Spring

Chapter 7

Ash was walking with Tao and Charlie into school when Harry bumped into Tao purposfully.
" Watch out dick nozzle."
" Piss off Harry, just cause you don't have a dick, doesn't mean you should put it to your personality." Ash told him.
" Oooo, Big Ash in the house. Tell me, had anything better since year 7?"
" Fuck off Harry. At least your mother knows how to treat a girl." Ash responded before walking through the school gates.
" If you want our attention Harry, why don't you through something at me again? Like your last remaining brain cell?" Tao tries to insult him. Harry leaves them as the pair walk through the school gates.
" Do you know what happened between Harry and Ash in year 7?" Tao asked Charlie.
" No, she didn't really talk then."
" Maybe we should ask her."
" She won't tell you. I've tried but she always changes the subject when talking about Higgs. I don't even know why she was expelled."
" Darcy knows. Doesn't she?"
" All Higgs made a pact to never speak of it to Truham boys. It'll never work." Charlie told him, " Even Tori won't say."

That lunch Charlie met up with Nick.
" Hey." Nick said to Charlie when he entered the art room.
" Hi."
" How was English?"
" Boring. Though Ash was chucking paper at the teacher. This other poor kid got blamed though."
" Sounds like a normal Ash thing."
"..Nick I have a question."
" Go on?"
" Do you know what's going on between Harry and Ash? I know he's awful in general but.."
" I get you. But yeah, they dated when Ash was Year 7. Harry Year 8. She didn't tell you?"
" No, she didn't. She didn't even tell me what happened for her to be kicked out of Higgs."
" No one but the girls know that. And Harry but he doesn't say. I guess as a form of blackmail or something."

The rest of the week went by like nothing, Charlie and Tao tried to find out what happened at Higgs but no one said anything, Tori gave the ' she's your twin, ask her yourself' saying like she always did but nothing. Charlie only stopped when he went on what Ash would call a park date but was known as going to see his friend, Nick.

Monday, Ash went to school early, it wasn't she needed to but it meant she was one, in school before Harry was there and two, could avoid Tao asking her questions. She headed to her locker and then to the hall, the concert was on Friday, Truham and Higgs were going to spend the week practising which meant no lessons! It also meant she called hang around with other girls instead of just her brother. 

She watched as others slowly made their way to the hall, spotting her brother and Nick, then Tara shortly joined by Darcy.
" What's up?" Ash asked walking over to them.
" Ash. What do you play?" Nick asked.
" Guitar. Tara you do clarinet right?"
" Yeah."
" I swear I am the only one without musical talent."
" Oh, yeah no, never do drums again Nick, please for the safety of my ears."
" Yeah, Sorry."
" It's fine."
" Anyway, I will leave you to it, need to go annoy Charlie as I didn't this morning. See you at lunch?"
" Sure, bye Ash." Nick said as Ash walked over to Charlie who was setting up his drums.
Soon rehearsals started and Nick left shortly after. 

At lunch, the three headed to the courts to meet up with Nick.
" Oh my god, you found another one?" Darcy asked Tara. She was on about Nick not being exactly straight but it caused Ash to giggle slightly.
" You can't tell anyone." Tara told her, then reassured Nick. Harry's voice was then heard across the field, talking, well not talking but making fun of Tao. Giving the example of why they can't tell anyone.
" I'm not really, out yet."
" Do you wanna be?"
" I don't know, I don't even know what my sexuality is." Nick confessed.
Darcy started talking about Tara, " till we kissed like six times."
" It was two times."
This caused the four of them to laugh.
" I got to be honest I didn't know I was Ace 'til I got out of the shit situation I was in, during year 7. Took a while to see that I wasn't actually attracted to anything like that. I guess I should blame Charlie for the amount of times he made me watch Titanic."

" You know what we need to do? Double date. Nick and Charlie, Me and Tara, before the concert. Milkshakes."
" I like milkshakes."
" Good."
" Does this officially make me the 5th wheel?" Ash asked them.
" I guess it does. Don't worry you can come too."
" Only for the milkshakes. I don't need anymore sappy love stuff."
" Come on we should get back before rehearsals start again."
" Don't worry I can roll myself there being a wheel." Ash joked causing the other three to laugh.

Later that evening, Nick came round and told Charlie about the date, he obviously said yes from his little happy stim. It was only later that night when Darcy said about inviting Tao and Elle.

 Messages ( N- Nick, T-Tara, D-Darcy, C-Charlie, A-Ash.)

D-Tao and Elle should come on the date!

N- Wait, are they dating?

D- Not YET

C- Do Tao and Elle like eachother?

T- Elle definitely likes Tao

D- They would make such a good couple!!

A- Oh Tao 100% likes Elle.

C- How do you know?

A- Uh, maybe because I can smell relationships from a mile away, I may not be in one but I can tell when someone likes someone, all the romance movies you force me to watch.

C- Do not!

A- Anyway, I spend too much time with him and at the rate he talks about her, he definitely likes her.

C- Btw they don't know me and nick are together.

T- That's ok! We won't say anything!

N- So now it's a triple date?

A- Now I'm 7th Wheeling!!

C- Tao and Elle don't know it is a date.

D- We are such meddling gays and I love it.

A- Shit, now I have to watch 3 couples, I am going to need a lot of bleach.

D- Luck is wished upon you.

