She was standing in the doorway. She looked like she was seriously regretting coming to the class. Especially when her eyes met Ashton's. That hurt Ashton a bit but he couldn't blame her.
When he saw her he was confused by what she was doing here. Why would Jade Jones need to come to an extra math lesson? Ashton always thought she was the queen of math and wouldn't need any sort of added help. Then it clicks.
Because she is the queen of math and all the teachers love her, they probably thought it was a good idea to ask students to help out. Jade would definitely be on the top of the list of qualified students. Her, and her friend Calum.
Ashton is a little surprised that he isn't here. He follows her around like a puppy dog and never leaves her side. It definitely makes Ashton feel... something, always seeing them together. Maybe that's why he is such a dick to Calum. Well, Luke's the dick, Ashton just likes to sit back and watch it happen.
Jade bites her lip before walking into the classroom. She brushes back her dark hair from her face. She always has it down, Ashton has noticed. It is always quite messy and wavey too, he likes that about her hair.
She walks past Ashton's desk, not really acknowledging him. He just wishes she would pay even the slightest bit of attention to him.
When she reached Mr Rivers desk he looked up and they began a quiet conversation. Probably just talking about how they are going to deal with Ashton and the rest of the class.
Ashton is suddenly not interested in studying at all now that Jade is here. Why could he never just get over his crush in her. He has done literally everything he can think of. He has slept with girls that didn't mean anything, he has had crushes on other girls and he even had a steady girlfriend for a while back at the start of high school, but he still had bigger feelings for Jade. Jade who no one noticed a part from Ashton, and Calum.
Ashton feels his phone vibrate and the familiar 'ding' sound, alerting him someone has just texted him.
Mr Rivers and Jade's heads spin to look at him.
"Irwin, you know the rules." Mr Rivers warns him. Ashton should probably be looking at him but instead his eyes wander to Jade. She looks annoyed. She probably is. Ashton guesses she would probably be really against the whole phones in class thing.
"On silent or switched off," Mr Rivers says, Ashton looks at him now. "Or in my drawer until you leave." He adds, smiling slightly.
"Right." Ashton pulls his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans. "I'll just turn it off." Ashton lies.
He waits until Jade and Mr Rivers are back into conversation before looking down at his phone to see who texted him.
Luke: Where are you? I was at your house. But you weren't there. Your mom said you were out. Where are you?
Ashton sighs and puts his phone on silent, getting ready to lie to Luke.
Ashton: At the gym.
Here's the thing, if Luke or even Michael knew that Ashton was here they would skin him. Maybe that's a bit too graphic but seriously, they would kill him. It isn't exactly cool to be getting help with school from the school. Failing is the new trend. But Ashton had to pass because if he failed another time in math he would get kicked off the football team. Not only does that stop him from getting into any college but if Ashton gets kicked off football his dad would kill him. That would not be great.
Luke: Cool. I might join you.
Ashton has to think of something quick. If Luke goes to the gym and Ashton isn't there he will know Ashton was lying to him.
Ashton: I'm with my dad so I don't know if you will want to...
Ashton knows Luke hates his dad, and his dad hates Luke. There is a lot of history between the two of them. The drama is mainly because Luke isn't really someone Ashton's dad would approve of. He definitely doesn't approve of the fact his son hangs out with him.
Luke: Fuck that!
Ashton sighs in relief. He looks quickly up to see what Jade and Mr Rivers were doing now. Jade was walking away from his desk and past Ashton's. He moved slightly so she wouldn't see his phone but he didn't really need to because she didn't even glance at him. She made her way to the back of the class and started offering her help.
Luke: So you two are cool now?
Ashton sees a new message from Luke.
Ashton: I guess?
Luke: Is he more chill with you?
Ashton: I suppose?
Ashton just wants him and Luke's conversation to end now. Luke is only being a good friend and checking everything is okay with him and his dad. But right now isn't a good time. Especially since very thing isn't okay with him and his dad. It never is.
Luke is really the only one who knows what Ashton's dad is really like. Michael sort of gets it and has probably guessed the most of it but Ashton has never really talked to him about it.
Luke: you know you can always crash at mine if things get too rough, right?
Luke might be a dick to everyone. He might think he is gods gift to women. He might also like to beat up a kid just because he is quiet, but even after all that he is still a good friend to Ashton. He always has been.
Ashton: I know. Thanks. I need to go now. See you later
Ashton doesn't have time to wait for Luke's reply because he feels someone standing over him, looking at his work.
