Chapter Text
November 18, 2011
"I wrote a poem about him," Margaret said, her voice quiet as she blew out a small cloud of smoke. She leaned against the wall behind the school, her long, dark red curls falling over her shoulders. The black eyeliner around her eyes made her look even more intense, but her smirk softened the edge.
Ashton groaned loudly. "Not again! Margie, please don’t tell me this is about Jason."
Margaret gave him a small smile. "What if it is?"
"Then I’ll seriously lose it," Ashton said, dropping his cigarette and stepping on it. "Margie, Jason is a jerk. He’s full of himself and treats everyone like they’re beneath him."
Margaret shrugged, taking another drag. "You don’t know him, Ash."
"I don’t need to," Ashton replied quickly. "Everyone knows him. He acts like a rockstar just because he owns a guitar."
Margaret rolled her eyes, brushing a strand of her curly hair away from her face. "You’re just jealous because he’s better than you."
Ashton turned to her, his eyes wide with fake shock. "Better? Margie, the guy knows three chords. That’s it. And his songs? They all sound the same."
Margaret started laughing but stopped when she heard a soft voice.
"You two really shouldn’t be smoking," Lila said as she walked over, her bag on her shoulder.
Margaret turned to her, flicking ash off her cigarette. "Hey, Lila. Here to save us again?"
Lila smiled gently and sat down on the grass near them. "I just don’t want you to get sick. That’s all."
Ashton lit another cigarette and sighed. "We’re fine, Lila. Don’t worry so much."
Lila looked at him with her usual calm expression. "I worry because I care about you both."
Margaret smiled softly, dropping her cigarette and crushing it with her shoe. "See, Ash? That’s what being a good friend looks like."
"A boring friend," Ashton muttered, leaning back against the wall.
Lila ignored his comment and turned to Margaret. "So... Jason? Really?"
"Don’t even start," Ashton cut in before Margaret could reply. "He’s the worst. His music is bad, and he’s worse."
Margaret sighed, twisting a strand of her hair between her fingers. "It’s just a poem, okay? I don’t even like him like that."
Lila nodded slowly. "As long as you’re careful. That’s all I’m saying."
Ashton rolled his eyes. "She’s never careful. She’s writing about a guy who thinks he’s great because he learned the intro to Seven Nation Army."
Margaret gave him a playful shove. "You’re impossible."
"And you’re predictable," Ashton replied with a grin, flicking his cigarette away. "Come on, we’re going to be late."
Margaret looked at Lila. "You coming?"
Lila stood up, brushing off her skirt. "Yeah, let’s go."
The three of them walked back toward the school, Ashton still grumbling about Jason while Margaret tried not to laugh.