(winnie's outfit for this part of the chapter)

Winnie felt bad for Ashley. Ashley has been spending so much time with work while Brooke had been spending more time with her other friends and Winnie knew that Ashley felt left out. "And then they called her an avalanche." Ashley explains to the couple as they walked into the living room at Ashley's house. "What does that even mean?"

"No idea." Winnie admitted.

"She's an indication of climate change? Because that's really insulting." Ashley continued.

"They had an inside joke." Stick points out. He raises his eyebrows. "Are you really that upset?"

"I'm not upset," Ashley admits. "But I reminded her of my open house a week ago." She glances at Winnie with a smile. "Thank you for being there, by the way. That meant a lot to me."

"No problem." Winnie returns the smile. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"So you're upset that she forgot." Stick realized.

"I'm not upset." Ashley argues. "It's just, Brooke said she was worry, but she didn't really seem sorry."

Stick furrows her eyebrows. "So, you're upset that she's not sorry enough?"

"Now I'm just confused." Winnie confessed.

Ashley glares at Stick, both her hands clenched into fists. "I'm not upset!"

Winnie and Stick stare at her with surprise and they both scoot away from her, the couple slightly scared of her. "Yeah, 'cause someone who's not upset would totally look like that." Winnie remarked, gesturing to Ashley's mad expression. 

"It's just, my work can be really isolating, and I just wanted one of my best friends to see what I do." Ashley admitted.

"The most self-involved person in the world forgot something that doesn't directly impact her." Stick said, pretending to be shocked. "Shocker." Winnie rolled her eyes and hit his shoulder to scold him. He winced slightly, rubbing the spot she hit. Ashley then looked at Stick with a glare.

"Ash, beside Winnie, Brooke is like your only girlfriend here. Maybe you can't lean on her all the time." Stick advised.

"I guess I could use more girlfriends my age." Ashley realizes. "I mean, everyone at JPL wears hormone patches."

"Could've gone my whole life without knowing that." Winnie commented, her face contorting to disgust.

"Winnie, would you wanna hang out more?" Ashley asked hopefully.

Winnie's eyes lit up and she smiles. "Of course, I would love to." Ashley smiled widely at her.

"Well, if you wanted more friends your age, there's a robotics club at school that needs an adviser." Stick suggested.

"Good idea." Winnie smiles. "I'm sure you could befriend a lot of girls in that club."

Ashley smiles widely. "Guys, that's a great idea! You guys are my hero." 

Winnie raises her eyebrows. "Really?"

"No." Ashley laughs. She grins. "Marita Cheng, founder and CEO of Aubot is, but right now, you two are a close second."

"Aw, that's sweet." Winnie smiled.

****

The next day at school, Winnie and Stick walk hand in hand in the hallway with Ashley following them. "Hey, buddy." Stick greeted Tad when he noticed Tad at his locker.

Tad closes his locker, turning to face him, revealing he wore a black lacey long sleeve crop top with a big bow. "Wow!" Stick's eyes widened.

"Hey." Tad smiled.

"So...What's new?" Stick raised his eyebrows.

"Um...New look?" Winnie asked, tilting her head to the side as she stared at Tad with surprise. 

"Bella's got some big meeting with these bloggers from Tokyo Style Watch." Tad explains. "She really wants them to do a profile on us, so she needs me to step up my style. I'm, uh, trying to make it work."

Stick raises his eyebrows. "The shirt or the relationship?"

"Ha! Funny." Tad replies. He frowns, shaking his head. "Both." He then walked down the hallway. 

"So, ready to make friends?" Stick asked Ashley with a smile.

"I guess." Ashley shrugs, looking nervous. "It's just, Brooke and I have so much history, it's gonna take me forever to make another friend like that."

"We got you covered." Stick pulls out a binder from his messenger bag, handing it to Ashley. "They're cheat sheets. Win and I printed out info about each girl in robotics." 

"Pictures, extracurriculars, favorite bands." Ashley smiles as she flips through the binder. She furrows her eyebrows. "What's a...'Lil Yachty'?"

Winnie and Stick look at her with amusement. "He's a rapper." Stick replies. "Everyone loves him."

"Beloved rapper." Ashley nods with a smile. "Got it. Wow, where'd you guys get all this?"

"We're in yearbook club." Winnie replied with a small smile. 

"Normally, compiling all this would be considered stalking," Stick said and then smiles. "but because it's for you, it just makes us a good friend." Stick opened the door to the robotics club room, letting the girls walk in first before he did and then closed the door behind them. Ashley glanced around with wide eyes and Winnie put a comforting hand on her shoulder, sending her an encouraging smile when the Latina girl looked at her nervously. Ashley nodded and took a deep breath, smiling a bit. Winnie could tell Ashley was nervous so she was glad it seemed like she helped Ashley calm down.

