His Survivor

3. The douche

Ashley's POV

"Ashley, are you ready?", Chloe asks me from outside my door and I sigh. 

"Coming", I answer in a meek voice and she leaves to go downstairs. I look at the mirror and I see the differences in my body since I came here. I have become thinner than I already was, my hair have lost their thickness and now they are just a mop that I carry around on my head, my eyes are sunken due to lack of sleep and my face has lost all the glow. 

While I was back home with my mom, this was the same condition except for the sunken eyes ad the grim face. I was truly happy and satisfied with my mom. I never had too many friends because most of them thought of me as weird, introvert and a nerdy student and me being me, never tried to sort out their misunderstandings. I am not introvert but more of a selectively extrovert kinda girl. I don't talk to every single person who passes me but if I know you well enough and we have something in common, I can talk for hours. 

I leave those thoughts here and grab my bag which has all my necessary s**t in it. I couldn't give a damn about school but I can't stand staying in this house for longer than I already have to. I I brush my hair once and apply the lip balm to avoid the chapping of my lips and leave the room. I can hear the voices of everyone sitting in the kitchen, having breakfast, talking and having the time of their day. 

"Come and sit honey", Martha is the first to notice me and offers a sweet smile which I try to reciprocate but I just can't. I am not ready yet and they have to understand it. 

"How did you sleep?", Ian asks me. 

"Fine", I start eating the pancakes that are smeared with chocolate. Yesterday it was maple and I am don't like it much. 

"You want more, Ashley?", Martha asks while flipping some. 

"No thanks", I mutter and nod in her direction. 

"Honey, you should eat more", Ian says with concern flashing in them. 

"I am fine". 

"We three will go together. Blake will drive the car", Chole informs me. I shrug, not caring about that. 

"I will make an appointment if you want a license too", Ian says. 

"That will be good", I can't bear to be dependent on people more than I already am. 

"Okay. I will let you know then", he says and I nod before getting up. 

"Ashely wait", Ian says. I raise an eyebrow at him and he hands me a box. A box that has an expensive mobile phone in it. 

"This is yours. I have already put all our numbers in their", he says. It is an Iphone, the latest model and that too in rose gold. This must have cost a fortune and as I am about to return it to him, he catches my hand and wraps my fingers firmly around the phone. 

"Please take it. Let me do right by you, princess", he says and the words get stuck in my throat. I look into his eyes and all I can see is desperation and sadness. I look away, trying to stop everything from hitting me and leave the room, fully aware of the eyes on me. 

I tuck the phone in my jeans pocket and wait outside for the siblings. My brain is flooding with all the past memories, all of my mom's grief, her hard work, her desperation, just like Ian's, to do right by me, to give me everything  and take care of a weakling like me. I didn't deserve this. My mother didn't deserve it either. She always said, she wanted to see me graduate and with the degree in my hand, she wanted to take a picture and frame it in her room as a reminder of her brilliant daughter, her words not mine. Unconsciously, a tear slips out of my right eye and I quickly wipe it away before Chloe could see it. 

"Let's go, Ash", she drags me to the back seat with her. 

"We are stopping to pick up one of our friends, I hope you don't mind", she says and I shake my head. Even if I did, I wasn't going to voice it out. Blake shoots me a small smile when our eyes meet in the rearview mirror. I nod at him, acknowledging him.

"So, are you excited?", Chloe asks. 

"Sure", I reply and she continues rambling, telling me about the school and the students that go there. 

"Call Arnold will you?", Blake says from the front seat and she finally stops talking, takin gout her phone to call the said boy. 

"Come out doofus", she says and I hear the boy say something and then she hangs up. 

"I swear, I am going to charge him next time", Blake mutters and Chloe laughs at that. 

"You always say that", he shoots her a glare but as he was about to say something, but the passenger door opens and Arnold comes in with his red hair and gorgeous green eyes. His hair are extremely curly and sit on his head, while his green eyes smile along with his mouth, while looking at Blake and Chloe. His eyes meet mine and he stares for a second too long, making me uncomfortable but I don't show it on my face. 

"Hey beautiful. You must be Ashley, right?"

