Settle Down // Irwin

12

All through out the day Ashton saw people staring at his bruised eye and swollen lip. It happened last night. And on Saturday night after Lauren called him to tell him that their dad was going crazy that Ashton went out with Michael and Luke without telling him. Ashton is a teenager. That's what they do. At least that's what he told himself whilst he thought about how bad this probably is for Lauren and Harry. Teenagers go out without telling our parents. But Ashton's dad didn't raise a son like that. He was a terrible son. Untrustworthy, waster, takes everything for granted, blah, blah, blah...

Last night was because he smashed a plate whilst him and Harry were loading the dish washer. Harry didn't see though. When their dad started yelling Ashton told him to go outside and play on the trampoline. He also made sure that him and his dad were away from the widow so Harry didn't see what was going to happen next.

So now Ashton has a huge black eye and a swollen lip. Harry hasn't seen him since last night and of course his mom didn't say anything about it. He could also tell Lauren was trying not to cry when she saw him after coming back from her friends house. She didn't though. She's so brave. Ashton knows that.

"Are you joining us for lunch today or...?" Luke asks as they go to their English class.

Yesterday and Monday Ashton spent lunch time in the library. That is usually the routine now. Half because Ashton doesn't want to disappoint Jade and make her think he's slipping because of football and the other half because he sometimes hope to see Jade in the library. But he doesn't see her there anymore. Calum as well. He guesses they must be eating in the cafeteria again.

Ashton shrugs his shoulders at Luke. "I guess."

"How's your eye?" Luke says.

"Don't." Ashton says sternly. Luke had been doing this all day. He kept asking about the eye and the lip and it was really starting to piss Ashton off. Luke knew what he was doing and knew how Luke's eye was. He's just being an ass because that's what he is.

"I'm just asking." Luke says defensively.

"No," Ashton says back with the same stern tone. "You are just being a prick."

Luke scoffs but doesn't say anything. Ashton wouldn't be half the person he is without Luke but sometimes he just wishes he'd never met the guy. It would make his life a lot easier.

"Listen Ash-" Luke puts his hand on Ashton's shoulder. It was supposed to be a sign if comfort. He was about give Ashton the big speech again about telling him if things are getting worse or staying at Luke's... permanently. Ashton pretty much knew this speech inside out. Luke didn't constantly need to remind him every time he showed up to school with a new bruise.

Ashton stopped Luke mid sentence by grabbing his friend's wrist and stopping them both in the middle of the hallway. His dark eyes burned into Luke's icy blue ones.

"Don't push your fucking luck." Ashton said angrily. Luke was normally good at hiding his true emotions but this time he let his guard down for a mili-second to show Ashton some fear.

Maybe it was in a more aggressive tone than Ashton has meant it to be. But that doesn't matter. Luke got the idea and knew not to talk about Ashton or his dad again. The idea of being scary to get what you want is not something that is new to Ashton. It's how he has seen his dad get everything he has ver asked for. So this moment was also scary for Ashton as well. It scared him because it either meant he understood why his dad was the way he was, or he is more like his dad than he wants to be. That's the scariest fucking thing Ashton has ever thought.

~~~

It happened again.

He was purposefully scary to get what he wanted.