Mr. Andy was surprised at Lily giving Ashley his address, but at the same time, he knew she would do anything to see him every day.
But what disturbed him was the lengths Ashley went through just to see him and bring him back to work, even after everything he did to her.
"Can I use this? I just want to see how it feels," Ashley said to Mr. Andy as she sat on a bench by the piano.
"Ashley, you really have to get going home as soon as possible," Mr. Andy said.
"I promise I'll leave, but please let me play this once," Ashley pleaded with Andy, who only nodded his head, having no other choice than to give in and take his leave.
She sat on the long bench and started playing, which immediately caught Andy's attention.
He had no idea Ashley could actually play an instrument and that too so well.
Soon after, she started singing.
Astonished, Andy sat down and listened to Ashley's performance. He watched her fingers move through the piano so majestically.
Her soothing voice had him in a trance.
He took up a guitar, having mastered the rythms and chords she was singing to, and played along.
The two were lost in the melody.
As the song ended, they both smiled and simultaneously turned to face each other.
They stared for a while, with Mr. Andy mesmerized by Ashley's talent.
He couldn't say a word.
"You know, music isn't really music without these instruments," Ashley said, and with that, she immediately got up to leave as she had promised but walked hesitantly.
"Hold on," Mr. Andy called out to her, and she immediately froze on the spot with a smile before turning around. It was definitely what she wanted all along.
"Why are you smiling?" Mr. Andy asked after seeing Ashley's expression.
"I knew that you would call me back. I don't want you to say anything else because I know exactly what you want to say," Ashley replied as she walked towards him and continued.
"Mr. Andy, please come back to work. Your students need you. There are lots of talented students in that class who need your guidance. You might not be a responsible adult, but you are a good teacher."
With that, Ashley walked out of the house.
But just as she was about to open the door, she turned again and said, "If you really want to leave, then at least don't leave all because of me."
As Ashley left, Mr. Andy stared at the door speechless.
He couldn't fathom the beautiful display he had just watched with his eyes.
He definitely would have never believed that Ashley had such talent. He also remembered her words.
He sat down, lost for what to do.
Ashley was strolling on the road, still trying to scale the odds of Mr. Andy returning.
She was so distracted by thoughts she had no idea that a car was coming from behind her.
By the time she turned around to see the car, someone pulled her to the side.
Her eyes were still closed from the shock, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Henry, who had been calling out to her after noticing the car.
"What is wrong with you, Ashley? I have had enough of this attitude of yours. What's really bothering you? What have you been thinking of all day?" Henry asked.
"I told you before that it was nothing, Henry. I need to get going home; my parents would be worried," Ashley replied as she was about to walk away, but Henry pulled her back once again, persistent for an answer.
Ashley sat Henry down and told him everything that had been going on. Henry fumed with anger at how Mr. Andy had endangered her. She immediately noticed his anger and said, "He is not that bad. He doesn't deserve what I did either."
Henry still wasn't satisfied with how Ashley had easily forgiven him.
The two walked together until they got to the place they had to part ways.
Ashley walked ahead as Henry watched from afar.
As she walked down, she turned around to see Henry staring at her, so she smiled at him and waved him goodbye.
"Why is she so happy?" Henry thought to himself.
Ashley had always seen Henry as overprotective when it came to her, just like Hannah.
He was more like a sibling, and it made her oblivious to his feelings for her.
***
The next morning, when Ashley, Henry, and Hannah arrived at school, she spotted Miss Lily waiting at the school gate.
She asked Henry and Hannah to go ahead so that she could go talk to Miss Lily.
"Could you do it?" Miss Lily asked Ashley.
"I told you, if he left because of me, then I can bring him back. If he doesn't come back, then it could only mean that he never left because of me," Ashley replied and turned to walk away.
"You have never been my student, but I had always admired you, Ashley. Your efforts, your discipline, even being a billionaire's daughter, so simple," Lily said with a fond glance.
Ashley paused, turned around, and asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"
Lily giggled and replied, "I just felt like telling you, or rather reminding you." Lily laughed and walked away.
Suspicious, Ashley wondered what was going on.
Why did she say that?
What could be going through her mind? She asked herself.
"It's obvious that she is insecure. I mean, since Mr. Andy came to this school, she never really got what she wanted due to your non-stop fights," Hannah said to Ashley after she told her about her conversation with Miss Lily.
"What if he doesn't come back?" Ashley turned to Hannah and asked.
"Then it's not your fault," Hannah replied.
She turned to Ashley when they got to the door of the music studio.
"Take care of yourself and please stay out of trouble," the two friends hugged, and Ashley went into the classroom while Hannah left for her classes.
Entering the class, Ashley spotted an empty seat next to Henry, who had obviously reserved the seat for her.
The other students played around due to the fact that there was no teacher in the class.
"I don't think he will come. We have been here for long, but no sign of the teacher," Henry said to Ashley.
"He will come, just give it a while," Ashley replied.
Henry said, "How sure are you? Students are already leaving the classroom. It's obvious we don't have a music teacher once again."