"Yep', I respond and then look away. 

"We have been hearing about you since a few days now", he says. 

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Chole just couldn't stop yapping about her sister", Chloe slaps his hand and he recoils, giving her a glare. I raise an eyebrow at Chloe but she says nothing. 

"You are in our class right?"

"Yep", I respond and refrain from saying unfortunately.

"We are here", Blake parks the car and we all get down. I survey my surroundings and I am somewhat impressed. This is exactly what I had in mind when I heard the name, Kingston Highschool. The name itself says its something of royalty and s**t. The buildings are beautifully built in red bricks, more of an ancient look but really magnificent. 

"Let's go", Chloe says and I nod before following them inside. As I am about to turn towards the office, I crash into someone and I almost fall to the floor, if not for Arnold, who caught my waist, though I have no idea where he came from. 

"Are you f*****g blind?!", the boy yells at me and I scrunch my eyebrows at his tone. 

"I am sorry. It wasn't intentional", I respond and pick up my bag from the ground, dusting it. 

"You should look where you f*****g walk", he continues to talk to me in that raised voice, and I swear, I almost snapped his neck. Before I could give him a piece of my mind, Blake comes beside me and the boy stops talking, looking at Blake with a crease on his forehead.

"What Blake?"

"Evan, she didn't do it purpose, Stop screaming", he says and my head whips towards him. Why is he defending me? When we were young, I distinctly remember him picking on me every chance he got. He never shied away from telling me that my own father chose him and his family over me and my mom.

"This is my sister Ashley and this is my best friend, Evander Richardson", he introduces us and I look at him and raise an eyebrow. He looks at me with a glare nonetheless and scowls once I don't say anything. 

"What?"

"Aren't you going to apologize?"

"And why would I do that? You were the one to crash into me". 

"And I said sorry. You should apologize for screaming at me for f*****g nothing", I say and he scoffs loudly. 

"You think, I am going to apologize to you?"

"You better, asshole". 

"How dare you call me an asshole, b***h?", he screams and we both stand way too close for my liking, his breath fanning my cheeks . I swear, I would have killed the bastard, if not for Blake who interfered. 

"Cut it out you both", he says and pushes Evander away from me. 

"Chill the f**k out, man", Arnold says. Evander continues glaring at me and leaves, Arnold following behind him, trying to get him to stop. 

"Sorry for that. he has a temper and you caught him on a bad day", Blake justifies his friend and I scoff. 

"No matter what, he can't speak like that to anybody for no apparent reason", I leave them and go to the office, muttering curses under my breath. My day hasn't even started yet and now I am pissed off. Great. This what I needed in y life right now. 

"Good morning. How can I help you?", the receptionist asks me. 

"Hello. My name is Ashley Jennings and I am here to collect my schedule". 

"Of course, honey. Give me a minute", she quickly does something on the computer and the printer prints what I hope is my schedule. 

"Here you go. Have a great day", I smile at her and leave the office, looking at my schedule. My first class is of English, thankfully my favorite subject. 

"Which is your first period?", Chloe asks. 

"English with Mr. Finn".

"Cool. Come on, I will show you the class", she says and we both start walking north. 

"Evan, he is not bad. Don't let that be your first impression of his. He is just going through a lot right now", she says quietly. 

"That doesn't give him any right to talk to anyone like that". 

"I know", with that he fall silent and walk together and she stops in front of the class that is supposed to be mine. 

"I am right next to yours. What do you have next?", I hand her my schedule. 

"We have next two classes together. Good", she says and leaves after waving at me. 

I enter the class and look around. Most of the seats are taken but some at the back are vacant. I quickly make my way and take a seat, before opening my battered copy of Pride and Prejudice. We are studying this novel and I am almost sure I have every line memorized considering the numerous times I have read it. 

The final bell rings and I look up to see Blake and his douchebag of a friend entering the class. They don't notice me, thankfully, and continue walking. As I was about to start doodling, someone clears their throat. I look up to see Blake and Evander, the asshole, staring at me. Blake has a small smile while the other has a scowl.

"Hey Ashley", Blake greets and takes a seat beside me. 

"You need something?", I ask Evander. 

