Couldn’t Hide the Feelings - Chapter 21

Ashley didn’t expect that, so she didn’t say anything.

She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. It was just after 4:30.

There was still an hour to go before 5:30.

There were uncontrolled little expectations fermenting in the heart, mixed with a few inexplicable nervousnesses.

But soon, thinking of what she had promised to Bella, all her emotions were left out one by one.

Ashley was a little unable to say it, but she felt that it was not good to go back on her promise. She looked in the direction of Bella and looked extremely hesitant.

Unable to wait for her response, Liam asked again, “Do you hear me?”

“ Ah,” Ashley spoke slowly as if she didn’t hear clearly.

Liam repeated reluctantly, “I said, Jacob, will pick you up later, around 5:30. He should call you then, so you can do your homework in your classroom first. ”

Ashley, “5:30.”

Liam, “Mm-hmm. Remember, don’t get anyone into trouble. ”

“…” Ashley was about to retort.

Liam said, “All right, I’m busy,” and then hung up.

Listening to the mechanical beep coming from the receiver, Ashley put the phone down and looked at the screen wordlessly. She put down her phone, began to pack her schoolbag patiently, put it on her back, and limped to the door.

Bella came and took her arm.

It’s been a long walk.

Remembering what happened before, Ashley asked suspiciously, “You are not going to take me to Ethan again, are you?”

“Ah,” Bella was really stupefied and waved her hand hurriedly. “No, I haven’t hung out with him for a long time. He has been studying all the time as if he had been a different person recently. ”

“Cool.” Bella hadn’t deceived her, so Ashley did not doubt it, but just added, “Then I will accompany you to get something to eat.” But at 5:30, I have to come back for my brother. ”

The place that Bella said was in the back street of the school, in an alley out of South Star University.

There were many small stalls and shops inside, and the two of them have been there several times before.

Bella was silent for a few seconds and nodded, “OK.”

The two girls went downstairs.

Ashley walked a little slowly because of her foot. One foot stepped on the step and the other stepped on it before moving on to the next step.

Instead of letting Bella hold her hand, she held the handrail and moved slowly.

Bella, who used to talk a lot, talked very little today.

Ashley took the initiative to raise a topic, “Why did you suddenly come to me today?”

“Well,” Bella seemed to be thinking about things, and her reaction was a little slow. “We haven’t seen each other recently. Because We’ve been divided into classes, and then I met some new friends, so I didn’t have much time. I’ll introduce you to some of my new friends the other day. ”

Her popularity has always been good. Ashley didn’t care too much. “It’s all right.”

Bella, “I miss you a little bit, so I came to play with you.”

Ashley nodded, the corners of her lips bent, and there was a pear vortex on her lips.

Although she wouldn’t say anything emotional, she was happy to hear her friend say so.

Outside the school, the two turned left and went straight, then turned left.

There was a lot of chatting along the way, mostly about the recent things in the class.

Seeing Bella as absent-minded, Ashley felt a little bored and couldn’t help asking, “I think you seem a little strange today.”

Bella immediately raised her head and said, “What’s wrong?”

Ashley, “Are you unhappy?”

Bella said, “No, no.”

“You are not talkative today.”

“Really?” Bella rubbed her nose. “Maybe I’m just a little sleepy.”

“You stayed up late last night?”

“Mm-hmm.”

When they went to the back street, Ashley looked at the nearby shop and asked casually, “Would you like to eat something?”

Bella didn’t answer and asked, “Ashley, do you have any money?”

Hearing this, Ashley bowed her head and pulled out a banknote from her pocket. “I’ve brought twenty, that’s enough.”

Bella suddenly bowed her head, as if with a little shame and guilt, pointed to another alley, “Let’s go over there.”

Ashley looked in the direction.

The alley was a little dark, the flow of people there was also small, several teenagers were smoking at the entrance of the alley.

Seeing this, she stopped and became confuses, “Why? I’ve never been there, and it doesn’t look like there’s anything to eat.”

“That is,” Bella’s expression was a little anxious. “I don’t want to eat anymore. I want to go to an Internet cafe.”

Ashley was stunned for a moment, obviously did not expect to hear these two words “Internet café.”

Bella responded with some embarrassment, “It’s true.”

Ashley reminded her, “Bella, Internet café requires an ID card.”

