Emilia's POV

This month has gone by so fast due to the events of my birthday, the party, and Jared's restraining order. Halloween is just a week away and a few weeks after that, we'll be off for Thanksgiving break. We're already halfway through the semester and I don't even know how time has passed so quickly. It's only been two months and the amount of excitement and activity has tripled in my life. The days of heading straight home after class and sitting alone in my room to study hasn't been an option since developing somewhat of a social life. It's not bad thing or anything, but I wouldn't mind some time to myself without being surrounded by four, semi-thick Australian accents.

"So how much work do you and Ash have to make up?" Michael asks, nudging my shoulder and making me forget the rest of the note I was jotting down from Professor Saldivar's lecture.

I sigh, giving up on any chance of remembering the tidbit of information that has been wiped from my memory. "Not much," I say. "We only missed one day of class and all that we have to make up is a short test on Wednesday." I'm glad that Professor Ross is even allowing us to make up the test.

Michael hums. "That's good. Don't need you falling behind since mid-terms are coming up in a couple weeks and I'm going to need you to help me study without you being distracted with other classes."

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to take some notes during class. Maybe even record the lecture?" I suggest, but it's obvious that he just let the idea go through one ear and out the other when he changes topics.

"So everything is settled with Jared?" He asks, lifting his legs and letting his feet rest on the empty seat in front of him.

I glance down at the fading bruises lining my wrists. "He's no longer an issue," I say confidently. "The restraining order is in effect and he's out of my life. I put an end to that chapter and I'm starting a new page. Now there shouldn't be any more drama. I think I've had enough to last a while."

"I can't argue with you there. You've had to go through enough these past couple weeks. It was just one thing after another. I'm surprised you're not completely worn out by now."

"Have you not see the bags under my eyes?"

"Oh, I have," he says. "I was just being a good friend and didn't say anything about it." He chuckles.

I roll my eyes. "Thanks, friend."

The rest of class goes by rather slowly and once we get out, I can't stop myself from bolting out the doors with Michael and getting away from the never-ending history lecture. Sometimes I wonder if Professor Saldivar understands that there is a scheduled time frame for his classes and that he can't just keep talking about how the French Revolution was "a time of idiots making idiotic decisions and screwing up everyone else's lives for the sake of money," because some people have a job to get to.

I give Michael a quick hug and goodbye before he takes off to his next class, leaving me to meet Ashton outside alone. I notice as I'm walking to him that a grey beanie is covering his mop of curls today, leaving only a small portion in the front visible. As much as I like seeing his hair flop around, I really like the way the beanie looks on him. Ashton hasn't noticed me yet, so I take this opportunity to snake around the crowd of students exiting the building and sneak up behind him. Since he's as tall as a giraffe, it makes it a bit difficult to snatch the beanie off of his head, but a little jump helps with that.

He quickly spins around to face the culprit with an unamused and slightly pissed off expression, thinking that it was some asshole and not me. I pull the beanie down onto my head and give him a guilty smile, which allows him to drop his guard and laugh.

He pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head amusingly. "I seriously thought that someone was trying to steal my beanie and that I would have to chase them down," he says.

"I probably wouldn't have gotten too far if I took off," I say. "I don't know how but I always find a way to trip on a flat surface when I run. I think gravity just wants me to hug the ground more often."

Ashton places his hand at the small of my back and softly pushes me in attempt to tell me to start walking. I take the hint and starting moving one foot in front of the other, letting the leaves that have fallen from the trees crunch beneath my shoes.

"I've experienced firsthand the capabilities of your clumsiness, so I wouldn't put it past you that you would fall flat on your face," he says.

"When?" I ask.

"Do I have to reenact our first meeting? I don't mind going over to Starbucks and accidentally spilling a drink all over you again because I can do that if it helps jog your memory," he jokes, keeping a slow pace next to me as we walk.

I shake my hands in front of me, "No thanks, I remember."

He laughs and runs his large hand through his messy locks. I pull the knit beanie off of my head, smoothing down my hair afterwards, and offer it back to Ashton to which he declines.

"You wear it," he insists.

My eyebrows knit together. "Your ears are turning red from the cold," I say. "I don't want you to get sick."

"I'll be fine."

Stubborn man.

I take his hand, holding it out with his palm facing up and place the beanie on his hand before picking up my pace ahead of him so that he can't just hand it back to me. Before I know it, the soft fabric is placed over my head, covering my eyes and leaving me in darkness. I fold the beanie up, gaining my sight back and glare at the amused giraffe.

"I told you I'll be fine," he says. "Just wear it until we get to...Where are we even going?"

"I have to go to the library for work," I say. "I've been slacking and I need to at least get ten hours this week for my work study."

A hint of disappointment spreads across his face.

"Why don't you go do something while I'm at work?" I suggest. "Don't you have other classes to go to anyway?"

"Yes, but I always just skip because I already know most of the material before the professor even teaches it," he says. "I'd rather hang out with friends than waste an hour of my life reviewing stuff I already know."

He's very bright for his age. From what he's told me, he aces all of his classes and doesn't have much difficulty retaining information. I'm a bit intimidated by his intelligence. I mean, I consider myself smart, but he's like valedictorian smart.

