"Ask him!"

"No!"

"Ask him!"

"I said no!"

Mona's scowl deepened as I gave her a death glare.

Behind us, Blake was oblivious to my hushed argument with his partner - well it started off in hushed tones but now we were kind of shouting at each other in loud whispers. He had his back to us, carefully pouring a chocolate batter into the oven tray.

"If you won't then I will!" Mona threatened.

Planting my hands on the graphite counter dividing us, I leaned forward and met her stubborn gaze, challenging her to stride up to Tyler and ask him to be my date for the homecoming dance this Friday.

Brown eyes regarded me, waiting for me to grow some balls and spit the question out at Tyler. But he was on the other side of the classroom whipping up the cream I had left him with. Occasionally he would glance up from the mixing bowl, scan the classroom before settling his heated gaze on me.

Blinking at Mona, I growled, "You wouldn't dare do that to me!"

She raised a thin eyebrow and a sly grin worked it's way on her wide mouth.

"Wanna bet?"

I reached forward and clamped my hands on her arms which were lain on the counter that separated us, supporting her entire weight. Surprised, she tried to pull free but I just tightened my hold and squeezed until her face twisted with pain.

"Okay! Okay! Fine I won't go up to him!" Mona rambled, cracking under my death glare. "Just let me go Ash!"

Satisfied with her word, I unclasped my hands and took a step back.

"Ow!" She whined, rubbing the red skin that I had just released. "You could have just asked nicely. No need to go all apeshit on my ass unless..." She trailed off and gave me a wicked smirk. "Unless you actually like him."

"I do not!"

She gave me an unconvinced look, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Really? Then why is it impossible to ask him to be your date. You'll be going as friends right?"

I nodded meekly, rubbing a hand over my eyes at the daunting horror that seeped through my chest. What if Tyler laughed in my face and refused to be seen with me? Why would he ever agree to go to with me of all people?

There wasn't really a selection of other guys I could ask, and at Riverdale, turning up without a date was worse than not turning up at all. I don't know who set the crazy standards but the dance was in two days; meaning that I had exactly forty-eight hours to get a date and a dress.

I had thought about asking Simon since Mona had turned him down, but one of Michelle's lackeys swooped in first. Most of the other guys either had a date or were going with girlfriends leaving me with no alternative but my Home Ec. partner.

I was certain Blake didn't have a date either, but that was because he was being strangely picky and turned down all the brave girls who asked him. Mona refused to ask him for that reason, terrified that he would turn her down too, even though I had a good feeling that he only blew off the other girls so he could say yes to her.

Dejected, I slumped my shoulders and stared out of the window as Mona eyed me with an exasperated look.

"Maybe I shouldn't bother going," I sighed heavily.

"No. No. No. Nope. Nuh uh. Hell no. Nada. Not happening. You are going whether you like it or not! Even if I have to walk up to Tyler and ask him for you! You are going to this damn dance, understand?"

She shook her head with each sentence, sending her ketchup coloured locks into her eyes. Her chin length bob had grown out and was now edging towards her shoulders, softening her cutting edge bone structure. Instead of attacking Mona or threatening her, I gave her a challenging smirk.

Two could play at her game.

"Fine, if you do that then I'll just ask Blake for you then!"

Her face paled and my smirk widened. I crossed my arms over my chest as she stole a nervous glance at the guy behind us. Then a thoughtful expression passed over her eyes, lighting them up.

"You know..." She trailed off and sucked on her bottom lip. "If I was to ask Blake to the dance  - and I'm speaking hypothetically here - would you ask Tyler? I mean, you did say that you would do it the other week."

True to her word, I vaguely remembered coming up with the proposition to silence her when we watched a movie at Blake's house.

"I wouldn't have a choice now, would I?" I shrugged my shoulders.

Fleeting nervousness pulled her lips down before she rearranged her features into an impassive mask.

"I see," She dragged out slowly, inhaling deeply as I gave her a puzzled look.

"I see what?" I echoed.

Mona's chocolate brown eyes flickered over her shoulders and her intention dawned upon me, hitting me face first like an incoming bus. As if on cue, Blake turned around to look at us, closing the oven door after gently easing the tray inside.

Oh what perfect timing!

