Who Can Really Blame You?

“Hi,” Mitchell says when I answer the phone.

“Hey,” I say, pushing the hair from my face and sitting back on my heels, “Sup?”

“Nothing, just wanted to chill with you,” he says in a sing song voice.

I laugh a bit.

“What are you doing?” he asks me.

“Cleaning my bathroom,” I reply honestly.

“Woah, stop and come to the movies with me. I have to save your Friday night,” he says. I smile, and consider it.

“What movie, because I’m really over horror films,” I say seriously.

“Well, I was thinking you could pick,” he says.

I sigh, sitting back on my feet and considering it.

“Come meet me here when you can and we’ll go see a movie, unless you’re bringing one again,” I reply.

“I’ll bring one,” he says happily before hanging up. I sigh, and finish cleaning the bathtub out, before I wash my hands and go to change my dirty clothes.

“Ains, you do know that the movie’s over, right?” Mitchell asks me, shaking my shoulder. I open my eyes, and yawn. “Guess not,” he sighs, before shaking me again.

“I’m up,” I mutter into his shoulder.

“Come on, I’ll take you to bed,” he offers.

“Time’s it?” I ask.

“Like, 3 AM,” he replies before pulling at my arms, “Come on, get up.”

So I do. I shake his hands off of me, and stumble to my room, where I snuggle into my blankets happily.

“Goodnight Ains,” Mitchell says at the door.

“Where are you going?” I ask, looking up from my pillows.

“Home,” he replies.

“Too late,” I say, my face falling back into the pillow, “Sleep in the guest room.”

“You sure?” he asks me. I nod, and groan into the pillow.

“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning then,” he says and closes my door.

I’m pushing my cereal around the bowl, staring at it as it gets soggier. Mitchell finally says something.

“Are you really not going to date me because of the Carter guy?” he asks me suddenly. I look up from my cereal to him.

“You never even asked me,” I reply, looking back down. He sighs.

“Would you say yes?” he asks.

“Would you ask?” I ask him.

“Fine,” he says, rolling his eyes, “Ainsley, will you be my boyfriend?”

“Sure,” I reply, and take a bite of my cereal. I glance at Mitchell, who looks flabbergasted.

“Seriously?” he asks, staring at me. I nod.

“Yes,” I reply, “But don’t expect BJ’s and sex and shit. I’m a child.”

Mitchell rolls his eyes.

“Well, what do you want to do today?” Mitchell asks me, leaning on the table next to me.

“I know it’s our two week anniversary and all, but I actually have to go to the school to register for 11th grade sometime this week. Would you care to accompany me today?” I ask, “We might even run into my friends.”

“I guess,” he says, obviously not too psyched to meet a bunch of high-schoolers.

“You don’t have to,” I remind him.

“I want to hang out with you,” he shrugs, “Wanna leave soon?”

“Yeah, just let me get changed,” I say with a smile.

I enter the front doors of my high school to see, well everyone.

I stop a girl who was in my science class last year.

“Is it open house?” I ask. She nods, and runs to catch up with her friends. I sigh, take Mitchell’s hand, and pull him into the main office.

“Hello,” the secretary says, “Can I help you?”

“I need to register,” I say, “I went here last year, but I was emancipated over the summer, so my paperwork got all messed up in court.”

She nods, asks for my name, and starts looking around.

“When do you go back to school?” Mitchell asks me.

“Classes start in eight days,” the secretary says happily. I look to Mitchell and shrug.

“Mine already started,” he sighs. I pull him to the chairs and sit down with him.

“Oh here we are,” the secretary says, “Fill out the forms they give you in homeroom dear. That will take care of everything.”

“Thank you,” I say, and take my schedule. “Off to homeroom,” I say to Mitchell, who smiles. I can tell he’s bored though. I sigh.

I filled out more forms than I thought possible while sitting in my homeroom class. A ton of kids have greeted me, some people have said that they’re sorry about my dad. Mitchell keeps giving me looks but I just shrug and go back to writing.

“Done,” I say finally, and hand the folder to my homeroom teacher, who pops her gum and goes back to talking to a parent. “Do you mind if we go see my classes?” I ask Mitchell as we head down the hallway. His hand loosens on mine. “I know this is boring,” I sigh.

“It’s fine,” he assures me, “Let’s go.”

I smile brightly at him, and kiss his cheek quickly and pull him off to my first class.

“AINSLEY!” someone screams. I turn to see a blur of brown hair as Hadley hits me and we fall over.

“Hey babe,” I say, hugging her on the floor.

“Where have you been?” she insists, as we get up.

“Well, mostly with this guy,” I say gesturing to Mitchell, who waves awkwardly.

“Who’s this?” she asks, eying him.

“This is Mitchell, my boyfriend,” I say, smiling.

“Hi,” Mitchell says and shakes her hand.

“So where are the twins?” I ask.

She turns behind her and looks around.

“They should be right—”

“JOCOBS YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Talia screams as she emerges from a classroom.

“Young lady! Watch your mouth!” a teacher yells at her. She ignores him and runs to me as Tayler follows behind her.

“Hey,” I say, hugging them both.

“Who’s this?” Talia asks, noticing Mitchell first.

“This is my boyfriend,” I say, watching her expression change, “Mitchell.”

She sticks her hand out. “Nice to meet you,” she says.

“Same,” he replies, and waves to Tayler.

“Hey boy!” Talia yells down the hallway to someone, who turns and waves at her. I look away once Carter and I make eye contact.

“Carter, my man!” Tayler says, going to talk to him. Mitchell stares at me.

“I think we’d better go,” Mitchell says coldly. I nod, glancing at him.

“I’ll see you guys in school?” I ask.

“Yes,” Talia assures me, and hugs me

“Bye,” I call out. Mitchell holds my hand tighter as we pass by Carter, who I can tell is looking at me.

“What’s wrong?” I ask Mitchell.

“Don’t check out other guys in front of me,” he snaps.

“I… I wasn’t,” I say, taken aback.

“Oh yeah, right,” he says, throwing my hand from his grasp, “I could tell on your face that you still have it for that Carter kid.”

“I’m dating you,” I say, not denying it.

We don’t talk anymore.