Chapter 50
Milow
“We’re having dinner with his parents tonight,” Scottie told me, with a small but pleased smile on her face. “Honestly, it’s going so much better now. I feel like the whole hospital thing really made him care about me.”
I smiled and slid my books into my locker before looking back at her. [Stan has always cared about you.]
“I know, I know.” She sighed and hugged her books closer to her chest. “But he’s different now. Especially when we’re alone. It’s like he checks on me every second of the day. Before it was only every… hour or something.”
I scrunched my nose and waited.
She caught herself and huffed softly. “Okay, fine. He’s always cared about me. Maybe it just feels different now because it’s getting serious.” She shrugged like it didn’t matter, but her smile gave her away.
[He’s completely in love with you,] I signed, smiling. [And good things take time. He’s not going anywhere.]
She watched me for a moment, then her cheeks turned pink. “You’re probably right. As always.” She took a slow breath. “I just wish things could stay like this.”
I frowned, unsure what she meant. Tilting my head, I signed, [Why would you say that?]
She shrugged again. “I don’t know. It just feels too perfect. You know when your heart feels so full that it almost feels unreal? Yet somewhere deep down there’s this awful feeling that something bad is about to happen?”
I studied her, trying to follow. I understood the feeling she described, but I didn’t see how it fit her life. Things were good. There was no reason to expect something terrible to happen. At least nothing she wouldn’t be strong enough to handle.
[I think that’s just fear talking,] I signed. [You’re doing well. And you and Stanley will turn out exactly the way you’re supposed to.]
Now she was the one studying me, chewing on her bottom lip. “Hmm. I’m not sure.”
For a second, she made it sound like she was waiting for something to fall apart. Like she didn’t just expect it but truly wanted it. I pushed the thought away as soon as it formed.
I leaned forward and hugged her tight, holding her a little longer before I pulled back and signed, [I’m here if you need to talk. Okay?]
“I’m fine,” she said quietly, her smile tight. “Always fine.”
Her expression slipped for a second. Her face went blank, and then her eyes darkened as she stared past me.
“Get the fuck away from her. Now.”
Scottie moved in front of me so fast I barely had time to react. Her body went rigid.
I turned. Aspen stood a few feet away, clutching her books to her chest. Her eyes were wide as she looked at Scottie.
“Didn’t you hear me? Get away from her,” Scottie warned again.
I touched Scottie’s arm, trying to calm her, but she didn’t look at me. She kept staring Aspen down.
“I just want to talk to Milow. If that’s okay,” Aspen said softly. Her eyes flicked to mine before dropping again.
“She doesn’t want to hear anything you have to say,” Scottie shot back. Her shoulders stayed tense.
I tugged at her arm again. When she still wouldn’t move, I stepped around her and signed, [It’s okay, Scottie. She can talk to me.]
Scottie searched my face. Her eyes burned with worry and anger, but I didn’t feel that same fear.
[Really. She won’t hurt me.]
That was what Scottie was afraid of. She thought Aspen wanted to start something again.
But I knew better. Aspen had never really wanted to hurt me.
She had just stayed close to Hailie and tried to fit into her shadow.
Tried to be the kind of friend Hailie demanded.
Deep down, I didn’t think she was cruel.
“Fine,” Scottie muttered. “But I’m staying right here.”
She stepped beside me, with her arms tight around her books, and still glaring at Aspen.
I looked at her, waited for her to speak.
Her gaze moved between Scottie and me. She swallowed, then looked at me again. This time, she held my eyes.
“I want to sincerely apologize for the way I treated you.”
“Well, you see…” Scottie started, unable to stay quiet.
She shifted her books to one arm and planted her other hand on her hip.
“Milow is the sweetest and most kind-hearted person I know. You might’ve tried to tear her down, but you didn’t succeed.
And if you ever even think about treating her like that again, you’ll have me to deal with.
Because I’ve been nicer than you deserve. ”
[Scottie, please] I signed quickly, shooting her a look.
She huffed but kept going. “What? I’m just making it clear that the next time she decides to hurt you, I won’t hold back.”
Aspen nodded fast. “I understand. I do. I won’t. I promise.”
I touched Scottie’s arm again. [Will you translate, please?]
Scottie scowled at me and sighed, but then she nodded. “Fine.”
I turned back to Aspen and signed, then waited for Scottie to translate with a quieter voice. “She says she knows you were influenced. That doesn’t excuse it, but she believes people can change. She hopes you mean what you’re saying.”