Mona took a deep breath, gulping nervously as she beckoned Blake to join us. He padded over to us with an easy smile and loped an arm around her neck.

"You guys alright? Hope I'm not interrupting period stories and whatever it is you chicks get up to when I'm not around."

I laughed in response, keeping my eyes trained on Mona as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"No actually, I have something to ask you," Her voice came out squeaky like she had just inhaled helium.

Blake gave her questioning look before shooting me a panicked glance. He seemed worried by her sudden change in character, completely oblivious to what was going to happen. I bit my lip and drank the sight of Mona's red cheeks. I probably would have been anxious too. She looked like she was going to explode from holding her breath in.

Blake studied her face, concern radiating from his warm eyes. "What's up? You look like you're gonna hurl up that lasagne you had for lunch."

She stared at her feet before looking up at me. Her gaze slid past my shoulder at Tyler, who was busying himself by tidying up now that our carrot cake was in the oven and the cream was prepared. Guilt swelled through my chest for leaving him to fend on his own, but it disappeared when Mona's eyes slid to Blake.

Holy crap, she was actually going to do it!

"Doyouwannabemydateforthehomecomingdance?" She blurted out in one breath, doubling over to catch her breath.

Blake blinked, dropping his arm around her shoulder as he took a step back to look at her.

"What?" His voice was a mere echo.

She shuffled about and continued to stare at the ground.

"I said, do you want to be my date for homecoming?"

His green eyes lit up with excitement before they dulled, sliding across the classroom to Jonah and Simon who were currently arguing over who would ice their cake.

"Aren't you going with Simon?" He asked in an irritated tone and it took everything in me not to grin at his obvious jealousy.

She shook her head so hard the her hair slapped her cheeks.

"No, I turned him down this morning before homeroom. He seemed to be alright with it actually."

"Oh," Blake's eyes sparkled again, but this time they were tinged with slight embarrassment. "That's good, I guess."

Being impatient and extremely nervous, Mona eyed him carefully, rocking back and forth on her heels."So? Aren't you going to give me an answer?"

He met her nervous eyes and they stared at each other. I felt like I was invading a private moment so I cleared my throat. They both spared me a quick glance, dazed beyond belief, before jolting back into reality.

A wide smile broke out on his face. "Yeah sure. Course I'll go with you."

She blew out the breath she had been holding and nodded.

"Well that's just great," I drawled under my breath, ignoring the tight coil of wires that rubbed against my stomach.

However my friends didn't hear me. I don't think they could see me either considering the fact that they were gazing at each other. Chocolate brown eyes bored into pale green one, both alive with excitement like a crackling electrical wire that was sparked with infinite energy.

"Come on guys! Seriously?" I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest as they both snapped out of their daze. "Save all that gooey staring crap till later but for now, can we summon Jesus, Buddha or Allah to help me? I'll even take Guru Nanak if it means I can get out of this right now."

Flustered, they blinked at me as if they were trying to recall the situation at hand. Blake looked confused, shooting Mona a wary glance.

"Is she okay?" He whispered quietly and a sly smile wove it's way into Mona's lips.

"Depends on if she has a set of balls," She cocked her to the left and regarded me carefully. "I mean she is, after all, going to ask Tyler out before the end of this period."

Blake's head shot up in surprise. "She's gonna what?"

"You heard me," Mona crossed her arms over her chest.

His mouth fell open, wide enough to catch every single fly in the world.

"She's gonna what?" Blake repeated, unable to form any other sentence. It was like his brain shut down.

"I'm not gonna ask him out! And I'm not gonna ask him to be my date for the dance!" I hissed, holding Mona's gaze before glowering at Blake as he picked his jaw up off the ground.

"Oh yes you are!" She grinned slowly, baring all her teeth in the most devious smile ever. "Because if you don't, I will."

Blake's head snapped in her direction as he struggle to comprehend her words. He must have thought she was going to ask Tyler to be her date instead of him.

"Wait, hold on a second," He held up a hand to silence us. "Can someone explain what the hell is going on?"

I stole a glance over my shoulder at Tyler and groaned.

"Ashley's going to take her pretty ass back to her table and is going to whip out her ballsack and ask Tyler to be her date for the dance," Mona's brown eyes met mine, "Isn't that right Ash?"

