(Chapter 4- Someone's Not Getting It)

I woke up the next morning unable to concentrate on anything besides Chase. I couldn’t get what he told me out of my head. I lost a lot of sleep over it. He just seems so broken over my actions and the guilt was eating away at me. I was never the one to bring sadness to my best friend but yet I did this time. I think maybe I should talk to him today and see if we can salvage what is left of our relationship.

After getting ready and eating a quick breakfast I was on my way to another day of high school. I was already dreading it and that was weird for it being my second day back to school. Usually it took weeks for the new to wear off and me to become board with it.

Maybe it’s because I knew things would be awkward with Chase now. I hated us being like this and today I was going to fix it. I hope.  Nothing would make me happier than to be on better terms.

After I pulled up in front of the school I gathered my books and went in. The hallways were crowded as usual and the loud bustling noises were at their normal level. Everything seemed quite…normal. My eyes scanned the hall for Chase a couple of times but coming up with nothing. Maybe he was just late.

Disappointed I forced myself over to my locker and opened it to get out the materials I need for first period. As soon as the locker come flying open a little white note came fluttering down catching my eye. As it landed on the floor I stared at it in wonder before reaching picking it up.  

There is only one person I know that would write me a note and put it in my locker and that was Chase. No one else ever did beside him. What was a surprise though, was that I hadn’t received a letter from him via my locker since middle school.

My fingers traced the paper lightly before opening it to read its contents. As my eyes looked over the paper I realized I was right, Chase had written the note.

Ashlyn,

Meet me on the football field before first period.

                                                                                Chase

I folded up the note and pushed it into my back pocket before closing my locker and walking toward the exit of the school. If Chase wanted to talk then I think it was probably for the best.

I passed by all the cars in the lot and walked down the bank to the field. It was only a short distance from the lot but you had to pass through it to get there.

I my eyes roamed the field for him but I didn’t spot him anywhere. Where the hell is he? I’m going to be so pissed if he stood me up. Maybe he was upset with me about yesterday and this was some kind of payback.

“You came.” He said from behind causing me to jump out of skin.

“What the hell?” I yelled turning to face him. “Trying to scare me to death?”

I landing a slap to his chest before thinking about it and then felt how much it hurt. It was like slapping a brick wall with all your might. I really should have thought that through first. Me and my bright ideas.

“Did that feel nice?” He asked with sarcasm dripping from his voice.

He took my hand in his to see if I had hurt myself but I jerked it away from him. “What do you want?”

“You.” He smirked.

Wow he must have gained a little more confidence since yesterday. He seems to be more like his old self today. Well apart from the wanting to be with me stuff. That is still all new to me.

I rolled my eyes at him. “What am I doing here Chase?”

“I want to talk about yesterday.” He said crossing his arms.

“What about it?” I sighed.

“I’m going back today.” He said.

Wait he’s leaving me? I thought he came here to get me and now he’s just leaving? I know I’m not one to judge but shouldn’t you put in a little more effort for the one you love? Even though I wasn’t in love with him it still hurt knowing he would give up so easily.

“You’re leaving?” I asked. “What time?”

“The end of the day.” He answered.

“Oh.” I said. What more was there?

He grabbed one of my hands hanging by my side and took it between his. “You need to come with me.”

Great this again. I thought I made this clear last night when he told me the same thing. I don’t want to leave everything behind and he knows this.

“You know I can’t.” I replied.

“Can’t or won’t?” He said.

“Both.”

“If it’s your parents your worried about don’t. I can convince them to let you go.” He said still holding my hand.

I shook my head and pulled out of his grasp. “It’s not that simple.”

“Then what is it?” He asked.

I don’t know how this conversation will go but we needed to have it. He needed to know why I was so hesitant besides the whole blood drinking vampire thing.

I met his confused eyes as I spoke. “It’s you and me, us together. We’re friends Chase.”

“So.” He said.

“So… I have never really seen you like that.” I confessed.

“You never tried.” He argued.

“That’s a lie.” I blurted out before it was too late.

He had no idea. I do admitted there was one point freshman year when I thought there might have been something there but after I seen the type of girls he got and how much he seen me as only a friend I put them away. I was to afraid to explore it further in fear of losing him.

I’ve seen what that can do to friendships and I didn’t count ours as worth the risk. Chase meant too much to me to ruin everything for us so I kept him in the friend zone.

“You have?” He asked surprised.

“Kind of…ugh I don’t know.” I confessed. “Maybe at one point but not now.”

“But what if that could change?” He asked hopeful.

He still didn’t get that wasn’t the only factor here. He was still a vampire and nothing could change that. I don’t want to be with someone like that. Sure he may have proved that he had some self control when it came to me but what about everyone else?

