Powerless || Ashton Irwin ||

Two

Lunchtime couldn't come quick enough. When the bell finally rang signalling the end of class I jumped out of my seat stuffing my belongings into my bag and ran out of the room.

Ashton and I seemed to fall quickly back into our old routine of me getting out of class and saving our table and he would get our lunches from the suggested array of disgusting slop on offer. I sat at our table awaiting Ashton's arrival when someone sat down beside me that I didn't recognise

"Hello?" I questioned him looking him up and down quickly he didn't look your usual 'Patient' here

"Hi" He said shortly

"You are?" I let my voice trail off

"Oh I'm Mark" He said moving his hands to move his long light brown hair that was tied into a ponytail at the back of his head off of his shoulder "Right well I'm Clara" I said

"I know" I sat back in my chair watching him "How? I don't remember you being here last time I was here" I said worried that I'd met this boy before and completely forgotten him "Ashton talked about you a few times" He said a smile barely showing itself on his lips "Oh okay, Your friends with Ash then?"

"Ah you've met Mark!" Ashton's voice called out from behind me I turned to look at him he held two bowls in his hands.

He slowly made his way over and set down the bowls on the table one in front of me the other in front of himself. I looked down at what was in the bowl and grimaced "Don't start. That's the best of a bad lot" Ashton held his hand up as I turned to talk to him I shut my mouth again scowling at him playfully.

He just laughed and shook his head lightly "So Mark, What's your deal?" I asked being my usual nosy self "Oh er my parents brought me here about two months ago and I haven't seen them since" He said pushing his food around his plate "Oh I'm sorry" I said not knowing what else to say "It's cool, It's not so bad here really. I share a room with Ashton" He told me flashing me a small smile I smiled back at him "Oh god is he still as messy as he used to be? He was a pig when I was here last year" I asked making sure to look at Ashton he furrowed his eyebrows together "There was one time you came in and there was a spider christ CJ bad mouth me why don't you" He said slapping my arm gently I laughed louder at him "He's been pretty clean so far" Mark said I calmed down my laughter and nodded "He's just trying to impress you. He doesn't want to scare you off" I joked feeling Ashton's eyes on me.

Ashton suddenly stood up pushing his chair back and stormed away from us "Is he okay?" Mark asked trying to stand up I touched his arm gesturing for him to sit back down "He'll come back when he's ready" I said softly lifting my hand away from him he nodded "He hasn't told me his thing yet" He said in a low voice looking where Ashton had walked off "Just give him time. He doesn't go around telling everyone, it's personal shit. I'm sorry I asked you right away when you hardly know me" I apologised feeling bad about my earlier outburst of nosiness "It's fine, Everyone else here knows why not you too?" He asked rhetorically "Besides that's only the beginning" He added.

Ashton did eventually come back after 15 minutes or so. He silently sat in the seat he'd left vacant before "Hi" He leaned forward to whisper in my ear "Hey" I replied he leant back and fell against the back of the chair "I'm sorry" He said softly I waved him off "Don't worry about it. I was only messing around, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you" I turned to him resting my feet on the edge of his chair "You know me, I overreact" He laughed I left it there as Mark came back and sat in his seat "Ah your back. Are you okay?" He asked Ashton eyeing him Ashton nodded quickly "I'm good" He said smiling at him.