third person pov

ashtray, valerie and fezco made their way inside fezcos house after he unlocked the door, valerie slowly stepped inside, observing everything around her. the house was kinda dark, until fezco turned on the living room light and she seen more of what was in the house. it wasn't much, it was simple. but it looked like everything the two needed for a home, and she liked it.

she stood there, trying not to be awkward as she watched fezco walk down the hall and to what she guessed what his room, and ashtray who looked at her, before rolling his eyes at how he knew she was trying not to be awkward.

"cmon." he spoke, making her finally turn her head to him, but he had already grabbed her arm and started pulling her to his room.

she let him pull her, and after his opened his door and they were in her room, she looked around... it was everything she thought it would be. simple, not too messy.

she stood by his bed, watching as he sat down and looked up after. "sit the fuck down and stop being awkward." he rolled his eyes.

with a quiet laugh, she sat next to him. "my body hurts so bad." she sighed, thinking out loud.

"yeah, well you have to do all that cheerleading shit." he laughed, to anyone else it would've sounded like he was making fun of her, but to her it just sounded like he was joking.

"yeah.." she sighed, more tired than she had realized before.

ashtray furrowed his eyebrows while looking at the girl, her eyes were closed so she hadn't noticed that he had been staring at her. it was noticeable she looked tired, and still in her cheer uniform, he stood up and walked over to his closet, pulling out the first pair of sweatpants he saw and a random shirt.

she opened her eyes again when she felt him stand in front of her, and raised her eyebrows at the sight of him holding his clothes. "here, you can change." he said, and she sat up, taking the clothes out of his hands with a nod.

"thanks." she said, walking over to the bathroom that was on his room.

ashtray sat, looking at the closed door as thoughts went through his mind.

are me and valerie friends ?
she's pretty.
do i like her?
no.

probably.

ashtray didn't actually know that much about val, he knew the things she told him.. but he knew there had to me more to her. he noticed how she didn't talk about her parents or her life at home, and only sometimes about her sister, maddy. he guessed her and her family just argued a lot, which would explain why she was usually at victoria's house.. he wanted to ask her, but he didn't know if it would bother her, if it was something worse than just arguing, so he never did.

he didn't realize how long he had been staring at that door, thinking, until it opened and revealed valerie dressed in his clothes.

she held her cheer uniform, nervous at how he looked her up and down a couple seconds ago. "um.. where do i put these?" she asked him, and he just responded with pointing at his computer desk, so she walked over and sat them there.. before walking back over to his bed and sitting next to him.

the moment she laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling, she felt like she could fall asleep at any moment. and from tiredness, she didn't care about what she asked in that moment, so she asked what she wondered.

"why'd you look at me like that?"

he turned his head slightly to her, "like what?"

"when i walked out of the bathroom... i don't know." she sighed, too tired to explain it to him.

he shook his head with a low chuckle, "lay up there before your ass falls asleep." he said, standing up and putting to the right side of the bed.

she got up and moved over to where he had said, her face now deep on the pillow and her eyes still shut. "yeah.. i'm so tired." she mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear it.

"i can tell." he spoke softly, looking at her.

she smiled, a breathy chuckle coming out of her mouth. "hey, ashtray?"

"hm?" he hummed, getting tired himself.

"do you like anyone?"

for a second his breathe stopped, he thought over the things he could reply with.. if he should be bold and go for it, or not. "nah." he lied.

any other moment valerie's heart would've been broken, but she just nodded her head, "mm."

he was silent for a minute, "do you like anyone?"

she smiled to herself, "yeah."

and after that it was silent between the two, and because he didn't speak again.. she ended up falling asleep.

"val?.." he whispered, making sure she was sleeping, and once she didn't give and type of reply, he stood up and walked into the living room.

fezco was already sitting down watching tv, and turned his head when he heard ashtray walk in the room. "thought yo ass was sleep."

"nope." ashtray sat next to him, crossing his arms.

fezco eyed his little brother, wanting to ask him about valerie but not wanting to make him mad for.. whatever.

"do you like her?" fezco asked anyway, turning his head back to the tv.

ashtray turned to him, "val?.. shes- yeah."

ashtray wanted to mentally beat himself up for stuttering and actually saying out loud that he liked the girl.. even after, minutes ago, he told her he didn't like anyone.

fezco smiled, "that's cute, your own cheerleader."

ashtray cringed at his words, and immediately regretting telling him anything. "never say that again."

AUTHORS NOTES:

y'all idk if this is gonna be my last ASHTRAY book or just my last book in general 😭 it just bc most ppl who read my story's, read them bc they're about ashtray, and if i makes them ab anyone else ppl probably won't read them. but if i do it won't be for awhile, im gonna take a break for a couple weeks or at least a month before making a new one after this one