Bella said, “That one doesn’t.”

“No.”

Ashley frowned and refused what she said. “What are you doing in an Internet cafe?”

“I want to play games,” Bella said with a bitter face. “My grades have gotten worse recently. My parents won’t let me touch the computer anymore.”

“You can’t go there.”

Bella took her hand. “Just come with me. I dare not go in alone.”

“No, my parents won’t let me go to those places.”

Although Ashley was a little self-willed, she would listen to what she thought was right. She didn’t give in at all. “You can go to my house if you want to play.”

Bella shook her head. “That game will take a long time to download.”

Ashley, “Then I’ll go back and download it for you today, and you will come to my house to play tomorrow. You should study hard, and after you improve your grades, your parents will let you play. ”

“We’re here anyway.”

Bella’s eyes slid out of focus. “Please go with me today. This is the last time, and I won’t go again, okay? ”

Ashley stared at her and said nothing.

The two girls were deadlocked for a long time.

Bella got angry and walked in the direction of the alley, raising the volume and saying, “Forget it. I’ll go by myself. You go home. ”

The teenagers standing at the entrance of the alley just glanced at her and did nothing else.

Ashley was a little uneasy, but afraid that something would happen to her, she pinched the strap of her schoolbag and followed, “Bella, can you not go?”

The light in the alley was dim, there was no light, and the road was slightly narrow, with rubbish piled on one side, looking dirty and messy.

Ashley didn’t walk as fast as Bella and shouted several times. Bella just stopped and looked back at her.

She looked around and didn’t want to stay here at all. “Come on, let’s go back.”

Without waiting for Bella to speak, Ashley saw several people coming out of a nearby house.

There were three girls, wearing school uniforms.

The leading girl had burgundy hair and wore heavy makeup on her face, which made people unable to see her original appearance. Her school uniform was covered with all kinds of strange patterns, with a cigarette in her hand, saying to Bella, “Why are you so late, little sister?”

Bella slowly turned her head and said timidly, “I got a detention today.”

“Well, I thought you ran away, and I’m going to visit you at your school tomorrow.”

“…”

“Did you ask your parents for money?”

“Sister, I really don’t have any money. My parents don’t give it to me, but my friend brought money.” Speaking of this, Bella looked back at Ashley and pleaded, “Ashley, don’t you have money?”

Ashley realized something in an instant and looked at Bella. Her eyes were dark and she could not see her mood.

Bella dared not look her in the eyes, so she looked away.

Hearing Bella’s words, the red-haired girl noticed Ashley, who was standing behind Bella, and walked towards her, “How much money did you bring?”

Ashley pursed her lips and took the twenty out of her pocket.

The red-haired girl took over, “That’s it?”

Ashley nodded.

“Little sister, are you so poor?”

The two girls standing behind her laughed abruptly. “She seems to be a cripple.”

“Cripple.” She instantly changed her words, patted Ashley in the face with her cigarette-holding hand, and said with a smile, “You don’t have any money, but your parents should have some. Lend some money me.”

Afraid of being burned by cigarette butts, Ashley dared not move and spoke, “OK.”

The red-haired girl withdrew her hand and whispered, “Then come here and meet me tomorrow after school. By the way, if you dare to tell the teachers and your parents, I will go to your school to visit you every day. ”

Ashley paused for two seconds and nodded.

Only then did the red-haired girl walk back with satisfaction. When she passed Bella, she tugged at her hair and said with a sneer, “You should also bring me money tomorrow. Don’t tell me your parents don’t give it to me.”

Bella’s body leaned back along with her strength, trembling, crying, “Sister, don’t hit me. I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”

After the intimidation, the three girls talked and laughed in front of them and said a lot of things, and it took a long time for them to get out of the alley.

Leaving Bella and Ashley standing there.

Ashley looked at Bella and said with a straight face, “You know them.”

“I met them when I went to the Internet café yesterday.”

Bella began to cry. “Ashley, I’m sorry, I’m so scared. I’ve run out of my pocket money, and my parents don’t give me more. I don’t know what to do.”

Ashley didn’t answer and turned to walk in the direction of the alley entrance.

Bella hurriedly followed, “Don’t be angry with me. Just give them the money anyway. They should not hurt people. It will be all right after the holiday.”

“…”

“Ashley.”

