Settle Down // Irwin

1

She likes not to be noticed. It makes her life easier. She has went through four years of high school no being noticed. Unlike some girls who crave to be noticed by other, she doesn't mind.

Jade is quiet and does her work. She plans on working hard for her last year of high school and celebrating in the summer. Her friend Calum is very much the same so they get on well. They just normally study together instead of going out on Friday nights or going to the movies together or other stuff you would expect eighteen year olds to be doing.

She doesn't plan on staying in the little town she does right now. After the summer she plans on going to college in the furthest away city possible. In this town you have no privacy.

Another thing wrong with this town is people like Jade and Calum, the people who want to get out and do something with their lives, they are often overlooked. Like I said earlier, this doesn't particularly bother Jade. Calum doesn't seem to mind either. It is just the principle of it.

Why should people like Ashton Irwin, for example, get treated differently from other kids. Just because he is seen as hot, or can play football, or that whenever he breathes the world seems to achieve peace. It's ridicules! Jade thinks so anyway, not many people agree with her.

"What did you get for nine?" Michael Clifford whispers to her.

It isn't unusual for Michael to ask her what she got for answers in math class. He isn't the best at it and she was surprised when she found out he was in the same class as her.

"Eighteen." She replies, not taking her eye of the paper in front of her.

"How the fuck...?" Michael trails off, studying his paper again.

Jade likes Michael. There is something about him that is different to the other football players in this high school. Maybe it's that he actually talks to Jade or the fact he doesn't mind it when people hate him, which a lot of people do, but he is just a lot different to the others on the football team.

"Jade?" the teacher calls from his desk. Jade's head shoots up and look over and we teacher is signalling her to come over.

"Yes?" she says at his desk.

"Are you busy on Wednesdays and Thursdays after school?" He asks her very bluntly.

"Uh... no?" she normally would just study after school.

"Good." He chirps happily. "The school has decided to set up a after school math help class for the... underachievers." He chooses his words carefully. "I would like to ask you if you would help out. Maybe tutor some of the kids?" he asks hopefully.

Jade wasn't going to say no. She liked math and liked helping people. It would look great on a college application as well.

"Sounds good." Jade says and her teacher relaxes.

"Good. Can you start this week?" that would mean tomorrow.

"Yeah." Jade says. The teacher thanks her once more and she returns to her seat.

~~~

Calum was late for lunch. This made Jade nervous. Mainly because Calum is never late. For anything. His mom made sure he never was late for anything.

Jade sits alone. She didn't mind being alone. She is an only child and her parents left her alone a lot of the time. Jade thinks it's because they trust her. She is trustworthy and doesn't go out or throw parties when her parents aren't home.

A low murmur runs through the cafeteria and Jade looks up from her lunch to see why. Calum is walking over to their usual table together. His hood over his head so Jade can't see his face.