3

                                    

                                          
Ashley Patrick
                          
If I could explain my family in one word, it would be chaotic. Sure, the events for Dad are crazy, but my parents have raised some crazy kids. 
                          
James has good morals, I'll give him that, but he doesn't show it. Although he means well, he's a fuckboy, and usually an asshole. I know what he's going through, though. It's his defense mechanism to ward off fake friends and girls who just want to hookup for the attention. Collin is his only best friend. Don't get me wrong, he's popular and people constantly want to be around him, but Collin is the only person James can trust, because he goes through the same thing. 
                          
James isn't the only difficult one though. I'll admit, I have my moments, but then there's Cassie, who's currently figuring out everything that I had to three years ago. She's having a hard time with fake friends and boyfriends, just like James and I did. Little Loryn, who's constantly crying about playing hockey and how she hates it, but all of us were like that in the beginning and she'll be thankful for it in ten years. And of course, baby Travis. He's only one month old, barely crawling and taking up all of Mom and Dad's attention. 
                          
"James! Ashley! We are walking out the door in five minutes, with or without you!" Mom called up the stairs. 
                          
The seven of us were getting ready for the retiring of Dad's jersey. It was a pretty big deal, I guess. James just had to make a statement and picked out an obnoxiously beautiful aqua blue tuxedo. I chose a really pretty off the shoulder baby pink dress that had scallop edges and fell just above my knee. Cass was wearing a white poofy dress and Loryn was wearing a matching one. Mom, with her excellent style, sported a gorgeous deep red dress that came down past her knees, while Dad wore a classy black tux. 
                          
We all piled into the Escalade that Mom usually drove. James, Cassie and I were exiled to stuff into the backseat because the babies' car seats were too big to fit.
                          
I've seen a thousand retiring of jerseys on TV, but I've never been the one standing on the ice watching my dad be honored for his playing. I started the get nervous, even though all eyes will be on him. There's always the chance that my ankle will roll in my heels or I have to sneeze. God, that would be so embarrassing.  
                          
"Are you snapping Jake Corrison?" James asked me as Jake's face popped on and off of my phone screen. 
                          
"Maybe." 
                          
"Stay away from that kid, I heard he has crabs." 
                          
"That was a rumor Olivia started cause he wouldn't get with her," I stated, amazed that James would believe something that Olivia said. 
                          
"Why the fuck would Jake turn down Olivia?" 
                          
"Language!" Mom warned from the front seat. 
                          
James rolled his eyes, "Mom, don't act like you didn't teach me the word fuck." 
                          
"Jesus, James. Maybe I did but Cassie's too young to be hearing it. I don't want a call from her school, again." 
                          
——
                          
"How was the event? I watched it on TV and I saw you on the ice!"
                          
I laughed at how excited Colby was to see me on TV, "Could you see me shaking?" 
                          
Just then, there was a knock on the door and without even saying "come in", James and Collin invited themselves. 
                          
"We're going to get açaí bowls and we need you guys to come with us so it doesn't look like we went there willingly," James said quickly, both of their faces getting red. 
                          
"Pfft, No. Thank you for the offer, though." 
                          
"We'll pay for yours. And I'll drive," He begged. 
                          
"Foolish of you to think that you weren't already paying for us, but still, the answer is no." 
                          
"I'll let you two come with us to Hunter's shore house for senior week." 
                          
"Now that sounds like a good deal."
                          
James Patrick 
                          
Honestly, I was already planning on inviting them to the shore, but they didn't know that. And, I didn't want Ashley knowing that the only reason I invited her was so that she would bring Colby. Collin and I also couldn't have cared less about açaí bowls, I just wanted to see Colby. 
                          
"Can I have aux?" Ashley asked. 
                          
"Hell no, but Colby can," I smirked. Colby's cheeks went red and she looked down in her lap as I smiled at her through the rearview mirror. 
                          
I immediately thanked myself for putting Colby on music after her first song came on, Bad Girls by Lil Skies. 
                          
"This song slaps," I said, looking back to see Colby giggling and smiling. 
                          
I try not to be soft all the time but every time she comes over my day automatically gets better. Just seeing her smiling, like she is all the time, brightens my day. 
                          
I honestly don't get the hype about açaí bowls but I know that Colby loves them so I figured if I want to hangout with her I have to at least make some sort of effort to get her attention. 
                          
"Uh, can I just get, like, a strawberry one with the oatmeal stuff on top?" I said, questionably. 
                          
"Yep," the cashier said and then looked up, "Is that all?" 
                          
"Whatever she wants," I stated, pointing to Colby who was looking at the menu, squinting. She has glasses, I've seen her wear them before and she looks adorable in them, but she doesn't wear them often. 
                          
She blushed and smiled, "Thanks, Jay." 
                          
The way she used the nickname that only my close friends and family used, honestly made me feel really weirdly warm inside. I don't like how vulnerable she makes me. 
                          
Just then, Collin came up behind me, "James, man, at least try to be slick about it." 
                          
——
                          
IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG 
                          
i've had like half this written to like so long i just haven't gotten around to finishing it sorrrrrryyyyy