"Win and I flagged our favorites." Stick whispers to Ashley. "Go get 'em."

"You got this, Ash." Winnie reassured Ashley.

Stick then turned to face Winnie with a smile, taking ahold of her hand. She smiled back at him, intertwining their hands together as they walked to the table they usually sat at. 

"Hey, everyone." Ashley speaks up nervously. "I'm the new head of robotics club, Ashley Garcia." She moves to stand at the front of the class. "Despite the fact I'm fifteen, I have PhDs in both robotics and applied mathematics. If you think it's a little weird having an adviser who's your age, think of me as a friend." She smiled and the couple gave her a thumbs up.

Ashley then walked around to check on some students and tried to make conversation with them. But then finally Ashley made a good conversation with Romy and seemed to get along with her well which Winnie and Stick were happy about. 

****

Winnie walks into the Pat's later after school with Stick and Tad. Tad was wearing another crazy outfit Bella wanted him try out. This time it was slightly more normal than the last one, but he wore a lot of necklaces, earrings, and an odd green tall hat. Everyone immediately laughed once they saw Tad as the trio walked in.

"Stick, everyone's laughing at something. Check your fly, dude." Tad said.

Stick puts his hands in his pockets and shakes his head. "Buddy, they're laughing at you. And just a theory: could be the hat."

"No, not a theory." Winnie interjects. "It is the hat."

"Maybe you're right." Tad nods. He laughs. "But if they're laughing at this, I'm glad I didn't wear the big hat."

Winnie sighed as Tad walked to the counter. "Hey, I'll get you your order, you get us a table?" Stick suggested with a smile, looking at the blonde by him.

"Sure thing." She smiles back at him. She chuckles. "I assume you remember my order?"

"Obviously." He replies in a duh tone, smiling when she giggled. "What kind of boyfriend do you think I am?" He grinned at her, kissing her cheek before he walked over to the counter. 

Walking further into the restaurant, Winnie smiled when she noticed Ashley and Romy hanging out. "Hey, guys." She greeted as she walked over to them.

"Hi, Winnie." Romy greets with a smile. "I didn't know you and Stick were together."

"They recently got together and, like, it's about time." Ashley chimes in with a smile. 

"Well, I just gotta say you two are cute." Romy smiled.

"Oh, thanks, Romy." Winnie smiled softly, her face turning red. She decides to change the subject as she glances at Ashley. "So, it seems like you two are getting along well?"

"Yeah, we are." Ashley replies excitedly. "We have a lot in common."  Romy nodded and smiled.

"That's great." Winnie smiles a bit. "Well, I'll let you guys keep talking. I'll see you guys later." She waved goodbye at them and they both waved back. She then went to go find an empty table for her, Stick, and Tad. 

"One coffee with cream and two sugars for my girl." Stick smiled softly as he set Winnie's coffee down on the table in front of her, kissing the top of her head.

She blushes, but smiles at him. "Thanks, Stick. You're the best." 

****

Later that day, Winnie and Stick are hanging out with Ashley at her house. "Oh, here it is." Ashley said excitedly as she found a tv show to watch. "This is gonna be so fun to binge."

Winnie's eyes widen at seeing what the show is. "Your definition of fun is very much different than my definition of fun."

"America's Next Top Butcher?" Stick said with surprise. 

"Sounds like a show that would give you nightmares." Winnie remarked and Stick nodded in agreement.

"Why are we gonna watch this?" Stick inquired.

"Romy's favorite show." Ashley smiles. "And I trust her 'cause she's my girl." Winnie clears her throat and Ashley chuckles, looking at her. "After you, of course."

Winnie smiles. "Better."

"Well, she knows good TV." Stick sarcastically said.

"Thanks for helping me make a friend, guys. You two are the best." Ashley pulled them in for a group hug.

"It's not a problem, Ash." Winnie reassures her. "We're happy to help."

Then the oven went off, signaling that the nachos were done so Stick offered to go get the nachos while Ashley and Winnie stayed in the living room. Then the doorbell rang so Ashley went over to answer it. Brooke stood at the door, looking upset. She handed Ashley a lipstick.

"You left this at Pat's."

Ashley takes the lipstick, looking confused. "Sorry, I don't think this is mine." She handed it back to Brooke. 

Brooke takes the lipstick, walking further into the house. "Oh, you're sorry?" She raises her eyebrows. "What do you have to be sorry about?"

"Honestly, nothing." Ashley shrugs with a small smile. "Women have just been indoctrinated to apologize all the time."

"Okay, cool, whatever." Brooke shrugs. "So you don't think you have anything to be sorry about?"

