Chapter 5: Rachel Greene

I rubbed my temples to try and stopped the throbbing pain from my headache but that only seemed to make it worse. The pounding pulsed in time with the music that was pouring from Lilly's room. It was either that or the sound of Vy's, Azalea's, and Jazzy's shrieking as they ran around the house mixed in with Camille's and Saffron's screaming for food or for toys.

"Oh my god, is it so hard for you girls to be quiet for once?" I shouted into the hallway over the noise.

"Hey Sherlock, you're not being quiet yourself," Lilly shouted back as she leaned against her doorway. Her room was across from mine. We used to spend hours of sleepless nights sitting in our doorways and talking quietly about anything and everything.

"Some people need to think!" I shot back. "And what're you doing home anyway? Shouldn't you be in college? Do Mom and Dad know that you're here?" I questioned as I squinted at her, trying to read her face in case she tried to come up with a lie on the spot.

Lilly was a beautiful red head with bright green eyes and a sly smile. Her smile could trick anyone and make them think that she's innocent, when really she's not. Behind her bright red hair and green eyes was a girl who could manipulate anything and anyone to work in her way. She could read anyone like the book and used the information she gathered to her advantage. Lilly was smart but she could be really stupid sometimes.

She was known to screw things up royally. She waited until the last minute to do projects and they usually ended up half-assed, everyone could see it. She once had to do a report on some types of cheese (it was for her culinary arts elective), and let's just say that people didn't want to hear, see, or touch Brie, Cheddar, and Mozzarella ever again.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Mom and Dad both know that I'm here. How do you think I got my room rearranged?" She asked as she waved her arm at her room. I leaned over slightly to look at it and nodded.

Just then Camille and Saffron ran over to us as fast as their three-year-old legs could carry them. They were adorable; no one could ignore them when they smiled at you with their big blue eyes. But their little façade made up for the fact that they got into everything, and I mean everything. They especially love getting into Lilly's make up.

"Lilly, park?" Saffron asked, tugging the hem of Lilly's capris that she could reach.

"Now?" Lilly sighed.

"Yes!" Camille said as I picked up her and hugged her tight. She giggled when I started blowing raspberries on her neck. "Park now! Park now! Park now!" She started chanting.

"That's actually a good idea," Mom commented as she climbed the stairs. "Taking the kids to the park would really help me get dinner ready faster."

"Do we have to take all of them?" I questioned.

"No, just Camille, Saffron, Jasmine, and Azalea," she responded.

"Might as well bring Vy and Rosie too," I said with a sigh. "What time do you want us to come back?" I questioned, glancing at the clock on the wall. I couldn't stay out too late. I had to be back in time for my daily chat with Lysander.

"Hmm...right before six would be good. Thanks hun." Mom moved over to me and kissed my cheek as I tried to squirm out of the way. Why did Mom have to be so uncool like that? I don't see any other Moms kissing their sons like this. I shrugged her off and wiped my cheek with my shoulder before carrying Camille down the stairs and out the front door. I waited on the stairs as Lilly rounded up the rest of the girls. I grabbed Azalea's hand and gripped Camille tighter before we all started walking down the street to the park.

We all grew up playing at the park on the corner. It was the one place we knew we could go without having to have our parents there with us because they could look out the window of the house and see us there. That's how Mom knew when I broke my arm before I even had a chance to tell her. She wasn't as mad at me because she saw it happen first hand before I could make up a lie, which was good in a way.

"Push me, Ashie, push me!" Azalea said as she broke away from my grip and ran to the swings with Jasmine.

"You push her, I'll take Camille," Lilly said as she took Camille out of my arms and held her in the other free hand. She started talking sweetly to Camille and Saffron and they started to giggle in their adorable way.

"What's wrong, Ashie?" Azalea asked as I pushed her on the swing. She wasn't even looking at me so it surprised me that she knew something was bothering me. She must've felt it in the way I was pushing her. She was really sensitive to the way people talked to her or touched her (not in that way, you pervs). It was as if she could read someone's emotion through their behavior.

"It's nothing you should worry about," I replied as I forced my best smile. She looked back at me as I continued to push her. It was her wide-eyed stare, the one she used when she wanted you to be upfront with her, but I just couldn't. She wouldn't understand at all. She wasn't in love with her best friend.

"Is she your sister?" I shot my head up only to come face to face with the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Well, second to Maddy of course. Her red hair had bits of blond in it and her hazel eyes shined brightly in the sun. She had a sprinkle of freckles across her nose and a gap in her front two teeth, but it made her smile stand out instead of ruin it.

