Hello Ashley

"Oh God... when will this end?" complained the brown-haired girl. She lazily rested her head on the table while grimacing like a child. To others, she might look cute. She was incredibly adorable with her oversized sweater, small frame, and baby-like face. At least, that's what her fans would say. However, her behaviour was ridiculous to the person sitting beside her.

"You've been complaining like a broken record for a while now, you know?" teased the bespectacled girl next to her. The brown-haired girl shot her a sour look before puffing out her cheeks.

"You can say that because you've mastered this subject. While I haven't!"

The bespectacled girl lazily rolled her eyes. "It's not like that. You're just being noisy, Flo."

The girl called Flo crossed her arms and turned her head away. "Hmph, don't blame me if Calculus II is driving me crazy, Ashley!"

Florence Thomas, known as Flo to her friends, was a student at one of the best universities in her city. Ashley and Flo had first met during orientation a few months ago. Since they were often in the same group during those sessions, they gradually became close. Their relationship could be described as unique because Flo and Ashley were opposites. Flo was outgoing, while Ashley preferred solitude. Flo participated in many university activities, while Ashley focused solely on academics. Flo loved sports and was part of the swim club, whereas Ashley and sports didn't mix well. In short, Flo was busier with extracurriculars than her studies, much to Ashley's concern. The bespectacled girl constantly tried to pull her back into attending classes; otherwise, the troublemaker would skip them.

Ashley sighed. "You always say that."

Flo puffed her cheeks when she saw her friend ignoring her again. "You're no fun." She then glanced away, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Sssttt," Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Cover for me, okay? I'm stepping out for a bit."

"Where are you going?" whispered Ashley.

"Just for a stroll. Wanna join?"

"Are you crazy? Prof. Vincent is speaking at the front of the class!" she hissed.

The brown-haired girl nudged her shoulder lightly. "Oh, come on, you know the old man won't notice. Come on, Ash."

"But Flo―"

"It'll be fun."

Ashley sighed, frustrated, closed her notebook, and slipped it into her small bag. Slowly, they sneaked out of class as Flo often did. Once they successfully escaped, Flo grabbed her hand, and they ran.

***

Cutting through the crowd of students, Flo led her best friend to the back garden. This was the spot where students from their department usually spent time chatting, eating, or doing assignments. The brown-haired girl dragged Ashley to the gazebo farthest from the building. Sitting down, Flo pulled out a lighter and lit her cigarette, filling the air around her with smoke.

"You said you quit, Flo," Ashley stated firmly.

Glancing briefly at her, Florence took another drag of her cigarette. "I did quit."

Ashley shot her a sharp look as if to say, "What kind of nonsense is that?" Flo lazily shrugged and flicked the ash onto the grass. "I quit—just for that one day."

"Ugh, you're the worst, Flo!" Ashley groaned in frustration. Her friend just chuckled softly, puffing her cigarette again.

"Want one?" Flo offered the pack to her. Ashley frowned. Smoking wasn't new to her. In her 20 years of life, she'd tried it once. Curiosity got the best of her in high school, so one day, she bought a cigarette without her parents knowing. When she tried it for the first time, she coughed terribly. It didn't taste very good. She couldn't understand why so many people were addicted to smoking. To her, it was disgusting.

Her brown eyes gazed at her friend Flo, who peacefully enjoyed her cigarette in the pavilion. Flo puffed away without a care in the world. Ashley's lips pressed into a thin line. Even though the scene in front of her wasn't something she liked, she didn't completely hate it for some reason. At least she could see someone close to her in a calm state, unlike herself.

Ashley Lewis turned her gaze to the window beside her, her reflection staring back at her. She pressed her lips together. Her long black hair was neatly tied up over her shoulder. She never liked how straight her hair was. She wished she had curls like Masha or wavy hair like Joanna, two of her classmates. Her small nose caused her glasses to slide down constantly. She suddenly realized her pale face looked even paler than usual. Her small, red lips contrasted sharply with her snow-white skin. Flo always told her to get some sun because her skin was as pale as a vampire's. It was advice she never followed. She wasn't even sure if the brown-haired girl had ever seen a real vampire.

She never thought of herself as beautiful, and she never wasted time fixing her appearance like most girls. Unlike Flo, who always wanted her beauty to be the centre of attention, Ashley didn't care for the spotlight. Besides, no one had ever called her pretty except her mom.

Ashley raised an eyebrow as she noticed Flo glancing around nervously, occasionally checking her phone. "Are you waiting for someone?" Ashley asked, confused.

"Sam. He said he'd meet us here," Flo replied, still glued to her phone.

Ashley nodded knowingly. Of course, Flo was waiting for Sam. Her best friend's boyfriend probably skipped class just like her.