"No." Ashley tilts her head to the side, looking upset. "Perhaps you're projecting. Is there anything you feel you may have to be sorry about?"

"Okay," Winnie chimes in, dragging out the word as she looks awkward. "I'm gonna go see if Stick needs any help." She said and quickly went to the kitchen, not wanting to be in the middle of their fight.

"Hey, Win," Stick greets, glancing over at her wtih a smile as he set the nachos down on a hot pad that's on the kitchen island. "Everything okay?"

"Ash and Brooke are kinda fighting so I rather not be in the middle of that." Winnie replied with a frown and he looked at her sympathetically. 

"That's understandable." Stick nods. He gestures for her to walk over to him. "Here, you can help me get this ready to bring out there." 

Once they got the nachos prepared, they walked into the living room, surprised to see Ashley standing at the closed front door seething in anger. 

"I feel like we missed a lot." Winnie commented.

"So, where are we on America's Next Top Butcher?" Stick asked in a awkward tone, trying to break the awkward silence.

****

(winnie's outfit for this part of the chapter)

Winnie and Stick were at Pat's the next day after school when they overheard Romy asking for Ashley's signature. "It just says that I didn't 'steal' the 3D printer from the lab and 'sell it' on the dark web." Romy replied to Ashley, using air quotations on 'steal' and 'sell it'.

Winnie shares a surprised look with Stick. "You stole it?" Winnie inquired. 

"Wait, did you?" Ashley asked with raised eyebrows.

Romy laughs and uses air quotations. "'No'." She stands up, taking the paper. "I gotta go give this to the principal, I'll catch you later."

"Think your new friend might have been using you." Stick commented as he and Winnie sat down at the table after Romy left.

"I know that 'now'." Ashley angrily said, using air quotations when she said the word 'now'.

Tad walks over to the group, today wearing a colorful jumper with white tennis shoes and blue and white socks. "Hey, guys."

"Uh, Tad...What is that?" Stick questioned in disbelief, glancing at his outfit.

"Hot pretzel." Tad grins, thinking Stick was referring to the pretzel he held. He sits down at the table across from Ashley. "Ash," He looks at her with concern. "You look upset. Are you okay?"

"Brooke's mad at me. Romy was using me. I wanted more girlfriends, and now it turns out I only have one." Ashley frowns. She glances between Stick and Winnie. "Guys, you both heard the fight. Should I go and apologize?"

"Don't drag us into this." Winnie whined.

"I can't loose Brooke forever." Ashley sighs. "What should I do?" Ashley asked.

"Oh, wow, okay." Stick said with surprise. He's quiet for a moment as he thinks before he says, "This requires a lot of thought." He stands and begins to pace. "I mean, sure. You can apologize."

"Apologize. Right." Ashley nodded with a smile.

"Hold on." Winnie tells her as she takes a sip of her coffee. "He'll keep going."

Just like Winnie said, Stick continues. "But that could just make things worse."

"Worse?" Ashley stands by him, looking worried. "What do you mean worse?"

"Well, sometimes when you apologize it makes you look desperate and needy." Stick replied nervously, putting his hands on his hips

Ashley's eyes widen. "Okay, so I shouldn't apologize?"

"Oh, no, I didn't say that." Stick quickly responds. his eyes widening in panic. "Don't put words in my mouth. I don't want the guilt of ruining your friendship on my shoulders."

Ashley sighs. "Well, what would you do?"

Stick sighs. "If I were you..." He pauses, glancing at her nervously. "I am so glad I'm not you. This is impossible."

"That's not helpful, honey." Winnie remarked, chuckling a bit as she drank her coffee.

"Stick, you're stressing me out!" Ashley exclaimed.

"I'm stressing me out!" Stick admits. His eyes widen and he lifts his head back all of a sudden. "Think my nose is bleeding." He then walked away to the bathroom.  Winnie chuckled softly and sighed, shaking her head.

Ashely starts pacing. "Why is this so hard? How does anyone ever make any friends? How does anyone ever keep a friend? Maybe I wasn't cut out to have any girlfriends."

Winnie frowns at hearing that and before she could step in to calm Ashley down, Tad beat her to it. Tad gets up and walks over to her, stopping Ashley from pacing. "Ash. Ash, take a breath." Ashley nods shakily, taking a deep breath. "It's gonna be okay. What are you feeling?"

"What do you mean?" Ashley frowned.

"You're thinking too much." Tad points out. "Thinking is overrated. I go days twithought doing it."

"We know, Tad." Winnie chuckled softly and smiled a bit.

"Sometimes, you gotta go with your feelings." Tad continues. "What's your gut telling you to do?"

Ashley shrugs. "I wanna apologize."

