His Survivor

6. Just a normal day

Ashley's POV

Yesterday after coming back from the appointment, all I did was lie in my bed. I didn't want to talk to anybody and even though Chloe tried her very best to cheer me up, I just wasn't in the mood. I was worried about the test results and I couldn't take my mind off of my cancer. I really didn't want to die. There was a cure, the transplant of bone marrow and s**t that I don't remember but we haven't found a donor as of yet. Dr. Ken has been searching for past six years but as my blood type is AB-, it is a bit difficult. 

This type of cancer is very rare and usually detected in old people, but guess I was an exception. I have excepted my fate but I have so much more to do, so many more ambitions but I don't know if I will live to achieve them all. 

"Honey, you want to go to school today?", Ian pokes his head inside my room with a warm smile. I haven't come to terms with calling him my father. I haven't addressed him as father, dad or even Ian. I just talk to him without addressing him, at all. 

"Yes. I will be downstairs in a few minutes", he nods before closing the door. I didn't get any sleep yesterday night so I just showered early today and read some books before completing some homework that I missed. 

I open the drawer and pick up my mother's pendant that she never once removed. It was a simple oval pendant with her birthstone, onyx, with a lining of beautiful diamonds surrounding it in an intricate design. It could be opened and inside was the picture of our family from when I was a baby. Ian, my mother and me in her arms, while Ian had his hands wrapped around her shoulders while both of them were smiling brightly at the camera. My mother looks so happy and satisfied in his arms that I have no idea what went wrong between them. Mom never talked about it and I don't know how to ask Ian about it without it becoming a screaming match between us. 

I wear the pendant around my neck and look at myself in the mirror and sigh. I clutch it tightly in my palms, wishing my mother was here with me. I am still not over the fact that she isn't here with me but I am trying my hardest to come to terms with it. Its just that, for the past few years, it was just my mother and me. We were happy in our pink bubble. She worked over time most of the time because of the money shortage. My medicines and chemotherapy weren't cheap and I had to do that almost every two months as it was progressing fast then. Now, due to the medicines and chemo, the cancer is at bay as of now, but I have to go to the hospital every two months to make sure it is at bay. 

"Ashley", Chole yells and I sigh before going downstairs. Everybody is sitting at the dinner table, waiting on me for breakfast. 

"Come on honey, you guys need to leave soon", Ian gestures for me to sit beside him and begrudgingly sit beside him and Martha places a sandwich along with some freshly baked cookies. I smile at her and eat it without contributing in the conversation. 

"Ashley, did you complete the essay?", Blake asks me. 

"Yeah, I did". 

"Which book did you choose?"

"The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern". 

"I have read it, one of the best reads till date", Martha pitches in and I nod my head before finishing the sandwich.

"You want one more honey?", Ian asks and I deny before picking up my bag and the phone. 

"I will be outside", I tell the before going outside and standing near Blake's car. 

They both come out within a few minutes, arguing about something like always. Their arguments are silly but very entertaining, not that I will ever admit it. 

"Are we picking up anyone today?", I ask them, to start a conversation. 

"Yep. Evander", Blake replies and I sigh. That guy has nothing been but a pain in my ass. We have small arguments here and there almost everyday. He pisses me off more than anyone and I swear, one day, I am going to stab him with a pen or at least punch him square in the face, breaking his nose. 

"Great", I reply and both of them chuckle at my annoyance. 

"I can totally feel the love for Evander", Chole says from the front and I roll my eyes. 

"He is an ass". 

"He is but not always. Just like you, he has his s**t to deal with which is heavy as f**k", Blake defends his best friend and I scoff. 

"That doesn't give him the right to be rude to me". 

"No it doesn't", he replies with a sigh and I end the conversation by looking out the window. 

Blake turns the radio on and 'Let it go' from Frozen starts playing, which is one of my favorite songs. Me and my mom used to pretend being Anna and Elsa, singing this song from the bottom of our hearts. I clutch my locket tightly, and a tear escapes my eyes. Before either of them could notice, I wipe it away and busy myself with my phone even though there is nothing I could interest myself with. I am prohibited from searching and reading more about leukemia as my doctor thinks it could affect my mental state so I research about the latest books that I could buy. 

The car comes to a stop and look outside. We are in a bit sketchy area where you don't usually go after 10 in the night. Evander comes out of a two story house which is not in the best condition but not inhabitable. He looks at the car and notices me and frowns before looking at Blake and giving him a slight glare which I don't miss. I roll my eyes at him before going back to shopping for books. 

"Evander, did you do the homework?", Chole asks him and he rolls his eyes telling me he doesn't only behave rudely with me. 

"Who are you asking, Chlo?", Blake comments with a snort. 

"f**k off", Evander says and Blake chuckles. 

"Rough night, Evan?", Chloe asks and Evander momentarily freezes but relaxes before either of the two could notice, but me being my observant self, I see it. I know he knows I saw it as he turns to look at me with a warning in his eyes. I shake my head before looking outside. 

"Nothing I can't handle", before Blake could say something, Evander glares at him and he shuts up, concentrating on the road. Evander relaxes in his seat and his sleeves go up a bit and I notice a dark colored patch on his wrist before he covers it. I look into his eyes ad his eyes seem defensive but I could be seeing things. I see his glare and I glare back before turning to look forward but I can't help but think about the patch that I saw on his skin. He probably got hurt at the field while playing football or something. 

"Come on Ashley", Chole drags me inside with her while the boys trail behind us, talking in hushed voices. 

"There is a party tonight. We should go", Hannah says as she skips towards us with Ryan beside her. They both smile at me and Hannah gives me a hug and I lightly pat her back. 

"What do you say Ashley?", Chole asks as we stand in front of our lockers. The boys are surrounding us and talking amongst themselves. 

"You guys go ahead. I really don't feel it". 

"Come on. This will be your first party since you came here. Please?", Chole gives me the puppy dog eyes and I groan while Hannah, to, joins her. 

"I don't really think so", Evander and the boys stand beside us while he scowls at me. 

"Don't force the nerd, if she doesn't want to come".

"Who do you think you are? How dare you insult me?", I yell in Evander's face as he glares at me. 

"So you aren't a nerd?", he asks with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. He isn't wrong but I am not going to let him win. 

"I will go to the party but on one condition", I voice out but keeping my gaze locked with Evander's. 

"And that is?", Arnold asks.

"I would be dropped home whenever I say so", everybody agrees to it and start talking about the usual s**t that goes on in the high school. 

"Come on", Ryan takes my hand in his and we all start walking to our respective classes. 

After sitting in through various agonizingly stupid classes, we are finally done for the day. 

"Ash, we are going to Hannah's to get ready for the party", Chole says as we all walk towards the parking lot. 

"Fine. I need to go home and get a dress". 

"You can wear one of mine. No problem", Hannah chirps in and I sigh before giving in. It is of no use to argue with either of them.

"Let's get going. The boys will get there in a few hours to pick us up", she says and I nod. 

We three get in Hannah's car while I catch Evander's eye and I glare at him while he smirks, a smug look in his eyes which I would love to gauge out. I swear, this guy brings out the murderous side of mine that I didn't know existed until I met him. 

"I can't wait". 

"Indeed", I sigh. Its going to be long ass night, I am bloody sure about that.