Nathan's POV

"I swear to God... She better be here," Ashton grumbles when we pull into Jamie's driveway.

"Ash, I'm sure she just felt like sleeping it off."

"Nathan! After what happened yesterday, you aren't at all concerned about the fact that she wasn't at school and isn't answering her phone?!" Ashton snaps at me before flinging her car door open and practically flying into the always unlocked house.

"No, she's fine," I mumble even though she's out of hearing range. Ashton is scared Jamie went and offed herself, but I would know. She promised I would know.

I sigh before following suit and climbing out of my car. I walk into the house and I can hear Ashton running from room to room in search of Jamie.

"Check her dad's study," I call out. We both know that if she ever worked herself up to doing it, that'd be the place.

"You're right!" She yells while running across the catwalk to the adult side of the second level.

She returns out of the room with a dejected look on her face and slowly makes her way down the spiral staircase, all the while mumbling to herself and knitting her eyebows together in confusion.

"Where the hell could she have gone?" She grumbles.

"Who knows? But she's okay, so can we go?" I feel weird being here when I know Jamie would be annoyed that we are, "You can try to call her from the car."

"Fine," she hesitantly agrees.

I must admit, I was a little worried when jamie wasn't at school, and a little angry when she didn't answer any of our calls or texts.... But right now, someone has to play good cop, and it is not going to be Ashton.

We walk out of Jamie's house , but before we make it to my car, I hear another engine pulling into the driveway. I see Ashton turn to look, too. It's Jamie, but she's not alone. That jerk Harry is in the passenger seat. Neither of them are smiling, and neither are we.

"Oh, of course... New boy toy definitely takes priority over your two best friends..." Ashton grumbles under her breath.

Now I'm mad, too. Even though he and his little Irish friend are trying to help, they're just messing everything up. I feel a scowl settle onto my face, and cross my arms out of instinct as Jamie's car pulls in next to mine and they both slowly climb out.

"Fancy seeing you here," Ashton snaps, but I can hear the underlying tone of relief in her voice.

"Ummm... Hi," it's Harry who responds, "I don't believe we've formally met?"

"Other than you standing there while your ex tore Jamie apart, no, I don't believe we have," I glare at him.

"Guys..." Jamie starts.

"No. You don't get to do that. You don't get to act like we're being unreasonable. Not when you haven't picked up your phone all day, and especially not when it's because you were with Bitch Barbie's curly-haired Ken!" Ashton interrupts.

"Ken. I like it. Could stick," I say, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Bitch Barbie?" Harry asks at the same time.

An awkward silence follows as we all wait for someone else to speak. Ashton is mad at Jamie for not answering, but i could care less about that. I'm angry that she's actually talking to this kid after what he caused. Not to mention the fact that he and I have, on more than one occasion, played the same game at parties. He's the only guy who beats me when it comes to collecting girls.

"I'm gonna have Niall come get me," Harry mumbles, "I can wait at the bottom of the driveway."

"Wait," Jamie says, "What about your stuff? The stuff we came back here for?"

"There was no stuff," he mumbles as he walks away, "See you tomorrow."

"Nice meeting you!" Ashton exclaims in a sugary-sweet tone before turning on Jamie, "What the actual fuck were you thinking?!"

"I'm sorry," Jamie states simply.

"That's all you have to say? I was worried sick, James!" Tears are brimming Ashton's eyes.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But look, I'm here and I'm alive."

"Inconsiderate bitch," Ashton grumbles, "So, you're with Ken now?"

"Maybe in his mind... But I don't think so, no. He met Charlotte today..." she says slowly.

"You went to see Charlie without me?!" I pout.

"Nate, her name is Charlotte. Not Charlie," she corrects for the millionth time.

"I like Charlie," I state.

"Well it's not up to us what to call her. But yeah, I just think meeting her makes people judge me a little less. She's just so damn cute," she sighs as she always does when she thinks about her daughter.

"Wait... You're not with him, but you took him to Charlotte?" Ashton asks with a puzzled look on her face.

"He'll make a good friend," Jamie replies, "He thinks that because he met her he's getting to me. Thinks he knows everything. Little does he know."

"They always think they're getting to you," my laugh is dry and sarcastic, "Little does he know, indeed."

Notes

Oh my gosh. I'm going to kill my Ipod. It wouldn't let me update, so I had to wait until I was at my mom's house to use her laptop. The struggle is fucking real. I hope y'all stayed patient and will read this! I promise lots of updates over the next few days!

*Warning: pointless rambling*
Also... I am disappointed in the lack of interest in my hipster Aladdin. C'mon guys! He's swell! Single and ready to mingle! He's like my super awesome little brother. And yeah, I'm rambling. Whoops. I'm gonna say hi Brenna! Cause I know you'll read this. You tell Ike and I kill you and your twin. Oops, now my readers know you have a twin. Well, the few readers who bother to read my pointless rambling. Anyone wanna eventually write a sex scene for me? I don't think I have it in me to do it. I'm not saying it'll be Harry and Jamie. Just saying there is going to be one. Oh gosh I need to stop. I bet you all read straight over this. Anyone who actually bothers to read this entire thing: I will give you some sort of reward. I don't know what. Some say in the story, perhaps. But in order to prove you read it, you have to message me the secret code, which is gonna beee..... I don't even know. Just tell me something you want to happen in the story, and since you read this, I will seriously consider it. Deal? Okey. I'm done now. Sorry everyone.

--JKM