mali's brother; cashton

five

After a long weekend of teasing from Luke and Mike telling him to shut up, Monday rolled around. Ashton wished nothing more than to call in sick and skip, but this was his senior year, and he actually needed to put in effort instead of skipping 24/7. So Ashton begrudgingly left his warm bed and prepared for the school day. Different scenarios of what could occur with Mali flashed through his mind all morning, but Ashton tried to push past them and focus on something different.

"Ash, we're driving past the school!" Luke yelled, watching as the school passed by through the window. Ashton snapped out of his trance and muttered curses, quickly turning the car around and driving into the school's parking lot. He put the car in park and sighed, resting his head against the steering wheel. He realized he's been doing that a lot lately.

Luke looked on at his brother in sympathy. He was clearly stressed over this situation, and he couldn't blame his brother; he would feel the same. Luke looked out the window and then turned his head back to the brunette.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't see Mali or Calum anywhere," he muttered, reaching into the back and grabbing his backpack. Ashton just let out a grunt and lifted his head. Luke frowned. As much shit as he gives Ashton, he does love him. He took him under his wing and has taken care of him for almost two years now. He couldn't help but feel worried for his older brother.

"I have to go. We have a stupid sophmore meeting in the auditorium." Ashton responded with yet another grunt. Luke cleared his throat and opened the car door. He hopped out and shot his brother one last concerned look.

"I'm gonna be at game stop with Awsten during your practice, so I'll see you after that," Luke muttered. He gave his brother a half smile in hopes of comforting him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Ashton muttered, running a hand through his curly hair. Luke smiled and closed the door, walking over to his friend group. Ashton watched him like a hawk, ensuring he got into the school safely. When Luke and his friends entered the school, Ashton let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Okay, Ashton, you can do this," he muttered to himself. He stepped out of his car and slammed the door shut, gaining the attention of some nearby students. Ashton rolled his eyes and opened the back door, grabbing his backpack. He decided he'd grab his soccer bag when it was needed after school. He slammed the door shut and ventured into school, his head held low.

As soon as he entered the crowded halls, he heard the loud giggle of Mali. He looked over to see her talking to another one of the cheerleaders, Olivia.

When Olivia spotted Ashton, her eyes immediately lit up, and she began whispering something into Mali's ear.

Well, that made Ashton's theory of Mali's crush even stronger.

Mali shot around with a glimmering grin. She started waving at Ashton, which caused the brunette to suck in a breath and walk over to her.

"Ashton! Hi!" She giggled, hugging the brunette. Ashton awkwardly laughed and hugged back.

"Mali—hey"

"Hey, Ashton," Olivia said, chewing her gum and twirling a piece of her hair. She leaned against her locker in a way Ashton thought she was trying to be seductive.

"Hey, Olivia." Mali let go of Ashton and leaned against the lockers with Olivia.

"How was your weekend?" Mali asked. Olivia muttered something into her ear and gave her an encouraging pat on the arm, then strutted off. Ashton shrugged.

"It was alright. I didn't do much." Thankfully, the first-period bell rang, and students filed into nearby classrooms.

"I'll see you during lunch, okay?" she said. Ashton felt his throat close up as he nodded.

"Yeah, I'll see you then," he murmured. And with that, Mali was gone, lost in the sea of people.

Ashton knew he was going to be late. He hadn't even gotten his books yet, and he needed a few minutes to process whatever was happening between Olivia and Mali.

Once the halls mostly cleared, Ashton walked across the way and stopped at his locker. He put the combination in and opened his backpack, shoving the books he brought home for the weekend into his locker. While doing so, he caught a glimpse of a picture taped to the inside of his locker. It was of him and Mali at one of their school fairs. He held a stuffed bear she had won for him while she was behind him. Her arms were wrapped around his waist while her chin was resting on his shoulder.

His eyebrows furrowed. Now that he thought about it, Mali was always very touchy with him. He looked at the picture above it. It was of them at their friend Harry's pool. Ashton was sitting at the pool's edge with his feet in while Mali was sunbathing. Her head was on his thighs, and her hand was blocking the sun from her eyes. They were looking up at the camera with bright smiles.

Ashton slammed his locker shut, his eyes wide. It was so clear now. No friends laid on each other like that. No friends posed like that. The whole whispering with Olivia made Ashton realize that this wasn't a theory, but Mali did like him.

But he was in love with Mali's brother.