Sensation Boulevard

Author's Note: Holy cow, I did not expect the level of response to the first chapter. It made me squee so much I scared the crap out of my flatmates. So, thank you to all who took the time to review!

-


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Chapter Two

Love should be a tree whose roots are deep in the earth, but whose branches extend into heaven.


-Bertrand Russel.

-


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Before Madison could get a word in edgeways, Asher propped himself up on his elbows to stare at them more comfortably from their position. "Do you mind shutting the door? I don't want the whole college seeing my naked ass."

Asher's words were like a clap of thunder in the shocked silence and Brian reeled back like an invisible force struck him across the face. His eyes widened comically as he took the whole scene in. With amused detachment; Madison thought he looked like a puffer fish on dry land.

Oh, this could not be good.

"Oh, Jesus! Sorry, I-" Brian remembered he was staring openly and clapped a hand over his eyes. "I was looking for- Well, that's to say I thought- Oh, never mind." He coughed discreetly and shuffled out of the door, bumping against the doorframe on the way out. "Carry on then."

The slam of the door sounded ominous to Madison's ears and she swallowed thickly around the lump in her throat. Alone together again, it would seem. Asher turned back to her with a sheepish grin as he propped his head up with the palm of his hand. The expression would have fit better on a little boy, not a full grown male who was contently sprawled on top of her. Madison couldn't help but notice how close their faces were to each other and she felt a strange sense of claustrophobia sweeping over her like a wave. "Well, that went better than expected. I thought he was going to drag me out by my ankles and beat me to a bloody pulp."

She stared up at him like he was a psychotic madman that, now that she thought about it, wasn't very far from the actual truth. "Better than expected? What planet are you from? He thinks that we're...that we're-" God, she couldn't even say the words out loud.

"He thinks we're doing the horizontal mamba?" Asher threw in innocently; his green eyes alight with mirth at throwing her earlier words right back at her.

"That we are sleeping together." She said fiercely back at him, challenging him with her own eyes.

"Oh," he lifted himself up off of her by a few inches, giving him the room to give her a languid once over. "That wouldn't be so terrible, would it?"

The charged look made her blush hotly. Her mouth was suddenly dry as a dessert and she licked her lips in a vain attempt to moisten them. Asher's eyes lowered to follow the unconscious movement. "I think I will go with a 'hell yeah, that's a bad thing'. I don't know where you have been. Now do you think you can actually get off me now?"

Asher's smile grew bigger at her words. "Of course you know where I have been. With your delightful friend, who does this wicked thing with her tongue-"

Asher wasn't able to complete his sentence as Madison's hand was pressing firmly against his mouth. "Don't even think about it. I don't want to know anything about Nina and her wicked tongue, thank you very much."

Asher huffed against her hand and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Spoilsport." But then again, that would mean he had a death wish or something.

"And I wasn't talking about that part. I was talking about your notorious reputation of being a huge sleaze."

Asher removed her hand from his mouth and held onto it. "A huge sleaze? Is that what they call me now?" He didn't seem to mind in the least, which made Madison even angrier.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Seriously. Get off me now."

Asher groaned in exasperation. "If I were a guy with an inferiority complex, I would take serious offence at you calling me a huge sleaze and continuously brushing me off." Other than shifting another few inches, he made no other attempt at getting off any time soon.

Her hands moved from their position at her side and in his grasp to slide across his shoulders and tug him forward. His eyes widened in surprise and she smiled sweetly up at him. "And yet most guys would have taken the hint, with or without the inferiority complex. Now, get the hell off of me, your ego is crushing my ribs."

Despite being sick, Madison used all of the strength she had left and shoved him off the bed by his shoulders so he landed in a great heap on the floor. He gave a pained groan and she answered with a sneeze and a sniffle. Struggling to sit up, she watched him do the same whilst rubbing the rapidly forming lump on the back of his head.

"What did you do that for?" He demanded with a petulant pout that still made him look pretty damn handsome. Madison rolled her eyes at herself. Now, really. There was no need for her hormones to start acting up now.

