Settle Down // Irwin

29

"They're fine." Jade tells him and sits down on the floor again. "It's not our business." She says just enough for Ashton to hear.

"But Jade," Ashton says still standing. "They're fighting, loudly."

"So?" Jade shrugs and looks away from him. 

"So?" Ashton repeats. "So?" He says louder and Jade shushes him. "Jade that isn't okay, you should talk to them about it or something."

"Listen," Jade turns her whole body around to face him. "It's always been like that, just leave it. They just need to be left alone and it will all be fine."

Ashton stares at the girl in front of him in disbelief. He couldn't understand what Jade was saying and she couldn't understand why he cared. If she said it was fine he should just except it. It's her parents, not his.

"Please tell me you aren't being serious." Ashton says in shock. 

"What?" Jade couldn't quite get it. "If it isn't my business it isn't yours." She says bluntly.

"I'm guessing they do this a lot?" Ashton crosses his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow. 

"Like I said it isn't your business." Jade turns her back on him again and then lets out a sigh. "But yeah, they do."

Jade feels arms wrap around her waist and Ashton places a kiss to her shoulder. She would be lying if Jade said she didn't want to cry. She was angry at Ashton for trying to get involved. She was annoyed at her parents for acting like that a second time Ashton was in the house, she was starting to get stressed with school, and Ashton just wouldn't tell his stupid friends about them!

"I'm sorry." Ashton says softly in her ear. "You shouldn't have to hear that. It's not fair." He says solemnly.

Jade rolled her eyes. Why did Ashton feel as though he had to apologize? Why was he being so... so weird and acting like this is the worst thing ever. It isn't his business and Jade has already made that clear enough. He obviously didn't get that though and felt the need to baby Jade about it. Did he also not get that she was used to this? SInce she was like seven. It happened before he was around.

"I'm used to it, i know how it works around here." Jade takes a deep breath. "I leave them alone until they work it out."

 "Until the next fight." Ashton says in Jade's ear.

She scoffs and pushes him off her, getting up and standing up.

"What?" Ashton seems slightly suprised.

"Are you kidding?" Jade tries to keep her voice low. "That wasn't an okay thing to say."

"Jade calm-" Ashton begins to say whislt standing up but Jade cuts him off.

"They are my parents. I know how things work around here, you don't. You don't get to swoop in here and make it seem like whatever you were going to do or trying to say to me was going to all of a sudden save me." Jade stares angrily at him and snaps. "Since I was a little kid this has happened so I'm used to it. You aren't, you don't get it. So just let me handle it in the way it's supposed to be handled and let me just... just... just..." Jade lost what she was going to say next and just instead groaned out in frustration and began putting her math stuff away as Ashton watched on.

"Jade..." Ashton said gently. "What're you doing?"

"Times up." Jade replies bluntly.

"Do you want to talk?" Ashton tries to grab her wrist but she moves to quickly.

"Nope." She says back. "I'm going to Calum's."

"Oh," Ashton nods. "Right."

"Is that okay?" Jade says through gritted teeth, not actually caring about Ashton's response. She puts her books back on the book shevles and hear Ashton beginning to put his stuff away too.

"Sure." Ashton says with annoyance. "It's not my business." Jade knew he was just being smart and snarky.

"Good." Jade snips back and they continue cleaning up Jade's living room in silence. An awkward silence filled with tension.

Jade went upstairs to get her jacket and she prayed she wouldn't see her mom or dad. She was lucky and didn't have to. When she got back downstairs Ashton was waiting at the door. Jade didn't know if she wanted to punch him for being so annoying or just run into his arms and cry. She knew he was being concerned and just worrying about her but she was just annoyed. About everything.

"I'm going to go." Ashton said to her, shuffling on his feet.

"Okay." Jade nodded.

"Do you want me to take you to Calum's."

"No." Jade replied back.

"Okay." Their conversation seemed robotic and cold, and Jade didn't like it. At all.

Jade opened the door for her and Ashton to walk out. And that's all they did. Well, they said little goodbyes to each other but could barely look at each other as they said them. Ashton went back into his house and Jade started the long walk to Calum's. She was starting to really regret not getting a ride from Ashton. That and other things.