Social Suicide (BxB) / On Hold

Chapter 11

When Alex woke up the next morning, he was unsurprised to notice that his parents' were already preparing for work, despite it being the weekend. After the hectic week that he'd endured, Alex had completely forgotten that he would have to spend the day with Ashton's family, and when his mother reminded him of that fact, he was outraged.

"Are you seriously doing this again, Alex?" His mother sent a dismayed glance in Alex's direction. "You know better than to argue. Hurry up - get dressed!"

Alex trudged to his room and half-heartedly threw on the nearest clothes. He eyed himself scornfully in the mirror. There was a small patch of toothpaste on his shirt, and his hair was practically untameable. He debated having a shower but thought better of it when he heard his mother shout at him from the doorway.

"Coming!" Alex exclaimed, quickly jogging down the stairs, not pausing to say goodbye to his parents.

Inside the car, Alex glanced at his review mirror. He was positive that his mother would be checking to see whether he arrived at the house, so driving to a friend's place was not an option. 

When Alex arrived at the Blakes' house, he was more than surprised when they greeted him outside. He couldn't help but feel slightly guilty as they smiled at him warmly, and he did his best to be polite despite his sour mood. Upon entering, Alex was hit with the sweet smell of baking accompanied by a rich, invigorating aroma. He assumed it was some herbal tea, and followed the family to the kitchen. 

"Wow, this smells fantastic!" Alex inhaled deeply, savoring the scents. "I wish my parents' cooked like this."

Ashton came in just as Alex was told to take a seat at the table. On his phone with a bitter expression on his face, Ashton didn't seem to notice that Alex had arrived. On his back was a large, seemingly heavy blue pack back, and Alex wondered what was inside. Eyes slipping to his figure, Alex took a moment to study his appearance. The first thing he noticed was that there were intense, dark smudges under Ashton's crystalline blue eyes. His wavy, black hair was unmade and fell in tangled curls around his face, indicating that he had not had time to brush it. Alex itched to brush it away from his eyes. Finally, Ashton was wearing a set of loose-fitting and very worn pajamas, which appeared to be old, yet comfortable. Although he had obviously just woken up, Alex was startled by his appearance. He no longer looked like the confident, charismatic person that Alex went to school with. Instead, he looked tired; worn out.

"Ashton, put your phone away while we're eating! Don't be rude." 

"Alright, Auntie," Ashton responded distractedly but obliged. He hunched over his plate, and the way that he was jabbing at his food aimlessly indicated that there was something on his mind. Instantly, the two adults started chatting about random topics, occasionally firing questions to Alex as he ate. 

While Alex chewed, he stole glances at Ashton. He never once looked in her direction, or even acted like he was there. Instead, he seemed extremely engrossed in his task of eating. There was no way that Ashton didn't notice him by now, and it was clear that he was simply avoiding talking to Alex. Was he regretful about his actions at the party? He was clearly hungover, so maybe that was the issue. 

"Well," Mr Blake began after everyone had finished. "We're going to leave you boys to entertain yourselves for a while; we've got to work at the shop."

Ashton looked up, "Yeah, that's fine."

Alex resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Great. Now he was trapped in this house by himself for hours. There was no way that Ashton would make plans with him. He kicked himself for not bringing his laptop.

As soon as his parents left, Ashton jumped up from the table with renewed energy. Grabbing the blue backpack he brought out, he walked to the door. Hesitating, he leaned against the doorframe, looking at Alex as if waiting for him to say something.

"Well, are you coming or what?"

*   *   *

Ashton and Alex stepped onto a wide path, and Alex sighed in relief, feeling cooler air surround him. Sunlight streamed through gaps in the branches overhead, illuminating the fern-coated ground where trees grew, soaking up the precious sunlight.

Alex wanted to ask where they were going but knew it was no use. They'd left the house at about 10 am, after which Ashton had guided him into the nearby forest. Alex assumed that he knew the grounds very well, as he seemed to have no difficulty navigating the terrain. Although it was a beautiful sight, Alex was slightly cautious. Over hour they'd been walking, Ashton had barely spoken five words to him, and the same guarded, pensive expression on his face had never left.

Watching Ashton as he walked, his relaxed body contrasted to the tenseness in his expression. The muscles in his back rippled from beneath his shirt as he walked with an easy, competent stride. Noticing that the trees were thinning out overhead, Ashton's pace slowed, and he walked in time with Alex. 

They arrived at a wide glade framing a clear lake, where the trees fell away, revealing the cloud-dappled sky. The sun sat quietly in the distance, casting a mellow glow over the trees. Alex gasped, walking to the edge of the lake. Fish swam inside, glinting like silver pinpricks, gleaming and bright. 

"I used to come here all the time when I was younger. With my parents." Ashton spoke suddenly, a brief look of pain flashing across his eyes. Abruptly, he turned away, busying himself by sorting through his bag. Alex tried to swallow the curiosity that rose inside him and hesitantly sat beside Ashton, leaning against a tree. He watched as he pulled out a container of food. His posture indicated that he was deep in thought, and Alex desperately tried to think of something to say that would change the topic.

"Oh, you've packed lunch?" Alex was surprised that he had thought about this in advance.

He was met with a shrug. "It's not much. Just bread really." 

Alex looked at the assortment with surprise. Ashton had packed bread and jam, a simple lunch, but one that was very suiting to the scenery. Alex brought the fresh, warm bread to his nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. He watched as Ashton picked up a knife, and applied generous amounts of thick, creamy yellow butter to his own slice. Alex wasn't sure whether to start making his or wait, but he decided to stay out of Ashton's way as much as he could. He didn't want to ruin his now peaceful mood. After Ashton spooned out a dollop of sweet, tangy blackberry jam, he slathered the sweet mixture onto the spongy white bread. 

Alex was surprised when Ashton held his hand out, offering him the food. He took it gratefully. The smoothness of the butter blended perfectly with the sweet taste of the jam.

"Uh, it's good," Alex said awkwardly. "Thanks."

Ashton looked away. The silence between them wasn't awkward for once, and they sat and watched the lake for a moment. Alex was shocked that someone like Ashton actually enjoyed this sort of thing.

"You know, I was thinking," Ashton began, turning slightly. "Well, you know how you're meant to tutor me in Chemistry, right?" Alex nodded, the bread suddenly caught in his throat. "Uh, well I'll admit that it's not really my... strong suit, and we've got that assignment due soon..." Ashton seemed to be cringing at himself and he trailed off.

"So, you want me to help?" Alex finished for him warily. 

"Yeah - if you don't mind." Ashton looked away again.

Of course, Alex was more than happy to do so, and he nodded. Considering that they were going to be spending the weekends together anyway, he couldn't see why not.

"But, if you tell anyone that I asked for your help, you'll regret it." He muttered angrily, his eyes guarded. Except this time, Alex saw through his facade. He wasn't nearly as confident as he portrayed himself, this Alex knew.

They finished quickly, and soon enough, Alex was heading back to his house in the filthy bus, with nothing to occupy him but his thoughts. He wasn't exactly looking forward to tutoring Ashton, as he knew how easily frustrated he got. Alex sighed, realizing that he hadn't done much on the assignment either, and would have to finish it before he next saw Ashton.

It was going to be a long weekend.