"What do you think?" She asked him with an annoyed growl that blew her dark hair out of her face. "You're being intentionally infuriating. Not to mention difficult at the same time."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," he mumbled, picking up the tangled bed sheet from the floor as he stood and wrapped it around his body. "Now, do you have any clothes that I could possibly borrow? Or do I have to leave like this?" He asked as he looked down at himself with a raised eyebrow.

While the idea of him leaving looking like he had just walked out of some Grecian love slave novel, Madison didn't think that it would go unnoticed by the population of the student gossips. Quickly sizing him up, she got off the bed and moved to her cupboard, digging through her old clothes that were at the very back of the shelves. "Oh, yes you do know what I mean." She threw him a pair of grey sweat pants that were too big for her and a large t-shirt that she used for a nightdress. "They're going to think that there's something between us." She waved a hand between them wildly.

Asher deftly caught the clothes with one hand. "But there isn't anything between us."

Thanks for that, Captain Obvious. "Exactly my point. But you didn't even bother to protest against their insinuations and out-right gawking. Or defend my honour for that matter. Now they are going to think the worst." She crossed her arms in front of her chest in a protective stance.

Asher just shrugged. "They would have thought the worst even if I had protested. Especially if I had protested. That's college mentality for you. Speaking of honour, do you mind?" He made a circling motion with his hand.

Madison stared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes to the ceiling and turning her back on him. Shesh, it's not like she hadn't seen it all before and now he chooses to come all over modest. "Brian is an okay guy. I'm sure he wouldn't jump to any conclusions. I mean, he knows I'm not the type of person to jump into bed with just anyone."

Asher laughed lowly. "That thinking is a little naïve of you, sweetheart. Give people a chance and they will think the Virgin Mary was the village bicycle." Madison gritted her teeth against his callousness. "But then again, you know him better than I. Maybe he will prove me wrong."

The sound of rustling clothes stopped and she was about to turn around to face him when suddenly everything went dark. Letting out a startled cry, she stumbled and her hands shot out in front of her only to be hindered by the bed sheet that was draped over her head.

Arms wrapped around her from behind, effectively stopping her windmilling arms and steadying her on her feet. She felt rather than heard the chuckle against her back as it reverberated in his chest. "Calm down Madison. It's only a bed sheet."

Madison growled. "Real funny, Asher. I'm peeing myself with laughter right this moment. Now, kindly take your bed sheet off my person and leave through the door like a normal human being."

The sheet was suddenly gone and she was left blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light. Asher stood there with a goofy grin on his face. "Alright, I'm out the door now. I'll be back to bring you your clothes. Freshly laundered, of course."

Madison weighed up the pros and cons of getting the clothes back and having to see her harasser again. "Nah, that's alright. You can keep them. They're old clothes anyway."

Asher looked down at himself with an amused expression. "I think I will just give them back. They're not really my size, are they?"

Madison paused for a moment to take a good look at him. The sweat pants were a little short on him, the hems were about four inches above his ankles and the t-shirt was tight across his shoulders and chest. Madison attempted to be serious, but a strangled giggle slipped past her lips. Asher gave her a mock glare for her troubles.

"At least it's better than traipsing around college in nothing but a bed sheet?" She pointed out helpfully.

"Right," he deadpanned. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he made his way to the door and opened it. There was a suspicious crowd that was meandering outside of her dorm. As soon as Asher opened it, people immediately jerked to action and pretended they were there for a reason or just passing on by when they were really listening in.

"Huh." Asher looked back at Madison with raised eyebrows and a mischievous look in his eyes. Madison really didn't like that look at all. "I'll be seeing you real soon, sweetheart. You have my word." And with that (not to mention the shocked exclamations from the crowd), Asher left with a dramatic wave as he shut the door.

Madison collapsed on the bed with an exhausted groan. "What a strange boy."

She sneezed twice.

-


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Asher Greaves was a big enough boy to admit that he had done a lot of stupid things in his life. Like the time he got so wasted at a random dormitory party, passed out on some stranger's sofa and woke up with rude graffiti all over his face and snuggling up to a flashing traffic cone that was dubbed 'Bianca'.

