15. You are too bad at flirting

 

"Correcting your answers?", Asher chuckled, raising an eyebrow. 

 

"N..no.." I shook my head, my knees were almost trembling. 

 

"But I saw," he grinned. 

 

I gulped and swallowed the lump in my throat. Then I took a breath before walking toward the door. I need to somehow get out of here first. "Look Asher, I wasn't. And Mr. Keating isn't teaching me. Move!" I said as I reached near him. He was standing there blocking the door. 

 

"Really? Okay, I'm sorry, maybe it's some problem with my eyes. Anyway let me tell the principal and ask him to check the camera footage," he said, pointing at the camera on one corner of the classroom. I bit my lip, not knowing what to say or do. Then I heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the steps. Probably Mr. Keating. 

 

I pushed Asher out. He stumbled and almost fell back, yelping from the sudden shock. But then I grabbed his wrist and placed my other hand over his mouth. His pupils dilated as he looked into my eyes. 

 

"Look Asher, please let's talk about this," I said before hastily dragging him along with me. Strangely he didn't protest and he ran along with me. 

 

I stopped running and left his hands free when we reached the corridor near the library. 

 

"You are really something," Asher chuckled looking at me whilst shaking his head. "So courageous of you to do such a thing on your first week here." 

 

I sighed. "So what shall I do for you to not tell anyone about this?" 

 

"You don't need to do anything. Cause I already decided to report this to the principal," he replied. 

 

I bit my lips in annoyance and frustration. How would I convince this jerk? Do I need to beg now? But that's better than suspension or dismissal. So let's do it. C'mon Caroline! 

 

"Please..don't report this, Asher. I'll do anything you say. Just please don't do this. At least, snow prince, I'm your friend's cousin and best friend. Remember that?? Ty will get really sad if I get a suspension so soon," I said and cringed inwardly at how I sounded. 

 

"Woah!" He gave a fake laugh, showing his perfect row of white teeth. "What did you just call me? Snow prince??" he raised his eyebrows. "Okay, call me that once again." 

 

I bit my teeth together tightly behind my lips, cursing him and myself in my mind. Then I gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Snow Prince. You really look like a snow prince," I said. 

 

He laughed again, shaking his head. "You know, you are too bad at flirting," he said in between fits of laughter. I did a great job at controlling myself as he continued to laugh like that in my face. 

 

"Okay, enough I guess," I finally said. He instantly put an end to his laughter and looked at me. His features became hella intimidating in the next second and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. 

 

"You are the one who keyed my car yesterday, right?" he asked. 

 

"No, I'm not." I shook my head, trying to be confident. 

 

"You are not?" he growled taking a step closer to me, looking directly into my eyes. 

 

"No," I said sternly, although I was feeling really nervous inside. I already know from my earlier experiences that this jerk is a little bit psychic. Don't know what he will do the next moment. 

 

He started coming closer and closer to me, looking at my eyes, forehead, nose, lips....oh fuck! 

 

"Move...! What are you gonna do? Kiss me?" I yelped pushing him away. 

 

"Kiss you? I'd rather kiss an ugly toad," he responded chuckling. I felt my blood boil at that comment and my hands involuntarily fisted into balls. How dare he say I'm uglier than an ugly frog! 

 

"You know Caroline, you look like a bright red tomato now," he said grinning. I was standing on the extreme tip of my patience now. 

 

"Tell me, are you gonna report to the principal or not?" I asked. 

 

"Uhmm..." he pressed his lips together, pretending to think. "I won't. Only if you do as I say." 

 

I know what he wants. He wants me to stop talking to Aaron. Or end my friendship with him. And I'm gonna agree to it for now. But I'll find a way to erase the footage from the camera. Or after a few days, if Aaron goes and tells the Principal about this, there's less chance that he'd actually bother to check the camera footage, also considering I'm not a student from Mr. Keating's class. Also, Asher will hesitate to report after some days since there arises a question of why he didn't report it when he saw it. 

 

"What do you want? You want me to tell Ty that you like him and persuade him to date you?" I asked him. 

 

"What!" Asher scoffed, his eyebrows scrunched together tightly. "I don't like Ty that way. He is my friend." 

 

"Really?" I asked. "Then why are you so focused on troubling Aaron? And why do you tell Ty horrible lies about Aaron? You are afraid Ty will like him again, right?" 

 

Asher bit his lips and looked away, rubbing his chin, as if thinking deeply. Maybe he didn't expect me to figure it out so soon. But it's so obvious, right? 

 

Finally, Asher looked back at me. "Okay, maybe I have a small crush on Ty. But I don't want you to help me in that matter. I like Ty but I'm not planning to confess to him or anything. I just don't want him to end up with someone like Aaron." 

 

"I see. So it's just a fun thing for you! Asshole!" I sneered feeling angry. This bitch is having a lot of fun with Ty and Aaron. 

 

"You shouldn't forget what situation you are in right now, Caroline. I suggest you better shut up and drop that attitude," he said taking a step forward and placing his hands on the wall behind me. Now there was barely an inch's distance between us.I looked down and sighed in an attempt to control myself. "Okay, tell me what you want me to do." 

 

"You will do anything?" he asked staring into my eyes. I felt scared. What is he going to ask me? I haven't even had my first kiss yet. 

 

"Don't worry. I'm not going to ask you that. I already said I'd rather kiss a toad," he chuckled again, his lips almost brushing my nose. Then he took a step back and stared into my eyes. "I would only ask you this simple thing. Just stop hanging out with Aaron." 

 

Phew..! 

 

I pretended as if thinking for a few seconds. "Okay," then I nodded. 

 

He scrunched his eyebrows and looked at me confused. "Okay??" 

 

"Yeah..okay. And I don't actually hang out with him. I just met him last day and I don't really know him. So it's perfectly okay for me. At least it's better than getting a suspension." 

 

"So, you aren't that dumb like I thought. Good decision," Asher said tucking his hands in his pocket. How dare you call me dumb? Do you even know who I am? 

 

"And not only that.." he continued, "tomorrow you should come to school at 6:30 along with Ty." 

 

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow. He came closer to me again. 

 

"You are gonna do a little bit of exercise and pushups tomorrow. I hope you know to do pushups. Just a small punishment for what you did right now. You know Caroline, it's wrong to cheat, right? You must study hard and score good marks, instead of trying to do bad things like this, like a bad girl. You understood?" he raised an eyebrow. 

 

I didn't say anything. He patted my shoulder and smiled. "So Caroline Ann Turner, see you tomorrow at 6:30," then he turned the balls of his feet, steadily walking away.