Not Never (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 5 - Part 2

"You get my message last night?" Logan asked, interrupting Ashley's thoughts as she stood in the cafeteria trying to decide what to eat.

"Yeah, sorry," she mumbled with a one-shoulder shrug. "I got home late and I was so tired by the time I finished my homework."

"That's fine," he said, but he couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice. It made her feel like such a bitch.

She slowed down, feeling the need to make it up to him. He was trying, and the least she could do was give it a real shot. She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. His whole face lit up and it made her feel a little less guilty. It also renewed her belief that she could make this work with him.

The story about Noah's car had died down and she felt less nervous about getting caught for it. It had been another day of being ignored by Maddox and the unsettled feeling in her stomach grew. She had hated his attention, but she hated being ignored more. The few times she had spotted him, she had been unable to ignore him.

Cheerleading practice didn't hold the appeal it had before. She was just going through the motions. Even Diane pulled her aside with a concerned look to ask if anything was wrong.

"No, I'm fine," she mumbled. There was something wrong and she knew it had something to do with Maddox.

She forced a smile anyway.

"If you need to talk, I'm here," Diane offered.

She didn't confide in people, it just wasn't who she was. No one knew about her home life, her constantly fighting parents. Not even her closest friends.

"Thanks, but I'm fine," she assured her friend.

It was a Friday night and, for once, she was thankful for her job at the diner so she could avoid having to be home. Logan had invited her to a party but she had used the excuse that she had to work. He had offered to come by, but she told him to go and enjoy the party. Honestly, she needed a break from him. Having a valid excuse to brush him off made her feel a little less guilty.

She went home and got dressed for work. It was a short skirt and tight top, but she didn't complain as it led to better tips. Although it was quiet, the house was filled with tension. Her mother was drinking wine in the kitchen while eating, and she had spotted her father drinking a beer while watching some football on TV. A storm was brewing, she could feel it, and she had to leave before the undercurrent of anger and resentment exploded.

She left the house, hugging her jacket closely around her. Thinking about her parents, she couldn't remember a time when they were happy. They must have been in order to get together in the first place. It was only a reminder of what love left in its wake when it was over.

Letting out a sigh, she got into her car and made the short drive to work.

"You're late," Jerry grumbled from the kitchen when she entered five minutes late and hurried to start her shift. He didn't even look up.

She was always late, and he always moaned. It was a regular occurrence and she didn't take the threat seriously. She grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist. By the time she made it out with her notepad and pen, Gloria was taking an order from a family.

She had been working there for a year and she hated every minute of it. But it was the key to saving up enough money to move out. That was her sole goal at the moment, getting out of the deteriorating situation with her parents.

Sometimes she wished they would just throw in the towel so she wouldn't have to put up with it anymore. The constant fighting around her made her bite her tongue instead of arguing and she avoided confrontation. It was one of the reasons she had allowed Diane to push her into cheerleading even though it wasn't something she was really interested in.