His Survivor

4. Study session

Ashley's POV

Its been two weeks since I started going to the enormous school and other than the queen b***h, there have been no problems at all. I talk to Chloe and Blake's friends and that's that. Evander and I avoid each other like plague and I couldn't be more grateful for that. I am least interested in talking to that asshole and I am sure he feels the same way.

"So, I was thinking that we could study at your place today, what's say?", Ryan says as he and Hannah join us at the table. I silently eat my apple while Arnold sits beside me, his hand resting on my chair. 

"No problem", Blake answers and then I mentally curse. I am probably looking like a b***h here, but I would rather stay by myself at least at home. 

"Evander? You will come right?", Chole asks and I refrain from swatting her forearm. 

"No", he answers and I let out a sigh of relief. 

"Come on, man. You have to come. I need your help if I have to pass this chemistry s**t", Blake wines like a five year old. 

"Please? I need your help too. You are like, the smartest here, please?", Hannah smiles sheepishly and Chole rolls her eyes. 

"Ashley here is a genius too. Have you seen her grades?"

"Its nothing like that", I groan, already hating the attention. 

"Can you help me then?", Hannah asks and I nod my head. 

"Which subject?"

"Science". 

"Okay. No problem", I keep it simple . I am not the type of person who over indulges in people and gives away way too much. 

"Thanks", she smiles at me and I smile back. Hannah is one of those people, who no matter what, try and talk to everyone. She likes to talk to me and get to know me because that's what she does and these were her words when we first talked. 

"Evander?", Arnold asks again and he sighs loudly before nodding once and they all smile. 

"I will tell my mom to bake us some cookies", Martha is an excellent baker and owns a bakery not too far from the house. The cookies she makes are nothing I have ever tasted before and I swear, they literally melt in my mouth but me being the b***h that I am, I just tell her they are good. I can't help but think as though, when I behave nicely with her and Ian, I am betraying my mother. I know my mother wouldn't want me behaving like this, but she isn't here to tell me what is right and what isn't. I miss her and her amazing advice that she always gave me when I was at a crossroad or had an obstacle that I couldn't tackle on my own. Just like she stood with me since the day we left that god forsaken hospital. My father wasn't there s he couldn't make it due to some work but I didn't need him. Not now, not ever. I know, I am being mean to him and his wife, but can you blame me? Till I was ten, I had a father who loved me more than anything else and I was his princess and the next day, I lost him and he left as if I wasn't a part of his life anymore. 

"What do you think Ashley?", Hannah asks and raise an eyebrow. I wasn't paying least bit of attention to what has been going on around here. I was lost in my own head which sometimes is too much to bare. 

"What about take out while going home?"

"Sure. I am fine with whatever", I say and the bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. 

"See you guys later", with that I stand up and walk out of the cafeteria and towards my last class for today, the gym. I change into the gym shorts and a tank top before entering the gym where everybody is almost there. Evander and the boys stand in the corner, talking amongst themselves. My eyes catch Evander's and we hold contact until the teacher whistles and tells us to come hither. 

"Boys and girls, we will be playing dodgeball today so let's pick out the captains, shall we?", with that he picks Evander and some girl named Lauren. 

The captains pick out players and only five of us are yet to be picked. I knew Evander wouldn't pick me but when he calls out my name, no one is more surprised than me. I silently walk towards him and stand beside another girls while the remaining people get chosen. 

Our team consists of three girls, including me and the rest are the boys and Blake is in ours while Arnold and Ryan are in Lauren's team. Arnold winks at me but Blake hits the back of his head and tells him to behave. Before their stupid fight could escalate, the teacher whistles again and the game begins. 

In the circle, only three of us, Evander, Jiya and myself are still standing while others were out. We have three more minutes to spend but it doesn't look particularly good for us. Jiya is hit with a ball from Ryan and he makes a scene out of it by high-fiving Arnold and his fellow team mates.

"Just you two now", Ryan smirks and they start attacking us. My eyes meet Evander's and he nods once but I know what he means. I have been playing this game since I was a kid and I know all the ins and outs. 

We both run towards each other and just as the balls come towards us, we both dodge it expertly and just then the whistle is blown and I smile. We won. It is a good feeling to have a win after so many losses even if it is in a game. 

"No way", Arnold whines like a baby and I smirk before nodding at Evander who nods back with a smirk of his own. 

"Did you both decide on that move beforehand?", Blake asks us. 

"Did you see us talking before?", Evander responds with a raised eyebrow and they all groan. 

