mali's brother; cashton

three

I SAW LUKE EARLIER TODAY!! PICS WILL BE AT THE BOTTOM IF U WANNA SEE :))

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"Name one of the seven epochs of the earth," Ashton read off a pink flashcard. Mali took a sharp inbreathe, her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the floor. After a few seconds, her eyes lit up, and she looked up at Ashton.

"Miocene!" She answered, her voice laced with confidence. Ashton's eyes drifted down to the answers neatly written under the question. He looked back up at Mali, a giant grin on his face. He nodded, which caused Mali to cheer and throw her hands up in victory.

Ashton laughed and placed the flashcard down into the rest of the pile.

"You're gonna crush this test," he said, a grin still on his face.

Their laughter quickly faded when Calum started bashing his fists against the wall that separated his room from his sisters.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Stop being an asshole!" Mali yelled back. Ashton heard Calum let out a grunt and then his door opening and slamming.

Mali sighed and turned to Ashton. "I'm sorry about him. He doesn't like us hanging out." She frowned, wrapping herself up in a fuzzy blanket.

Ashton shook his head, a comforting smile on his face.

"It's alright." The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments before Mali turned her head towards Ashton.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?" She asked, adjusting the blanket that was wrapped around her. Ashton looked over at the digital clock that was on Mali's nightstand, nodding when he saw it was only 6:45

"Sure, what do you wanna watch?" He asked, standing up and plopping down onto Mali's soft bed. She shrugged, lying down next to Ashton. She grabbed the remote on her nightstand and turned on the TV.

"K-12?" She asked. Ashton nodded. Even though the duo has watched this movie hundreds of times, it'll always be their go-to whenever they don't know what to watch.

Mali turned on the movie and cuddled into one of her throw pillows.

They were about halfway through 'Show and Tell' when Ashton felt Mali scoot closer, and the next thing he knew, her head was resting on his chest. He felt his blood run cold and his heart stop beating.

He wasn't uncomfortable with the whole ordeal; it just left a bad taste in his mouth. Maybe Mali did like him, and all the times she called him her boyfriend wasn't
in a joking manner.

Mali only snuggled closer to him, her chest pressed up against his side. She draped an arm around his waist and smiled.

That's how it went for the rest of the movie; Mali cuddled up to Ashton while he internally panicked.

The movie ended at 7:30, and as soon as Ashton saw the screen go black, he sat up and hurried over to his bag.

Mali sat up as well, a confused expression on her face. "Why are you in such a rush?" She asked.

"I—uhm—I completely forgot that I needed to make Luke dinner," Ashton said, stuffing his history textbook into his backpack. It wasn't necessarily a lie; Luke was a horrible cook, and everyone in the neighborhood knew that.

"Isn't he 16? Can't he make food for himself?" She asked, standing from her bed and walking over to Ashton, who was zipping up his backpack.

"Yeah, well, when I promised my mom I would take care of Luke, I also promised that he wouldn't blow up any more microwaves." Ashton breathlessly muttered, ending with a small laugh. He swung his backpack over his shoulder, his soccer bag in his other hand.

He started heading for Mali's bedroom door when she stopped him. "Any more?"

"No comment," Ashton mumbled, a nervous grin on his face. Mali softly laughed and reached up at Ashton's hair, brushing a strand from his face.

"Well, get home safe, alright?" She said, her eyes glistening. Ashton nodded, feeling a line of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Yeah—bye!" He quickly ran out of her bedroom and out of the Hood's household. He opened his car's back door and threw his bags in. He slammed it shut and jumped into the front seat. He slammed the door shut and screamed. He slammed his head against the steering wheel, silently praying for it not to honk.

His heart was pounding, and his hands were shaking. He was sweating all over, and he felt uncomfortable in his own skin. There was no way in hell Mali liked him. She was just being friendly. Right?

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