Ashley Lane POV
I run through the school entrance door, almost banging on some girls.
"Sorry!" I exclaimed while continuing to run to the second floor, where my math class would be.
I shouldn't be late for my class. Miss Collins, my math teacher, was very punctual.
I reached my class room in just a few minutes, and Miss Collins was already there.
She looked at her wristwatch when she saw me."Another minute and you'll be out of my class. Have a seat, Ms. Lane."
"Thank you, Ms. Collins; it won't happen again." I said as I walked into the almost-full class room.
I took the empty seat in front of Brian.
"Hey, Babe, you look beautiful." Brian whispered to me as he gently squeezed my shoulder.
I felt butterflies in my stomach, and I couldn't help curling my lips into a smile.
"Thank you, babe," I replied in a low voice, moving my face slightly to the right so he could see me saying the words.
Brian was my boyfriend; we had been dating for two weeks. And being with him was all that I wanted.
He was handsome, 5'8" tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was our school's boys baseball captain.
"Good morning, boys. We will continue our topic, but before we start, I want your assignment on my desk." Miss Collins said as she lowered her glasses and looked at everyone in the classroom.
I gave my assignment to Brian as he walked up front to bring his.
After all was done, Miss Collins started the lesson.
After an hour or so, the bell finally rang, and we had some time before our next class.
"I miss you, babe." Brian said as he kissed me.
His tender lips touched mine, and I kissed him back while holding on to his neck.
"I miss you too, babe." I was so into him. And I miss being with him.
I've been practising intensively with my coach and the team for my run race this week, so I didn't have time to hang out with him these few days.
We started to kiss again, letting go of the longing. I really missed him.
"Stop making out with him," Twinny snapped. She'd always been bitchy when it was time with me and Brian.
"Shut up, twinny; he is my boyfriend!" I snapped back. She did not dictate to me what to do.
"He is not our mate. Stop it! It's disgusting!" She complained in a disdainful tone. I heard her growl and make other grunting voices. I knew what she was doing. She was trying to distract me.
"It's my body. I'll decide what I want." I said this to her, hoping she would stop distracting me.
"He is not worth it," she said.
"Let me decide on that," I replied as I kept kissing Brian.
"Hey guys!" I heard Debbie's voice greet us.
And we deliberately stop kissing.
"Hey Deb!" I greeted Debbie back and gave her a peck on the cheek.
Debbie has been my best friend since I stepped foot on this school.
Brian waved at her. Not feeling annoyed since he knew Debbi was here to pick me up for our next class.
Debbie and I had class together after this, while Brian took a different class. And it was about time for us to go inside ours.
"Babe, you think we can go somewhere after school?" Brian asked me with his poppy eyes.
"I'm sorry, I have to practise again." I wish I could spend more time with him.
"How about tonight? I'll pick you up as usual."He asked again, hoping that I would have time tonight.
"My mum will be home tonight... But...mm.. How about I call you if I can find a way to get out." I told him, since I think I have something on my mind.
"Okay, I'll wait for your call, babe," he replied, whispering in my ear before planting a kiss on my lips once more.
"Wow, look at you, Miss Lane, ckckc..." Debbie teased me after Brian left.
"Are you sure you are a virgin?" she asked with a joking tone.
Even though she was joking, her words kept some people's attention. There were a bunch of girls who turned their heads to look at us.
Gosh Deb! I punched Debbie's arms in an instant.
"Ouch," she cried purposefully before letting out a chuckle.
"You can Just put a speaker in your mouth, Debbie!" I protested as I rolled my eyes. I knew she was joking, and so did I.
"So, are you going to go with him tonight?" Debbie asked after she stopped chuckling and opened her locker. Her locker was exactly next to mine. That's how we met in the first place.
"I want to," I answered her, and then added, "If you're willing to help me, of course."
And then I gave her the T-shirt I borrowed a few days ago. "Here's your shirt, thank you."
She took the shirt and put it in her locker.
"And what am I supposed to do tonight?" She raised one eyebrow, asking me
"Not you, but we. We are going to do homework at your place," I said, and I let a grin out of my face.
"Your mum will call my mum, and then you are busted! And I get punishment as well!" she replied as she shook her head in disapproval.
"Not if I go to your house first," I said. I knew her room was on the first floor, and I could sneak out of her room and go with Brian, then come back when mum picked me up.
She thought for a while.
"Oh, come on, Deb! Please..." I begged her with my puppy eyes.
"My mum will kill me if she knows this," she said, rolling her eyes.
I gave her a cute look and another of my puppy's eyes; it usually worked.