Ashton looks up slowly and sees Jade looking over his work. Her eyes are concentrated on his page and her eyebrows have furrowed together in concentration. Ashton had to admit it made her look very cute. Everything she did made her look cute. She could probably be sacrificing a baby animal to satan and she would look really cute. Or maybe she would look really hot. Ashton wasn't too sure which one.
"That's not how you do exponential functions." She says bluntly, making Ashton pay more attention to her voice rather than her face.
"What?" Ashton says, he is suddenly very aware he spoke to him first this time.
"That isn't how you do exponential functions." Jade replies quietly and she pulls a chair over to Ashton's desk and sits next him.
"Oh," Ashton looks at his page which is filled with what he thought was the right working. There is a reason why he is here and this is probably it. He didn't even know he was doing exponential functions. "Then how do you do exponential functions?" he asks.
Jade looks at him for a second then back at his work. She sighs and picks up Ashton's pen. She gives the question he was attempting to do a quick glance before starting to scribble away at his jotter.
"Okay," she draws an arrow to a bunch of numbers and a formula on Ashton's page. "Up to here, it's good." Jade points to the line, not looking at Ashton.
"But then here," she draws a circle around a random number, that Ashton was using because he thought could help him find x. "You kind of loose it."
"Can you show me what to do?" Ashton asks hopefully. He now didn't care that he was stuck in a boring math lesson after school he was just happy Jade was actually talking to him. Even if it was about math.
"Can you put your phone away?" Jade raises an eyebrow at Ashton.
Ashton stares down at his lap where his phone sits. He knows he has another text from Luke but he can't really reply right now.
"Right." Ashton mumbles. "Sorry." He begins to put his phone back in his pocket.
He moves slightly to be able to get the phone back into his back pocket. As he does so his feet move forward slightly and his feet hit Jade's. He feels her feet pull quickly away and under her chair so that they are no longer under the table.
"It's fine." Jade mumbles back.
~~~
Ashton wished he had pretended not to know how to do exponential functions for a few more minutes because as soon as he got it Jade was gone. She went to help the other kids and Ashton was left alone to try some questions from a book she had given him.
He actually enjoyed getting taught how to do it from Jade. There wasn't anything special about her teaching methods, a part from the fact she was patient. She didn't try to rush Ashton to get the answer right. She would help him if she saw he was struggling or if he asked. She didn't seem bothered by it like some teachers might have. She also seems to actually enjoy teaching him. He was worried she might not even try with Ashton. She might have already assumed he just wouldn't try and just maybe sit there hitting in her. That something Luke might have done, not him.
Ashton knows Luke and he knows when Luke likes a girl. Like might be a strong word for how Luke feels about Jade. All Luke really wants is to have sex with her. That's all Luke ever wants with girls. Just sex. It's a bit if a problem but it makes him happy so why not? Ashton couldn't let that happen to Jade though. He knows she probably hates Luke more than she hates Ashton, so he has no idea how Luke would get her to have sex with him, especially since she would barely talk to Ashton. Even then, Ashton wasn't going to give Luke the chance.
The clock hits 4.30 and it's time to leave. Ashton is last out the class of course. He was kind of hoping to maybe offer Jade a ride home. She might take it this time, now that they actually had a conversation. But she is collecting in books and tidying the classroom up. It's probably too weird for Ashton to be hanging about waiting for her to finish up and decides just to head out.
He takes out his phone and starts walking to the front entrance of the school and to the car park. He sees some messages from Luke. They are just the same thing. Asking him if he is out of the gym yet and if they have football practise after school tomorrow. He makes his way down a staircase and past the front office.
"Uh... Ashton!" he hears his name being called out from behind him. He is nearly out the building when he turns and sees Jade coming down the staircase with the book Ashton was working out of in her hand.
"Uh... yeah?" He says in the most awkward way back and if he saw some other guy speak like that to a girl he would probably punch that guy in the face for being so stupid.
"Here." When Jade reaches him she hands him over the book. "I thought you could take this home and use it." She holds the book out for him to take.
Ashton just stares at her and the book. His phone in his hand and he was about to reply to Luke.
"Don't worry, it's my copy not the schools so you can keep it for as long as possible." She reassures him and holds the book out further for him to take. The thing is Ashton can't really move at the moment. Why is he being such an idiot right now?
"I think if you keep working hard a functions you won't need to keep staying after school for much longer." She smirks at him. It's a small smile but still a smile.
Ashton is finally able to move his hands and take the book from her.
