Remembering Sunday

“Hey Frank!” I called out.
“WHAT?” he shouted back down the stairs.
“Um, you gotta take me and Oli to school!”
“Fine, I’m coming!”

A few seconds later my brother walked down the stairs in a pair of Superman boxers and nothing else.

“Oh God! Frank go put some clothes on!”

I looked away and put my hand up to block my view of him even more. He mumbled an apology before walking back upstairs to get changed.

“Whoa, Frank! Go put some clothes on bro’, there are girls in the house.”

I rolled my eyes at my brother Oli’s stupidity as he walked past me into the kitchen. I followed him and grabbed a pop tart and sat at the table eating it, watching my Mom feeding our newest member of the family, Millie, and watching my other sister, Caley, rushing downstairs to quickly eat a bowl of cereal and then wait for our Dad to take her to HER school.

I was still smiling at Millie when she threw her spoon up in the air and it landed on my T-shirt and slid down to my jeans.

“Millie!”

I gave the spoon back to my Mom and ran back upstairs to quickly change. I ran past my Dad and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he left for work.

I got to my room and shed the T-shirt and jeans that I was currently wearing and put on a pair of red and black checked skinny jeans, a blue All Time Low T-shirt with three monsters on it and my black My Chemical Romance sweater with the word Revenge in big red lettering across the front and the my chemical romance font on the left side. Hey what can I say, I like to support my brother’s band.

I ran back downstairs and slipped on my all black converse before finally tying up my newly long blue hair in a loose high ponytail. I grabbed my Slipknot rucksack, said goodbye to my Mom and Millie and made my way out the door and into Frank’s Camaro.

“Hey Frank, you need to check the engine.” I said before sticking my iPod in my ears and blocking out any other sound.

Out of the corner of my eye I could see my two brothers seemingly arguing over something so out of interest pulled my headphones out. It didn’t work they stopped talking.

“Um, guys what were you talking about?”
“Nothing, Ash.”
“Yes you were, I saw you. If it’s about Jason then don’t worry I know what he does behind my back but I’m sorting that out next week.”
“How did you know about that?” Oli asked his mouth hanging open.
“I saw it happen on my way home the other night and then I saw it again during lunch yesterday.”
“Oh, sorry Ash.”
“Ah well, it was going to happen. I mean it’s our school and he’s the quarterback and I’m the top ‘emo’ kid.”
“True, true. Hey, Gee keeps asking me when you’ll come over next so do you wanna come with me to the studio tomorrow, I think that he wants you on one of the tracks.” Frank said.
“That would be awesome. I miss the guys but I’ve been so wrapped up in GMOL that I sort of forgot to turn up last week, sorry.”
“That’s cool, here we are. Now get out you two.”
“Thanks Frank. Don’t worry school finishes in about a week so you’ve only got five more days of driving us everywhere.”
“Whatever, oh, by the way, do you guys have practice after school?”
“Yeah but it’s here so could whoever is coming to pick us up come here at about five o’clock?”
“Cool, bye.”
“Bye Frank.”

He drove off and Oli and I walked towards the school that had made our lives a living hell for the past two years and in Oli’s case, three years.

We walked in and went our separate ways. I made my way to the sophomore homeroom while Oli made his way to the junior homeroom. I walked in and sat down next to my two best friends, Magenta Greene and Tiffany Gaskarth.

“Oh, Ashley!” Tiffany complained when she saw my shirt.

I looked over at her and noticed that we matched. Tiffany had always loved All Time Low and she shared the same last name as the lead singer but every time we suggested going to one of their concerts she refused even if we offered to buy her a ticket.

We walked to English together and took our usual seats in the back.

“Okay girls and boys… Miss Iero!” my teacher, Mr. Crowster barked.
“Yes Sir?”
“Are you wearing a wig?”
“Uh, no. Why?”
“You’re hair is blue. Blue is not a natural hair color.”
“Oh, well done Mr. Crowster that’s very smart of you.”

He threw his bag on the floor and pointed at the door.

“Ashley Iero get out of my classroom right now!”

I rolled my eyes at him and walked out. I leant against the wall and closed my eyes.

“Ashley!”

I opened my eyes to see two of my friends sitting against the wall of the science room.

“Drake, Derek! What did you get kicked out for?”
“Teasing our newest lab partner about her wannabe emo style. How about you?”
“My hair. Well, that and talking back to the teacher.”

