Social Suicide (BxB) / On Hold

Chapter 3

"Oh. My. God." Thalia squealed at lunch, her half-eaten sandwich suddenly left forgotten on the greasy table. "You get to tutor Ashton Spears? I swear, most girls would, like, kill for that."

Alex had just finished recounting the horrors of his previous class to his three best friends, Anthony, Chris and Thalia; and unsurprisingly, Thalia was thrilled.

Alex shrugged and sent her an icy glare. "Well, I'm not a girl, and I'd be happy to swap with whoever. Anyone but him."

"I've got to admit, the guy probably couldn't care less about his schoolwork, let alone whether he passes Chemistry or not." Christopher began. "I wouldn't be surprised if he blamed his annoyance on Alex, actually."

Thalia smirked. "Kinky."  

"What's that meant to mean?" Alex shook his head. The last thing he wanted was to be on Ashton Spear's hit-list. "Here, anyone want these chips? I've lost my appetite thanks to you two."

He had just finished shoving his greasy chips across the table when he heard a noisy crowd push through the door. A familiar sense of dread settled over him as he watched the other's reactions.

"Oh, there he is!" Thalia all but screamed as she saw the familiar figure of Ashton waltz into the room, flocked by at least a dozen adoring girls. As usual, he walked like he owned the school and everyone in it. 

"Alright that's it. I'm never going to Chemistry again." Alex scowled, a bitter taste forming in his mouth at the thought.

"I'll be happy to take your place," Thalia waved her eyebrows, earning a kick from under the table.

*   *   *

After being held back for ten minutes after school ended, Alex was pissed. His teacher had taken it upon herself to personally discipline the entire class, and now Alex was racing down the halls, hoping he could still catch the school bus home.

But, as luck would have it, the bus was long gone by the time Alex reached the stop. Just great. Catching the public bus would be the cherry he needed on top of this terrible day. Not.

So when he saw the public bus pull in shortly after, an old model with worse suspension than a homemade pram, Alex's heart sank. He knew how terrible the public bus would surely be. Kids running around, their parents screaming. No thanks.

So, obviously Alex decided that catching the public bus would be a fate worse than death, and walking was undoubtedly the better option. And, obviously, the public bus left right at the moment that Alex noticed how dark it looked. It was definitely about to rain, just his luck.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Alex ran down the path, leaning against a nearby tree.

The sky, which had previously been dark and overcast, suddenly became a wall of water in mere seconds. The trees offered no shelter, and droplets the size of almonds smashed their way through the foliage above. Alex's footwear was quickly overwhelmed, water seeping in through the stitching. He was sodden, cold and frustrated.

Alex sighed, pulling the grey hood over his saturated form as he trudged into the heavy rain. Small pellets of water spat on his hands as the remainder of the drops quenched the scattered puddles decorating the asphalt. Through the sound of rainfall, the familiar hum of an engine captured Alex's attention.

He felt his back stiffen minutely as he looked up. The car was slowing, coming directly for him. Fear crept over Alex's skin like an icy web as he hesitated. He'd heard the stories; stories where innocent kids had been captured on afternoons like this one. On the other hand, walking three kilometers in this weather was far from ideal, and he was strong enough to defend himself if it came down to it. Maybe.

"Need a ride?" A loud and slightly reluctant voice came from the car, barely audible through the heavy rain. Alex turned, his stomach dropping when his eyes lay on the figure tall in the front seat. It was Ashton Spears. Of course. Alex, although startled, steeled his face in the hope to salvage what little dignity he had left.

"I'm, ah, fine thank you."

"Walking home - in this rain?" Ashton rolled his eyes. "Just get in."

Alex found himself nodding before he could stop himself, and reluctantly stepped into the car, taking the passenger's seat. He cringed as his wet jeans came into contact with Ashton's leather seats. Was he the sort of person to mind that? He did look like he took pride in his car. Alex's felt Ashton's eyes briefly rake over his cold, wet figure and adjusted his position self-consciously. He definitely minded.

"Thanks, and sorry about wetting your seat." Alex muttered.

Gazing straight ahead, only half-aware of the world outside the claustrophobic comfort of the car, Alex refused to make eye contact with Ashton. Why was he suddenly being so nice? Alex couldn't help but feel unnerved.

"Where do you live?" Ashton scowled, obviously annoyed despite Alex's lack of involvement in the situation. Alex replied, although uncertain, and cleared his throat. A heavy silence settled over them, thicker than the uneasy tension in the atmosphere. Alex felt painfully out of place, like a pepperoni that had mistakenly made its way onto a vegetarian pizza.

Silence gnawed at Alex's insides, hanging in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground. The silence was like a gaping void, needing to be filled with sounds, words - anything. Alex tried to speak, but couldn't think of anything to say. His mind was blank. Luckily, Ashton spoke first.

"Kept behind late?" His tone was harsh, as usual.

"Uh, yes. How'd you know?"

Ashton kept his eyes on the road, "I was in that class too. Mrs Truss, fifth period?"

Alex nodded. Ashton was in that class? How did he not notice?

"Am I going the right way?" Ashton prompted, amusement slightly coloring his speech.

"Um, directions. Right. Make a turn here, and take the second left." Silence. To say that this ride was awkward would be the understatement of the century, Alex thought bitterly. "Why are you doing this?" He finally asked, turning to look directly at Ashton for the first time. "You don't owe me a ride."  Silence settled over the two again. Alex briefly noticed that Ashton had his fists locked tightly around the steering wheel, and appeared to be gritting his teeth. Alex could almost see the gears turning in the other's head as he thought of a response.

"Is this your house?" Ashton ignored Alex's question, and when he turned, his eyes were unreadable.

"Um... yeah. Thanks."

Alex wasted no time exiting the car. The last thing he wanted was to spend more time with Ashton, of all people. Shuddering, Alex threw his front door open and promptly flopped onto the couch. He didn't even care that he was wet, all he could think of was what had just happened.

What the hell.