"Thanks." He tries to come of a cool and casual but he knows he probably sounds like an awkward boy.
"It's fine." Jade says once Ashton takes the book from her. Her face floods with relief and Ashton realizes she was probably worried he might not take the book. She doesn't leave right away but stand for a few minutes and Ashton sees this as his chance to ask her.
"Doyouwantaride?" he asks a bit quickly and there was definitely no spaces in that sentence. He was just really nervous she would say no again.
"Sorry?" Jade asks. She obviously didn't understand him. He's not surprised. Ashton didn't understand Ashton.
"A ride." For some reason Ashton thinks that will make things clearer but it doesn't. He quickly adds. "Do you want one?"
Ashton sees Jade think about it for a second before she shakes her head. His heart sinks and he feels like shit. It's definitely worse the second time round.
"I have to help put things away in the class." She explains.
"I don't mind waiting." Ashton shrugs, he is trying to hide the disappointment with the cool guy act.
"It's fine." Jade insists. "I like walking." She smiles at him. Her eyes flicker from Ashton to his hand. "Someone is calling you." she tells him.
At first Ashton doesn't know what she means. But then he remembers his phone in his hand. He thinks it's Luke and he can probably ignore it but when he looks at the screen and sees whose name it is he knows he definitely can't ignore this.
"Uh..." Ashton really has to go now. "I'll see you." he says to Jade already pressing the answer button and walking away from her. He didn't give her time to reply.
"Hello?" He roughly shoves the school's doors open and steps out. He follows the path to the student car park.
"Ash?" His little sister Lauren says quietly through the phone.
"Yeah, it's me." He can tell from her voice that there is something very wrong. "Whats wrong?" He sees his black car and fumbles for the keys in his bag still holding the phone to his ear.
"It's dad." Lauren replies. Her voice breaks slightly, like she is trying not to cry.
"What did he do?" Ashton feels panic fill him and his chest grow tight. He really needs to get home. He finally gets his keys and unlocks his car. He gets in but doesn't start it up yet.
"He's yelling at mom. I don't know what about. He is just yelling." Lauren cries slightly and Ashton feels his heart shatter in his chest. His little sister should t be crying. Lauren Irwin should never be sad, according to Ashton, anyway.
"Where is Harry? Is he with you?" Ashton thinks of his other little sibling. He never likes having Harry in the house when his parents argue. Actually when his dad is yelling at his mom.
"No, I sent him outside to play like you do." Lauren tells Ashton and he feels a little better knowing that Harry is out of the house and Lauren made sure he wouldn't hear anything. "Ash, I'm scared." Lauren sobs a little.
That's when Ashton decides he has to get home. Now.
"I'm coming home Lauren." Ashton starts up his car. He puts Lauren on loud speaker and places the phone in the passenger seat. He doesn't plan on hanging up on her. "Either go into my room or stay in yours. Just don't go to wherever they are, okay? Just stay out of it."
"Okay." Lauren mumbles. "Please come home quickly. He's getting louder."
"I'm driving right now and I will do anything I can to get home as fast as possible." Ashton tries to sound confident but he knows this is when rush hour is and everyone will be trying to get home.
"Okay." Lauren says.
Ashton keeps talking to her. He doesn't want to hang up. He doesn't want to leave her alone. He can hear his dad's voice in background. He is trying to get Lauren to focus on Ashton. He talks to her about his friends and his school. Anything to get Lauren's attention on him and not on his dad yelling abuse at their mom.
He pulls into their street and that's when he hears it. He hears the slamming of a door and something smashing. Something like glass. Lauren, of course, also hears it.
"Ash? Please!" She sobs.
"I'm here, I'm here." He tells her quickly. She can't yell or cry to loud because that makes their dad even worse. He would be angry at Lauren as well. He can be angry at Ashton but not at Lauren or Harry. Ashton would never allow that.
He stops the car and parks it over the driveway, blocking his dad's car in. He didn't really care right now. His priority is Lauren.
"I'm outside." Ashton jumps out his car and slams his door, not bothering to lock up.
Lauren is sobbing now and ashton can really hear his dad's voice clearly though the phone now. Either he is yelling louder or getting closer to Lauren.
"Lauren." He says trying to stop her from sobbing. He repeats her name and pushes open the front gate. "Lauren, I'm home now. I'm home now." He reaches the front door and twists the door handle. He breathes in deeply, mentally and physically preparing for what's to come next.
"Lauren, I'll handle it." Ashton walks into his home, slamming the door as he does to get his dad's attention. And, oh boy, did it work.