Ashton Enchanted » [cashton] √

0.8

Ashton and Michael were waiting, somewhat uncomfortably for Calum and Luke to finish up at some group meeting in the library, Crystal was in the bathroom, and the pair were seemingly incapable of making conversation on their own.

"Look, boys, pissy pants is over there with his mate," Ashton's head snapped up, and he saw a boy from one of his classes, two other boys behind and a smirk across his face.

He wanted to roll his eyes at the pathetic jeer but restrained himself, Michael didn't seem to have the same level of discipline though, "Don't fucking start," he said in a huff.

"Oh? I see how it is, you're going to have other people fight for you. Are you his faggot boyfriend?"

Ashton rolled his eyes, "He's not my boyfriend, just leave us alone," he grabbed at Michael's elbow and tugged him toward the library doors, hoping that merely leaving would be enough to defuse the situation.

"Come back here," Ashton stopped immediately and dropped Michael's elbow, turning and walking back to them. He tried to keep his face a mask of indifference, Michael needed to think that Ashton was ready to confront them.

"What? What could you possibly have to say-"Ashton was cut short by a fast jab into his stomach, followed quickly by another, and another.

He heard a gasp and a 'what the fuck' from behind him and assumed Michael was looking on in horror. It wasn't the first time Ashton had ended up in a position like this, he was an easy target for assholes like this because if they told him to sit still or not tell anyone, he would have to do it. They didn't realise he had to, they just assumed he was too embarrassed to leave. Thankfully because he never put up much of a fight, the other two were only watching on with laughter, rather than joining in, that was until Michael made the mistake of reaching an arm forward and trying to tug Ashton out of the others reach.

They didn't even speak, seemingly knowing exactly what they were going to do, they each grabbed Michael by the arm and started in on him as well. Ashton could see them laying into him as he himself got another hard punch to the stomach. Michael twisted in their grip, and they moved out of Ashton's line of sight but based on the sounds coming from the other they couldn't be doing anything good to him.

"Fucking fight back Ashton," he groaned, "beat the shit out of them,"

Like any command he felt the tug in the back of his mind and then his body was pulling itself free, and his fists started to lay into the boy who'd had him in the hold. Commands like this always flooded him with adrenaline and left him feeling like he was sitting in the backseat of his body. His fists were flying, and he could feel sweat beading off him, but his hands were numb, he couldn't feel them hit against the bodies of the boys who'd had Michael pinned. And he didn't really start to get any feeling back in them or have the fog leave his brain until the last guy hit the floor and Michael stood back, mouth agape in what could only be described as fear. Then slowly, the pain in his stomach returned, and an ache in his hands started up.

"What in god's name has gone on here? All of you to my office right now!" the Principal's voice boomed from behind them.

Fuck.

The five of them trudged after the Principal to her office, each nursing their respective wounds and all of them meek looks on their faces. She took the others first and left Michael and Ashton to stew over what she was going to say to them in the hall.

Ashton sighed deeply and turned to face the other, "I'm so sorry, Michael; I didn't mean to get you involved. Especially with the, uh, fighting," a stray tear ran down his cheek, and it stung, there was a cut there he'd have to deal with later, "I fucked up again,"

"It'll be fine, we just need to be honest," Michael said not looking up from where his eyes were focused on his shoes, even with his downturned head Ashton could see the bruise developing under his eye, and the guilt started to build in his stomach, right between the two big bruises he could feel developing there.

They stayed silent as they waited and Ashton's mins started to wander to what Crystal, Luke and Calum were doing right now, they were probably confused as to where they were, and he was already dreading having to explain this to them.

They didn't have to wait much longer, and the others exited the office, and the instigator made eye contact with Ashton, "don't talk to that bitch, or I'll fucking kill you,"

Ashton wanted to groan, only these assholes would feel like they could threaten him after just having their arses beat. Neither he nor Michael said anything to them though as the forwarded off god knows where.

The three guys from before exited the office the instigator making eye contact with Ashton, "Don't talk to that bitch, or I'll kill you,"

"Come in you two,"

They stood wordlessly and moved into the office, taking up two of the empty chairs in front of her desk, both only looking up to face her once they were seated. Ashton had never had much to do with any of the office staff or the Principals in his years at the school, so he'd never even been this close to the woman until now. She was messy looking, she had long brown hair, that was in a sloppy, 'just rolled out of bed' sort of bun, her makeup looked hurriedly put on, and her clothes were a mash of unmatched colours.

None of this made he any less terrifying, maybe if she'd been an art teacher it might have made her more approachable, but as a Principal it made her look like she was far too busy to be polite, and that if you got in her road, she'd have no problem taking you down a few pegs.

"I want you to explain what's happened," she said as soon as they'd sat down.

Ashton attempted to speak even though he knew nothing would come out, opening and closing his mouth like a fish, seemed to be enough of a queue for Michael to step in, "we were just waiting for our friends, and then they came over and started giving Ashton a hard time about the other day. We were going to leave and then the tall dude, he called Ashton back and then started laying into him hard. I tried to stop him, but then the others grabbed me, and one pinned me while the other punched, and then Ashton must have gotten sick of it cause he wriggled out of that guy's arms and came over and got them off of me," Michael explained in a rush of words. "Ashton was just defending us," he added quickly.

"Hmm, well between the two stories I just heard that one is the only one that explains why you're also badly beaten," she said thoughtfully, "that being said there is still absolutely no reason for you to have beat them so badly Ashton, you should have just gotten yourselves free and gone and found a staff member," she said matter-of-factly her eyes coasting a serious look over the two of them. "That was incredibly vicious self-defence, Mr Irwin, I will be speaking to your mother about you seeing someone for anger management," she shuffled some papers on her desk, and the pair waited with bated breath for what she would say next. "Detention every afternoon for the rest of the term seems like fair punishment, both of you Ruben building, room 2.06 every day after school, I'll see you both starting tomorrow," she said, and her tone said that that was the end of the matter and they got up and exited the room.

As soon as they were down the hall away from the office, Michael rounded on Ashton, "what the fuck was that? Why didn't you say anything? This is all because of you, and you didn't even defend yourself, little alone me,"

"I-I didn't know how to explain it without it sounding terrible; I'm so sorry, Michael. I really am I should have just let you leave; I didn't think they'd turn on you too. I'm really sorry." Ashton pleaded.

"I don't know what your problem is; it's like you're fucking asking for trouble. You can't just be normal, can you?" Michael rolled his eyes and sighed, turning to leave, he was storming, but his body language told Ashton he was not welcome to follow.