Ashton took a long, deep breath and crossed his fingers as he stepped into the school building, his heart beating like a drum. He wished he could turn back and run away, but he knew he had to face this day, the day he had to break up with Leann. He was mentally praying that she would call in sick or be on a trip that day, but fate was not on his side.
He couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to end things with her, before they got worse. He tried to act casual and confident, as if nothing was wrong, as if he didn’t care about her at all, as if he didn’t see her.
As he made his way through the crowded hallway, he kept looking over his shoulder, fearing that she would pop up behind him. He was so anxious that he couldn’t focus on anything else. He messed up his verb conjugations in French class earlier, and he was sure that he bombed the test.
As he approached his locker, he scanned each and every person for her. He sped past every girl with black hair and pale skin, hoping none of them was Leann. He looked like a deer caught in headlights, with sweat dripping from his forehead and hands, and constantly adjusting his backpack.
Finally, he reached his locker and struggled with the combination. He felt stupid that he couldn’t open his own locker. Again.
“Hey, Ash!” he heard a familiar voice behind him. He recognized the high-pitched, slightly accented voice anywhere. He wanted to ignore it, but politeness took over, and he forced himself to reply.
“Oh… hi, Leann…” he said nervously,
Suddenly, the voice changed, becoming slightly deeper and more sarcastic. The accent vanished as well. “I’m not Leann, dummy. Turn around.”
Ashton turned around to see Angelina staring at him with a bored expression. “How did you do that?” he asked.
“I’m good at impressions,” she said casually, before changing her voice again, making it sound more like Ashton’s. “This is you.” she said mockingly.
Ashton laughed. “Wow, that’s impressive! By the way, when are you going to post the next chapter of your web comic?” he asked.
“After the tests.” she said with a wicked smile. “Speaking of which, are you ready for today’s French test?”
“Whatever, fine.” he muttered, pretending not to care. But inside, he was boiling with anger and sadness. He had been looking forward to the comic for weeks, and now he had to wait even more. He felt like punching the wall.
“Uh-huh, sure.” Angie said with a teasing grin. “What about French?”
“Of course I’m ready for French. I’m going to ace it.”
Angie rolled her eyes and snorted. “Yeah, sure. The only thing you’ll be acing is failing the test.”
“We’ll see… ‘Miss Class Topper’,” he said playfully. “We’ll see…”
“You were dropping your brother off for a play date instead of studying for the test two days ago!” Angie pointed out.
“At least I studied afterward. You were probably too busy babysitting those two.”
Angie was speechless. “Touche…” she muttered. “Your brother is adorable, though,”
Ashton smiled slightly at the compliment. “I’m glad Jay behaved himself there,”
“He was awesome, really. He was nothing like you. Fun, loud, not super annoying…”
He chuckled softly. “Very funny.” he said sarcastically.
As Ashton and Angelina were chatting, they heard a loud voice behind them. “Hey, Ash! There you are!” It was Leann, the girl he used to adore, the girl he now dreaded to face.
She was wearing a casual outfit, consisting of a white t-shirt with a pink heart on it, a black skirt, and black shoes. She had long black hair that reached slightly below her shoulder, pale skin that contrasted with her brown eyes, and a pink lip gloss that matched the heart on her shirt. She looked cute and girly, but also confident and sassy. She walked up to Ashton and embraced him in a hug. “I’ve been looking for you all morning. Where have you been?” she asked sweetly.
Ashton felt his heart sink and his stomach churn. He had been avoiding Leann, and he knew he had to break up with her today. He didn’t love her anymore, and he didn’t want to hurt her. But he also didn’t want to cause a scene in front of everyone. He gently pushed her away and smiled awkwardly. “Hey, Leann. I’ve been busy with… stuff.” he lied.
Leann pouted and looked at him with suspicion. “Stuff? What kind of stuff?” she asked.
Ash glanced at Angie, hoping she would help him out. But Angie just looked at him with amusement and curiosity. She knew that Ashton wanted to dump Leann, and she wanted to see how he would do it. She decided to stay quiet and watch the drama unfold.
Leann’s eyes widened and she gasped. She knew what those words meant. She felt a surge of fear and anger. She noticed him. She saw the signs. Yet she couldn’t accept the facts.
She clung to Ashton’s arm and shook her head. “No, no, no, no, no! Don’t say it! Don’t you dare say it!” she cried.
Ashton felt sorry for her, but he felt more annoyed than sorry because of her clingy behavior. He pulled his arm away from her and looked at her firmly. “Leann, I’m sorry, but it’s over.” he said.
Leann let out a scream of disbelief and rage. She slapped Ashton across the face, making him wince in pain. She glared at him with tears in her eyes. “How could you do this to me? How could you break up with me? After everything we’ve been through?” she shouted.
Ashton rubbed his cheek and sighed. He knew this was going to be hard, but he didn’t expect this much drama. He tried to calm her down and explain himself. “Leann, please, don’t make this harder than it has to be. It’s not you, it’s me. I just don’t feel the same way about you anymore. I don’t love you anymore.” he said.
Leann sobbed and shook her head. She refused to accept his words. She looked around and saw Angie standing nearby, watching them with interest, secretly recording a video on her phone.
Leann sighed. A tear rolled down her face. “I know. I always knew.” she admitted softly. “I always noticed it in your eyes, in your voice, in your actions. I just couldn’t bring myself to accept it.”
“Neither could I, but… uh… I think it’s time we both let go.” Ashton said gently.
She nodded gravely. “Yeah… maybe.” she whispered, eyes filled with tears.
“Hey, you’ll find your special someone someday. Please don’t cry…” he assured.
“Right… of course.” Leann whimpered. “I’m sorry I hadn’t said anything earlier”
She gave him one last look of sadness and regret before turning around and walking away.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