Aspen’s eyes widened again. “I do. I really do.”
I added a few more signs.
Scottie exhaled through her nose, clearly not happy about any of this. But she kept translating. “She says she doesn’t hate you. She never did. She just wants things to be different from now on.”
Aspen nodded fast, with her eyes wide and full of hope. “They will be. I swear. And I know I can’t make excuses for Hailie, but I know she’s sorry too. She’s… working on herself.”
“Right…” Scottie murmured.
I lifted my hands again. [Is she not back?]
Their suspension had ended already, but I had only seen Aspen in the halls. Not Hailie.
And the last time I saw Hailie was at the grocery store, where she had bruises all over her face. Aspen looked at Scottie, waiting for her to translate.
“She’s asking where Hailie is.”
“Oh, uh…” Aspen played with the corner of one of her textbooks. “Her parents don’t want her to come to school yet. She’s… I think she’s okay. She texted me yesterday and said she was—ah, nevermind.” She knitted her brows, then added, “I know she will apologize to you when she’s ready.”
I nodded, because I truly believed she would.
For a moment, none of us spoke.
Then Aspen smiled gently. “Thank you. For being better than I ever was.”
She adjusted her grip on her books and stepped back, and I gave a little wave to assure her that things were going to get better for her, too.
Scottie watched her until she disappeared around the corner. “I still don’t trust her,” she muttered.
[I know,] I signed. [But this was a start.]
Scottie looked at me for a long moment. Then her expression softened. “You’re too good for this place.”
I knew that. But only because people had repeated it to me so many times that I had started to believe it.
“Hey, what did she want?” Ashby came up to us. Stan and Jasper were right behind him. “Are you okay?”
I looked up at him. [She apologized.]
His eyes searched mine as he placed both hands on my shoulders, looking me over like he expected to find some sign that I had been hurt. “She apologized?”
I nodded again. [And she meant it.]
Ashby didn’t look convinced. He glanced at Scottie with one brow raised.
She shrugged. “It sounded honest.”
“Damn. And here I thought she didn’t have a single moral left after everything she’s done,” Stan muttered. He slid an arm around Scottie’s shoulders, and she leaned into him, her posture relaxing the second he touched her.
Ashby turned back to me. His hands moved from my shoulders to my cheeks, holding my face gently. The worry was still there, but he softened it for me. “Well, I’m glad,” he said before adding, “I missed you.”
I smiled and leaned into his hands. [I missed you, too.]
He leaned down and kissed me then. His lips moved slowly against mine as he pulled me closer until my body pressed against his. I slid my hands into his hair, curling my fingers into it as the kiss deepened.
Kissing him in public wasn’t as uncomfortable as I once thought it would be. Still, I never wanted to make a scene. Some couples went too far in these halls, with their hands wandering to private places, and boundaries being ignored.
When we finally pulled apart, and I looked up, Scottie and Stan were both grinning at us, and Jasper leaned against the lockers with a small, satisfied smile.
He had seemed off all morning and was quieter than usual. I wanted to ask if he was okay. If he needed someone to listen. But I figured Ashby and Stan had already checked in on him. They wouldn’t ignore that.
“Oh, please don’t stop,” Stan said, smirking. “I cleared my schedule. This is way better than algebra.”
Scottie laughed. “He’s right. We got all day.”
Jasper shook his head, but his smile grew. “You two are unbelievable.”
“You’re all weird,” Ashby muttered, but then laughed. He slid his hand down my arm until his fingers laced with mine.
I leaned into him, wrapping my other hand around his forearm to stay as close to him as possible.
Stan tilted his head, studying us like we were an art exhibit. “Seriously, though, if you’re going to do that in the hallway, at least charge admission. We could fund prom.”
“Stan,” Scottie warned, though she was still laughing.
“What? I’m entrepreneurial.”
Ashby rolled his eyes and squeezed my hand. “You won’t make money off of my girl.”
“Your girl?” Stan pressed a hand to his chest. “Last time I checked, Ace was my girl. I had her first.”
“You never had her first,” Ashby said, loud and clear. Then his face softened, and he looked at me with that loving expression. “Milow’s always been mine. Since day one.”
I felt my cheeks turn bright red, and I tried to hide it by burying my face in his chest. He chuckled and pressed a kiss to my head, murmuring, “I love you, sweet girl.”