Social Suicide (BxB) / On Hold

Chapter 14

By the time that they approached the library, the air between Ashton and Alex was thick and stifled. Ashton's previously relaxed features were replaced by a mask of stone, causing Alex to be more pessimistic about this tutoring session than ever. 

They checked in quickly and chose a seat towards the back of the building. Soft, toneless voices echoed from the surrounding students, but Alex was sure that no one from their local school would be this far out of town. He wondered what Ashton's response would be if someone saw them together - shame? He hoped not, but knew he was being too optimistic.

As deep into his thoughts as he was, it took Alex a while to realize that Ashton was staring at him expectantly. Oh, right.

"Um..." He cleared his throat, "where do you want to start?" Alex struggled to let his awareness permeate through his speech.

"Well, how about you look at my work. Check whether it's right or not?" Ashton responded without missing a beat. Alex nodded, that seemed to be a good place to start, and he needed something to distract his racing mind.

"So," he began, making conversation as he rifled through the pages, "you've started then? I guess that means you're on the right track."

Ashton made a non-committal noise from the back of his throat and averted his eyes. Alex eyed him warily, assessing his mood. He seemed alright for now, maybe even agreeable, but Alex knew Ashton could snap at any moment.

"Alright," He began, instantly switching into work mode, "well there's a lot to unpack here. For starters..."

They spent the next hour or so going through the material. There was a constant air of tension between the two, and Ashton was clearly eager for the session to end. A slight glimmer of irritation never left Alex's eyes, and his expression remained indifferent and rigid. Resisting the urge to sigh, Alex contemplated the unfairness of it all. Ashton was the one that wanted this - not him. He was the one benefiting from this session.

"Are we done yet, Winters?" Ashton asked, his voice clipped as he fiddled with his pen. Alex looked up, somewhat relieved that someone had brought it up.

"Yep, that seems like enough for one day."

It was about 4 pm by this point, and families were beginning to head home from school. A young child, maybe five at most, wondered behind his parents. Alex watched Ashton's eyes follow the parents as they walked past.

Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe it was a morbid, repressed desire for confrontation that prompted Alex to ask the following question. He wasn't sure.

"Hey Ashton," he began speaking before he could stop himself, "why do you not live with your parents?"

As soon as the words flew from his mouth, thick silence fell between the two. Alex knew instantly from the look in his eyes that he'd said the wrong thing.

"Since when was that your business?" Ashton ran his hand through his thick hair three times in quick succession and fixed the other in a stare that could have frozen the Pacific. He snarled more than spoke. "The only thing you know about me is one thing - my name. And that's all you'll ever know." 

*   *    *

Alex trudged up the path leading to his house, the events of the previous hour heavy on his mind. They'd left without any parting words, and he knew it was because of his question. The raised voice of his mother could be heard from down the road, and Alex readied himself to be scolded for running so late. It was all Ashton's fault, really.

Upon entering the house, however, he realized to his satisfaction that he wasn't the victim of his mother's wrath today; his older brother was. Good thing too - after this afternoon, the last thing Alex wanted to do was to deal with more confrontation.

"What happened?" Alex asked his Dad as he entered the kitchen. His father was a tall man - kind natured and rarely cruel. He was clean shaven today and his hair was trimmed short, revealing the deep smile lines around his eyes.

"I'm not sure. I think your brother's talking about moving out - permanently. I can't imagine your mother standing for that."

Alex agreed and slipped out of the kitchen. His mother was a strict woman with strong ideologies. The one thing she couldn't stand was change, no matter the magnitude. Alex figured she'd die before one of her son's left her watchful gaze indefinitely.

The sounds of their voices traveled up the stairs as Alex climbed into his bedroom. His eyes trailed absent-mindedly to his phone, which he'd left charging. He wondered if maybe he should text Ashton to apologize to defuse the tension.

Before he got the chance to, however, his phone buzzed. Thalia was calling, and he knew better than to ignore it.

"Yes?" He spoke upon answering the call.

"Where the hell have you been? You know how many times I called you today?"

Alex winced. "Sorry. I left my phone at home."

"Well as I was trying to tell you, we're all going out tomorrow. See you in The Green at 8." She said, referencing the local shopping mall. Alex was an introvert at heart, usually preferring solitude over social events; but, based off the tone of his friend's voice, he knew he didn't have much of a say in the matter. As usual.

"Alright. Fine, see y-" The phone buzzed again, indicating that she'd cut the call. 

Typical.