Or the time that he had thought it would be a great idea to try out for the college football team. As an initiation test, he and a bunch of other new guys were made to dress up in outrageous women's lingerie and prance around in front of a student union full of gawking people. Well, at least he looked better in a Barbie pink corset and matching suspenders than his best friend, Hayden.

Hell, there were just too many weird and 'wonderful' predicaments he seemed to constantly find himself in. Too many to list anyway. But never, in all his life, had he ever found himself in such a strange dilemma as the one he was in with Madison Parker.

Admittedly, the jumping out of the window in nothing but a flimsy bed sheet and scrambling into another one (to save his own skin, he would like to highlight) was perhaps a tad on the dramatic side. He expected to apologize profusely, scrounge as much dignity as he could and beat a hasty retreat to his own dorm. Instead, what he got was a mouth full of abuse (or a life-sized toy penguin, as the case may be- what the hell?) from a pint-sized female who looked like she was ready to keel over at any second from flu.

The girl was a pretty damn cute, despite the red nose and the bleary eyes. It took a whole lot of will power on his side not to grin at her rather spectacular reaction as he had a hunch that she may have tried to chuck something far heavier than a bedside lamp at his head.

Okay, and maybe rugby tackling her to the bed to stop her from chucking anything else was a touch too much, but his mother didn't raise no fool (regardless of what his mother would yell at anyone who would listen). Madison would have kept going until she ran out of things to throw at him. Maybe then she would have used her fists. That particular image just made Asher more amused. He needed those brain cells, though. He had a big test coming up and he needed to ace it.

Whilst comfortable sprawled across Madison, Asher couldn't help but notice her cheeks flushing the same colour as her nose. With a couple of well-placed innuendos and a look here and there, she was practically squirming with embarrassment. If he didn't know any better, he would have pinned her as a virgin.

Which was a stupid idea, as she was friends with the likes of Nina Drew. And really, the horizontal mamba? He would have to remember that one for future references. This girl was quite obviously a genius.

Not to mention she was incredibly forgetful as she got up to give him a sound telling off (and so obviously flustered by his bare Chest. Oh yeah, she was definitely cute) she nearly fainted and he had to reach out and catch her before she face planted the carpet. Only, it didn't go according to plan. He miscalculated the location of the numerous toys on her floor and sent both of them sprawling on the bed.

Lady Luck could not have struck at a better time.

Brian and his cronies chose that moment to barge into Madison's room and stop dead in their tracks. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going through their minds as they witnessed the mishap.

That was when Asher's brain decided to supply him with a helpful plan that would get his ass out of the fire and into the frying pan. If 'unconsciously' Brian was led to believe that Asher was with Madison the whole time...then Asher would be home free.

So Asher sat up the best he could without flashing everyone anymore than he had to and shot them a 'so-not-impressed' look whilst saying the first thing that came into his head.

And that was that.

Until Madison chose to have her say. She certainly had a nasty temper on her. With a well-placed shove, he found himself on his back and staring up at the ceiling from the floor. For such a petite girl, she was stronger than she looked.

Acting all innocent, Asher distracted her train of thought by asking her for clothes to wear and, whilst changing, defend his actions of not protesting. Technically, what he told her wasn't a lie. If he had spoke up, Brian and the rugby team would still have thought differently. That's the way a guy's mind works. A guy and a girl (especially a good-looking girl like Madison and Asher in a state of undress) couldn't possibly be in the same room and not have wild monkey sex. It was just unthinkable.

That kind of mentality was impossible to reason with. You just had to roll with it. And if he played to the staring crowd of gossipers waiting on the other side of Madison's door...well, it wasn't really his fault.

Madison was just too much fun to tease and flirt with.

Musing over the events of the last hour, Asher made his way back to his dorms at a leisurely pace. He easily ignored the strange looks he received from passers-by as they took his clothing in and turned onto the hallway his own dorm was situated on.

