thirty
The soft sound of birds chirping in the air was enough to urge me to start my day, but instead, the blaring noise of an alarm clock rang through the room as my eyes shot open in irritation.
My fingers slammed against the nightstand in an attempt to put the sound to a halt, but I failed and was forced to stand up and wait for the clock to finish its rendition of beeping. A shining light peered through my window and illuminated the room as I stared at the trees outside.
"Morning?" My eyes shifted from the window to my open door to see my mother standing calmly with a cup of warm coffee in her hand. She looked confused, with an eyebrow cocked and a narrowed gaze in her eyes.
"Morning," I replied blatantly. Mornings were certainly not my forte. I hated waking up so early for anything, let alone school. My mother shrugged her shoulders and walked out of my sight with the strings of her robe trailing behind her.
My body rose from the bed as I walked over to my closet and changed into a pair of jeans and a white blouse my grandma had bought me for my birthday. I wanted to focus on acting as normal as possible today while still remaining presentable. After all, I knew Ashton didn't want people to know about our relationship quite yet. Honestly, I couldn't say I disagreed.
"Shannon! Are you ready?" Luke called from the stairs below. I brushed through my hair with a comb and rushed downstairs to find the blonde haired boy standing beside the refrigerator. He looked surprising nice for his normal appearance. I noticed he had already made me a cup of coffee and had it set on the counter next to my backpack.
"Thanks," I mumbled softly as I picked the keys out of the bowl on the corner of the dinning table. I tossed them to Luke and grabbed my coffee.
"Ready?" He asked again. I nodded my head and followed closely after him.
"Who was with you yesterday?" Luke asked with concern in his voice. I quickly settled into the leather chair and buckled the seat belt.
"No one?" I lied.
"You don't have to lie to me. Why were you acting so weird?" He questioned as he started the car.
"I wasn't?" I mumbled innocently while I stared down at my fingers.
"Oh alright," he said softly as we pulled out of the driveway. He began to take our usual route to school, passing the record shop, as well as Ashton's house. Once we reached the school, we parked a few spots away from the entrance and started to walk inside. My focus averted to see a small girl who managed to catch Luke's eye. She had a deep shade of blonde hair that was curled and had a few strands tied back into a braid. Her captivating brown eyes met Luke's and a warm of pink rushed to her round cheeks. Her figure was rather tiny, she couldn't have stood more than 5'3. She was wearing a light pair of skinny jeans and a soft pink sweater. Certainly not Luke's ideal style. She smiled widely and raised her hand to wave at him. His eyes practically lit up in interest and joy as he began to walk in her direction.
"I'll see you later Shannon," he waved as he left my side. A giggle escaped my lips as I continued into the building. My eyes shifted from student to student until I reached my locker.
"What are you smiling about?" A familiar voice rang in my ears as I took a sip of my coffee. Ashton appeared as I peered around my locker door. He was dressed in close to all black, like normal, and had his hair hanging in his face. I forgot I had a stupid grin spread across my face ever since I saw Luke and this mystery girl.
"Oh nothing," I chuckled as I tossed out my paper cup. The hallways were empty considering the fact that school didn't start for another half hour. "What are you doing here so early?" I smiled as I cocked an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure actually," he laughed as he leaned in closer to me. Ashton was always late, and if not, he was defiantly not a half hour early.
"Well I'm proud of you," A giggle escaped my lips as he stared at me intently.
"Ashton!" I loud voice called from down the hallway. Ashton distanced himself from me and shot me an apologetic look. I continued gathering my things and listening closely to the conversation that was about to occur. "We're hanging out this weekend man, I haven't seen you in forever," The voice was familiar. Michael. He grasped Ashton's hand and pulled him into a quick hug before breaking and patting him on the shoulder.
"Yeah sure, what's the plan?" Ashton questioned nonchalantly.
"There's a party downtown I've heard about, lots of beer, chicks, and music," he smirked as Ashton nodded his head.
"I don't know," Ashton chuckled as he rubbed his stubbled chin. I couldn't help but look over at the two of them as they spoke.
"Come on, what has gotten into you?" Michael laughed as he gave Ashton's chest a light shove.
"Nothing man," Ashton said quickly. "I'm in."
"Alright cool, I'll pick you up Saturday, I've got some ladies I'd like you to meet," Michael said quickly before turning around and walking away. I felt my body tense up before I realized I needed to let him live a little. Hopefully, I'd be able to trust him and not have to worry.
"I won't go if you don't want me to." He whispered once Michael was out of sight.
"No, go ahead," I smiled as I placed a hand on his chest and tugged at his tee shirt. "Have fun."
"Are you sure?" He mumbled as he looked down at me in confusion. I took a deep breath a prepared myself to say a set of words I was really hoping were true.
"Yes, I trust you."