Chapter 8

All the students at the school were feeling exhilarated about the upcoming carnival at their town. Ann had told Katherine that the carnival was a prime celebration in the town. Every resident, rich or poor, living there, came together to celebrate it ones a year. It was grand every year. She was really excited to take Katherine to witness the carnival.
The students from various schools, were asked to help in setting up entertainment and food stalls. 
“May be you will meet your prince charming there.” Ann nudged on Katherine's arm with toothy smile.
“I don't need a prince charming, Ann.” Replied Katherine with a boring countenance.
“I know cause you already have one.” 
“Excuse me?”
“There. Don't look immediately. Three o'clock.” Ann pointed her eyes to Ashton who strode across the hall towards Katherine.
Ashton was looking dashing in his light blue shirt and dark coloured pants. His shirt sleeves were rolled near his elbow. His hair was dishevelled and falling on his forehead. He stopped right in front of Katherine, towering over her petite form. Every student walking by the hall, stood on their track to watch the scene which was taking place. 
Katherine stood there dumbstruck, not knowing how to react. 
“Wha.. What are you doing here?” she stammered.
He looked at her shocked face for a few seconds and felt that she was the most pretty creature in the whole world. She had amazingly big blue eyes which were wide open and her baby pink lips were slightly ajar as if she had difficulty breathing through her nose. Her chest heaved up and down. He wanted the moment to freeze right there and get lost in her beauty.
“Will you accompany me to the carnival, Katherine?” Asked Ashton nonchalantly, moving more closer to her that she could almost feel his breathe on her forehead. Her nostrils were filled with his musky scent which were making the butterflies in her stomach flutter violently. Her breath became uneven and her legs were becoming weak that they could no longer balance her weight. 
For a moment, she thought of giving in and agreeing to him. But the sane part of her mind stopped her from doing so. 
Mustering up all the strength left in her body, she brought both her hands in between them and pushed him away with all the force she’d got. She started walking away from him turning on her heels when he pulled at her arms.
“Can you at least have the courtesy of answering my question?” Ashton gritted his teeth.
“What answers do you want? I already gave you my damn answer. I do not want to go out with you.” She emphasised the last sentence and started walking.
Ashton looked around only to see so many people looking at the scene with shock written all over their faces. Who, in their right mind would reject Ashton Schwimmer, the town's most attractive guy. 
But Ashton knew that Katherine would reject him, that is why she was different from the other girls but he would do anything to make her accept him one day. He took it as a challenge to make her fall for him and he was not the type to back away from it.

He just shook his head and walked towards his friends who were equally shocked like the others.
“Ashton, are you out of your effing mind?” cried out Judy. “What does she even think about herself to insult you like that in front of so many people?”
He looked at her friends. Except for Laura, who was having a sympathetic look on her face, all his other friends were fuming with anger. 
Callie was seething in angrer at him for asking that conceited girl out yet again but she chose to remain silent.
“She is so dull and haughty. What do you like so much about that bitch?” added Judy.
Ashton was enraged hearing those words coming from her mouth.
“If you speak another word ill about her, then that will be the end to our friendship.” he held her shoulder and pushed her away.
No one dared to speak another word after that. Callie walked away angrily, clearly showing her disapproval. 
“It is okay, Ashton. Give her sometime. She's just got some trust issues but I know she will agree to you soon. Just, don't give up hope, alright?” Laura comforted her friend, rubbing his back.
Ashton smiled at her, “I know and no way I'm giving up on her... Thanks for you support Laura. I'll see you later. I have a class in another ten minutes.”
Patting her shoulder, Ashton walked to his class.
“Are you crazy, Laura? Why are you giving him fake hopes? That girl is clearly not interested.” Rebuked Michael 
“who knows? May be she is already seeing someone.” Added Noah.
“I think Ashton should be dating Callie. You are unnecessarily bringing that new girl in between them.” 
Laura’s eyes welled up with unshed tears from the accusations. She quietly started walking away without answering her friends. 
She sauntered behind Judy and Callie, stopping behind the room door. 
“Ashton is so out of his mind. Why is he going all crazy about that lass?” She heard Judy speaking to Callie. She did not hear any response from Callie, in return. For a minute she thought if she was really driving a wedge between Callie and Ashton by bringing Katherine into the picture.
“I think you should be the one to date him. You two make the best couple together. What if he is scared of asking you out, thinking you would be upset with him? You should ask him out, if he doesn't ask you first.” 
“Judy, I'm not waiting for him to ask me out, neither is he. We are best friends and we are not going to date.” She chided Judy.
“Are you sure about that? Because I could see the frustration in your eyes when he asked her out, Cal.”