Before he knew what was going on, a hand fisted in his t-shirt and he was propelled into the opposite wall with brute force. Biting back a hiss of pain as the back of his head hit the hard surface, he glared at the fuming face of his attacker. "Brian," he acknowledged with an even tone. "For what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Don't act stupid, Greaves," Brian bit out. "What the hell are you playing at?"

Asher just gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean 'what the hell am I playing at?' You are the one who is slamming people up against walls for walking around minding their own business."

Brian tightened his grip on the t-shirt and pulled Asher closer so they were nose to nose. "What the hell were you doing with my girlfriend?"

Asher's eyebrow rose to his hairline. "Madison is your girlfriend?"

Brian growled and shook him. "No, you idiot. I'm talking about Nina. I know you were with her."

Asher pasted on a surprised expression. "Nina? What does Nina have to do with this?"

"Stop treating me like I'm stupid. I heard a guy in Nina's room. He sounded an awful lot like you, Greaves."

Asher reached up with one of his hands and loosened Brian's hold. "I don't know if you were at all aware back there in Madison's room, Brian, but I was a little preoccupied to visit your girlfriend."

Brian's eyes narrowed on him. "And that's another thing. Are you telling me that Madison Parker would so much as touch someone like you?"

Now it was Asher's turn to get angry. "I don't like the way your insinuating that I'm not good enough for her, Colby."

Brain Colby shrugged nonchalantly. "If you shoe fits. Any other girl and I wouldn't be suspicious. Madison is completely different. Dating you is just not her style."

Asher paused for a moment. He wasn't trying to pass himself off as Madison's boyfriend at all. He was only trying to make it look like he was with her that afternoon. Was that what it needed to take to get Brian off his back? If what Brian said was true about Madison not even wanting to date someone like him, then he was pretty sure that she would think less of just sleeping with someone like him (albeit in the hypothetical sense of course).

This whole lieing business was getting a little tricky.

"Think what you like, Colby." Asher gave Brian a shove so they had more space between them. "Madison is big enough to take care of herself. She can date who she wants." He was so going to hell for this.

Brian scoffed. "Right. So, why is it that I have never seen you two together before? Or why hasn't Madison ever uttered your name once?"

Asher's hand carded through his hair in stifled irritation. "Because I didn't want to blow it with her. I didn't need the whole student body breathing down our necks every time we so much as held hands. I wanted to take things...slow. Madison isn't like the other girls I have dated."

Brian stopped and considered his words. Asher thought he was going to laugh in his face. Those words had been so damn corny. But Brian didn't. "No. No, Madison isn't like your other girlfriends." It was Brian's turn to be on the defensive. "Look, I'm sorry. I honestly thought it was you in Nina's room and your reputation...well, I guess you can see where I'm coming from. I didn't realise you guys were in a serious relationship, let alone going out."

Asher blanched at this comment. Madison was going to tear him apart with her bare hands. "Well, I wouldn't exactly say we were serious-"

"But that doesn't mean you are in the clear, Greaves." He shoved a finger in the middle of Asher's chest and prodded. Hard. "I know your sort. If you so much as put a finger wrong with Madison, or so much as look in the direction of my girlfriend, I will come down on you like a tonne of bricks. You got that?"

Asher hid his wince. "Yeah. Loud and clear."

"And, seriously dude, what are you wearing?"

Asher sighed. He had a sneaking suspicion that the lie he had just told was going to bite him in the ass.

Either that, or Madison would flay him alive.

-


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

(IMPORTANT NOTE: Asher's POV won't happen very much in the story. I just wanted to to tell his side of the confrontation with Madison. Though, i hoped you enjoyed that part anyway!)

I actually have this whole story planned (which is a first for me, so this pretty much guarantees me finishing it) and it will come out at about twenty-eight chapters! That's a whole lot of chapters!

And I also have a livejournal account, which can be found on my profile page (in the homepage section). I would really appreciate it if anyone who has an lj account would friend me and I will do the same back. It would be nice to have some fictionpress friends to chat with.

Feed(my muse)back please.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-