'It was the first time someone actually made my heart flutter. His care for me. I could clearly see in his eyes. He didn't feel like a stranger anymore. He felt like someone I had known my whole life, and yet I didn't know him.'

Ashlee's eyes didn't want to gaze away from him. It was like she couldn't control her actions anymore. Her heart wasn't normal, nor was her breathing or mind. Her thoughts were messed up, yet she could think clearly and somehow still couldn't.

She had started to like him.

"Miss Ashlee?" The secretary came back to them, diverting both of their attention.

"Yes." Ashlee's voice broke, and she coughed a bit.

"You need to sign some letters, and we have called your home to inform them about the situation. You haven't been held responsible, so do not worry about that. It was Mr. Harvey's condition. His family problems affected him badly, as we saw earlier. Nothing on you; relax. And these are just formalities," she explained in one go.

"You... you called home? My home?" Ashlee pointed at herself, surprised.

"Yes, your uncle picked up as your mother was at work." The secretary smiled, getting busy with the paperwork.

'Great!' Ashlee sighed internally. It was going to be hell at home. Why today, of all days? She was frustrated and didn't want school to end.

The whole day, Ashlee didn't let her mind wobble around what was going to happen when she went home. She just spent the day happily, without worries. It was the first time she had a crush on someone, and the fact she was a bit scared of him yet wanted to be around him was even more exciting to her.

The last bell rang; everyone got excited to leave the last day for good. School was over, and exams were left. Ashlee sighed, grabbing her things. Kyle's eyes never left her; he knew she was bothered by the call to her home but didn't say a thing.

"So I guess this is goodbye." Ashlee put on a fake smile, and Kyle wasn't buying it.

"I'll walk you home." Kyle ignored her words and started walking out of the class.

Even though Kyle had seen her beaten to a pulp, she still didn't want him to see that again. She would hate the guy she liked to see her at her worst and most miserable state.

"No... No. No!" Ashlee grabbed his arm but couldn't make him stop, even if she used all her strength. It was strange—she wasn't this weak before.

"What?" Kyle stopped, seeing her efforts to make him stop.

"You can't take me home, today." She huffed, staring at her hands in disbelief.

"Why not?" he asked, confused. He'd already seen what would happen—why not?

"Because... AAAA..." Ashlee was trying hard to make an excuse to keep him away. "I... I need to stop at, uh... At a pet shop." She babbled, looking at the sticker of a dog on a passing student's backpack.

"What?" Kyle stared at her in confusion.

"What?" Ashlee gazed at him sternly.

"What pet shop?" Kyle folded his arms across his chest. He knew she was trying to make him not follow her, but her excuses were way too stupid.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"A dog! I am going there to adopt a dog." She nervously chuckled, faking excitement.

"You don't even have money to feed yourself, and you're adopting a dog?" Kyle replied firmly, somehow enjoying watching her try and not succeeding.

"What do you mean? I have enough money for myself, alright? And I can easily adopt a dog." She huffed, rolling her eyes at him.

"Oh really? Let's go together then." Kyle smirked and grabbed her wrist, dragging her out of the school while she kept trying to push him away. Nothing was working.

"Here we are." Kyle stopped in front of a pet shop. He let go of her hand as she gulped, looking inside from the glass.

"Are you gonna go in or not?" Kyle asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. Teasing her internally gave him satisfaction somehow. It was fun.

"I... I am!" She stuttered and stumbled while walking inside, pulling the door open.

"Welcome, are you here to adopt a pet?" A lady with elegant clothing approached, smiling tightly at Ashlee and Kyle.

"Uhh..." Ashlee wasn't sure she should answer or not.

"Yes, we are." Kyle replied before she could, grinning evilly and holding her shoulders. "Actually, she is. She wants a dog." He pushed Ashlee towards the lady, who smiled and gestured for her to follow.

"I... I... no..." Ashlee smiled nervously and kept shaking her head. "What are you doing!" she hissed at Kyle, who totally ignored her denial.

"Sure, please follow me. We have some cute puppies. Teens like you love them." She laughed weirdly, leaving Ashlee no choice.

She started to show Ashlee different dogs who were all so friendly and adorable. For a moment, Ashlee lost herself and her mind, admiring how cute these little creatures were. She picked one up and started to play with him—the small, fluffy one.

Kyle's eyes were stuck on her; he found himself smiling seeing Ashlee enjoy playing with the dog. He knew she couldn't adopt one, but it was her fault for lying to him.

'She loves things like her,' he chuckled.

"You see this? Look how cute he is." Ashlee came rushing to Kyle, showing him the dog she'd been holding.

Kyle's smile disappeared as she approached with excitement. He straightened, coughing slightly.

"Keep him away." Kyle denied the adorable dog. Ashlee found it exciting.

"Why? Look, he's so cute. He's begging for your love. Show him some. Hmm?" She made puppy eyes, holding the puppy close to her face. They both looked strikingly alike.

Kyle was speechless, watching her act so cute. She was beyond adorable and loving. He held himself back.

"Would you like to take him?" The lady asked, smiling curiously at Ashlee.

"Uh..." Ashlee knew she didn't have the money. She'd saved that sum for college. If she spent it on this dog, her dream to get out of this town would remain a dream.

"Yes," Kyle spoke before Ashlee could respond.

Ashlee walked to the counter to pay, sighing internally, disappointed with herself. She could have come up with something else.

'Why did I have to say a pet shop!'

"Here." Kyle gave the lady his card.

Ashlee looked at him, wide-eyed. What was he doing?

"Why are you paying?" She asked, grabbing his arm.

"You said you liked it, didn't you?" Kyle asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah, but..." Kyle interrupted her.

"Exactly. Now you have it." He smiled and signed the formalities. He had bought her the dog.

"What should we name him?" Ashlee asked, holding the puppy close.

"It's yours; you name it," Kyle replied. He had never named anyone before.

"You paid, so it's yours too." She chuckled, rubbing the puppy's back. Her eyes were filled with pure bliss, forgetting about the call to her home. Her uncle and her worries vanished.

It was her first time someone got her something she truly liked.

"How about Wrigley?" She looked charmingly at Kyle.

"He does seem to like cuddles. It'll suit him," Kyle replied, staring at the dog in her arms. He felt a strange pang seeing it nestled with her.

"Right?" She chuckled, kissing the puppy. This only made Kyle more uncomfortable; he certainly didn't like her getting cuddly with the dog.

"But look at this. We were just at school, and somehow we ended up buying a cute dog." She laughed brightly, thinking about how quickly things had turned.

Kyle smiled softly, seeing her happy was rare and satisfying. She looked truly happy, her smile finally free from that gloomy cloud.

Soon they reached Ashlee's home.

"Uh..." Her heart started pounding when she saw the lights on.

"Do you want me to go inside with you?" Kyle asked, noticing her face fall.

"What? No. Of course not. I can manage." She laughed nervously. "See you later?" He nodded blankly, watching her go inside with wobbly steps.

'Maybe she'll be fine.'

He turned and started to walk away. A strange hole around the tree in her garden caught his attention. He stood there, noticing how much grass had turned black around it. It didn't seem normal.

In hardly five minutes, he heard Ashlee's scream from inside—the loudest, most chilling scream he'd ever heard.