A pitfall in her stomach confirmed the  discomfort she felt since morning. Kiara knew that there is going to be trouble  this time, and she wasn't it. Trouble was just a few paces away from her,  and she hadn't  even seen him yet. Her instincts  were on high  alert and she has come to trust her instincts more than anyone around her.

Student Body President, she thought, that shouldn't  be trouble right?  I mean it might just be my heightened sense of suspicion about anything  and everything about me,  but only a smart and reliable person would be at this position. On top of it all, Principal Lou seems to trust him, so that should count right?

"Ashton, meet our new student Kiara. She is an academically gifted student and is here to join us for her senior year. I want you to take care of her,  make her familiar with how the school functions and help her in general. Would you please do that?" Principal Lou looked straight  at the towering figure in front of her.

"Yes ofcou-"

"Thank you ma'am, but that won't be necessary. I'm work better when I'm  alone,  and I'm capable enough to figure things out. Thank you for your  help... Ummm... "

"...Ashton..."

" Ah yes,  Ashton, extremely
sorry for forgetting your name, and extremely  thankful that you would even consider  helping  me. But I also have a cousin  in this school,  and she told  me she'll  help me out with everything  I need. Please don't  trouble yourself. I have enough  hands extended towards me. I... Huff.. I.. Can... ttt..  Rthe... I.. fff.. I.. uhh.. " A panic stricken  Kiara could not help but ramble, hoping Mrs. Lou would pick up the signs and tell the boy to leave  her alone.

Kiara was still unable to turn her face  around to her left and take a look at the 6 ft tall boy, dressed in a white tee and black Levi's jeans. His all-white Nike shoes had not a single speck  of dust on them,  making  them  seem as if he was wearing  them for the first  time. She didn't notice from the corner of her eye, an old brown belt classic watch on his right wrist that he seemed to fidget with while he did not understand what to do in this awkward situation.

The girl looked like she might faint at the mere mention of me helping  her, Ashton thought. She's heaving, probably having a minor panic attack.

Ashton immediately bent  forward towards the Principal's desk,  reaching for a glass of water and offering  it to the girl in front of her.

"Kiara, try taking some deep breaths. Close your eyes and try to calm your racing mind. Have a sip of water from your glass and continue  your breathing. Deep breath in, release it out slowly, repeat it. Great." Ashton helped Kiara out of her alert mode.

A few moments later,  when the atmosphere  in the room seemed less charged, Kiara felt a sense of relief. Her eyes focused on her entwined  hands and she composed herself, or atleast tried to. She wanted  to get up from her chair, to thank Ashton, but she was afraid her legs would  give in. So, she resigned to thanking him from her seat itself.

For the first time in the past 15 mins, she actually took a look at Trouble.
She looked up at him and understood how wrong her bias against him was.
His bluish green eyes had anything but mischief in them. They shone with curiosity, concern and the most of all, with empathy. His long nose tried to reach his puckered lips as the distance between the two was bridged with a faint hint of moustache. The pink of his lips seemed to adorn a sympathetic smile towards her.

Kiara realised her paranoia has extended far, for the guy  before her had just met her, and didn't even know about her prior to this meet. And it was her paranoia that had induced  this minor panic attack.

She was lucky enough this time to have someone around, someone who knew how to help a person having  a panic attack. Usually it escalates  to a point where she has to medicate herself to get back to normal.

"Thank you, really, thanks a lot Ashton. You didn't have to, I mean,  it was unnecessary but helpful, no,  ufff,  what I mean to say is, I'm really glad you helped. I feel obliged to you." Kiara expressed it with as much emotion  as she could allow herself to feel. Although  she felt at ease, better than 15 mins ago, but she still found it difficult  to thank someone  for helping  her out. Nevertheless, she hoped her eyes could say what her words lacked, as she looked into his coloured ones.

" It's  okay Kiara, I understand, and I'm always happy to help anyone in need. Mental  health is a shit hole these days, sorry for the languange Principal Lou, and I hope to work on bettering it in the future, safeguarding it. Also, if Principal ma'am thinks that I'll be helpful to you, I'll gladly keep my door open anytime you would ask me. And I'm  sure you could use some help." Ashton  replued with just as much sincerity as before.

" What a sweet boy! No wonder you've  charmed your way to the top of student body, your  academics and sports are just some added toppings.
Also,  Kiara, I'm  not entirely sure your cousin Alisha will be of much help. She is a social butterfly, and her school records aren't  that promising either. It's  always better to have a good company, isn't  it?" Principal Lou tried to steer Kiara's attention in a certain direction, hoping she understands what she was indicating and that Ashton does not pick up the meaning behind her words.

Social butterfly, oh no nononono. She anyways doesn't  want me around her, and if she's someone popular, the attention  accompanied with her will eventually follow me, be it good or bad.  Keep a low profile - that's  what I'm supposed  to do,  and I should  stick to it.

"Ashton, will please give me and Kiara a few minutes alone?" Kiara could  see the questions rising in his eyes. She could feel the curiosity as he nodded towards the Principal, gave a hesitant yet sweet smile towards Kiara and closed the office door behind him once again.