Even though he thinks he can control the thirst I don’t know if I could believe that. What before I got here he just finished off a poor student? Not only that but he will live forever and I won’t. Even if he wanted me to become what he is I wouldn’t. No one is supposed to live forever.

“It can’t.” I whispered unable to meet his eyes.

Within seconds I felt him roughly grabbed my hand again and pull me to him. “I only asked you here to tell you when I leave today you’re coming with me. You can have the rest of the day but that’s all.”

I looked up to see a mix of hurt and anger in his eyes. Something that I had caused. He didn’t look the least bit happy with me and he wasn’t hiding it either. He’s totally snapped.

“Chase let go of me.” I said trying to pull away from his tight grasp. “You’re hurting me.”

Realization quickly flashed in his eyes and he wasted no time letting me go. I rubbed my wrist where he held onto so tightly and saw it turning slightly red.

“Ashlyn I’m so sorry.” He apologized. “I never meant to-”

“Hurt me.” I interrupted. “Yeah, I know. But you did anyway.”

Guilt flashed across his face but I could bear to watch it so I turned away from him and walked back to the direction of the school. This did not go like I thought it would. He was not the same Chase as yesterday. He was not the one I could so easily forgive.

“Ashlyn.” He called after me but I couldn’t bring myself to turn around.

Chase had never hurt me a day in his life and he would certainly never try to take me somewhere against my will. I could sense the change in him and it hurt me to know I couldn’t change him back. I miss my Chase more now than I did this summer.

The rest of the day passed my uneventfully. I mostly kept to myself because I didn’t really feel like being around anyone but at lunch that was hard to do. Amy and Crystal kept asking me what was wrong but I couldn’t bring myself to talk about with them. Even though Chase and I were at this unknown place right now I would never sell him out. I couldn’t do that to him despite everything.

I decided to take the scenic route home to kill some time and clear my head. I still had a lot I needed to process that couldn’t have been done sitting in class with the teacher talking. I hadn’t seen Chase all day and that worried me. Did he just decide to give up and leave or was he planning something? Maybe he was planning another apology attempt before he left.

Think through all of the possible things he could be doing maybe not even realized I was home. I sat parked outside my house while looking at the empty driveway. My parents weren’t home yet so I guess it was up to me to make something for dinner.

After throwing a frozen lasagna in the oven I decided on a shower until it was done. I washed my hair with some coconut shampoo my mom had bought me and then used my Paris Amore from bath and body works to clean my body. Once I was satisfied with my cleanliness I got out and dried off with a towel. 

The smell of the lasagna was overwhelming making my mouth water and stomach growl. I quickly ran to my room and threw on some pjs then went down to the kitchen to check on the food.

When I neared the bottom of the stairs I was brought to a halt at what I saw. On the counter in the kitchen was my food sitting there cooling. Was mom home? It was weird that I didn’t hear her come in.

“Mom?” I called looking through the house.

I waited for a reply but there wasn’t one. Where is she? I walked to the front door to see if she might have been outside but when I pulled open the door no one was there, not even a car.

I swallowed the lump in my throat while I debated whether or not I should run from the house. Obviously someone was here. How else does lasagna just magically appear on the counter?

I quickly slipped on my shoes at the door and took one last glance inside the house before running. I only got to steps out the door before I came in contact with something rock hard almost knocking me down.

When I looked up to see what I hit I looked into the face of a person I recognized. It was him. He was the one that came into my house while I was showering. Who else could it be?

“I thought you were leaving?” I asked looking at very distraught Chase.

“Not without you.” He answered.

He’s really not letting this go. He’s refuses to listen to me and he just keeps demanding things, I don’t know what else to do.

“I’m not having this same argument with you.” I said turning back toward the house.

Once I was back inside the door I turned to face him again. “And for the last time I’m not leaving.”

I slammed the door in his face and marched over to my food and took a fork and dug in. I didn’t even wait for it to cool or get a plate, I needed to make up for not eating lunch anyway. I was to upset over how things went with Chase to have an appetite but now that was not the case.

 After burning my mouth a few times and, gulping down two waters I was done. I picked my books up off the table and walked into the living room with them in hand. I had four classes worth of homework to do and if I didn’t start on it soon I would never finish.

With XM radio going in the back ground I opened by books to began the assignment. After I was only on the second problem I began feeling drowsy and an uncontrollable urge to sleep came over my body. I found myself yawning and my eyes drooping without my consent and I tried to make since of it all. And most importantly, what was in that lasagna.

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A/N

So, for anyone reading this a second time how do you like the revision? Were the chages good? If you are just reading this for the first time what do you think so far?

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