Page 20 of Fractured Mind
I trace her gaze to the clock. “Oh, crap!” I respond and hurry to my room. When I pick up my phone off the bed, there’s a message from Ruby.
Bring your swimsuit. We’re going to the beach after school.
I pull out the first piece of clothing that catches my eye—a navy, summery dress—then open multiple drawers until I find the swimsuits and take out a white bikini set. As I’m getting changed, Ruby’s loud car pulls up, and I’m ready just in time. I swing my bag over my shoulder and dash down the stairs and out through the door leading outside.
As I reach the car, Ruby whistles at me. I peer down at my outfit. “Should I go change? Is it too much?” The last thing I want is to draw more attention to myself.
“No way! Get in, hot stuff.”
On the way, Ruby asks, “Have you been to the beaches yet?”
“I’ve only seen the one at the bottom of the hill near Nana’s house.”
“There’s so much for you to see around here.”
I’m excited about venturing out and exploring the town.
When we arrive at school, she parks the car in the same spot as the day before. These four must have their own parking spots.
“I asked the guys if they wanted to come.”
Everyone seeing so much of my skin makes me cringe internally. My heart rate spikes when my eyes land on Ashton. They’re all standing in front of their cars, like they were yesterday. I follow Ruby over to them but tune out their conversation and look through my phone. The Instagram pageI started yesterday has over five hundred new notifications. “What the...?”
“Everything all right?” Ruby asks before looking down at my phone. “You have everyone in town requesting to follow you.”
“Really? But they don’t know me. Why follow me on social media?” I joined up only because Ruby told me I should.
“Because you’re friends with us,” Levi replies, like I should have known the answer. “Are you coming to the beach this arvo?”
“Arvo?” I repeat.
His eyes mock me. “Afternoon,” he says to clarify.
My brows pull in. “Why didn’t you just say that?”
He scoffs. “I’m Aussie.”
“Yes,” I reply. “I’m going to the beach thisarvo.”
Everyone begins walking into the school, but Ashton waits and walks in with me. There’s a brief silence before he speaks. “Can we get to know each other again?”
I croak out, “Sure.”
He blesses me with a swoon-worthy smile. It’s contagious, and I end up grinning back at him.
We separate once we arrive at the lockers. After I collect everything, I close my locker to see someone standing in my personal space. They’re making me feel claustrophobic. Stepping back, I see it’s the girl who glared at me in class.
She stands with her hands on her hips. “Have you got something going on with Ashton?” Her blunt tone catches me off guard. I’m not comfortable with confrontation. People walk past us slowly, casting curious stares.
“I just met him.”
She blinks and presses her shiny pink lips together. “So you aren’t after him?”
My only thought is that I’d rather avoid dealing with girl drama.
A figure appears beside me, and I glance up to see Jackson. When she sees him, her facial expression transforms into a flirty smile. She twirls her hair with one hand. Jackson stares her down. His tattoos make him look even more intimidating. “Stay away from her,” he demands. Her mouth gapes open, and mine does too. “Now,” he grits out. She steps back, giving me one more side-glare, then rushes away.
Relief slows my heartbeat. “Should I be saying thanks?”