They laughed and Drake clapped my achievement. Did I mention that Derek and Drake are twins. Well, they are and identical at that. The only way to tell them apart is that Derek has bigger hair when it’s spiked up and Drake has snakebite piercings while Derek has a tongue piercing.

Before I tell you what happened next let me just explain the worst part of our school. It was big on the stereotyping. For example, me and my friends were labeled as the ‘emo rock band group’ then you had the standard ‘emos’ and ‘losers’ after that it was the normal kids who could be anything they wanted but were usually the ‘wannabes’ then at the very top of the food chain you had the ‘preps’ and the ‘jocks’ along with the rich kids.

Derek and I were trying to push against these rules by me dating the football team’s quarterback and he was dating the head cheerleader. However, in reality, him and me had been seeing each other for the past six months in secret and on the last day of the year we were going to break it off with our current boyfriend and girlfriend. Making a big scene in the process of course.

“Derek, baby what are you doing out here?” It was Kayla Derek’s current girlfriend.
“Me and Drake were kicked out of science for teasing one of the wannabe emos. Ash got kicked out for talking back to the teacher and her hair color.”
“Hey, Kayla.” I gave her a little wave and she rolled her eyes at me.
“Um, baby, are you going to pick me up from cheerleading practice?”
“I don’t know Kayla, I’ve got band practice. We’re playing for the glee club tonight.”
“You’re playing for THOSE freaks? Why?”
“Because it’s getting us recognition even if it is just within the school.”
“Oh, okay, I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.”

She leant down for a kiss but Drake skillfully got in the way. She left in a huff and I couldn’t help myself so I ended up rolling across the floor, ninja style.

“You gonna keep me out of the way Drake?”
“No, I like you Ash. You’re one of my best friends.”
“Okay Drake, take your hands off of my girlfriend.”

I sat up and gave Derek a kiss and then turned around so that I was leaning against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me.

“Is the plan still on for next week?”
“Well, my arms are wrapped around you and I happily just gave you an amazing kiss so I would say yes.”
“Don’t flatter yourself Derek, the kiss was good.”
“What?”
“You’ve gotten better. I’ve taught you well.”

Drake started laughing at his brother and Derek smacked him around the back of his head.

We were talking to each other when the bell rang. We stood up and went to our next lesson. Mine was Spanish with… you guessed it, Drake and Derek.

We got there and were soon joined by Tiffany and Magenta as well as Oli and Josh.

I sat next to Derek in the back while Drake sat on the other side of Derek and then Tiffany was sitting next to Drake. Magenta sat next to Josh and Oli in the row in front of us. Magenta still turned around to talk to me.

When Kayla walked in with her little group of so-called friends. Only one of them would stay her friend after this week and stay friends with her next year as her ‘best friend for life’.

She looked over to where we were all sitting as a group and motioned for Derek to sit over by her but he just shrugged.

“Sorry Kayla, I can’t get out.”
“Yeah well, Jason will be here in a second so Ashley get out and let me sit next to my boyfriend.”

Just as she said this Jason came waltzing in with HIS group of football players.

“Hey babe. Come sit with me.”

I shrugged to my friends and went to sit next to my boyfriend.
“Hey babe. I didn’t catch you earlier.”
“Sorry, I was kicked out of the classroom. So I had to run as soon as the bell went so that I wasn’t taken to the principal.”
“You are ALWAYS getting into trouble.” He said.

He gave me one of his creepy smiles.

“What?”
“Tonight, you, me at my house, my parents are away for the weekend so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”
“Jason… no. I’ve already told you that I’m not ready for that yet.”
“Oh come on babe, you know you want to.”
“No I don’t want to. I’m only sixteen.”
“Fine. I’m sure that I can change your mind this weekend.”
“I’ll come to your house but I’m not doing THAT.”
“We’ll see about that.”

I sighed and was secretly freaking out on the inside. I could stand up to Jason when we were around other people but on our own he was too strong for me to resist physically.

The teacher walked in and the lesson started. When it was finished Jason took me out to the lunch area before I could get to my friends and sat me down next to him and the rest of the football team.

“Hey Ashley, come with me a minute.” Jason whispered in my ear.
“Okay.” I was confused but followed him anyway.

As we walked past my group of friends sitting under our favorite tree, I sent them a frantic look. Derek caught it but Kayla turned his head towards her and kissed him. Sending me a death stare in the process.

