as the brunette stepped into the homeroom the next morning with Gabriella by her side, she spotted Zac making his way towards them. Immediately, Ashley pulled out a book from her bag and pretended to be absorbed into it because she somehow knew that Zac would block their path and the book was a good excuse to keep herself from passing Zac a snide comment. After deciding that Zac probably wanted to avoid her as much as she wanted to avoid him, Ashley looked away from Zac and towards the hardbound book in her hand.

"Morning," Zac said in a cheerful tone. However, his tone didn't match the expression his face held as he flashed the two girls an uncomfortable, forced smile.

Gabriella smiled warmly. "Morning, Zac." 

"Um hi, Ashley," Zac said suddenly. "I kind of need to talk to you; alone. Do you have a minute?"

The brunette glanced up from her book to see Zac looking her way with a solemn expression on his face. 'Fat chance that's going to happen,' she thought.When Ashley got over her shock at the idea of Zac actually wanting to talk to her, a frown flitted over her features. "No," she replied shortly before side stepping him and making her way towards her seat; she had spotted Ms. Simpson entering the class.

All throughout homeroom, Ashley noted how Zac kept throwing bewildered glances in her direction. Once the bell rang, everybody in their class began putting their phones, binders or whatever kept them busy all throughout homeroom busy, away. The new girl wasn't an exception to this action.

"Ashley, please listen?"

She looked up with a start to find Zac staring down at her with a half a smile on his face. Ashley's mouth twisted into a grimace. "What?"

"I need you to listen to my version of why I behaved the way I did, with you."

Ashley hesitated. "I don't think there's any need for that, Zac, I really don't. You were pissed that I spilled my coffee over your lucky sweatshirt. It was my fault; I get it, and I'm sorry. I got that you hat—don't like me for whatever that I did; it's pretty obvious." She let out her breath, which she didn't realize she'd been holding. "I don't care if you don't like me, hate me, whatever. I couldn't care less, to be honest. That's why I can't be bothered to listen to your 'version' of things and you can't be bothered to explain either."

"I am bothering with explaining you things because I want to!" Zac exclaimed as he wildly ran a hand through his hair.

"Then don't, anymore. You have better things to do," Ashley said with a small smile, trying to convey to Zac that she wasn't interested in having anything to do with him without exactly saying it. She glanced to where she thought she spotted Gabriella's blonde mop of hair, only to see her friend talking to Ms. Simpson. 'Hurry up, Gab,' she thought as she stood up and gathered her belongings.

Zac took a couple of steps away as he watched her stand up, before he decided to speak up again. "Ashley—"

"Give up already, Zac!" Ashley exclaimed. She was pissed beyond repair because Zac had now touched a nerve. "What part of I don't want to listen, didn't you get?"

"Why?" he asked as a helpless, desperate look came over his face. Why was he so insistent on making himself clear to the brunette was something Zac couldn't answer by himself.