"I don't want you to wait for me like you always do," I say. "Why not go to one of your classes for fun? I mean, who knows, you might learn something new." I don't know how much convincing I'm going to have to do to get him to go out and do something other than wait.

"I don't mind waiting," he mumbles.

"Ashton."

"Emilia," he mocks. "Fine. I'll go to one of my classes, but I'm not going to like it." He crosses his arms over his chest as if he's actually upset about it, but the smile he's fighting back gives himself away.

"Thank you," I say, stopping in my tracks as we reached the library.

As I'm about to reach and pull the beanie off my head, Ashton stops me and pulls another beanie (this one green) out from his backpack and places it over his disheveled hair.

"How many do you have?" I ask, slightly annoyed that he actually has another one.

He shrugs and grins. "Enough."

He's such an idiot.

"And you felt that is was necessary to fight with me about wearing one even though you had a second one to spare?" I say.

"Yup."

I scoff. "You're so stupid."

"Not according to my GPA," he teases.

"Just go to class!" I shoo him away.

Ash holds his hands up in defense. "Fine, fine. I'll see you later, Emmie."

I wave him off and he begins trekking down in the direction that we just came from. It's a bit pointless to let him walk with me this far if he was just going to end up walking back to where we once were. Oh, well.

__

"No miss, that's not what I wanted," a male student tries to correct me for bringing the wrong book to him. "I told you I need the eighth edition not the seventh."

"Sorry, but this is the only version we have," I say. So suck it up and take the damn book.

The seventh and eighth edition of this stupid anatomy book are exactly the same. The only difference is the cover. The cover. I swear, textbook companies are probably getting a kick out of students believing that there is a huge difference between the editions for textbooks. They make us spend more money on a book that literally moved around a few paragraphs and added a couple pictures of the human skeleton in the margins and pass it off as a brand new book. Stupid textbook companies.

"There really isn't much difference," I say. "I'm sure you'll be able to find whatever information you need in this one."

"No, it's fine," the student says. "I just wanted to see if you had it here so that I can scan the pages and print them instead of buying the book." He walks away.

Seriously? I'll admit it's a smart idea to scan the pages instead of investing hundreds of dollars on a book that you'll only use once, but to make me go back and forth and not even appreciate my help just pisses me off.

I let out an inward sigh and go up to the second floor to place my hard work back on the bookshelf. It has only been about three hours and I just want to leave. I have no idea why it's so busy right now. All I want to do is curl up into a ball and take a nap.

As I make it up the last step and turn out of the stairwell, my face collides into the back of a person. I really should work on paying more attention to my surroundings and not my feet as I walk.

"You all right?" a familiar Australian accent asks. "You should really work on your 'bumping into people' problem, Emmie. Be glad you weren't holding a drink this time."

I rub my sore nose, which received most of the impact, and look up at the giraffe. "What are you doing here?" I ask Ashton. "Aren't you supposed to be in class or something?"

"Class ended thirty minutes ago," he says. "Where's my beanie?" He points to the beanie-less spot on my head.

"I had to take it off. Finn doesn't like for us to wear hats. Plus, I needed to pull my hair up and I couldn't do that with it on," I explain. "So, why are you here again?"

"I like your hair better down," Ashton murmurs. "I came here with a classmate from my finance class."

He points over to a red-headed girl wearing thick-framed glasses that probably aren't prescription and a red flannel shirt, sitting at one of the many filled tables. Fuckin' hipsters. She's a few inches taller than me, but not by much. However, she is tall enough to look up at Ash without having neck pains like me.

"Who's that?" I ask. I'm curious to know who she is and why she's glaring at me like I'm a wildebeest and she's a lion stalking her prey.

"That's Linda," he says. "She asked me in class if I could help her with an assignment and I said yes."

"I thought you didn't trust girls?" I say.

"I don't."

"Okay." I drag out the word. "Why is she glaring at me?" I try to avoid eye contact with Linda, but her gaze keeps pulling me in.

Ashton chuckles. "I don't think she's glaring at you."

"The crease in her forehead and narrow eyes beg to differ."

"Emmie, have you ever heard of resting bitch face?" he asks and I shake my head, stifling a laugh. "It's basically when someone looks pissed off when they have a straight face even though they're completely relaxed. I'm pretty sure it's not intentional; that's just her face."

I bite my lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. "How unfortunate."

"I wouldn't be judging if I were you. You make that same face sometimes."

My mouth falls open in shock, and I hit him with the anatomy book still in my hand. "I do not!"

"Whatever you say, princess."

Ashton waves me off and sits at the table with Linda, conversing about whatever assignment they have to do which for some reason Linda finds extremely amusing as she throws her head back and laughs loudly. I ignore her outburst and stroll over to the Health and Science section of the second floor which happens to give a great view of Ashton and Linda. After placing the book in the empty slot on the bookshelf, I stealthy hide behind one of the bookshelves adjacent to their table.