I burned a hole through her head and pursed my lips as Blake gawked at me. A flicker of admiration crossed his eyes before he gave me a serious look.

"What makes you think he's going to say yes?" He shook his head, trying to save me from the humiliation of rejection. "I don't think this is a good idea Ash."

His soft tone made me realise the absurdity of the idea. At what point did I convince myself that Tyler Miller would agree to be my date? It was like I was overstepping the boundary between our friendship by pushing him to do something that insinuated more. We were just friends. Can friends be each other's dates for a dance?

"Don't listen to this asshat," Mona stepped forward, standing on her tiptoes to press her hands onto my shoulders. "Blake doesn't have a vagina. He doesn't see the things I see."

I met her gaze, scanning her tiny pupil and large brown iris. Amongst the expanse of chocolate brown, there were small flecks of honey that flickered with her certainty.

"Trust me Ash," She smiled softly. "You'll be surprised by Tyler's answer."

Being the head of the Drama Club may have had something to do with Mona's ability to adopt a sugary, persuasive tone that genuinely deceived me for a split second.

Then I blinked.

"No," I shook my head and stepped back so that her hands fell to her side. "I can't do this. It's crazy and stupid and reckless and I'd rather stay at home."

Blake gave me a sympathetic smile. "I've heard that Jonah still hasn't got a date. Maybe you could nab him even if he's the definition of a Class A douchebag."

Instantly my skin crawled and snippets of the party began flash behind my lids. All colour drained away from my face, leaving me pale as milk.

"Or maybe not," He dragged out, shooting me a concerned look. "You okay?"

I nodded and breathed deeply before straightening my shoulders.

"Yeah. Just the thought of being near that sleazeball is..." I shuddered. "I'd rather ask Tyler and get rejected a million times that be seen with Jonah."

A wide smile broke across Mona's lips, stretching them from one ear to the other.

"Great, so how about you go and do that?"

"Do what?"

She rolled her eyes and jerked her head in Tyler's direction.

"No no no," I shook my hands and took a step back. "You want me to do it now? Like right now?"

Doubt began to creep up on me, tiptoeing around my decision and a numbness seeped through my fingertips.

"I'd do it now before Michelle beats you to it," Her gaze slid to the brunette who kept shoot Tyler secretive glances.

My insides coiled up, tightening into thick, bulky knots. I nodded, keeping my gaze fixated in Mona.

"Fine, I'm only doing this to keep true to my word."

She nodded, giving me a sarcastic smirk.

"Sure, yes, whatever you say Obi-Wan Kenobi," Mona drawled, "Now hurry up! Lesson ends in ten minutes."

I gulped nervously, making no move to start walking away. Glue to the spot, I focused on the black and white tiles and dragged my sneakers across a wide crack that split on of the tiles in half.

"Don't be nervous Ash," Blake grinned and I scoffed.

"You were the one that just told me he's going to say no, but that's fine because that advice has given me unlimited confidence. Thanks asshole!" I muttered sarcastically, finally walking backwards as I edged away from my friends.

Each step felt heavy like I was yanking my foot out of quicksand.

"Good luck!" Mona chirped behind me.

Blake flashed me a dorky thumbs up before clamping both his hands onto my shoulders, spinning me around and guiding me away from their workspace. I glared at Mona over my shoulder, giving her a one least filthy look before I trudged back to Tyler. By the time I reached him, he was perched on the counter beside the oven and was scrolling through his phone.

"Hey," I breathed, leaning beside him.

Tyler locked his phone and slipped it into the pocket of his burgundy hoody before looking at me.

"Thanks for ditching me for..." He glanced at his bare wrist. "...I don't know, twenty minutes!"

"Sorry. Had to chat with Mona about...something important," I muttered sheepishly. "How's the cake?"

His gaze slid to the oven. "Should be done in about five minutes, I reckon."

A slightly awkward silence settled between us mainly because I kept fidgeting with my fingers instead of chattering like I usually did. Tyler noticed my apprehension but said nothing. He jumped off the counter and started to pack away the clean tools he had set aside to dry. I would have helped him but my fingers were trembling like I was suffering from a severe case of arthritis.

