Class ended and I still didn't give Ashton an answer. Before I had left, he told me to talk to him in gym. Entering math, Ashton and I's conversation runs through my mind over and over again. Josh smiles at me as I walk over to my desk.

"You look extremely distracted, what's up?" Josh asks as I sit down.

I pause, unsure if I should tell Josh or not, "I just had to sit through a lecture. It was terrible."

"I heard." Josh chuckled, but then stopped, like he said something he shouldn't of.

Once again, I caught on, "How could you hear about it? You're not in my class." I look at Josh suspiciously. This isn't the first time he's said or done something then caught himself.

"I heard someone else complaining about it in the hall. Why are you so suspicious?" Josh asks, changing the subject. I notice this change but ignore it. Of course someone was complaining about it in the hall.

"Of course. Sorry Josh. It seems like I've been suspicious of everything lately." The blue car comes to mind and I realize why I've been so suspicious of everything. A headache suddenly come on and I put my head in my hands, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"Are you okay?" Josh asks softly, leaning towards me.

"I don't know Josh." I sigh out, closing my eyes.

The exhausted feeling stayed with me throughout the rest of class. Josh had dropped the subject, but I know it was only for my benefit. He kept giving me worried glances and, more than once, had tried to say something, only to again cut himself off.

I could hardly pay attention in class, I guess it was just one of those days. Instead of listening to the new math material, I stared at the clock, hoping for it to move faster. It didn't, and I continued to stare at it. Less than a minute before class was to end, I start packing up and quickly head to the door. The bell rang and I left.

I walk quickly to communications, knowing that we would only be working on our Romeo and Juliet scenes. I would have to memorize our scene pretty quickly, we would probably have to perform later this week. I walk into class and immediately spot Katherine at her desk, writing madly on a piece of paper. Going over to my seat, her head pops up and she sees me.

"Hey Evie." She says quickly as she looks back down at whatever she was writing.

"Hi." I respond as I sit down.

"I'm writing in blocking for our scene." Katherine says, unknowingly answering my unasked question.

"Okay." I respond.

Class starts a few minutes later and Katherine continues to write in blocking even while Mr. Johnston is talking. He dismisses us to work, mentioning that we have to perform on Thursday or Friday of this week. Immediately after we're dismissed, Katherine descends on us in a frenzy 'things we need to do'. We need to get costumes and props. We need to learn our parts and learn blocking for our scene.

"Katherine, this is just a class scene. We aren't on broadway." I tell her, fighting a smile.

She turns to me with a smile, "Evie, I thought you knew me better. I never go only half way." Katherine resumes listing off things we need to do. My homework, told to me by Katherine, is to memorize my script as soon as possible.

Communications ends quicker than math did and soon enough, Katherine, Grant and I are walking to lunch. Briefly, I'm reminded of the last time I walked with Grant to lunch and what we walked into. My train of thought follows and I'm soon remembering this morning.

We enter the lunch room and I try to get rid of the thoughts that are running through my mind. I walk over with Katherine and Grant to our table. Suddenly, I feel eyes on the back of my head. Trying to be inconspicuous, I start glancing around the cafeteria.

Ashton's eyes bore into mine as I make eye contact with him. His blue eyes shine in the light and a small, crooked smile comes onto his face. I feel my cheeks turn red and I have to turn away.

Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I curse myself as I turn my back to him. Stupid emotions! Why can't you behave?

Lunch, for the first time ever, drags on. It feels like his eyes never look anywhere but me. I can feel them staring into the back of my head.

As soon as the bell rings, I am out of my seat and off to my next class. I walk swiftly through the halls and I am the first one in French. I take my seat and lay my head down on my desk.

With nothing to do but think, I start thinking of Ashton's proposed 'date'. Did I really want to go on a type of date with him? My memory reminds me of the horrible, mean things he did to me, starting with 'rejecting' me on the first day of school. I still don't know what that means. Every mean thing he did to me suddenly floods into my brain. Being pushed to the ground, him manhandling me where those bruises were, outright threatening me. Anger courses through me. How dare he ask me out after what he's done.

The bell rings, signaling the start of class, but also signaling my decision. I don't want to go on a 'date' with him.

French goes by quickly, and my anger never disappears. I find myself looking excited to say 'no' right in his face. At the bell, I pack up my things and head to science.

Reaching the door to the classroom, I see Josh. My anger wavers a little bit, and instead, guilt starts to form in place of the anger. I feel bad for the way I treated Josh this morning. All those pent up feelings about Ashton, especially when he asked me out, and I just let them out in the form of exhaustion and suspicion.

I walk in and go to my seat. Josh's head pops up and makes eye contact with me as I sit down. I give him a small smile.

"Hi Josh." I say softly.

"Hi Evie." He says, his voice just as soft.

"Listen," I start talking immediately, "I'm sorry for this morning. I probably came off really rudely and I'm sorry. For some reason, I was just exhausted and it decided to come out at that time. I'm sorry."

"Evie," Josh says kindly, cutting me off from my spiel, "I understand. We all get exhausted and there's no need to apologize for it."

I sigh in relief, "Thank you Josh."

Josh laughs lightly, "There's no need to thank me Evie. But I'll take it anyway."

I playfully scowl at him and hit him in the shoulder. Josh laughs a little louder and nudges my shoulder with his.

Class starts before I can say anything else and we're surprised with a pop quiz. I join the class when we all groan in annoyance. Josh and I don't get another chance to talk at all during class.

