Episode 4 - Ashley - Desmond Steele

"Um, Zale, this is Zoey. Zoey, Zale." I introduced them to each other.

"Oh.." Zoey said and looked at me, smiling with her squinting eyes. "I'll leave you two alone, then." she said again.

Awkward silence fueled the atmosphere. After Zoey left, both of us walked home together side by side.

"My teacher talked about you just now." I started.

"Oh?" he said in a surprised tone. "What did he say?"

"About you joining the class." I said and smiled.

"Mr. Osborne is your class teacher?"

I laughed. "Yeah, you didn't tell me you were going to meet him in the faculty office."

"Yeah well I don't know he's your class teacher. And you never asked." he said dumbly. "Wait.. That means we're classmates!"

"Hehe yeah!" I half-shouted excitedly.

Then we just walked home together. We were talking normally about normal stuff. Although the topics changed from football to cooking to killing a cockroach, I realized I was happy. We were walking towards the Dean Enright Station when my ex-boyfriend, Desmond Steele with his gang stumbled upon us.

"Hey Ashley!" he said in a mocking tone. "Who's this joker? Your new pimp?" Then, he laughed with his gang.

Zale, who was beside me took a step forward and raised his left arm sideways slightly in front of me.

"Oh, he's a fighter." Desmond mocked again. "Well, your brain is not as good as your bravery if you're defending that . . whore." he then let out another laugh.

"Oh, want to test it out?" Zale said without hesitation. Then, the whole gang went silent and Desmond's face was getting red hot. He was about to say something but Zale cut him off before he could.

"Or are you too coward to even stand for your own?" Zale said mockingly.

"You watch your words, freshman." Desmond said with his index finger pointed at Zale. "Not many kids insult me and get away without crying" he chuckled and started to laugh. Zale was still holding his ground, protecting me.

Desmond looked at me again and said "Remember, you're still a cheap whore!" then he left with his gang.

After they were plainly out of sight, Zale turned around and asked "You alright?"

I just nodded but in reality I was on the brink of tears. Before I realized it, I was sobbing pathetically. Since I was obviously much shorter than Zale, he knelt down slightly and warmly placed his palm on my cheeks. Then he wiped my tears with his fingers.

"Hey look at me." he said and I desperately opened my teary eyes.

"You're beautiful just the way you are." he ensured me. "No one can change you. He was just a coward, nothing more." then Zale leaned forward and hugged me even tighter than last night. Everyone was watching but he didn't care.

And neither did I.