Ash laughed at the messages between them. Friday was going to be a day to remember. She messaged Tao about coming for milkshakes and he agreed.

On Friday, they all sat under the canopy and were talking, the question of how they met came up.
" Well, I was friends with Charlie, then Tao came as a package deal. Ash then appeared one day and integrated in to the group."
" Ouch."
" Rude! You are lucky to have me!" Tao told Elle.
" You'd make a cute little pair." Darcy pushed causing a small tension blanket to form across the group.
" We're ordering a second round right?"
" Yeah, we'll go get it." Nick told them, him and Charlie standing up as people requested their drinks.
Ash watched them from the bench, listening to Darcy and Tara's story again. When Elle caught on to the Tao and Elle get together operation. When Charlie and Nick came back, Ash looked at the pair and covered her nose.
" Who the fuck got bubblegum?"
" What is it with the Spring's and bubblegum?" Nick questioned with pure horror on his face.
" Charlie shoved bubblegum ice cream in my face when we were 7, it went up my nose and it was all I could smell for weeks. Now I just can't."
" How mean of a brother are you Charlie?"
" Extremely according to Ash. But the other two love me."
" Fine you have the siblings, I get Elle and Tao."
Tara and Darcy looked at Elle hoping she had forgotten, but then she spoke up to the other two.
" Did you know this too? The me and Tao thing?"
" Uh..yeah.."
" So this whole thing was a set up?"
" We thought it would be fun to go on a triple date."
" A triple date?"
" You and Tao, Tara and Darcy and.."
" You and Charlie?"
" Yeah."
" You two are together?"
" Yeah."
" Charlie! I'm so happy for you! I'm happy for you too but you didn't have to witness all the months of the intense pining."
" Elle!"
" Do the others know? Ash?"
" Oh, I've known since the beginning I guess."
" I think Aled guessed a while ago."
" And what about Tao?"
" Not yet, I just need to find the right time to tell him."
" But he's the only one who doesn't know."
" To be fair you are the only one who has actually been told so far, Aled and I worked it out."
" Tao's your best friend Charlie."
" Charlie can tell Tao when he wants to. Not sure if it's the best idea though." Ash told Elle standing up and walking away.
" Ash?" Charlie called after her but she ignored him.

In year 9, Tao was talking a bit too loudly, that was how Charlie being gay spread around Truham, that was why Ash became friends with the sixth former's, that's why she got into fights. She loved Tao ( as a friend) but he was horrible with secrets, that was why she never told him anything. As she was walking to Higgs, she was spotted by none other than Harry Greene.
" Oi Spring, your gay brother, keep him away, might catch the disease."
" Shut up Harry. Your a selfish prick who can't think of anyone but himself."
" Wasn't what you thought of me in year 7."
" You forced me into that. I didn't want any part of it. Then you got the sixth former's in Higgs to spread rumours about me. Saying I had slept with a Year 11. Funny that I'm Asexual. Just because you tried to push yourself on me and that girl stopped you. Doesn't mean that you didn't do damage. You have fucked my life up so the least you can do is keep Charlie out of it."
" Nice try, but that won't be happening. Skank." He told her as she walked off. She wasn't sure why his words got to her. But they did, and as she entered the hall she started to wipe her eyes, trying to prevent tears. Later on, the others arrived, Charlie and Nick were on the drum set, Tara and Darcy were setting up and Elle was sat with Tao. It was a little bit when the teacher asked where Tara and Darcy were.
" There were here a second ago."
" I'm about to open the doors for the audience."
" We can go look for them." Charlie suggested to her.
" Be quick about it."
So that is how, Charlie, Nick, Ash, Tao and Elle were running down the corridors of Harvey Green looking for Tara and Darcy.
" Tara?"
" Darcy!?"
" Tara!"
They ran to the room they heard them in and opened the door.
" Hey, you guys are supposed to be on stage like right now."
" Can we hurry up, the sooner I finish this Cardio the happier I will be." Ash told them, hands on her knees.
" Thought you liked rugby, that takes stamina."
" Shut the fuck up Charlie."
They started running back to the hall, Tao being far behind them.

The concert went well, Ash was glad that she didn't mess up. Afterwards, the group met up and Ash took Elle to the side.
" Ash. What's up?"
" I'm sorry for having a go at you earlier Elle! I- It's just. I need to tell you something. Aled knows but you have to PROMISE me you won't tell Charlie, or Tao. It could ruin their friendship."
" Ash, I kept the Higgs situation secret."
" This is more important than that!"
" I promise I will not tell."
" The reason I had the whole yelling at you was because Tao is the one who outed Charlie last year.."
" What do you mean..?"
" It wasn't on purpose! But Tao was talking about Charlie coming out in the corridors. I told him to stop but it was too late...I just. Nick is so important to Charlie, and I know what it is like with Harry. I don't want him to have anything happen, especially when they aren't ready."
" Oh, Ash.."
" Sorry, It's just, stuff happened on the way here with Harry and then I thought about it and it wasn't fair for me to have a go at you and-"
" Ash. It is fine. I understand and I'm sorry too. I know you usually have a reason and I didn't need to pry."
" So friends?"
" Always and forever."
" We should meet back up with them now, before they think we are locked in a room."
Elle laughed at Ash's comment as they walked back to the group. Ash felt as if a lot of weight had been taken off of her. Maybe things will get better.