"Ma'am I really appreciate it that you want me to have a social support in school, but it does not make sense to have someone as well known as the Student Body President to help me out.  He might be as popular, or even more than Alisha,  if that's what you were hinting at. The attention scares me, terrifies me infact, and I can't put anyone in danger by being friends with them." Principal Lou could sense the fear in Kiara's  voice. What did she experience exactly to feel this way? Such a lovely child, who is constantly alarmed about everything around her. A young soul carrying awful amount of distrust, what has the world turned into, dear Lord, thought Theresa.

" You have a good point my dear, but for your safety, I've been instructed  to appoint someone to look after you, at times when I can't. Frankly, I would have approached a teacher, but that would raise too much suspicion, and if they share any particulars with anyone, that could  also be harmful. The easiest and safest option  that I could find at this short amount of time was a student, and in my 23 years of career, I couldn't say that I trust any student  more than I trust this boy. He is smart, sensitive and reliable." Principal clarified.

"But he's popular, and – " Kiara tried to worm out of it, mentally pulling her hair for having a father who couldn't understand her mental dilemmas.

" His popularity factor can be worked out. He can be in contact  with you via  text or calls and can meet you during emergencies. But I urge you to atleast be acquainted with him, if not friends, until I find someone suitable to be around you." Principal Lou had finality in her voice, and Kiara could do little to change her mind.

She might a smile like my mom, but a spirit way stronger than hers. Well,  I've  never been good at making people see my point anyways, she thought.

Theresa picked up one of the phones  from her desk and asked the receptionist lady, Mrs. Kathy, to ask Ashton to come in.

"Thank you for waiting outside. Kiara was just a little hesitant, because she worried she might trouble you too much if I ask you to help her, you being the President and a sportsplayer as well. And she is discomforted by social attention and crowds which, as she correctly pointed out, she felt would be associated  with  you. But I strongly  believe that you might be able to help her around." As Principal Lou explained, Kiara could see the gears turning and running and jumping  from one point to the other in Ashton's eyes.

"Well, we could  stay connected  at a distance. I mean,  we are not living  in ancient  times. We have cell phones and internet. With your permission  ma'am, if you allow us, we can use them in school, as discreetly as possible." Ashton and the Principal seemed to have their own conversation, forgetting  that it's  subject was with them in the same room.

"Alright, I'll make a special exception. But make sure you are not caught by your teachers, and if you are, ask to come see me right away, instead kf being sent to  detention. Okay?" After  receiving a nod and a 'yeah', Principal  Lou asked both of them to Leave for their classrooms, which were to start soon.

Both the teens entered the corridors,  which was empty, barring a boy who came running  out of the classroom  towards his locker, took out some books,  and hurried  off again the way he came.

Ashton immediately pushed his mobile phones, an Apple phone, not the latest one,  but a couple  of years older. The screen showed the keypad.
Without protesting, Kiara entered  the 10 digits that corresponded to her latest contact number. Ashton was one of the handful of people who had this number,  although  he didn't know that.

Returning  his cellphone back, she took a look at her timetable and figured that she was supposed  to go to room 117.

"It's on the first floor, a couple of doors down my class 114." Ashton took her up the flight of stairs, and turned right where the classrooms were numbered from 111.

Kiara took no pains to break the silence, she felt like she has had the longest talk in a long while, and it had already exhausted  her. She felt that Ashton was curious to ask a lot of questions, but he understood her privacy amd held back.

Ashton wanted to ask so many questions  to the new girl walking besides her. Who is she? Where did she come from? What is her story?  What is it with all the secretive air around her? And her dicey state of mind? Why did  Principal Lou call him specifically to help her out,  even when she has a cousin sister in this school?
Sister! Something in Ashton's mind clicked.

The classrooms very placed alternatively on oppsite walls of the corridor, with the even numbered on the right and odd ones on the left. As both of them reached near his classroom, Ashton popped the question before she could  leave.

"Alisha Mendoza is your cousin, am I right?" The alarmed look in Kiara's eyes, and her extremely minute and hesitant nod was all that was required for him. "Okay, I'll see you later then. I'll text you from my number, so you can save it. Also, you can really trust me. I promise to help you out." With that Ashton entered his classroom,  leaving one of his genuine and friendly smiles and a final look behind with Kiara.

Trust. Promise. Well these are some words that I haven't heard before.

•••~•••~•••
A/N:  Hola everyone. What do you think of the story so far. I've  revealed a lot of personality traits in this chapter, regarding Kiara and Ashton, and more characters are going to join us soon. So stay tuned!

Ashton:  I bet most of you have been through a lot of books on wattpad,  and you might have had your 'Best Friends falling in love Phase' at some point in your wattpad lifetime. I've had it too. No one is immune to it here. You aren't  a real wattpadier if you  haven't gone through  it. Ashton  was probably one of my most favourite characters in that phase,  and it belonged to the book 'I love you, Bestfriend' by drishtaayyy. She was the first Indian author that I came across on wattpad who's writing blew me away. Her book is still one of my favourites. So Ashton was a name chosen for my character because it reminded me of my blissful fangirl time on wattpad.