The Bad boy, the baby and Me

9. Why oh Why?

I glanced to my right, then, left, then, front and back, even the floor and ceiling for safety purposes. The coast was clear. I mean, the corridor was clear.

You must be wondering who I was hiding from? Well, I won't keep you waiting, get this: Hailey and Blake were out for my blood as well as each other's blood.

No, no, I didn't do anything this time. I swear.

Okay, so I just may have tricked them and locked them together in the janitor's closet. But, hey, Blake had it coming for a long time and Hailey...well, I hoped that she would enjoy spending time with one of the hotties she had been drooling on for so long.

But, boy was I wrong! I don't know what happened once I locked them, but, let's just say the noises I heard were not very pleasant to the ears (imagine death threats, crashing of items, insults and even choking sounds).

Hailey was not very patient when she wanted answers and Blake was not very compliant when it came to giving answers. Hailey must have realized that Blake was the one who had answered my phone and Blake must have realized that Hailey was the 'chick' he had spewed lies to.

So, knowing both of them, I could confirm that they didn't exactly share a 'seven minutes in heaven' moment inside. I would say it must have been more of a 'three hours of destruction' for them.

Yep. I locked them for three hours. Actually, it could have been more but someone released the two inmates of insane asylum during lunch break and the next I know, they followed my trail to the cafeteria where I was lounging in peace without any worries of life.

And, friends, only I know, how I made a narrow escape from death once I saw them.

Both of them had been after my blood since then, and here I was, dodging them. Lunch break was long over and I was skipping my biology class which unfortunately, I shared with Hailey. I couldn't believe I was skipping a class, second day in a row. If this happened for a third time then, my parents would be notified and I would be done for.

I walked towards the girl's washroom which was at the end of the corridor. But, as I was passing an empty classroom, some voices caught my attention. I could bet my ass, I heard Madison's shrill voice.

I stopped outside the classroom and pressed my ear to the door. (Because, you know, curiosity killed the cat and all that shit...and I sure as hell am one curious cat.)

"...no, I don't know if I can do this again. It's too risky and they are not dumb, you know?" she was saying to someone.

I waited for a second voice but, when all I heard was silence, I came to the conclusion that she must be talking on phone.

Suddenly, Madison, spoke again, "No, I am telling you. Nothing can stop them from going to that fest."

I sucked in a sharp breath when I heard this.

Madison continued, "...I don't know about Millie and her stupid friend, but, Ashton will go to the damned fest at any cost. You are well aware of his connections."

This time, my fists clenched and my jaw tightened. I knew it! I knew that she was acting out of her element, which was too good to be true.

And, first of all, how dare she call Hailey stupid? Secondly, what kind of connections did Ashton have? Thirdly and most importantly, what was Madison's role in everything?

Could it be that Madison was Stella's...I shook my head. No, it was not possible. Stella was ten months old and I had been seeing Madison everyday for an year or so. I didn't remember seeing her heavily pregnant with a baby. If anything, she had a stick like figure and it would cause a scandal if she put on even an ounce of weight.

So, where did Madison come in everything? She sure as hell was involved in some way in this whole grand scheme. She was definitely smarter than what I gave her credit for. If I wanted answers...I knew what had to be done.

I was about to kick open the door when a hand clamped over my mouth from behind, and both my wrists were pinned behind my back. On impulse, I began thrashing and yelling (which came out muffled), but my captivator was too strong and refused to release me.

Instead, they dragged me backwards and into another empty classroom. As soon as we were inside, I was released and the person went to lock the door.

I immediately turned and took a defensive stance, but, what I saw, had me gaping instead.

"Ashton?" I asked in disbelief. This was the second time; he surprised me in a day.

Ashton raised an eyebrow, "Any doubt about that?"

"What the hell? What was that? Wait...did Blake ask you to kidnap me? Because, if he did, let me tell you, this is between him and me. If you interfere-"

"What is between Blake and you?" Ashton cut me off, giving me a bewildered look.

His expression told me that he didn't know, so, I closed the topic and instead, glared at him.

"Why did you drag me here, like that?" I fumed.

"Because, you were about to confront Madison, if I am not wrong."

"Yes, but, do you have any idea what she-"

"I heard," he interrupted me; "I was standing behind you the whole time."

What? And, I didn't even realize? This explains how he was able to restrain me so easily. Damn! I would have to work on acquiring some spy skills; otherwise, I had high chances of landing in vulnerable situations like this.

"And, what's wrong with confronting her?" I demanded.

"Do you really think, she will open her mouth? On top of that, she is now our only lead, which we can easily lose if she realizes that we suspect her."

Of course, he was right, as always. My impulsive action could have jeopardized many things.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What are you hiding from me, Ashton?" I asked him, outright.

He froze for a split second before quickly masking his panic. "You are really crazy, if you believe Madison."

Oh, I believed her alright. Now, I was completely sure, Ashton was hiding something and that he was not going to tell me. But, I was not my mom's daughter for nothing, I would find out his secret at any cost.

"Anyways, you are on Stella's duty tonight." Ashton said in an attempt to distract me.

I rolled my eyes, "Technically, I was on her duty previous night also." I pointed out.

Ashton shrugged, "Not my fault that you don't trust me to take care of Stella."

"I don't and yes, this reminds me, that babyeater better give back Stella in one piece or there will be hell to pay."

"I don't get what you have against Julia. She is a good friend of mine and I trust her completely."

"Why?" I muttered, unconsciously to myself, but he heard.

"Are you jealous that I trust her, crazy?" Ashton teased.

My cheeks were on fire.

This was a joke for him but I wondered why I was really jealous of Julia? It couldn't be because of Ashton, I mean, I had spent a month and a half hating him. If we didn't count his looks, he was nothing but an overconfident, arrogant, narcissistic jerk. Heck, my relationship with him was limited to smirks, scowls and glares until three days ago. Sure, I was seeing a different responsible side of him, since, yesterday, but, he was still a jerk.

Admit it, he's growing on you. One month is a long time to hate someone. Don't act as if you don't find him drool worthy. And you know, what they say, there's a thin line between love and hate.

I shook my head to get rid of the scandalous thought. I settled with the explanation that I was jealous of Julia's beauty and nothing else. And, I don't give a fudge about who Ashton trusts or admires.

Despite convincing myself of all of the above, my stupid mouth opened itself to ridicule me further.

"I bet she is one of your hook ups."

Why oh why did I have to say that? Does my mouth doesn't care about my mortification at all?

Ashton gave me a knowing smirk before he shook his head and burst into laughter. I wanted nothing more than to die at that moment. Maybe, Blake and Hailey could help with that.

"Oh god! If I didn't know better and the fact that you hate my guts, I would say you really are jealous." Ashton wheezed, between his laughter.

"I don't hate you." I mumbled.

This made Ashton freeze. "What? What was that? Did I hear correct or do my ears deceive me?" he asked dramatically.

"I don't like you. That doesn't mean I hate you." I rushed. God! What gibberish was I saying?

Ashton shook his head, turning to leave. "Once a crazy, always a crazy."

He threw me one last look before exiting, "And, hey, crazy. Don't be jealous. I never hooked up with Julia and never will."

With one last wink, he walked off, leaving me in a flurry of relief, embarrassment, bewilderment and anger.