“ That's because I was upset with him, just the way you are with him. I couldn't stand seeing my friend getting insulted by anyone. Nothing more than that.” She tried to make her understand the reason for her gloomy mood in the most polite manner.
“Alright, if you say so.” Mumbled Judy
Laura was more than relieved hearing that. At least, now she knew for sure that she hadn't done any damage to their friendship. She would have happily helped them if they wanted to date each other but she knew better than anyone that Ashton and Callie were nothing but best buddies.
Now all she wanted was, Katherine to understand Ashton and agree to give it a try. At the same time she couldn't risk Katherine's friendship by pressurizing her to date Ashton.
*******************
Katherine went and locked herself up in a nearby restroom. She sat on the toilet seat placing her elbow on her thigh, resting her forehead on her palms. What was he thinking? How can she even think of something like that? Agreeing to Ashton means knowingly, breaking her own heart.
She could not understand her own emotions. How can she be feeling so weak and fragile because of Ashton? What was he doing to her, that no other guy has?
She kept thinking when she heard Ann calling her.
“Katherine, are you alright?”
“Yeah. Yeah. Just give me a minute.”
She came out and saw her friend pacing up and down, worriedly.
“That was so brave of you, Katherine. No one would have ever done that. Though, he could have been your prince charming.” Ann felt a bit sorry for Ashton there. 
“I told you..” Ann did not let her to finish her sentence.
“I know. I know. You don't need a prince charming.” She said shaking her head. “But think about it, Katherine, he may be the one for you.”
“I do not want to talk about this, Ann. Let's go.”
Nodding her head, Ann trailed behind her friend silently. She was aware how stubborn her friend could be at times and she did not want to pry anymore.
In the evening, Katherine was working at the cafe when she saw Ashton enter in. She did not want to take the order, so she sent Myra, the other girl working there. She happily accept her offer, after drooling over Ashton.
“Om my gosh, he is so hot. I thought you were straight?” Entering the freezer room, Myra questioned Katherine.
“I am straight.” Replied Katherine smiling at her.
“Then how could you not take his order?” Myra eagerly asked her.
'That's because he makes my insides turn out and I want to stay the hell away from him.' She wanted to say but instead she said, “That's because I'm busy.” 
“Seriously? I would never give up taking an order from such a guy for anything, though. Anyways, he winked at me.” Squealed Myra like a four year old. 
“Good for you.” Said Kathy blandly. 
Katherine handed her Ashton's order and helped the others. 
Myra came back with the plate in her hand, wearing a sour expression and handed her the plate. 
“What's wrong?” Katherine asked confused.
“He wants you to bring him his order. Do you know him?” She was clearly pissed off at Katherine.
She stayed silent for a while. Why was he doing that to her? As if it was not enough for the whole school to know, now everyone in the cafe would know that he is interested in her and she would look like a vain, arrogant person for not going out with him.
Snatching the plate from her hand, she walked to where he was seated, he smirked the moment he saw her walking, fuming with anger. 'Oh how pretty she looked when her cheeks were red with anger!' He was thinking while tapping the table softly with his finger tips. He made no attempt to look away from Katherine even for a milli second.
The moment she placed the plate on the table, Ashton caught her hand and pulled her on to the nearby chair. To say, Katherine was shocked would be an understatement. She turned around to see if anyone was looking at them.
“Ashton?” she whisper yelled through gritted teeth.
“My name sounds so wonderful when it rolls of your tongue like that, I can hear it my whole life.”
“What are you doing? I'm not supposed to eat with the customers. It is against the rules.” She tried to convince him to let her go on her way.
“I want you to sit and eat with me. I do not like eating alone.” 
“Then I'll send My friend Myra to sit and eat with you.”
“Who? The one who took my order. No no no.. she talks a lot.” Said Ashton faking scared, “and moreover I want you to be here. If you want I can  ask your boss's permission for you. Mr. Rand...” His voice was muffled by Katherine's palm pressed tightly on to his lips.
Ashton smirked and Katherine just withdrew her hands awkwardly. She sighed heavily leaning her back against the chair. “Just stop it. Don't make a scene over here, okay?”
“Gladly, if you agree to sit with me and eat.” 
Giving up, Katherine threw her hands up in the air and nodded her head. He ordered another plate of mac and cheese for her. She silently started eating the contents on her plate, not sparing a glance at him. Ashton did not look away from Katherine, though and just kept eating. 
He offered to wait and take her back to her hostel. Katherine did not have the energy to argue with him so she just agreed to him for once.
He drove her to her hostel in his black Bentley and strangely the grey car did not follow her tonight.