Although my staring must have been creeping him out, Tyler made no attempt to point it out like he usually did. My eyes followed him as he opened up the cupboards and stuffed the bowls inside.

His shoulders were relaxed and I knew that I had to pop the question sooner or later. He slipped on the oven gloves and crouched down beside the oven, gently easing the door open. The blistering heat made him scrunch up his eyebrows.

"This is pretty much what hellfire feels like," Tyler grunted, quickly snatching the oven tray out an slamming the door shut.

How was I supposed to casually drop the question? Should I make eye contact? Act coy? Twirl a curl around my finger?

"Ashley?"

Maybe I should smile, that way he'll be more inclined to feel sorry for me and say yes.

"Ashley?"

No, if I smile then he'll be put off because that's too upfront. Wouldn't it be weird if I just spat it out right now?

It wasn't until Tyler gently poked my cheek with a skewer that I snapped out of my whirlwind of thoughts.

"Earth calling to Ashley?" He pressed the cold metal against my cheek once more.

"What?" I snapped, smacking it away half-heartedly.

"I asked you like five times if you wanted to taste the cake first."

I blinked slowly. "You did?"

He laughed and pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah and you were just looking through me - totally spaced out," Tyler's eyebrow rose in amusement.

A flush crept along my cheeks and I tore my gaze away from his. Focusing on the steam that rose from the carrot cake, I fiddled with the loose threads fraying the sleeves or my flannel shirt.

"Umm, I think you should be the first," I mumbled in a small voice.

Tyler gave me a strange look but shrugged his shoulders and handed me the knife.

"Then you, my royal highness, may have the honour of cutting the cake," He winked and I let out a nervous laugh even though I was freaking out.

Tyler just winked at me: he closed and opened his left eye quickly to indicate his joke. Speechless, I blinked like the total idiot I was.

I didn't even know he could do that. Close one eye and open it again.

"Wow," I choked under my breath, gawking a him before turning my attention to the cooling tray.

The tawny brown cake was oblong instead of circular and was flatter on one side, but the overwhelming scent of carrot and orange zest made my nose receptors tingle with anticipation.

"Aren't you going to layer it with the cream?" I asked but Tyler shook his head.

His gaze flickered to the clock at the front of the class. "The bell's gonna ring in five minutes. I think it's better to put the cream in the fridge and use it tomorrow."

I nodded at his logical explanation and paused. Should I ask the question now or after I cut the cake? Closing my eyes, I reassured myself that it wasn't the end of the world if Tyler says no. But the thought of ending up with Jonah made me shudder.

If Tyler doesn't accept my offer then I sure as hell will not be going to the dance. I don't care if people laugh.

"Are you going homecoming?" I broke the silence, eyeing the tiny cracks that ran through the cake like the wrinkles on an old person.

Tyler scoffed. "Now why on earth would I go to that lame excuse for a dance?"

I shrugged my shoulders, letting them sag as I held a knife over the cake.

"I, umm, don't know," I pursed my lips as I cut two equal slices. "It was kind of fun last year."

"I'm sure it was," He drawled, holding out his palm as I handed him a slice.

I focused on my own slice, watching crumbs fall to my feet and dot the white square tile with brown spots.

"Would you go if you had a date?" I asked curiously.

Tyler gave me a strange look, raised an eyebrow and watched me nervously tuck a curl behind my ear.

"Depends on who my date is," He replied slowly, studying my face as I tried to bite back a smile.

Good, I thought. I still had a chance. A slim chance, but nonetheless a shot at getting him to be my date.

"But given the selection of girls at this school, that would be highly unlikely." He continued and my hope shattered like glass.

I pursed my lips and stared at my sneakers, studying the dirty, brown laces that were once stark white. They pooled around the floor and I made a mental note to tie them again before the end of class.

"What if I asked you to the dance?"

The question made Tyler freeze, leaving his slice hovering just before his mouth. Slowly, he put the cake slice down and turned his body to the side so that he was facing me.

"You?" His voice sounded tight like there was a squeaky balloon wedged in his throat. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he gulped nervously.

I fiddled with the hair behind my ears until they came loose and fell around my face like a curtain.