Tad nods. "Then do that."

Ashley looks nervous again. "But what if she doesn't accept it?"

"Of course she will." Tad smiles reassuringly. "You're awesome."

Ashley smiles softly at him. "Thanks, Tad. That's exactly what I should do." She said as she laughed.

Tad chuckles. "Why are you laughing?"

"You just wouldn't expect advice that wise from a man wearing an adult onesie." Ashley responded.

"That's a very good point." Winnie agrees. She chuckles. "Tad, that outfit is ridiculous."

"When you have to fully unrobe to use the bathroom, you learn a lot about life." Tad commented.

"We didn't need to know that," Winnie retorts. "But thanks."

"I'm guessing you and Bella are still trying to get into that fashion blog?" Ashley inquired.

"Oh, we already made it into the blog." Tad answers. "It's pretty awesome. They're doing a full profile."

"If you already made it, why you still have that crazy outfit on?" Winnie chuckled.

Tad grins. "'Cause I like it. Who cares what anyone else thinks?"

Winnie smiles and nods. "That's a great mindset to have."

 "Yeah," Ashley agrees with a smile. "Wow. I respect your confidence. You really know who you are."

"I do." Tad smiles. "I'm Tad Cameron, and I wear rompers." He points at the girls. "Check this out." He backed up and then did a perfect back flip. 

Winnie's eyes widen in surprise and she stares at him in awe. "And you do back flips." She didn't know he could do those.

"Never done that before." Tad admits. He smirks, pointing at his outfit. "That was all romper."

****

At school, Winnie and Stick walk down the hallway, Stick's arm around her shoulders as they walk over to Ashley after noticing her in the hallway. "Hey, Ash." Winnie greeted with a smile.

Ashley smiles at her and Stick. "Hey, guys."

"What's that?" Stick asked, pointing at the stuffed bear Ashley held.

"It's my apology gift I made for Brooke at work. It's a robotic teddy bear." Ashley explains. "I programmed it to say I'm sorry in Chris Hemsworth's voice."

"If you really wanted her to accept your apology, shouldn't you have used Liam Hemsworth's voice?" Stick asked with an amused smile.

"I'm pretty sure either one would work." Winnie chuckles. "Ash, next time we have a fight and you have to apologize could you give me one of those but with Tom Holland's voice?" She asked hopefully, her lips forming into a grin. Tom Holland was one of her favorite actors so that's why she had asked that. 

"Is it weird that I'm jealous of your celebrity crush?" Stick asked with an upset look.

"Don't worry, you're the only one for me." Winnie reassured him, kissing his cheek which made him smile and his face turned a bit red.

Ashley laughs lightly and nods. "Yeah, Nini, I can do that." She glances at Stick, raising her eyebrows. "And Stick, are we really going to get into this again?"

Stick raises his hand in defense. "Fine. You know where I stand."

"Yes, we know you're a Liam fan." Winnie smiled in amusement. 

"As soon as robotics club is over, I'm gonna bring this to Brooke's house." Ashley speaks and she looks hopeful. "I hope this apology works because right now it feels like I'm never gonna see her again."

Winnie moves away from Stick to pull Ashley in for a side hug to comfort her. "Ash, I'm sure you'll see her again." 

The trio then moved to walk inside the robotics club classroom, surprised to see Brooke there. "Brooke!" Ashley smiles widely. "What are you doing here?"

Brooke smiles. "I'm your newest member."

"But don't you have drama club right now?" Ashley asked in confusion. As the two friends talked, Winnie and Stick walked over to the table they always sat at.

Brooke nods. "I had to rearrange some stuff, but I really wanted to be here. This is your world, and I wanna know more about it."

Ashley grins. "I can't believe it. I'm so glad you're here." She then pulled her into a hug. 

"Listen, I didn't mean to miss your open house." Brooke admits. "It was important to you and I should've been there."

"I didn't mean to leave you out." Ashley tells her. "I wasn't trying to hurt you. I'm sorry. And that was a real sorry, and not a indoctrinated one."

"Aww." Brooke smiles. "I missed your big words."

"I can't believe you apologized first. I wanted to apologize first." Ashley confesses. She picks up the stuffed bear. "I made you Robot Teddy Bear Chris Hemsworth and everything."

Brooke gasps, taking the teddy bear from her. "This is literally my favorite thing ever."

Ashley laughs. "Stick says I should have made you a Robot Teddy Bear Liam Hemsworth. But Winnie agreed to make this one."

Brooke grins. "I knew Winnie liked Chris too." Her eyes widen in surprise. "Stick's Team Liam?" She and Ashley glance over at Stick. She nods. "Oh, I see it." 

A/N i love winnie & stick so much