"Ashley? You okay?", Blake approaches me as I sit on the floor to catch my breath. 

"I am fine", I breathe out but he doesn't seem to believe me. 

"Put your head in between your knees and take slow, deep breaths", Evander sits in front of me and gestures me to do as he says. If I wasn't so breathless, I would have had a smart comeback for him. Nevertheless, I do as he says and I feel him soothing my back with his palm running up and down. I feel collected and once I am sure I won't pass out, I life my head up and his warm breath hits my cheeks as he looks at me with those black, piercing eyes, as if trying to figure me out. 

"Thanks", I whisper and he merely nods before getting up and giving me a hand. Me being the egoistic b***h, I roll my eyes and get up on my own. 

"I am not weak". 

"I never said you were. I was just being nice", he says and I immediately feel a little guilty. 

"Sorry", he shakes his head before leaving with the boys while Blake continues giving me worried glances. I assure him with a small smile before going to the changing room and taking a shower and changing in my regular clothes.

I leave the room and head towards the big tree at the back of the gym, my usual spot. I sit down and take out my medicines I take some to relieve some of the stress from playing for so long. 

"We aren't allowed to take drugs here", a voice says and I stiffen before stuffing the bottle inside and glare at the person who is none other than Arnold. 

"What do you want?"

"Why so pissed off, Ashley?", he sits beside me. 

"None of your business". 

"You don't open up to people, do you?"

"Not easily", I reply and he huffs before nodding. 

We both sit in complete silence but thankfully, it wasn't an awkward one.

"Let's get going, they must be waiting for us", I nod and we both walk towards Blake's car where everyone is waiting on us. Evander's eyes find mine the minute we are visible to them and his eyebrows scrunch at seeing us come together.

"Where have you guys been?", Blake asks us, his eyes trained on Arnold's. He raises his hands and takes a step away from me. 

"We both had an off so we were just talking not that it is any of your business", Arnold replies and smirks at Blake's frustrated state. 

"Let's go. We have to pick up pizza", he says. Chloe, Arnold and I get inside Blake's car while the others file in Evander's. Blake revs the car and we zoom out towards the pizza place. 

After picking up ten pizza boxes we finally reach the house and I am the first one to get down. My limbs are sore from running around in the gym period and I am extremely tired too. The medicines have done their job, but I am not sure how long I will be able to sit with them tonight. 

"We can sit in the study", Blake suggests and we all nod. 

"I am going to go and change. I will join you guys in a bit", with that I leave the group and make my way towards the my room. 

After taking a short shower and wearing some comfortable pajamas, I enter the study and find numerous boxes spread on the floor along with number of books loitering the space. 

"Hey Ashely. I saved two boxes for you", Hannah says and hands me those while the boys look at them hungrily as if they haven't already eaten enough. 

"Eyes away from my food boys", I glare at them and they all laugh except Evander but I catch him chuckling under his breath. 

"Haven't you eaten enough already?"

"As they say, sweetheart, you can never satisfy a man's stomach", Arnolds says and winks at me. 

"Who has said that?"

"Me of course", I roll my eyes at him while the boys scowl at his pathetic flirting while the girls chuckle. 

"No wonder you don't have a girlfriend yet", Chloe snickers and we all chuckle at her words before Hannah asks me to sit beside her and in between her and Evander. 

"So, what all do you think you can prepare me for till the paper?"

"Everything if you are ready", I smirk at her and her face pales.

"Should I be worried?"

"Nope. I am good teacher if you are a good student", she gulps before smiling at me, which is a little forceful but that's understandable. 

"Let's begin, shall we?", with that we all throw ourselves in the books for the next five hours. 

"Ashley, you are my guardian angel. I love you", Hannah hugs me tightly and I return it for a second before tapping her shoulder to release me. 

"You are welcome", I shrug. The session was really good and Hannah is definitely a quick learner. 

"You are staying the night, Evander?", Ian asks as everyone collects their coats. 

"If you don't mind", he says quietly and Ian shakes his head. 

"You are always welcome, you know it, son", he says and Evander nods. Everyone leaves after saying goodbyes and after dinner, I sit outside on the patio, reading a book after a while Evander comes and sits on the chair opposite mine. 

I continue reading my book but I feel his eyes on me and finally I snap and look at him. 

"What? Why are you staring at me?"

"I am trying to figure you out, Ashley". 

"Stop trying. You won't be able to".

"We will see about that. You know Ashley, once I decide something, I never back down", with that he leaves letting me wonder about the limits he would go to just to achieve what he wants.