Ashton is trying his hardest to explain the assignment to Linda, but she's too preoccupied in asking if he works out since his biceps are, as she says, "extremely firm." Her hand wraps around his arm and squeezes it to affirm her statement, which causes Ash to tense. He pulls his arm away and continues to try and explain the material with a disgusted look on his face.

The one time he actually goes to another one of his classes, he brings back a girl with him. I don't really mind, I just don't like the way she's throwing herself at him. Or the way she's eyeing him up and down, not even bothering to look him directly in the eye, as if his physique is more attractive than the kaleidoscope of colors of his iris. I tiptoe a little closer to his table, still hidden behind the large, dark-wood bookshelf. Ashton looks painfully annoyed at Linda and the way her arm is linked around his as he writes numbers on a datasheet. I'll give him props for putting up with her for this long.

A pair of hands pinch my shoulders, making me squeal and blowing my cover. I turn around to see none other than a displeased Finn glowering at me. His dark, black hair barely covers the creases lining his forehead and minimizes the intimidation of his stare.

"Emilia, what are you doing?" he asks, tapping his foot against the carpeted floors. He's literally my age and he acts as if he's ten years older than me.

"I was just putting some books away," I say unconvincingly, but I roll with it.

"Well, if you're done, I need you downstairs to file some papers in the archive." The way he says it makes it sound as if I should instantly teleport my way to the first floor to get there immediately.

"Yes, sir." I bow my head in embarrassment of getting in trouble once again because of Ashton. I don't handle getting in trouble well. Although, this time it was really my fault. I shouldn't have been snooping on him and Linda. I don't know why I even felt the need to. I know he still doesn't trust girls that much, but it bothers me how she is hanging all over him when he clearly isn't interested.

I begin my walk of shame past Ashton and Linda, trying not to make eye contact with either of them, but that quickly fails when Ashton calls my name. Finn is still watching me, so I put up a front and try to act as if I didn't get in trouble not two minutes ago.

"What can I help you with?" My voice comes out a bit shaky and I hope that Ash didn't notice, but the way he raises his eyebrows confirms that he did.

"Uh..." His eyes flicker from mine to Finn's who's standing behind me, observing my actions. I think Ashton is able to put two and two together and realize that I'm not in position to dilly dally. He takes out a sheet of notebook paper and scribbles something down and folds it before standing—freeing himself from Linda—and handing me the paper. "I need you to find me this book. It doesn't have to be now, but whenever you have time." He smiles before going to sit back down next to little miss hipster.

I nod at his request and put the paper in my pocket before following Finn downstairs and to the file room. At least now I don't have to deal with watching a clingy Linda and a hovering student supervisor. It takes about an hour before Finn came to check in on me and praise me for my fast-paced work. He gave me the okay to leave for the day after I finished filing a few more things. Once placing the last file into the cabinet, I pull Ash's note from my pocket and read it.

Find a way to get me away from this crazy chick and I'll take you out to dinner after work.

Food.

Food with Ashton.

I like that idea.

That's all it takes for me to rush up the staircase and amble over to their table. I have no experience in helping guys ditch a girl, so I say the first thing that comes to mind.

"Ash," I start, "Julia just called and said that there is something wrong with Chino's phalange and we need to take him to the vet. He's too heavy for us to carry ourselves so we need your help." God, I hope Linda doesn't know any of the names of the human bones and by the befuddled look on her freckled-face, she doesn't.

Confusion is clear on Ashton's face. "Uh..." he says. It takes a moment before realization sinks in and he is able to come up with something. "Right, Chino! Sorry Linda, this is an emergency. I'll see you some other time."

Ashton jumps from his seat, ignoring Linda's questions and takes my hand in his, sending shivers down my spine, and drags me behind him downstairs and out the library doors. We fall into a fit of laughter once the door shut behind us.

"Chino? Phalange?" he says.

"It was all I could think of at the moment," I say. "Sorry."

"No, it was cute. You should've seen your face."

I blush at his compliment and shiver from the cool, autumn air. Ashton reaches over and pulls the elastic band holding my hair up, letting my long locks fall. He grabs his beanie that is sticking out from my backpack and placed it on my head.

"I don't want you to get sick," he mocks, referring to when I told him the same thing earlier. "Like I promised, I will reward you with food for helping me escape Linda."

I cheer in joy. I am finally going to be able to eat after a stressful day of work.

"It doesn't take much to please you, does it?" he says, smiling down at me as we begin walking.

"Nope," I say. "Just good food and great company." I smile back and notice his cheeks reddening before he breaks our gaze and focuses his eyes on the ground in front of him.

_____

A/N:

Another 'meh' ending to this filler. I don't really know how I feel about it.

I also want to give a big shout-out to @AlyHemss, @OneSecondofSummer_, and @kayceelyn_. They all have great stories and you should all check them out. You guys have been the most supportive and I can't thank you enough!

Please comment, vote, and share this story to your friends and anyone else you may think might enjoy it. I love you guys so much and I hope that you continue to enjoy each chapter!

-Rebecca

P.S. I've come to the decision that Ashlia will be Ashton's and Emilia's ship name! What do you think? Yes? No? Meh? Just let me know :)