drive ♢ muke ✔️

xxvii

"so you and luke huh?" bryana whispers, staring at me.

i pretend like i can't hear her and continue listening to the lecture. she's been trying to talk to me every chance she gets but i've been avoiding her like the plaque.

"please talk to me," she begs, her knees bumping into mine.

i feel both her and ashton watching me. i squirm awkwardly under their harsh gaze.

"i have nothing to say to you," i glare at her, turning my back to the both of them.

"michael please," bryana wails, gripping my shirt.

i scowl at her and shake her off, not even sparing her a glance.

the professor stops talking and informs us that the lecture is over and that we're dismissed. the class slowly gathers their things and flood out the door, getting back to their lives away from school.

"leave me alone, you cheating bitch!" i finally snap after she continues to pester me.

i'm not sure what to do when she bursts into tears and runs away. i fully expect ashton to go running after her to comfort her but he doesn't; instead he walks along with me.

all that can be heard in between the two of us are our
breathing. unfortunately, he speaks up.

"you're being quite unfair to her," he states simply.

"i'm being unfair to her? please explain because i'm lost," i furrow my brows at him.

"she was kicked out of her home with a boyfriend that had a stable job. now she's been forced to move in with me and i can hardly support myself, not to mention two people. we both have shitty jobs and we're working our asses off just to have dinner," ashton explains, looping his hands together.

"well she should've thought about that before she decided to cheat," i mumble, still feeling bad for my old friend.

"her parents decided to shun her for cheating on luke and they won't accept her in their household. my parents heard about her un-loyalty and they don't want me dating her, they're afraid that she'll do the same to me when she gets tired of me." ashton sighs.

"she probably will," i shrug my shoulders.

i take ashton's silence as an opportunity to look around for luke's car. i don't spot it but what i do feel is a shove that left me stumbling a few feet forward.

i turn around and i see ashton, his eyes flaming with anger. his hazel eyes that are usually quite pretty, are so dark they're dark brown. his fists are clenched and his fist is raised to punch me again.

"she's not going to do that to me," ashton states seriously.

"that's what luke thought too before she-" i begin to say.

i'm interrupted when i feel a solid fist collide with my face. i scream as i feel my nose make a sickening cracking noise. i feel thick liquid dripping down my face and onto the pavement; i can only assume that it's blood.

i don't have much time to worry about it because he quickly draws back his leg and kicks me to the ground. i shield my face with my hands as i feel more attacks being inflicted upon my weak body.

"oh fuck!" i hear ashton curse.

i'm in so much pain, i can hardly open my eyes. when i finally blink away the black spots, i see ashton's face bleeding heavily.

"who allowed you to put you hands on michael?" i hear luke demand, pushing ashton with such force that ashton trips and falls.

"i didn't mean to cause trouble," ashton tries to surrender.

luke kicks ashton on the jaw which causes ashton to make a terrible wounded sound. a heavy flow of blood is dripping from ashton's nose and his eye is so bruised that it looks black.

"believe me fucker, next time your hands touch my boy, i will not hesitate to end your worthless life." luke threatens, kicking ashton in the ribs.

ashton nods frantically, trying to get himself back to his feet.

i try to get up myself but my body hurts too much to even move. luke gently picks me up and carries me to his car. he kisses my wounds lovingly and whispers that everything will be alright.

then he drives.