How to not do lunch (Ashton Johnson tag anyone)

[Jade Edwards RCO]

[Character: Ashton Johnson]

Ashton walked into the crazy world of the cafeteria with a smile and a hope fore a peaceful lunch, he knew that the hope was somewhat futile when you consider how big the school was, Ashton took his meal to try and find a table near to the edge of the room, so he had a good view of the rest of the room, so he could see who was coming and going while he ate, it was also a good way to check out the girls in the room without getting a slap for it, it was okay to look he thought but the rest of it could wait.

The noise of the hall was big enough to not get his moment of solitude for the day, he had thought about eating out in the grounds but decided against it, he had thought about eating in his car but also decided that if he wanted to be antisocial he might as well go find a broom cupboard to eat in or something similar.

Ashton thought about the previous month and Maggy who he had met at the ball, he thought that was her name, she was certainly beautiful if a little false maybe, but looks weren't everything, if someone didn't have a personality what was the point in even talking to them. Not that Maggy was any of these things, but he didn't know why he hadn't tried to talk to her since the ball, he put it down to a missed opportunity and left it at that.

He was so preoccupied by his own thoughts that he hadn't realised he wasn't alone someone had made their way to his table.

"Hey dude, world of my own, do you need something." Ash asked politely.

[Haley Rowan]

[Haley Rowan]

The morning had gone by in a daze. Half the time Haley was happy with what she did, despite hurting Wynn. She was still confused if she made the right choice, but too late now. part of her wondeered what if she choose Wynn...should she have chossen Wynn...however she was happy with Cam right now..... The other half of the morning Haley spent trying to wrap her brain around what she did. Sure it might sound like the same thing, but to her it felt different. She needed a break. She was going to talk to Wynn at lunch. But when she saw he was with people she back tracked and looked for another table.

Thats when she noticed Ashton. He was a football player and she was a cheerleader. So they knew who each other was even if they had not hung out before. she just needed to sit and think. have a conversation with someone who might not question her decision. Then again it was hard to know exactly what other people knew.

Haley eyed Ash as he spoke, "it's okay, just wanted to know if I could sit and eat here." She had her lunch tray in hand. She was really excited about tonight, but scared at the sometime.

[Jade Edwards RCO]

Ashton smiled at the girl, "Sure, its not like I'm over flowing with people at the table." Ash said to her she smiled. "Its Haley isn't it." he asked, he remembered her from one of the training sessions and at least one of the games, blond and female who wouldn't remember her, she wasn't exactly ugly quite the opposite was true in fact.

"I was looking for some peace and quiet of course, I am in the wrong place in school for peace and quiet, anyway can't always have what we want, it was getting pretty boring sitting on my own over here." Ash said to her with a grin. "Your one of the cheerleaders right." Ashton said his eyes drawn to an argument not far from them and where they sat. "Their is never a dull moment in this school." Ash said nodding at the argument just in time to see the slap. "Getting slapped by a guy has got to hurt, your ego if nothing else." Ash said.

"So you having a good valentimes day? Or are you like some of us in the school just trying to avoid admitting its one of those days you'd rather forget." Ashton asked her.

[Haley Rowan]

"Yes, Its Haley and guilty as charged on being a cheerleader. You're Ash right, football player? At least I know who I cheer for." She smiled and laughed, "it would be bad if I did not know your name." Haley picked up her fork and took a small bite. School lunch really did suck. She should really consider leaving campus to eat. Or even being a dork and bringing her lunch.

"You want peace and quiet in a lunch room. You might be just a little lost for that, but it has good entertainment." Haley joked when he referred to quiet and there was an argument taking place on the other side. She glanced over and sure enough she saw Wynn hit Cam. How could she not recognize the people. Haley sighed. That was great. A fight between Wynn and Cam. Wonderful.

"If you can call that a slap. Its more like a poke if you ask me." She laughed. Haley was considering going over, but she thought against it. Especially with that girl Julia. Haley was not into fighting. "It is amusing seeing them fight." She knew neither guy would hurt the other.

