Nicotine | Ashton Irwin ✔

1.2

"Come on." She took his hand in hers and headed in another direction.

"I'm sorry for snapping." Teddy apologized. "I just don't trust him."

"I know." Ara said. "But if I'm being honest, I had a really good day." She said, giving him a weird smile. Teddy nodded.

"Just don't do anything illegal." He said. Ara pursed her lips trying to hide her smile.

"I'm not making promises." She grinned. Teddy shook his head.

"Why is it that I am the mature one out of us?" Teddy asked. The turned a corner and stepped through the gates of the cemetery.

"Maybe it's because I never got to be a kid." She said as they walked through the rows. They finally stopped at their mother's grave. Both of them sighed.

"I miss her Ara." Teddy mumbled, burying his neck in his sister's shoulder.

"Me too." Ara mumbled, hugging him.

Ashton seemed to be in a better mood as him and the boys walked home that night. They'd cleared things up and were cool. But as they rounded the corner, Ashton stopped. "Ash. Ash." Calum turned around. "Dude, what are you looking at?"

"Is that Ara?" He asked, pointing into the cemetery. Michael peered through the gate.

"I think so." Mike said. Ashton's heart quickened when he noticed them turn around and began walking away.

"Let's go." He said quickly, and picked up his pace, hurrying around the corner. They followed.

"Wait." Luke said. He stopped and leaned against the wall.

"What?" Ashton hissed.

"I wanna hear what she says." The four of the glanced around the corner, just as Ara and Teddy walked out.

"Does he know?" Teddy asked.

"Know what?"

"About mom?"

"Yeah."

"Don't let him use it against you Ara." Teddy warned. "I still don't trust him."

"Neither do I, but he's different." Ara said.

"I don't want to see you get hurt Ara." He sighed. "Just, be careful of who you associate yourself with." He said.

"I promise I'll be careful." She replied.

"Yeah I've heard that one before." He said.

"Shut up. Let's go. I'm pretty sure Liam's had a heart attack by now." They turned and walked down the road.

Michael, Calum and Luke turned to Ashton, who was lost for words. He stared after them. "Hey!" Ashton jumped as someone clapped in his face.

"What?" He asked.

"You zoned out staring after Ara." Michael said. "Are you sure you're okay Ash? Because honestly, you don't look it."

"I'm fine." He said, turning and crossing the street. "I'll see you in school." He said.

Truth be told, he wasn't okay. Not by a long shot. Ara was messing with his head, and it was driving him crazy. There was something about her that made him feel weird and fuzzy. It was a feeling he didn't particularly like. He turned the corner and walked up the front steps of his house. Ashton opened the door. "ASHTON! WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN!" His father shouted. Ashton sighed, slamming the door behind him.

He kicked his shoes off by the door and into the kitchen. His father was seated at the table, smoking, a bottle of beer next to him. "Where were you?" His father, James, asked. Ashton scoffed.

"Like you care." He said. "It's none of your fucking business."

"Don't swear." James snapped. "I raised you better than that."

"You never raised me." Ashton spat. He walked past. James stood up, grabbing his wrist, slamming him against the wall. "Get off!" Ashton yelled.

"You shut your mouth boy " he sneered. "Go to your room. And don't you fucking show yourself down here again. If I see you, you're going to wish you'd never been born." James shoved Ashton to the ground, and grabbed his beer, walking into the living room. Ashton quickly stood up and made a dash for the stairs. Inside his room, he slammed the door loudly, collapsing to the ground. With shaking hands, he ran them through his air. Him and Ara, he guessed, were alike in more ways than one.