"Fine! You owe me one, bestie!" She finally agreed.
"Yeay! Thank you, Deb! You are the best! I love you!" I said this as I hugged her. I love her so much. She is the best friend I've ever had!
"Well, well, well, look who this is." I heard a girl's voice, and I just knew it was Mandy.
I didn't sense her before because I was too excited about my plan for tonight.
I turned around and found her with two of her minions. She stood beside me and Debbie with her hands crossed in front of her chest.
"Oh, hi, Mandy. Something wrong? You seem annoyed." I said to her.
"Why don't you go back to your place? You don't belong here," she said, as usual, acting arrogantly.
Mandy was always rude, and she pissed off Twinny.
I can even feel Twinny growling. She did not like Mandy as much as I did.
I had no vision of Twinny, but sometimes I can hear her growl when she feels upset. It was really a growl, like an animal would do.
"Let me rip her mouth open, Ashley," my twin said. That's her beast talking.
"Relax; I can handle her." I told Twinny not to worry.
"This is my place now, Mandy. Sorry to disappoint you." I said to Mandy.
She grinned while staring at me.
"You're screwing around here, Ash. You are just a distraction. When he gets bored with you, he will come back to me!" She glared at me and gave me a mocking smile.
"Oh, come on, Mandy, move on! He is with me now," I said. Why can't she get over it?
She was talking about Brian. Brian was her boyfriend when I first moved here. But they broke up last month, and after that, Brian dated me.
It wasn't my fault if he broke up with her and then dated me.
I was a new student at the school. I've been here for only one semester, and this was my senior year.
It wasn't me who made them break up. Even though I admitted that I'd been playing basketball with him before they broke up.
But honestly, I had never dated Brian before they broke up, like she always accused me. I wasn't the third wheel.
Soon, the bell rang to give students 5 minutes heads-up for the next class to attend.
"Let's see about that," she replied before she and her minions left me and Debbie, not without nudging my shoulder.
What the hell? I curse inward.
"Let's go, Ash; never mind her; she is just jealous." Debbie comforted me as she grabbed my arm and walked me to our class.
I met with my basketball team on the stairs and chatted for a while. I told them I'd be back to practise with them next week after the race.
"Good luck with the run!" they said before we split up.
Debbie and I went to our history class just in time before our teacher came.
***
"Wow! Look at your time, Ashley!" Mister Morrison, my athletic coach, said when I got to the finish line, I passed the other runners all the way on the running track.
I walked closer to him with a gasping breath.
"What is my time, Mister Morrison?" I asked him excitedly. Noticing his expression, I might have gotten a better result.
"15:04!" he said excitedly. "Good job, Ashley!"
"What? Really? Are you sure?" I asked him in surprise. I thought I heard it wrong. Five kilometres for 15:04?
"Keep that up, Ashley! You're doing great!" Mr. Morrison said He was delighted with my time result.
I can't believe I made it that far! It was better than my previous cross-country time. My best time before was 16:30.
"Do you believe me now?" Twinny's voice interrupted.
"Probably just luck," I replied. I can feel her glaring at me.
"You know it's not just luck," she insisted.
I have to admit that she was right. It felt different. I was faster, and I felt stronger today.
I felt light and ran effortlessly. I didn't feel tired or exhausted at all.
It might be the result of the constant training I had been doing all week that got my body used to it. Or maybe, as Twinny said, it was because I skipped the liquid.
Perhaps I should skip my medication again tomorrow and see the result.
Soon, my other team came to the finish line. Usually I don't get too far from them, but a minute does make a lot of difference.
"Good job, Ash!" My other team runner said:
"Thank you guys." I was so happy with my result today.
There are seven of us who will be participating in cross-country running. All of our team will be leaving tomorrow afternoon for California for the race. We will be spending two nights in California and hopefully win the race.
"Okay boys, this is our last practice, and good job everyone!"
"Get ready for tomorrow, and I hope we get this in our hands," my coach told all of us.
"Now get a rest, eat healthy food, and don't do anything stupid tonight," my coach said before he dismissed and ended our practise today.
Maybe I'll do something stupid tonight, I said inwardly, remembering my meeting with Brian.
"Don't do it," Twinny said.
"Tonight is the night. I might not see him in the next three days. It should be okay," I told her.
"He just wants in between your legs," Twinny said sarcastically.
"No, he is not. Brian is a good man." I defended him.
"Whatever!" Twinny exclaimed. With that, I knew she would shut her mouth.
We took a shower at school and then headed home to get some rest.