"Um, yeah," I said as I glanced down at Azalea. "Actually, they're all my sisters," I said as I nodded at the others who were playing on the jungle gym.

The girl's mouth fell open. "Wow! You're the only boy in the family?" She questioned. I nodded. "Doesn't that bother you?"

I shrugged. "You'd think so, but it doesn't. I like having them around. They're cool," I admitted.

"I think that's so sweet," the girl cooed. I smiled a little as I continued to push Azalea. "So, um, you new to the neighborhood? I haven't seen you around before."

"My Grandma lives in this neighborhood," she responded. "I'm just visiting her. I live a few neighborhoods away. I am transferring schools though. Starting tomorrow I'm going to be attending Trinity High School."

"I go there," I commented as I raised my eyebrows. "Grade?"

"Junior."

"Same."

"Wow, I guess we're going to be seeing a lot of each other." She glanced down at her watch. "Oh, I have to go or I'm going to be late."

"Wait, what's your name? Maybe we can have lunch together tomorrow? I mean, with my friends too, so you won't feel so new," I mumbled.

"Name's Rachel, Rachel Greene," she replied as she held out her hand. "And you?"

"Ashton Manning," I replied as I grasped her hand and shook it. I flinched slightly; her grip was tight, a little too tight. She smiled as she shook my hand.

"See you tomorrow, Ashton." Her smile got a little bit wider as she dropped my hand and started walking up the street. Only when she disappeared from sight did I look down at Azalea who was looking right up at me.

"What?" I questioned.

"I thought you liked Maddy," she stated.

"I did, I mean do," I quickly corrected myself. Wrong, you love her. Why can't you just say it out loud? "But I can have another girl friend."

"Girl space friend or do you actually mean a girlfriend?" Azalea asked. She didn't even wait for my answer. "You know, Ashie, you've been chasing after Maddy for a while now. I would love it if you two got together, but if she still hasn't been showing any sign of intimate affection towards you, maybe you should move on? Or maybe you can date Rachel to get your mind off of it?"

"I can't just forget about my feelings for Maddy," I sighed as I grabbed the chair to stop her from swinging. "That would be like Dad going after someone else and ignoring his feelings for Mom all together."

"That's different," Lilly commented as she came over to us, holding Saffron and Camille in her arms. The twins were drifting off to sleep, their heads resting on her shoulder as their eyes slowly closed.

"How's that different?" I demanded as I grabbed Azalea's and Jasmine's hand as we started our walk home.

"Because you're not married," Rosie jumped in. "Mom and Dad are married so it's not possible for him to go to someone else if he wanted to ignore his feelings. You two are friends. You haven't even given her some sort of hint that you like her in a different way."

"You're beating yourself up about the whole situation. Take it from me, if you don't handle this the right way you won't get the girl," Lilly told me. "Here's what you have to do: make her think that you're interested in Rachel. If you two are as close as you say, she'll get jealous and talk to you about it. Then, and only then, can you tell her how you feel."

"But we never keep secrets from each other," I pointed out.

"Well, you broke that promise for a couple of years now."

She had a point.

"Ashton!" I plastered on what I hoped was a believable smiled and waved at Rachel. She waved back and shoved her way through the throng of students that was moving the opposite way of her. She's been trying to track me down all day and I had managed to avoid her until lunch time. I was never one to go against my word so I agreed to meet her outside the cafeteria doors. "Hey, I'm glad I found you."

"How was your day?" I asked Rachel as I held open the door to the cafeteria and she slipped inside.

"It was ok. Some of the guys hit on me," she responded, a twinkle in her eye. "So I hit them back."

"I hope you didn't do too much damage."

"Only enough to hurt their pride."

I chuckled a little as I led the way to our table. Once I got there Lysander and Maddy both looked up and greeted me with smiles before glancing at Rachel. "Hey guys. This is Rachel Greene, she transferred here today. Rachel, this is Lysander Jeffries and Maddy McAllistar."

"Hi," Maddy greeted Rachel happily as we sat down. I let out a slow breath. So far, so good. "Do you like it here at Trinity?"

"At first I didn't and I was ready to just get up and leave, but then I remembered that I had all ready made a friend so I decided to stick it out," she said as she smiled at me. I smiled weakly in return before playing with the pepper shaker that was in my reach.

What in the world was I getting myself into?