Ashley ran out the canteen fighting back the tears. She wasn't sad or even angry, but a strange feeling enveloped her as she witnessed herself in the girls bathroom mirror. She had practically told the most popular guy in the school to back of. Ashley brought a shaking hand up to her mouth in realisation of what she had done. Salty tears ran down her face and blurred her vision, just as someone planted a soft knock on the door.
She sniffed and let out an uneven sigh as she approached the door with caution, why would they knock its a girls bathroom, it's not like she was in the stall.
"W-who is it?" she asked, and opened the door to reveal a sympathetic Jake.
"It's just me Ashley" he took a step towards her and before she knew it she was held in his arms.
A small sob escaped her as he rubbed her back in a soothing manner.
"Shh shh it'll be okay, hey, don't cry" she shivered slightly and took a step back to rest against the cool wall.
Ashley sniffed and took a moment to breathe and gather herself together.
"I'm so sorry that you had to see that, and for that" she croaked gesturing to his damp shoulder where she sobbed.
He regarded it for no longer than a second, like it was the least important thing in the world "you have nothing to apologise for, if anyone should be apologising it's him".
Jake growled with anger as the previous few moments flashed before his eyes. He took a deep breathe, fingers on the bridge of his nose, before letting it out and opening his eyes.
A timid Ashley gathered her school bag and jacket as she started to walk out the door.
"Hey, where are you going?" Jake questioned, his hand on her wrist, stopping her from taking another step.
Ashley managed a tight smile before saying " I think I'm going to go home and lay down for a while, my head hurts".
Her voice came out raspy and her verdure eyes were wet.
"No way am I letting you drive home in this condition, let me drop you home" Jake started to take her bag and jacket but she pulled them both back.
"Jake it's fine I'll be okay my house isn't that far from school" Ashley protested but Jake had already taken back her things and was now walking down the hall out the school gates his arm around her shoulders.
"Ashley, you live like 20 miles from school I wouldn't exactly call that close-" Jake said but catching his tongue to late.
"How do you know how far from school I live, are you like some crazy stalker guy" she laughed heartily and shook her head before looking at Jake.
He looked at her astounded, his mouth slightly ajar " d-did you just,laugh?"
Ashley, quite taken back nodded and said "why, don't I have the right to?"
"No,no it's nothing like that it's just, I've never heard you laugh before" they stopped mid way to her car and looked at each other.
She tucked a stray hair behind her petite ears and continued to look towards the ground.
The wind ruffled his golden hair "You have a very beautiful laugh Ash" Jake smiled and opened the car door for her.
Ashley slowly sat in,the warm leather seat that comforted her aching muscles and waited for him to come round to the drivers side. He slid in and soon they were on the roads heading to her home.
It was silent, they exchanged no words. Only the sound of wheels against the hot tarmac and the radio.'GEMS W.O.U was playing and filled in the silent air.
Ashley rested her head on the window while singing along in her head.
'Can you save my soul, can you make me whole, try to remember.....I can't live without you'...
——————————————————
Jake POV-
She was silent the whole way home and I occasionally glanced at her from the corner of my eye, she was expressionless. I had to admit I was quite taken back when she started laughing, it was magical, like music to my ears. Then I had to go and ruin it by asking her the dumbest question on Earth.
Obviously she was laughing.
I don't know if she got offended or not, but if she did, she hid it well.
My heart broke when I saw tears in her eyes, how dare he make her cry. What did he do to make her cry?
I mentally sighed and gripped the wheel harder with one hand at 12.
I stopped the car out side her house and parked it in her garden.
I pretended not to know the way since I didn't want her to think I was a stalker, so the only form of communication was her giving me directions.
She jumped out and gathered her things from the back seat before walking up to the porch. I threw her the car keys and before she went in, she turned around and met my gaze. I had never noticed before, but she was truly beautiful.
The way the sun shone on her hair and eyes, the way she awkwardly stood and the way the wind gently blew through her coffee-coloured hair. She was breathtaking to look at.
She let out a small sigh before saying "thank you Jake, for everything".
I simply nodded and replied " don't worry about it,it was nothing".
"But how will you get home Jake?" She looked concerned as her brows knotted together.
"Oh I only live a couple of blocks away I'll be fine" I smiled and started to turn away before she stopped me.
"Jake, I just wanted to say- never mind see you in school on Monday, bye" ,and with that she unlocked the door and softly closed it behind her.
This girl was truly a mystery, I chuckled to myself before rubbing the back of my neck and breaking into a jog heading home.
Tomorrow i would get to the bottom of why she was crying..