Walking to gym with Josh, my thoughts trail to Ashton. I feel a smile form on my face as I think about I'm going to say 'no'. The anger that disappeared during science, returns as I walk.

"What are you so happy about?" Josh asks, probably noticing my smile.

"Nothing," I say evasively, "just happy that the day's almost over."

"Alright," Josh sounds like he doesn't believe me, "well, I guess enjoy your last class."

"I will."

Josh turns down a different hall to head to his next class and I keep walking to gym. Entering the gym, I'm surprised to feel relieved that Ashton isn't here yet. I quickly head to the changing rooms where I suspect Katherine is already there.

"Hi Evie." Katherine says right as I enter.

"Hey." I respond cheerfully.

"How's your day?" She asks as she finishes changing while I open my locker to get my gym clothes.

"Terrible." I groan out as I start changing.

"Really," Katherine chuckles, "how so?"

I groan again, "A lecture in the morning and a pop quiz in the afternoon."

Katherine laughs, "That doesn't sound too bad."

"You weren't there." I try to sound mockingly mad, but I ruin it with a smile. I finish putting on my tennis shoes and Katherine and I start to head out.

We enter the gym and my eyes start to sweep. My eyes find Ashton's. He raises his eyebrow in question, probably asking me in his mind if I came up with an answer. I look away and follow Katherine. My anger seemed to dissipate the moment I looked at him and I can't find it in me to say 'no' right in his face.

My excited mood wavers as I follow Katherine to the middle of the gym. Mr. Guy starts class almost immediately after everyone is seated. Not surprisingly, we're playing soccer again, but this time Mr. Guy has already chosen the teams. He calls out the teams and I'm relieved to hear that Katherine and I are on the same team and that Ashton is not on our team.

We start playing and right off the bat, Ashton's team scored. I do my best to stay away from Ashton throughout our game. However, while I'm trying to stay away from him, Ashton seems to be trying everything to be near me. He'll kick the ball towards me, he'll run towards me, even when I think it's quite obvious that I don't want the ball.

The game continues in the same way, Ashton trying to get near me, probably to try and talk, and me trying to avoid him. I don't know why I'm suddenly very nervous to talk to him, but I can feel the nerves balling up in my stomach.

The game ends and we all leave to go get changed. I almost run to the changing rooms, wanting to get out of here. Changing quickly, I'm in my normal clothes before Katherine starts changing. Saying a quick goodbye, and giving the excuse that I'm being picked up early, I leave the changing rooms and start heading to the front of the school.

Instead of watching wear I was going, I was fiddling with my backpack and trying to get it zipped up, I accidentally hit a wall. Two hands grasp my shoulders and I realize it's not a wall.

Looking up into Ashton's eyes, I briefly remember my first meeting with him when I had also crashed into him. A tingly-like feeling starts in my stomach and spreads throughout my body.

"You okay?" Ashton asks with a smile, obviously more happy that I crashed into to him than I am.

"Yeah, fine." I shrug off his hands and he, seemingly reluctantly, let's his hands drop.

I go to step beside him, but he blocks my path, "Do you have an answer?" He asks me.

Thoughts from this morning flash through my head. Knowing I'm going to agree, then doubting, then knowing I'm going to say no. Instead I say, "I don't know."

Ashton cocks his eyebrow like he had in the gym, "You don't know if you want to go out or you don't know if you have an answer?"

Knowing it's neither of those options, I realize what I don't know, "Why do you even want to go out with me?"

Ashton shrugs, but his eyes and posture suddenly become guarded, "Why not?"

The anger appears again and I scoff angrily, "Oh I don't know. Maybe because you treated me like shit for weeks. When I didn't even do anything to you. Maybe because this is just some pity date. Maybe because you only want to get in my pants like you do with all the other girls." I'm almost shouting by the time I'm done ranting.

Ashton's expression had turned into a grimace as I was talking. He takes a deep breath, "Please Evie. I promise that it's none of those reasons."

A sudden calm comes over me, but it's filled with anger, "No."

His hopeful expression falls and a twinge of regret starts forming in my stomach, "Evie. Please, you have to listen-"

I cut him off, "No."

Ashton grasps my shoulders in a hard grip. My hands immediately goes to his to try to get them off my shoulders, but he holds me in a vice grip. However, it's not painful, instead, it feels kind of nice.

"Evie, this morning I asked for a chance. I'm asking again for just a chance." Ashton eyes bore into mine as a pleading tone laces his voice.

The word 'no' gets stuck in my throat as I look into his eyes, which are pleading for me to understand. Realizing something, I give a small, but tired, chuckle.

"You're not going to take 'no' as an answer, are you?"

A breathtaking smile takes over his lips and I find it hard to look away from them, "No."

A tired sigh comes from my lips because I know I'm not going to win this, and I'm pretty sure Ashton know too. Before I can get the words out, Ashton's arms enfold around me in a hug. I freeze at this close proximity, but Ashton doesn't seem to notice. His head buries in my neck and his arms become tighter around me. Ashton's warmth envelopes around me and I'm surprised to realize that I like this.

Realizing that I like this, I quickly get out of his arms by taking a step back and moving my arms so that he can no longer hug me. Once he let's go, I take another step back for good measure. Ashton's face falls a little but his hands fall to his sides. I can feel a blush that is staining my cheeks and I quickly duck my head.

Without looking up at Ashton, I quickly side step him and resume walking to the front of the school. Much to my satisfaction, Ashton doesn't follow me.

"Bye Evie." Ashton calls after me. I can hear the smile in his voice.