"Actually I am having a good day." It was true. Despite the Cam and Wynn fighting at the moment and despite hurting Wynn, Haley was happy. "I would like a do over for certain parts of the day, but not all of it." Haley smiled. She had a date and a boyfriend, why would she want a do over for that.

[Jade Edwards RCO]

Ashton looked at the two boys one of which he recognized as Cam, "What could those two possibly be fighting about, the geeks never result to violence right, I mean as this school turned so far upside down that a girl could cause that between them." Ashton said shaking his head. "Sorry I don't usually act like this but Valentimes day as an effect on me when I am not with a girl." Ashton said to her.

"Yeah I'm on the team, my dad is the coach, so go me on that front." Ash said to her.

"What could you have possibly done that you would want to re do, I thought cheerleaders didn't make mistakes." Ashton said to her with a smile. "When did school become so turbulent that two friends would fight like that, I am right in thinking those two were friends at one stage right." Ashton said.

He had been here a long time and knew of both of them, but he obviously didn't take much notice of their social lifes, or he would have caught the fact that they weren't friends any more, or that the issue might be the girl in front of him, or that he might have been causing issues with both of them by talking to the girl in question that was at the centre of their hearts... yeah this was another fine day for him and another blissfully ignorant moment of the geeks lives at Silver high.

[Haley Rowan]

"Well aren't you lucky. Your dad as the coach....wait that might be unlucky. I guess depends on your dad." Haley told Ash, "So which is it...lucky or unlucky? From the practices I have seen I would say unlucky. Just don't kill me for being wrong." She said giving him a smile and a playful cringe, "If you do can I request quick and painless." She laughed, "Just kidding." She heard his comment about Valentine's day, "you don't have a girl. I find that hard to believe."

Haley watched Cam and Wynn. She could easily say it was her. She should say it. She was dating Cam now, but it was hard to admit and a tad embarrassing that he was fighting in the Cafe, but Haley would get over it. It was Cam and Wynn she almost expected this, but just not here, "yeah they were friends. Both liked the same girl and now you have that." She pointed.

"Its sad. I am sure the girl did not mean to come between them. Can't help it if she likes one over the other. Its a typical thing, when ever a girl catches the attention of two guys. That ever happened to you? It is sad though." She felt terrible for what happened with Cam and Wynn. Haley never meant to come between them. She never meant to led them on. Technically she told both boys she wanted to be just friends. Until now. Wynn was hurt and she had never meant for that.

"Shhhh don't tell anyone. Cheerleaders are suppose to be perfect. I need to keep my mouth shut." She laughed, "its nothing big. I um....I broke this guys heart when I decided to date someone else. I just wished I could have handled it better. I guess I am human afterall....I made a mistake, but again don't tell anyone. I do have an image.." Haley admitted with a smile. It was not easy to laugh things off.

[johson]

Ashton smiled wanely at her, "I'd be okay with it all if my dad wasn't the coach to the team, but as captain to his coach I guess I have just a little to much interaction with him for my liking." Ashton said to her. "I don't really get on with him, not since my mom left anyway, I look out for my sister and likewise the other way around, and we try to avoid him as much as possible." Ashton said to her. "I am cursed by the fact that my talent is in football and his a coach in that sport at this school, so it sucks to be me." Ashton added.

"Have I been a victim of a double cross, no, have I left someone for someone else, because I liked them more than I did the person I was dating, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't, I'm a man who has made my share of mistakes and I've learned from them." Ashton said to her.

"Well your secret is save with me so long as you don't mention to my dad what I told you." Ashton said with a grin, he heard the way the girl said what she had and started to put it all together, but since he didn't plan on annoying the girl and thus destroying their lunch. "Apparently girls are not as squeaky clean as they like too tell us they are when we jump into the fire with both feet." Ashton said with a grin. "I guess that just broke the spell that all girls are perfect, damn their goes another child hood dream." Ashton added.

