Cody's POV
This morning I woke up from another dream well nightmare about my friends plus Logan and Ashton. I was getting them a lot during the night. Not just one but multiple. And I didn't really understand why. I stared at the thin air as I folded t-shirts. Having no sleep was no excuse to miss work. Probably would be the same for school.

"Stop staring blankly its creepy." I heard a familiar voice say and I turned slowly in the direction of the voice. Ashton stood there giving me an unfriendly look as usual and I turned away from him going back to my work. "What's the matter with you?"

"Why do you care all of a sudden?" I yawned as I finished folding the t-shirts.

"Your one to talk." he scoffed and moved along pushing a cart where the other carts were.

I look over at him as he did so. Lost my chance to actually talk to him. That's my own fault though. I started folding the jeans. Glancing up here and there I'd hope to see Ashton coming back. But he didn't come back my way.

My lunch break soon came along. I so happened to share it with Ashton. Of course, he wasn't too happy about that. During this time Darby and Austin or just Darby would come to pick me up so we could go find something to eat, then sometimes take me back to work to eat if not we ate together.

"So Ashy still not talking to you?" Austin asked when I got in the car and I shot him a glare as I put on a seatbelt, I learned my lesson with Darby driving. "I was just asking, geez. Guess the answer is no," he said rolling his eyes.

"Can you tell me why he won't talk to me?" I asked Austin for maybe the thousandth time and I'm pretty sure even Darby knew.

"If Ashy won't tell you then I won't tell you," Austin said shrugging and I grumbled as Darby drove to the mall.

When we got there Darby and Austin mostly walked ahead of me. I made sure to keep an eye on them to not lose them. But my eye did wander on some girls now and then.

"He looks all formal like he's getting married." I heard Austin say and I walked ahead to catch up to them.

"What are you talking about? Don't tell me someone is getting married in the middle of the mall again." I groaned and Darby shook his head.

"I hope not or there will be traffic in the mall." Darby sighed as Austin pointed over to a guy that looked kind of familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it.

The guy turned towards me and glared. He wasn't too far away. I blinked and quickly pushed Austin's hand down then shot him a glare. He shrugged smiling as I shook my head. I can't believe he thought pointing at someone wouldn't have been obvious but the guy started making his way to us.

"You're the guy who made me spill my coffee that one time." the guy barked at me and I blinked more as I recalled the event.

"And you pushed me into the water fountain." I glared at him as he smirked fixing his tie.

"You deserve it," he responded.

"Well, that sounds like you took it too far." Austin scoffed.

"Yeah, maybe we should push you in the water fountain," Darby said backing me up long with Austin and the guy swallowed glancing between them then glared at me.

"You're lucky you have people to help you. If we meet again and you're alone you better pray for help." the guy said and with that, he walked past us.

I scoffed as Austin glared at his back and Darby flipped him off. We all looked at each other and laughed. Darby managed to wrap his arms around Austin and I's shoulders slightly.

"Did you apologize?" Austin asked and I nodded huffing.

"I meant it too then the next thing I know I'm in the dirty water with dirty change," I grumbled as they both laughed.

"Guess you kind of needed that change but I bet you didn't grab any," Darby smirked and I rolled my eyes at him as we went to the first food place we saw.

****

Once my shift was over I looked for Ashton. It seems like he always worked a bit earlier and later than I did. But I wasn't too sure about his schedule. He was putting up clothes that were misplaced.

"Uh hey," I said and he turned around to face me with a glare. "I just wanted to apologize about earlier," I said rubbing the back of my neck and he stared at me for a while before going back to work.

"It's whatever I guess," he said nonchalantly and I huffed.

"Look I'm trying to be nice," I said and he turned around quickly his eyes cold as they stared at me narrowed.

"And I don't want it. Your shift is over and mine isn't. Stop bothering me while I'm trying to work. The door is that way." he said gesturing to the doors on the far right of him.

I sighed and walked away from him. Should have used the chance he gave me. Darn, my mood ruined it. I guess I ruined it all in the first place. Or so that's what he has been showing me and saying. Well everyone has been saying what happened was my fault but I don't see how. Well drinking and losing Logan I guess was my fault but what else did I do. And his girlfriend shouldn't have slept with me if she knew who I was. I didn't know who she was. I ranted and racked through my brain coming up with arguments the whole way home since today Darby nor Patrick could take me home.

Once I was home as always Natalie was on her phone. I didn't even bother because she wouldn't listen to me anyway. Besides today just wasn't my day really. Heading upstairs to my room her voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Cody, what's up with you?" I heard her ask and I turned my head to look at her.

"Nothing much just having weird dreams," I said and she looked at me like she didn't believe me even though what I said was true.

"Well why don't we talk about them?" she asked turning off her phone for once.

"Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" I was truly horrified.

"Cody you're an asshole." she rolled her eyes.

"Watch your mouth sis and I'm already halfway up the stairs. You come up here or we don't talk." I said and she groaned getting up heading to the stairs. "Don't you have homework to do?" I asked as we headed to my room.

"I hardly have homework," she said rolling her eyes.

"Must be nice, thanks to Terrance I have a job and school. A job and school are tiring. And I can't even take a nap usually when I get home because I have school shit to do." I groaned falling on my bed burying my face in the covers as I felt weight at the end of the bed.

Moving my face out of the pillow I sat up. Natalie was sitting on the end of my bed. She was checking her phone then turned it back off glancing at me.

"What are you doing?" I rolled my eyes.

"Uh well...kind of ignoring someone while seeing how many calls, voice messages, and texts they leave me," she said smiling awkwardly.

"Why would you ignore someone? That's cruel." I laughed and she sighed making me frown a bit.

"It's just I want to answer but I'm scared to. I don't know what to do," she said looking down at her lap. "Anyway I'm here to focus on you," she said looking up again at me.

"Uh weeellll..." I groaned looking up at the ceiling. "I keep having dreams about the past. Everyone says I did something wrong and I don't really understand how completely." I said and looked down to see my sister glaring at me. "What?"

"Really? You don't know how?!" she raised her voice and I blinked.

"Did I do something to you?" I asked and she got off my bed with her face pink from anger.

"Yes!!! Kind of... Ugh!" she stormed out of my room leaving me confused.

"Some help that was," I grumbled to myself and pulled out my homework and books to start on my school work.

This chapter was prewritten! Those who read the books I have been updating recently Apple Love would be the third to be updated. Since Apple Love is completed My Youth I will try to put it in its place but you know I'm starting school so maybe the order of updating might change. Well, it probably will. Anyway, I'm glad to have updated this like I said I would and the word limit for this story will stay at 700 even though I wrote maybe around 1,300 something or more for this chapter! Sorry again for the wait and for the wait there will be since I am starting school.