Ashley suddenly turned her head and asked, “Were you blackmailed by them?”

Bella nodded pitifully.

“Then why did you take me here?” Ashley was obviously angry and her voice was vaguely angry. “You should tell your parents, or the teachers, why you took me here.”

“Didn’t you just hear what they said?” Bella, as if stunned by her, sobbed. “If I told my parents, they would come to me every day.”

“…”

“And,” Bella’s voice became vague, “Isn’t your family rich?”

A strong sense of betrayal came to Ashley’s mind.

Ashley stared at her and couldn’t say a word for a moment. She said nothing more and walked out of the alley in silence.

Bella followed her nervously, wiping away her tears.

After a while, Ashley exclaimed, “Don’t come to me again.”

Bella began to cry, “Ashley.

“You don’t have to follow their words.” Ashley said calmly, “When you get home, tell your parents. They can’t ignore you, and those people don’t look much older than us. There’s nothing to be afraid of. ”

“…”

Bella bowed her head.

After saying that, Ashley was silent for a moment, and then said, “I gotta go. Good-bye.”

Bella didn’t follow up.

Ashley dared not stay in that area any longer and walked at a faster pace until she came to the vicinity of the usually familiar cattle store and stopped.

She was stupefied for a long time, a little at a loss, and suddenly remembered Jacob.

She suddenly dug out her cell phone from her schoolbag.

Only then did she realize that it was past six o’clock.

Jacob called her a dozen times.

After keeping him waiting for a long time, Ashley began to be afraid of being scolded by him.

Just about to call back, Jacob just made another call.

She picked it up hurriedly.

He didn’t seem to think that she would pick up this time, so he obviously paused for several seconds before saying, “Ashley?”

“Yes.”

Jacob breathed a sigh of relief. “Where have you been? Didn’t your borther ask me to wait for me at school?”

Ashley, “I’m at the door of KFC, my brother told me.”

Be quiet for a few seconds.

Jacob, “Wait for me over there.”

A few minutes later, Jacob appeared at the door of KFC.

He seemed to be running, with a thin sweat on his forehead and a little redness on his face.

It was rare that there was no smile on his face.

Seeing that Ashley was fine, he was not that worried.

Ashley took the initiative to greet him, “Brother.”

“Where have you been?”

Ashley hesitated for a moment and honestly pointed to the alley.

“Over there” Jacob looked over and paused for a moment.

He looked back at her as if he were inconceivable, and laughed, “Internet café, cool.”

“…”

“How dare you!”

Ashley looked at him and dared not say a word.

Jacob’s chest fluctuated slightly as if he held his temper, “You did not answer the phone.”

“…”

“If you don’t want me to pick you up, you can tell your brother.”

Jacob paused and stared at her, his eyes suddenly converged, and the corners of his lips bent up. His voice was low and his tone returned to his usual idleness, but seemed to have a sharp thorn. “You know brother is poor, and I don’t have that much time.”

Ashley just said, “I didn’t.”

She grabbed the bag strap nervously and hesitated how to tell him what had just happened.

She didn’t want to bother him so much, and she was afraid he would feel her so stupid that she was tricked into going there so easily.

Seeing Ashley seem to be ashamed, Jacob’s anger dissipated, but he still put away his smile and said with a straight face, “Do you know you are wrong?”

“…”

“Mm-hmm.”

“…”

His word was deliberately heavy-tongued. “Speak.”

Ashley has never seen Jacob angry.

At this moment, she inexplicably recalled the tone of her father when Liam had made trouble before, and he was ready to hit him.

It seemed to be exactly the same tone as Jacob now.

Some other words sprang into her mind.

“If the child is disobedient, just give him a beating.”

Ashley suddenly put her hand behind her back and took a timid step back.

Her movements were big and sudden, and she looked a little inexplicable and strange.

Jacob was stupefied for a moment and did not reflect what she meant.

The next second, Ashley swallowed and said carefully, “Brother, I’m sorry.”

The little girl’s tone was timid and nervous, and she seemed to be really frightened. Jacob’s anger gradually faded away, and when he was about to say something, he heard her utter an astonishing sentence, “Don’t hit me.”

“…”

“Let’s just talk, OK?.”

Ashley took a few more steps back and dared not get too close to him. “I will listen this time.. I mean it.”