[Haley Rowan]

"Oh no...I ruined your childhood dream. I am sorry." Haley said with a laugh, "Well girls like to pretend they are perfect. How else are we suppose to get a guys attention. There has to be some way to make a guy pay attention to you rather then another girl." Haley had done it a few times. She had seemed beyond perfect. For some reason it made guys pursue her more. she never understood why.

"Do not worry, I won't tell your dad." she told him and took a sip of water, "So guys are not perfect either. Now that is just sad." She laughed, "Nice to know everyone, even the all mighty football players make mistakes." Then again he had just said the same thing about cheerleaders and mistakes.

"So you really have no plans for Valentine's day? Not even with your sister?" Haley asked, "I have plans, but sometimes I wish I had a sibling. Sadly I am an only child. So where as your father can pay attention to your sister and leave you alone, I am the sole focus of my parents. Not always fun if you ask me." She laughed, "I mean its great when my dad takes me to a movie premier, but when other times its annoying."

[johson]

Ashton grinned at her, "No plans for Valentimes, I'm going to go out possibly drown my sorrows in a bar, and ignore the fact that the hang over will kill me later." Ashton said to her. "No actually I am planning on catching a movie tonight, a friend of mine from out of town may or may not be meeting me, so at the moment I don't kind of have plans." Ashton said to her. "She's an old friend, someone I used to know pretty well but not a date so to speak, she maybe in town for a couple of weeks." Ashton added with a grin.

"If I was any more flawed then I would have a floor of my own." Ashton said to her flashing a smile, his flirtatious side flaring but not intentionally. "So you broke the heart of a guy for another guy, I hope the other guy is special, because thats not cool, I mean I'm not judging you for it intentionally." Ashton said to her. "A guys heart is as fragile as a girls, and a guy tends to have an ego, even the geeks have an ego, and they think they have something to prove to everyone who looks at them as if they have two heads." Ashton said to her. "Which is why I love sports, sure I have an ego, but I don't have to prove myself to anyone in school, I just play ball, struggle through maths and hope to get noticed by a good college, other than that I don't have to fit in... people who want the limelight tend to head for the jocks... its something I hate because I don't really like that kind of attention... but I have to live with it." Ashton admitted. "The guy you hurt, regardless of whether he wants to hear it or not you should say sorry in person, prepare to be called some names, but it will help the guy move on, maybe stop him decking your current boyfriend." Ashton said to her.

"But you don't want me telling you what you should do, so I'll shut up." Ashton added.

[Haley Rowan]

"That sounds like a date." Haley said. She very lightly tapped his arm. She never meant to flirt. It just always happened. Its just how she was. She was friendly and sometimes that came out in a flirtatious way. For her it meant nothing. "Even if its only as friends, its a date. Two people...going out alone is a date. But for you it sounds like a friends date. I hope you have fun." Haley smiled.

She cringed, "You got that I was talking about those two." She sighed adn motioned to where the so called fight had just happened. "Yeah I know. I screwed up. Don't worry I know you are not judging me. I never meant to hurt him. I really didn't. I mean...its complicated, but you are right. " She watched Cam and Wynn for a second. "So me dating a geek is not a bad thing...I am not sure how Sarah will take it yet." Sarah Brody could be down right mean if she wanted, but Haley always kind of respected her for that. "I know caring about my image is superficial and vain, but...." Haley shrugged. "I can't help it. But I think thats why I like Cam. Sure he does want to fit in with the popular crowd, but I am sick of it. You know. Sick of trying to up hold this image."

Haley smiled a soft smile, "No, its okay, really. You are right. I need to talk to Wynn and explain that I want Cam." She told Ash. There she admitted she was dating a geek. It was out. Haley felt oddly relieved. "Thanks for not judging. I feel like a total ass for what i did, but I did tell both guys I wanted to be friends. Even If I did kiss one of them a month ago...yeah now that I say it out loud it still does not sound any better." Haley said and laughed a little. "I think I will join you with your floor of mistakes."