Read Online The Ashley Project by Melissa de La Cruz - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melissa de La Cruz
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gloss so that her lips were pink and shiny, and sheâd gone a little heavy on the perfume. Ashley immediately checked her reflection in the glass and noticed A. A. was doing the same.
âDid I miss anything?â asked Lili, chancing a look from behind the glass wall with the STD poster urging young girls to get vaccinated.
âNothing. But I think they just let out, I just heard the bell,â replied Ashley, removing a tiny bottle of Benetint from her pocket and rubbing a little red stainon her cheeks, while A. A. pulled out her pigtails and shook out her hair.
âHas He come out yet?â Lili asked. They always spoke of Him in Capital Letters. He was that Important.
âNo,â Ashley said. âThatâs why weâre waiting, duh!â She wrinkled her nose and sniffed the air. âLil, what did you put on?â
âWhy?â Lili asked. âItâs YSL. I nicked it from my momâs dresser.â She stuck her wrist directly under Ashleyâs nose. âDoesnât it smell good?â
âUm, yeah,â Ashley replied.
âWhatever it is, I think Iâm allergic,â said A. A., coughing into her hand.
âYouâre a spaz!â Lili exclaimed, pushing her backward, and A. A. pushed back, the two of them giggling.
âStop it! Heâll see us!â Ashley ordered, shushing them, and the two girls calmed down. Serious business was at hand. She staked her place in the very front, with a direct view to the sidewalk across the street.
âOh, lookâthereâthere he is,â A. A. said excitedly as the doors suddenly opened and a stream of boys in blue blazers exited in a mad rush, spilling out into the street. âI see him!â She peered out from behind the bus shelter, accidentally surprising an elderly womanwho was waiting for the bus. A. A. ducked her head back behind the glass to give her two friends room to take a look.
Lili stood on her tiptoes. âAsh, could you move? Youâre hogging the prime spot, as usual,â she complained.
âAm not!â Ashley protested. Lili always said that, and nothing could be further from the truth. She could barely see the top of his head.
âSHUSH!â A. A. warned.
âGod . . .â Ashley sighed, reflexively putting her hands over her heart.
âHeâs just sooo  . . .,â Lili cooed.
âCute,â finished A. A., pushing her two friends to the side so she could get a shot with her cell phone camera.
Cute wasnât even the word, Ashley thought. More like Perfect. Or Unbelievable. The object of their affection was a tall, towheaded boy. Like the other boys, he wore a navy blazer, a white shirt with a blue and gold tie, and gray flannel pants. But even from a distance, he stood out from the crowd. His hair was a shining crown of gold ringlets, he had the broad shoulders and slim hips of a swimmer or a tennis player, and he walked with a confident, loping stride.
There was something nonchalant and easy about him. Ashley even loved the way he wore his clothesâthe blazer was pushed up to his elbows, his gray flannel pants were worn too long so the cuffs dragged on the ground, and his tie was askew. A lacrosse stick was slung behind him with his backpack. He walked across the street, maddeningly close to the bus station, then turned the corner and disappeared down the hill.
âOkay, he wonât see us now. Letâs go,â Ashley said, inching out from their hiding place once she was confident they would not be discovered. The other two followed after her, and they walked in the same direction he had gone.
âLook,â said A. A., showing them the fuzzy, pixilated image she had taken. âIâm so making this my screen saver.â
âA. A., can you please get a new phone? I can barely see him in this,â Lili complained, returning it.
âDo you really think he has a girlfriend?â Ashley asked, keeping
âDid I miss anything?â asked Lili, chancing a look from behind the glass wall with the STD poster urging young girls to get vaccinated.
âNothing. But I think they just let out, I just heard the bell,â replied Ashley, removing a tiny bottle of Benetint from her pocket and rubbing a little red stainon her cheeks, while A. A. pulled out her pigtails and shook out her hair.
âHas He come out yet?â Lili asked. They always spoke of Him in Capital Letters. He was that Important.
âNo,â Ashley said. âThatâs why weâre waiting, duh!â She wrinkled her nose and sniffed the air. âLil, what did you put on?â
âWhy?â Lili asked. âItâs YSL. I nicked it from my momâs dresser.â She stuck her wrist directly under Ashleyâs nose. âDoesnât it smell good?â
âUm, yeah,â Ashley replied.
âWhatever it is, I think Iâm allergic,â said A. A., coughing into her hand.
âYouâre a spaz!â Lili exclaimed, pushing her backward, and A. A. pushed back, the two of them giggling.
âStop it! Heâll see us!â Ashley ordered, shushing them, and the two girls calmed down. Serious business was at hand. She staked her place in the very front, with a direct view to the sidewalk across the street.
âOh, lookâthereâthere he is,â A. A. said excitedly as the doors suddenly opened and a stream of boys in blue blazers exited in a mad rush, spilling out into the street. âI see him!â She peered out from behind the bus shelter, accidentally surprising an elderly womanwho was waiting for the bus. A. A. ducked her head back behind the glass to give her two friends room to take a look.
Lili stood on her tiptoes. âAsh, could you move? Youâre hogging the prime spot, as usual,â she complained.
âAm not!â Ashley protested. Lili always said that, and nothing could be further from the truth. She could barely see the top of his head.
âSHUSH!â A. A. warned.
âGod . . .â Ashley sighed, reflexively putting her hands over her heart.
âHeâs just sooo  . . .,â Lili cooed.
âCute,â finished A. A., pushing her two friends to the side so she could get a shot with her cell phone camera.
Cute wasnât even the word, Ashley thought. More like Perfect. Or Unbelievable. The object of their affection was a tall, towheaded boy. Like the other boys, he wore a navy blazer, a white shirt with a blue and gold tie, and gray flannel pants. But even from a distance, he stood out from the crowd. His hair was a shining crown of gold ringlets, he had the broad shoulders and slim hips of a swimmer or a tennis player, and he walked with a confident, loping stride.
There was something nonchalant and easy about him. Ashley even loved the way he wore his clothesâthe blazer was pushed up to his elbows, his gray flannel pants were worn too long so the cuffs dragged on the ground, and his tie was askew. A lacrosse stick was slung behind him with his backpack. He walked across the street, maddeningly close to the bus station, then turned the corner and disappeared down the hill.
âOkay, he wonât see us now. Letâs go,â Ashley said, inching out from their hiding place once she was confident they would not be discovered. The other two followed after her, and they walked in the same direction he had gone.
âLook,â said A. A., showing them the fuzzy, pixilated image she had taken. âIâm so making this my screen saver.â
âA. A., can you please get a new phone? I can barely see him in this,â Lili complained, returning it.
âDo you really think he has a girlfriend?â Ashley asked, keeping
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