Without Me

Bully

''So that was awkward,'' Ashley just huffed as all she wanted to do was melt away into the seat. She even began to realise that being run over by the car she was sat in would help her out greatly right now.

''I got no clue as to how and why they found us,'' Marshall muttered as he took a quick glance over at her, before returning his eyes so they were focused back on the road, ''hey at least they won't be talking about whether or not we're dating or not anymore,'' he was trying to lighten the mood, but Ashley just stared blanking at him.

''Hmm yeah, but every now knows I dated Alonzo not even that long ago so their gonna run with the story of whose baby it is,'' Ashley snapped back, her head falling into her hands, ''I hate people, why can't they just mind their own fucking business? I mean really people can just fuck off.''

''Thank god I don't identify as people,'' Marshall joked again, but it was clear Ashley wasn't really in the mood, ''hey look...'' Ashley's phone ringing meant that Marshall couldn't quite get out what he wanted to. Instead, he watched as she linked it up to the Bluetooth before answering.

''Hey Jamie,'' there was a brief silence before he finally responded.

''Er Mom, you're like everywhere. Seriously twitter is going crazy. Also, everyone asking me questions, I literally hiding in a storage cupboard to get away from it all,'' Marshall snorted as if pictured Jamie sat balled up in the corner of a cupboard, with hoards of kids trying to break down the door.

Unfortunately, Jamie heard him, ''hey it's not funny, I could die in here.''

''I doubt it and now to answer I question I know you're going to ask. Tell them the truth, you know about me and Marshall. It's Marshall's baby,'' Ashely explained.

''Wait really, you hoping a bunch of high school kids are gonna set the world straight with all these rumours?'' Marshall asked.

''All it takes is one tweet or one picture Marshall. Now stop hiding it the cupboard you got lessons.''

''Ok, ok I'll see ya later,'' with that the call disconnected and the car was back to silence.

''I can't believe he hid in a cupboard,'' Marshall laughed shaking her head at the ridiculousness of his godson or was it son now since he and Ash were now engaged. Perhaps that was one of the next things they needed to talk about.

''Come on he's a teenager, leave him alone,'' Ashley shoved him lightly on the arm to get him to stop, but he didn't.

''You know he's so different from how you were at that age,'' Marshall commented as he pulled up at the front of the house.

''you know why right?''

''Cause of me?'' He suggested.

''You and Proof,'' Marshall raised an eyebrow, which caused her to add, ''but mainly you,'' Ashley smiled before leaning over to give him a kiss.

***

''Jamie look at me a second,'' it was too late by the time Ashely had come into the hallway the teen was already up the stairs, ''Jamie,'' she called after him, but he was long gone. Sighing she wandered back into the living room plopping herself down next to Marshall.

''What's up?'' He asked wrapping an arm around her.

''Something happened to Jamie. I got a text from Kim saying he had a black eye, but he rushed off upstairs before I could get a look,'' Ashley explained, causing Marshall to sit up so quickly that his arm whipped around hitting her accidentally in the head.

''Shit sorry,'' he muttered, quickly kissing the spot where he had accidentally hit her.

''Nah it's fine, go be all protective,'' he would have shot a snarky comment back at her, but he was already halfway to Jamie's room before her comment even computed with his brain.

He knocked on the door and as he suspected there was no answer. So he tried again this time much louder; he was aware that Ashley could probably hear it and it possibly sounded as if he was breaking the door down.

''Marshall go away,'' was the only answer he got.

''I will if you give me evidence that Kim was lying about you having a black eye,'' he stood back from the door as he heard slow footsteps shuffle towards the door.

It opened ever so slightly that Marshall could only see half of Jamie's face. The side that clearly hadn't been the one Kim was talking about because it wasn't bruised at all, but the redness and residue of water around it told Marshall that something big had, in fact, happened to him.

''Show me the other eye,'' Jamie sighed before opening the door fully, ''Jesus what happened,'' Marshall gasped the second he saw it.

Jamie's left eye was extremely puffed up, a dark blue, purple bruise had already started to form around the lid and he appeared to be struggling to keep it open. On top of that Marshall could see a little bit of dried blood crusting underneath his nose along with a little cut on the boys lower lip.

''Turns out that Jason guy has a kid that's really big,'' Jamie bent his head in shame as if it was his fault he got beaten up.

''Oh kid,'' Marshall placed his hand on the back of Jamie's head, pulling him in for a hug, ''it's not your fault ok,'' Jamie nodded, but couldn't stop himself from letting the tears escape.

''I just feel weak, like I couldn't even fight back he was so much bigger than me,'' Jamie chocked, lifting his head up from Marshalls' shoulder.

''Nah listen to me he's the weak one picking on someone smaller than him,'' Marshall reassured him, looking the teen straight in the eye.

''I still didn't fight back though.''

''So, neither could I when I got beat up,'' Marshall pointed out, ''now let's get a proper look at you,'' he turned to make his way downstairs but stopped when Jamie wasn't following him.

''I don't wanna worry mom,'' he explained.

''She was worried when Kim told her and then when you just ignored her and ran up the stairs. I'm sure she'll be relieved that you're still alive,'' they weren't the most encouraging words in the world. But they were enough to get Jamie to follow him down the stairs and into the kitchen.

''Sit on the counter so I can do this probably,'' Jamie nodded and hopped onto the counter. Watching as Marshall pulled out all the equipment he'd need to sort his wounds out.

First, the dried blood around his nose, lip and a little around his eye were cleaned. Next Marshall took a strip of an antiseptic wipe and cleaned around the eye and cut lit properly this time. Jamie let out a hiss in pain when the wipe was drug across his lip.

''Sorry,'' Marshall apologised, ''I'm nearly done so just sit tight,'' Jamie nodded his legs swinging back and forth as he tried to distract himself from the pain.

''Oh my god my baby,'' Marshall stumbled slightly as Ashley moved him out the way to get to her son.

''Mom I'm ok,'' Ashley ignored him and instead brought him into a bone-crushing hug, ''you're squeezing me too hard now.''

''Don't care, I'm never letting you go,'' she whispered, before putting her hands on his shoulders, ignoring Marshall's protests that he needed to finish patching Jamie up, ''who did this?''

''Jasons son. Can I now finish cleaning him up Ash,'' Marshall butted in, turning Marshall around to face him, ''we'll sort this out later ok, but first we need to get Jamie cleaned up ok,'' Ashley nodded before stepping back.

''I hate people,'' she mumbled. First, the Media taking pictures of them leaving the police station and now Jamie appeared to be being bullied by the son of Jason Anderson.