Settle Down // Irwin

52

"Then we would drive home together and probably make out in your car or my bedroom or something like that, then you would leave and pretend not to see me again in school if you are ever with Luke or Michael."

Ashton blinks a few times at Jade. He would be a total liar if he said that wasn't one of the ways prom with Jade and Ashton would play out. He probably would do something like that to her.

"Well then take Calum as your date then," Ashton turns around and away from Jade. "Perfect match."

"Not really," Jade says quietly and placing the open envelope in Ashton's locker.

"What are you doing?" Ashton asks her harshly.

"I'm not going to prom." Jade says.

"Oh right," Ashton rolls his eyes, slamming his locker closed and leaning against it, facing Jade. "You and Calum going to be studying?" Ashton smirks.

"Calum isn't allowed anyone at his house right now, and he isn't allowed to leave." Jade says quietly, she isn't really sure why she is telling Ashton this.

"What?" Ashton furrows his eyebrows together.

"After what happened on Friday..." Jade trails off and looks away from Ashton. "His mom isn't letting him do anything. she was ready to pull him out of school she is so scared for him."

Ashton goes silent. He never thought about how Calum's parents would react. He never really thought about the geeky Calum he knows from school and what he would be like outside of school. Turns out Calum tutors Lauren and Lauren knows it was Ashton, Luke and Michael who beat him up. She now won't speak to any of them. It's making the new house as tense as the last.

"He's only allowed to go to school and that's it." Jade says.

"That's stupid." Ashton frowns not quite getting Calum's mom's logic.

"I know." Jade nods.

"So you aren't going because Calum isn't?" Ashton brings the focus back to prom. This is the longest he had spoke to Jade in so long and it feels a little alien and awkward.

"I'm not going," Jade sighs. "Because I don't care about what actually happens with the rest of the school year now." She tells him. "As soon as I can leave I am."

"Right." Ashton says and there is a brief awkward silence before Ashton says, "so you definitely don't want to go to prom?"

Jade looks at him before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She shakes her. "I don't think I can."

"Not even if it was Calum asking you?" Ashton raises an eyebrow.

"I don't like Calum like that." Jade says quietly.

"Yeah," Ashton chuckles. "You love him."

"Not like how I love you." Jade whispers it but Ashton can hear it.

His dizziness from earlier comes back when he realizes that Jade does, in fact, still love him. He doesn't know why.

"You still love me?" Ashton quickly glances around the school hallway to make sure no one is watching.

"That's not a feeling that just goes away." Jade tells him.

"But you love Calum too?" Ashton asks.

"Not like that." Jade groans. "He's my brother."

"Who you've slept with?" Ashton smirks.

"When I just wanted to get rid of my virginity. Everyone was doing it so I thought I had too as well." Jade admits.