"Yeah," I squeaked, terrified to meet his burning gaze.

A knife-edge silence settled between and the only sounds I could hear were his shallow breaths, background chatter and water running from the tap of the neighbouring group's sink.

Startled, I saw his sneakers enter my line of vision, stopping just before mine. A thumb and forefinger clipped my chin, tilting my head up and I shuddered at the idea of meeting his eyes.

They were soft and bright. A crooked smile pulled the corner of his lips up.

"What colour is your dress?"

My insides dipped and my mouth fell open.

"What?" I choked, wide eyed and astonished.

"Cat got your tongue?" Tyler laughed. "What's with the look Ash? Surprised?"

I nodded really quickly, not trusting myself to speak until his fingers fell from my chin.

"I just thought...I thought you'd say no," I shook my head and pushed my hair away from my face. "Oh, never mind."

The wide grin that stretched my lips from ear to ear threatened to split my face in half. I couldn't believe it. Tyler Miller, said yes, to me, Ashley Martin! Who in the world would have ever thought that would ever happen?

My limbs itched to conduct a happy dance around the classroom, but I guess that could wait until I got home. Those moves were reserved for the four walls that made up my bedroom, and those four walls alone.

"Well if going with you means that pesky bitch over there will stop asking me, then sure, I'll spend a few hours at a lame dance." Tyler's smiled down at me before sliding his gaze over my shoulder where the other groups where hastily packing away.

I followed his gaze to the 'pesky bitch' and my stomach dropped to the ground.

"Michelle?" I squawked, snapping my head back in his direction.

Tyler nodded and rolled his eyes. "You'd think she'd understand that I'm not interested in the likes of her after making that mistake two years ago but the girl is persistent, I'll give her that."

I cleared my throat but couldn't seem to shift the huge boulder that was adamant on staying put.

"I didn't know you two were on..." I bit my lip and swallowed the lump until it plummeted into my stomach like an anvil. Why was I upset? He had said yes to me. "...speaking terms."

Tyler pushed his hair back and clamped his scalp, massaging his temples before shooting me an exasperated look.

"If speaking terms is defined as being deep throated with her bullshit questions asking why I dumped her...then I guess yeah."

The irritation that coated his voice did little to ease the ringing in my ears. I turned my head to the side so he couldn't see my face and let out a shaky breath before rearranging my features into an impassive mask.

All I could reply with was, "Oh, well that must be...annoying."

He only said yes to me so that Michelle could understand that no meant no. Suddenly I regretted asking Tyler to the dance. I tried excuse myself, but he gripped my wrist and gave me a concerned look.

"Where are you running off to? There's still a minute left till the bell."

My unease went undetected and Tyler dragged us towards the wooden hangers beside the window. I loped my apron over my head and handed it to him, desperate to escape Michelle's death glare when Tyler led us to our desks.

We grabbed out bags and coats, then joined the large huddle of people that piled out of the classroom seconds after the bell rang. Meanwhile my friends tried to catch my eye but I pursed my lips and looked straight ahead, focusing on the back of Simon's light brown hair.

I felt Tyler's lips against my ear before his toe-curling, warm breath sent waves of heat through my body.

"So are you gonna tell me the colour of your dress or not?" He whispered loudly when Michelle sauntered past us.

"Probably red, unless I find time to buy a new dress." I grunted in a tone devoid of enthusiasm.

Her head snapped in our direction and she came to a sudden halt. For a moment I thought she was going to confront us both but her eyes slid to mine, cold and accusatory.

Instinctively, I pressed myself closer to Tyler to inch away from her death glare. He seemed to sense my unease and slung an arm my shoulder. He steered me through the corridors to my locker, away from the red-faced girl who burned a hole through the back of my head.

Once I picked up the two novellas I needed for my next class, Tyler insisted on walking me to English Literature and I wondered if this was starting to become a habit. This was like the fourth time he'd walked me to my next class and although it was very pleasant, I didn't understand why he would risk being late to his own next class.

"You're awfully quiet," Tyler stole a glance at me and dropped his arm from my shoulder when we reached Mr Reid's classroom.

Once again, we were on the verge of being late and there was nothing I wanted to do more than run into the classroom but I spotted Michelle in her seat, glowering at me from behind her compact mirror.