"You are in my seat". 

"I don't see your name here", I roll my eyes. 

"Just get up". 

"Nope", before he could retort, Blake cuts in, yet again. 

"Why don't you sit here?", Blake gestures to the seat on his other side. He glares at me once before huffing and sitting down. 

"Class, we have a new student today, Ashley Jennings. Please make her feel welcome", he says and every single person turns to look at me. Some smile, some just ignore, some perverts scan me and the girls scowl. Great, just f*****g great. 

"That's enough", the teacher says and thankfully everyone looks away except for a boy who sits in front of me. When our eyes meet, he winks at me and I was about to just ignore him but Blake has different plans.

"Look away Paul, before I gauge them out", he threatens and the boy quickly turns front. 

"You didn't need to do that", before Blake could say anything, the grouchy person on his other hand, decides to cut in. 

"Just a thank you would have sufficed, you know". 

"None of your f*****g business. Stay out of it", I growl at him and he scowls at me but looks at the teacher and so do I. 

The classes pass in a blur and I already have tons of work to catch up on, not that I mind. I would rather be working than be jobless. 

"Let's go to the cafeteria", Chloe says and drags me with her before I could protest. 

We buy lunch which consists of a burger, french fires and a bottle of sprite. Chloe, as I expected, bought a salad though I have no idea why she's eating that. She is already very slim and all, considering she is the cheerleading captain. Though thankfully, she is not as bitchy as I have heard they are. 

"Let's sit at the table", she says and look where she is pointing and my mood turns sour.The douche bag along with the others are sitting at the table already. 

"I don't think so". 

"He will be on his best behavior, I promise", she says and drags me anyway. 

"Hey guys", Arnold greets us as I take a seat beside him and a girl that I don't know. 

"You must be Ashley. I am Hannah Noelle, Chlo's best friend", she says and I shake her hand before settling down.

"Where is my seat, baby?", a shrill voice stops me from taking a bite of the burger. I look up to see a girl dressed in a mini skirt and a tight top, with her hair loose. I am not judging or anything, but why do they allow clothes like these in school?

"The b***h is here", Arnold mutters under his breath. 

"Seriously Mia?"

"What? Evan, baby, where is my seat?"

"I don't know and I don't care either. Just leave me alone". 

"Baby, I know you don't mean it", she is the typical girl who pins over the most popular and bad boy of the school. She even seems like a b***h just like Arnold says and delusional too. Her eyes find mine and she scowls. 

"Who are you and why are you in my seat?", she glares at me and roll my eyes. 

"You are not welcome here, Mia and neither is your minion", Chloe says and that's when I notice another girl lingering behind Mia. 

"I am not here for you Chloe, I am here for my boyfriend", before anyone can say anything else, she takes a hold of my elbow, dragging me up with her. As I stand, everyone does too, glaring at her. Before Chloe could say anything, I stop her and snatch my elbow back from the b***h's claws. 

"You have no right to f*****g touch me when you don't know who I am", I yell at her. 

"You are sitting in my place b***h. This is my table". 

"If you would have asked me, I would have moved. Didn't need to put your bear claws in my elbow", I rub the sore elbow. 

"Move then". 

"As much as I would like to, I won't because not only did you insult me without any reason, you put your hands on me which is something I don't appreciate. So you better apologize right now". 

"Please", she scoffs and turns towards Evander. 

"Baby, tell her to move", before he could say, I interrupt again. 

"Are you that much of a damsel that you can't fight your own battels?"

"Go to hell b***h", she sneers. 

"That was lame. Now, listen here you, she-satan, you better not come here anymore because, from what it looks like nobody wants you and that includes Evander. So, go and worry about your nose rather than sitting here, looking like a desperate b***h", I say this in a very calm voice. She touches her nose once and glares at me and everybody else before stomping out of here and her side-kick follows her out. 

"That was badass", Ryan says and Hannah literally hugs me and I stand frozen until she drops her hands and takes a step back, sheepishly smiling at me. 

"Let's get back to lunch, shall we?", with that I enjoy the rest of the lunch without talking to anyone but I can feel those black eyes staring at me which belong to none other than Evander, the douche.