Jason pulled me behind the school and by the dumpsters. All of the drug addicts were standing there getting the latest input and stared at us when Jason pushed me up against the closest dumpster.

“Get out of here freaks.” He told them.

They quickly left and went to find some other quiet place to get the rest of their latest input.

“I don’t think that I can wait for tonight and I can’t wait for your permission, it may never come otherwise.”

I looked at him and soon realized what he was doing.

“Jason, no. Please don’t.”

He put his hand over my mouth and put a finger to his lips. He planted kisses all down my collarbone and along my neck. He undid my belt and slowly started to unbutton my jeans.

He was about to pull down the zipper on my jeans when we heard somebody coming round the corner. I recognized the voices. It was Drake and Josh.

“Drake! Josh!” I called out.

That was a mistake. Jason smacked me around the face and covered my mouth again.

“Ashley? Did you hear that Josh?”
“Yeah.”

The voices were getting closer now and just as Jason had pulled my jeans down I saw Drake emerge from around the corner of the school with Josh in tow.

“Ashley what the hell?” he asked.

I screamed and Jason smacked me again.

Drake grabbed Jason by the collar and pushed him up against another one of the dumpsters.

“That’s Ashley you pervert!”
“Hey Drake.” Jason smirked at him.
“You’re disgusting. Didn’t you ever hear don’t hit a girl?”
“I have heard that before but I always thought of it as an old wives’ tale.”

Drake punched Jason in the face and he dropped to the floor. Drake kicked him a couple of times and then came over to me and helped Josh to get me to stand up.

“Ashley, what happened?”
“He… can you take me to the guys and then I’ll tell you.”
“Sure, come on.”

I leant against Drake as he supported me all the way to the tree. I sat down and Tiffany hugged me.

“Hey Ash I thought that you were never going to show up… Ash what’s wrong and why are Drake and Josh supporting you?”
“Jason took me to the dumpsters and tried to… to… well, these two saw what happened.”
“Oh my God Ash.”

She hugged me again and the rest of my friends turned to look at me.

“You know what, I can’t do this anymore. Ashley, you promised me something and you lied!”

I turned my head to see where the yelling was coming from. I saw Jason emerging from behind the dumpsters with a couple of cuts on his face and a nosebleed.

“No Jason! You listen to me now! I never liked you, you just creep me out and you scared me! So maybe it took you nearly having your way with me but you and me are over! People call me a freak but you Jason are the real freak!”

I had just attracted the attention of the whole school. Jason didn’t like this so he moved closer to me.

“You so much as touch her again there four of us here who would happily stop you.” Derek stood up and moved in front of me.
“I’m not afraid of going up against four girls. Oh wait, I’m sorry, you’re guys, I just thought cause you wear girl pants and eyeliner.”
“Jason! Forget about it! We are over! So you can go find some cheerleader to follow you around and do your bidding! Get out of my sight!”

He walked off in a huff and I took a deep breath. That felt so good.

“Wait. I have something to say as well. Kayla. Stand up.”

She stood up and gave me a death stare, I just turned down her brother.

“Baby, what is it?”
“Oh, God, let me just explain, I don’t like you. You’re one of the preppiest girls that I have ever met. The last time I took you out you took an hour to do just your make-up. Kayla we are through!”

She started to walk off but then she turned around and walked over to me. She slapped me around the face and smiled.

“You have NO idea just how long that I’ve wanted to do that for.”
“Oh no that’s okay here let me make us even.”

I slapped her across the face and her smile disappeared.

“I know what’s going on! You two are already together and you needed to get rid of me and Jason before you could be public.”
“Okay, I’ll admit, that was one of our motives but otherwise we just told you and Jason why we are breaking it off with you.”
“You two are SO not going to last.”
“Really because last time I checked. I love Ashley and there is no one that I want to be with more.”

She walked off for the last time and I turned to Derek.

“What?” He looked worried.
“You just said that you loved me.”
“Well, it’s the truth. I do love you and there’s definitely not anyone that I want to be with more than you.”
“Guess what.”
“What?” he smiled at me.
“I love you too.”

I moved closer to him and stood on my tip-toes and kissed him. We stayed kissing for five minutes until I heard someone growl.

I pulled away from Derek and saw my brother tearing up pieces of grass and mumbling to himself.

“Oli, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong Ashley? I’m sitting here having to see my best friend making out with my sister every time I look up. It’s wrong and weird.”

I laughed and ruffled his hair and carried on kissing Derek.