"I'm just tired," I replied quickly, turning my back to the class and facing him.

It was true to some extent. I was incredibly exhausted after waking up from another nightmare this morning but my thoughts were also scattered everywhere because of Tyler's reason for being my date. My mind struggled to make sense of my numbing disappointment and I couldn't quite comprehend why I felt so downcast that I was an excuse to fight off another girl.

I guess it didn't help that the other girl was Michelle Harte, but even then, it shouldn't have mattered to me.

I thought I was over everything that happened in ninth grade.

Nothing could explain the heaviness weighing me down, but when he planted two hands on my shoulders and rooted me to the spot, I was forced to look up and acknowledge his concern.

"What's wrong Ash?"

I wanted to blurt, "Everything."

But insteade I forced my lips to curl upwards. With a small smile, I brightened my eyes and straightened my hunched shoulders.

"Nothing," I lied, trying to convince myself just as much him. "Nothing's wrong."

Tyler pursed his lips, studying my face before his eyes slid over my head and into my classroom.

"What is it with your class and their inability to mind their own business?"

I turned around and my cheeks began to prickle when I caught Mona wave seductively at me. I grimaced when she made a shooing motion, coaxing me to continue being the class entertainment. With a grunt, a couple of profanities tumbled out of my mouth in a one long rush making Tyler laugh.

"Don't worry, they haven't seen the finale of the show yet."

Bewildered, I narrowed my eyes at him as a very small smirk tugged the corners of his lips. Before I could protest, he leaned towards me and cupped my face. I tried to wriggle out of his iron grip but that only made him tighten his hold.

"Tyler, let go of m‒"

My hiss was silenced when he placed a finger on my lips and grinned at me. After a moment, his head soared passed my face and his hot breath tickled my ear.

"Right now, they can't see our faces and think we're making out. Let them wank over that. Morons."

"Tyler!" I screeched.

In an instant, I planted my hands onto his chest and shoved him as hard as I could. I registered the surprise on his face and felt smug about it for a split second. Except as an instinctive response, his fingers latched onto my wrist, pulling me with him as we both crashed into the opposite row of lockers with a loud thud.

"Nice improvisation Ash," He chuckled in a deep rumbling laugh, ruffling my hair as he peeled me off his chest. "See you around."

Exasperated, I trudged into the classroom feeling the weight of about twent pair of eyes follow me to my seat. Mr Reid barked at me when the shrill bell rang, making me jump out of my skin and hurtle to my table in the second row faster than the speed of light.

Mona's rabid brown eyes regarded me with a ravishing look, hungry for details.

"Did you just...holy mother of Jesus, I must be dreaming. Did you just...Oh my god, the feels! The feels are going to kill me!" She let out a delighted squeal before dissolving into hysterical giggles. "Did you just hanky panky with Mr Grumpy?"

Silence fell as I shook my head and shot her a death glare.

"Oh Ash," Mona cooed in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Don't insult my eyesight. It was like the intro to a porno. Kissing, shoving, a little bit of talking...It's a shame you guys kept it PG rated. Half our class is eighteen, just saying."

I shot daggers in her direction, lifting a finger and prodding her chest. With a growl, I narrowed my eyes at her.

"One more word out of your mouth and I will hammer your lips together."

She threw her head back and laughed.

"Like you nearly hammered Tyler?"

My palm smacked her upside the head and her sharp intake of breath made me smile smugly. Silence fell at our table, alive with electricity as Mona's brown eyes sparkled with hunger for details. Her lips parted and she took a deep breath like a diver getting ready for a plummet into the ocean. I clamped a hand over her mouth, but still, I felt her manic grin widen.

And then the interrogation started.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[A/N: Pic of Blake on the side ;) Isn't he a fine piece of ass lol.

Umm, I'd say Mona is pretty crazy and if she was my friend I'd go out of my mind haha. Can't wait for the homecoming dance, can you?

Next chapter: Confrontation With The Bitch

I'll see you in three days. It's 2 am right now and I'm beyond exhausted, both mentally and emotionally.

Vote and drop me a comment. They make me haaaaaaapppy :D

- Kaddy ]