Not long after, a guy approached them. Wearing a black hoodie, Samuel Milan's blonde hair gleamed under the sunlight. His outfit screamed lousy boy, with a bomber jacket and ripped jeans. His tall, athletic frame, bronzed skin, and basketball-toned body made him look striking. He grinned broadly when he spotted the two of them.

"Have you been waiting long?" Samuel kissed Flo's lips, making her smile into the kiss before sitting beside her. His dark eyes locked onto both of them.

"Not really. Want one?" Flo offered him the cigarette pack, and he gladly took one. Sam inhaled deeply, then blew out the smoke slowly.

Samuel flicked his cigarette, letting the ashes fall. Then he looked at Ashley with curiosity. "I didn't know you were coming too. What did Flo say to convince you to join?"

Florence rolled her eyes lazily. "You make it sound like I'm a bad influence on her, babe."

"Because you are," he quipped, but Flo snorted softly.

"If you weren't my boyfriend, I would've punched you by now, Sam," Florence hissed.

Sam laughed at that. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and smirked mischievously. "The fact that you haven't punched me yet proves how much you love me, Miss Thomas." He wrapped his arm around Flo and pulled her into his embrace. Flo, though annoyed, let him. After all, with his more extensive and athletic build, she didn't have many options other than allowing the basketball player to do what he wanted. Sam whispered something sweet into Florence's ear, making her giggle. They didn't seem to care about Ashley, who sat nearby feeling like a third wheel.

Samuel paused his antics and rested his chin on Flo's shoulder, playing with her tiny fingers. His gaze met Ashley's momentarily, and he seemed to realize his behaviour. His tanned cheeks flushed slightly. "Sorry, Ash, we didn't mean to be that annoying couple in front of you."

Ashley waved it off dismissively. "No problem. It's not like this is the first time you two have done that. I'm used to it."

Florence pulled away from Samuel's embrace, feeling guilty toward her friend. "Oh, sorry, Ash. Blame this pervert," she glared playfully at her boyfriend. "But seriously, I hate seeing you single while Sam and I act like lovesick teenagers around you." Samuel rolled his eyes, mumbling something about "women."

"I just don't feel like dating, Flo." Ashley shrugged. "And you don't look like lovesick teenagers, more like... affectionate," she lied, trying to soften the truth.

The brown-haired girl raised an eyebrow. "Why, if I may ask?" Ashley blinked a few times, surprised. Flo wasn't usually one to pry into others' personal lives, so seeing her take an interest in Ashley's love life was unexpected, but not in a bad way.

"Uhm... maybe I just haven't met the right person?" she answered awkwardly. She didn't want to admit that she wasn't interested in dating. The idea of getting intimate with someone felt weird to her. Honestly, watching her friends always make out was nauseating.

Hearing that, Florence's eyes sparkled. "Oh, I've got a solution for that." Ashley quickly swallowed. She never liked Flo's so-called "solutions." Sam's ideas were the worst, but Flo's weren't much better—more like a recipe for disaster.

"What?" she accidentally blurted out.

"There's a party at Josh's house this weekend. Sam and I are going, and I want you to come with us." The brown-haired girl grinned mischievously.

"And be the third wheel again?" Ashley raised an eyebrow. "No, thanks." Florence and Samuel had often invited her to parties, but she always declined. She didn't want to be the awkward one in a crowd, and she disliked crowded places anyway.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Ash. You know we won't be like that."

Ashley groaned in frustration as if she didn't know how they acted when they got caught up in their little world. Ashley had few friends; Flo and Samuel were her only close companions. The idea of being stuck in a crowd of strangers was terrible.

Flo placed a hand on Ashley's shoulder, which made Ashley raise an eyebrow. "Come on, Ash. You know I worry about you. You never get close to anyone."

Ashley wanted to say, "Because I'm not interested," but instead, she just smiled faintly. "I told you, Flo, I'm just not ready to date anyone right now."

Florence looked at her doubtfully as if Ashley's words didn't entirely convince her. After a moment, her expression softened into one of pleading. "Oh, come on, Ash. Sam and I don't want to enjoy it alone. Won't you come for your best friend?"

Ashley sighed softly. This wasn't fair. Flo always had a way of getting what she wanted, especially when she put on that pitiful face. It made it hard for Ashley to say no.

"Make it two. Come on, Ash. I promise it'll be fun!" added Samuel, his face hopeful.

Ashley pressed her lips together in a straight line. "Whatever excuse I give, you're both going to keep pushing me to go, aren't you?"

A smile spread across Florence's face. Her eyes twinkled, knowing she had won. "Yeah, you know it."

Ashley rolled her eyes lazily and massaged her temples. "I know I don't have a choice."

Flo squealed excitedly, pumping her fist like someone celebrating their favorite team's victory. Then she hugged Ashley tightly, nearly making her friend gasp for air. Samuel just laughed, watching the pair of friends.

"You're going to love it, Ash! It's a costume party!" Flo added excitedly.

***