Settle Down // Irwin

34

"Fuck it!" Luke exclaims. "I give up!" Luke throws down his pencil and slams his math textbook shut. He then leans back in his chair and pushes his hair back in frustration.

Ashton peers up from his jotter and looks at his friend. "How are you not failing this?"

"What do you mean?" Luke raises an eyebrow. "I'm great at math. I just hate it."

"But how are you good?" Ashton asks. "If you hate it how can you do it?" Ashton didn't get it. Ashton actually liked math now. And it wasn't just because of Jade. He was actually starting to enjoy going to class and getting tutored. He was finding it easier because of this.

"My mom?" Luke guesses and shrugs. He sighs out and stretches. "Hey?" He says as Ashton keeps studying. "Aren't we done?"

"No," Ashton rolls his eyes but Luke can't see. "You're done, I'm not."

"I didn't even know you could study during free periods." Luke tells Ashton.

"That's what they are for." Ashton shakes his head.

"Not really." Luke says back but Ashton just ignores him.

Luke had been texting him all weekend about doing something together but ashton just couldn't. He was spending all his time with Jade. He felt like she deserved that. After what he did to her. What she saw... the fact he is making her keep it to herself. He felt bad but it's what needed to be done. No one else can know. The only person getting Ashton and his family out of this was himself.

"What're you doing in Saturday?" Luke asks and Ashton doesn't respond immediately so he gets a kick under the table.

"Ow!" Ashton groans.

"I asked you a question." Luke says sternly.

"I heard." Ashton says back.

"Well?"

"Busy." Is all Ashton says before bowing his head back down to work.

Luke lets out a big groan, then getting shushes by the librarian. When she turns around he flips her off.

"You are always busy now. I haven't seen you on a weekend in so long. You are coming to practise tonight." It wasn't a question it was a command.

"My shoulder is still pretty-"

"I don't fucking care!" Luke exclaims.

"Mr Hemmings!" The librarian yells at Luke, and Ashton holds back a laugh.

"Oh fuck off." Luke mumbles under his breath. Then a silence fills the two boys. "You know it's true."

"What?" Ashton sighs, hating himself for asking.

"You don't talk to me anymore, we never see each other. I hate it." Luke sighs.

Ashton felt maybe the tiniest bit bad. "Next weekend?"

"I have plans next weekend." Luke sulks.

"Oh, okay." Ashton nods, about to get back to work.

"You are a part of them." Luke tells Ashton.

"Oh?" Ashton puts his pen down. He is slightly happy Luke isn't completely rejecting him.

"My parents are going out of town. Trying go 'rekindle'" Luke uses air quotes. "Their love." Luke the. Fakes a laugh. "Like that's actually going to solve their problems." He actually looks sad.

"Luke-" Ashton begins but Luke talks over him.

"So I'm going to have a party." Luke shrugs. "You are going."

"Okay." Ashton immediately agrees. He doesn't have to spend every weekend with Jade. Even if he wants to.

"Good." Luke smiles slightly but then before Ashton can get back to work he speaks again. "Who is that?" Like is looking over Ashton's shoulder at someone else in the library. So Ashton does the same. He is so thankful he is facing away from Luke because he wouldn't be able to hide his annoyance.

Jade was in the library, which doesn't surprise Ashton. She was also with Calum, which doesn't surprise Ashton either. But then that curly haired, band obsessed kid from tutoring is with her. She is going over something with her. They are laughing, Calum too. Like all three of them are best friends.

"That's new." Luke says when Ashton turns back around, because he has to. By couldn't be do that? Just sit and laugh with Jade in the library, in front of other people.

"Yeah," Ashton mumbles.

"I might have to move quickly if I want to take her virginity, now." Luke chuckles and Ashton can't help but clench his jaw. "What?"

"What?" Ashton repeats after like.

"Do you not like..." Then Luke stops and grins, Ashton never finding out what he was going to say. "Oh my god." Luke shakes his head and laughs slightly.

"What?" Ashton feels worry fill him.

"Jade." Luke then lets out a huge laugh. "Really? The prude?"

Ashton kicks Luke under the table. Hard.

"What?" Luke laughs.

"Like I would want her?" Ashton scoffs.

"But you do." Luke says smugly.

"Does she look like the girl I would go for?" Ashton rolls his eyes and makes sure his face shows his 'disgust'.

"Well, no," Luke says. "But does she look like the girl I would usually go for?"

"Any girl is that girl for you." Ashton takes a dig at Luke but he just nods in agreement and shrugs.

"But do you?" Luke asks.

"No." Ashton groans. "She's too much of a prude." Ashton hates himself. "There is a difference between being a challenge an being a stuck up snobbish bitch." Ashton says with fake resentment.

"You sound like you know from experience." Luke says and raises an eyebrow. Ashton's mind then flashes back to Saturday. He did want to have sex. He had hoped Jade did as well. But obviously not.

"I know girls like her." Ashton makes up.

"Sure." Luke rolls his eyes.

"Girls like her think they know everything. They think they are amazing. Untouchable." Ashton really, really couldn't believe himself. "They are bitched and prudes. What she's doing right now is being a hypocrite. She won't let you touch her, but she would let him. Because he is seen as more respectable as you."

"Well," Luke shrugs and smirks.

"That doesn't matter." Ashton says dismissively. "She's a prude and would never even fucking touch you so just leave it."

Then Ashton slams his book shut and practically throws his chair back. He knows everyone is staring, he knows Jade is staring. He doesn't care. He is mad at her and the worse thing is he doesn't actually have a reason. He is just mad.