A Certain Romance || Ashton Irwin

Hacks

I stormed into the computer room that Michael always spent his off period in, discussing new video games and torrenting shows under the school's IP address so they'd arrest the principal before ever thinking about arresting him. This oh-so-wonderful technique was how I started watching Sons of Anarchy, so I was supportive of it.

What was worse? The wedgie I had from running to the other side of the school or the hyperventilating tech nerds who were whipping out their inhalers when they saw me? I'd call it even.

"Michael." I grabbed his tie, turning him towards me.

"Whoa," Michael pushed my hands away. "I thought we agreed to never get kinky again." He stood to his feet after muttering something to the guy he was sitting beside.

"Take me to your house." I tapped my foot impatiently and ignored the freshman boy to my right, who was sniffing my hair.

"Again, I thought we agreed to never get kinky again." He repeated, sending daggers at the freshman for looking at me.

"S-sorry Michael." The freshman stuttered, scratching a rash on his neck as he walked away.

"Why do you need to go to my house?" He leaned against the desk, his bad boy facade would make Kay swoon if she could see him right now with his leather jacket and annoyed look adding to his act.

"If Ashton thinks he can get away with his bullshit, I'm going to prove him wrong." I grabbed Michael's arm, yanking him towards the door.

"What did he do now?"

"Breathe."

-

With a bit of convincing to "good girl" Cassie, we got Luke out of dance class early. Yes, dance class. He thought his calling was to become a jazz dancer. I refused to ask him about it. I would just let him be happy with that calling. Cassie also gave us all passes to leave campus and promised to mark us present in any classes we missed as long as we allowed her to sit with us at lunch because we were now cool. Doing the lord's work, we agreed. Cassie always ended up eating lunch in the school office anyway, maybe finding her next teacher victim to make out with behind closed doors.

"I knew you'd come around." Michael smirked, stretching his neck from side to side then began typing. "What exactly are you gonna do on his Facebook?"

"Not sure yet." I dragged lip balm across my lips, then tossing it on the bed where my backpack was.

Chances were taken advantage of and lines were crossed. To me, that only meant I had to take matters into my own hands - anonymously with the help of Michael getting into Ashton's Facebook, despite being against it the first time he did it.

"I think you should expose Margarita." Luke added from his position in front of Michael's mirror, practicing his jazz hands in different angles. "Accidentally post her clam chowder on Ashton's Facebook wall."

"Luke." Michael and I said together in disgust, horrified looks on both our faces.

"What?" Luke took a glance at Michael and I in the mirror. "Was my idea not good enough?"

"So," Michael turned back to the computer, opening the Facebook messages on Ashton's account. "We take the picture, post it to his wall, and tag her in it." Michael scrolled through the messages, laughing so hard he hunched over and hit his head on the edge of the desk, but that didn't stop his laughter. "Nothing's changed, they're still exchanging suggestive messages. They're talking right now, actually."

Then why was he so obsessed with the idea of me? Did he just want someone back in Australia to have if me in America didn't work out for him? Maybe vice versa.

"During school?" I pushed Michael over, taking a seat. I had a list of stuff on him that he'd never know I knew about all with the help of Michael. I didn't have to put any effort in, except dragging Michael out of the computer room. "This is perfect."

"Can I do it?" Luke whispered. "I've never done anything bad before. I want to feel like a badass."

"Go for it." Michael pushed Luke to the computer. I didn't get a chance to move from the desk chair because Luke thought it would be appropriate to sit on my lap. I peeked over the left side of his back to see the desktop screen.

"Michael Gordon!" Michael's mom yelled from downstairs then her heavy footsteps sounded as she stormed up to Michael's room. Karen could tolerate Michael's over the top irritable personality, his obsession with gossiping, but she would not tolerate Michael skipping class if there wasn't a good reason for it.

"Hide me." Michael groaned, cover his face with a pillow.

"It's already obvious you're here with your damn Buick parked out front." I ripped the pillow from his face and slapped him with it on his face.

The falling apart Buick was not a car that could go unnoticed, so when Michael said the car caught the wrong kind of attention, he was not exaggerating. The paint was chipping and the bumper was so close from falling off, but Michael refused to invest any money in the piece of shit.

"Oh," Karen inhaled with surprise. "Sage, Luke. Hello."

Luke and I mumbled hello's.

"What are you doing home?" She faced Michael.

"I could ask you the same thing." Michael retorted. His mom took a step forward and Michael gave in before his mom could get any closer. "Luke had a nervous breakdown and peed himself so we came over to get him a new pair of pants."

Luke looked down at his pants and giggled while nodding his head.

"You couldn't go to his house?"

"Mine is closer. Didn't want to fuss with the rain and going on a long car trip."

"If you're about to do something awful and I find out about it, I'll kick your ass." Karen warned. Karen had her moments when she was scarier than Liz. This moment was a prime example. I was even convinced she was going to kick my ass even if I wasn't her child. She slammed the bedroom door.

There was a great amount of silence between the three of us as Luke focused on what he was doing, making sure he didn't make one wrong move and ruin the scheme for everyone.

"Done." Luke grinned after a few mouse clicks.