A Certain Romance || Ashton Irwin

Slave

When Sam said Arrie would be going to school with me I didn't think he meant Arrie would magically have the same schedule as me and be following me around like a lost puppy. I thought the point of "security" was discretion. I pictured Arrie lingering around the halls keeping a close eye on me without me seeing him, not talking my ear off the whole day. He talked to me about Sam, he asked me about the school, and he briefly spoke about his time in the motorcycle club which left me uninterested in anything else the man had to say.

Arrie told me to go along with the lie that he was an exchange student because no one in the building needed to know the truth even if I trusted them with the truth. He told me that one day everyone that I ever trusted in my life would fuck up in some way and lose my trust, so there was no point in telling people my business anyway.

Michael and Luke gave me questioning looks when Arrie and I entered the math room, but neither asked questions as they were still not talking to me and they were likely frightened and perhaps, slightly disturbed to see me with another guy lingering around my personal space.

Ashton was surprised at how quickly I made a friend today when I showed up in the library for my off-period. Ashton wanted to know how I let Arrie become my friend so quickly, while Ashton was still fighting for me to semi-like him. Ashton and Arrie had a silent staring contest while I pretended to look after Lily, but was really too focused on plotting out more possibilities for my English paper. Arrie thought the entirety of the project with the baby was pointless and creepy, scared that the baby would likely come alive and kill him in his sleep while staying at my house.

In English, Luke had his pocket mirror out the entire time, probably catching sly glances at Arrie who was sat behind me, wondering why I replaced him with someone who could grow facial hair compared to him. But still not a word was spoken to me by him or Michael until I found them sitting at our now usual lunch table. I had gotten used to just sitting with Ashton and Calum, while listening to Calum rant about some first world problem that no one else would dare speak on. Calum was over-privileged and he knew it, but wasn't ashamed of it.

"When did you hire a slave, Sage?" Michael asked at the lunch table.

I was sitting alone with Arrie and didn't expect Michael or Luke to come sit down at the table, half-expecting, half-hoping they'd sit with football team because there was still a significant amount of tension between us. Ashton hadn't appeared yet, neither had Calum. Perhaps both stuck in the long lunch line that was serving chicken Parmesan. The meal actually smelt and looked appetizing for once.

"I didn't." I watched Arrie in disgust as he took samples of every bit of food I had. He said it was "precaution" to make sure I wasn't being "poisoned" because outlaws had no problem coming to a Catholic school and try to murder someone. He'd rather die than have me die. Sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me.

"Why's the new kid following you around then?" Michael brought a slice of pizza up to his mouth then tossed it back down when Arrie spat out chips on the table. Michael wasn't a fan of chicken Parmesan, so he settled for his usual slice of pizza.

"Ask him." I nodded over to Arrie, not once letting my eyes met Michael's or Luke's. They were the ones not speaking to me and yet, I was the one with the shame and embarrassment while it should've been them.

"Hey new kid," Michael obnoxiously waved his hand in front of Arrie's face. "Why are you following Sage?"

"I don't want to get lost." Arrie mumbled before sipping my water.

"How old are you?" Luke finally spoke up and I decided to look up at him. He gave Arrie a look of confusion and a bit of admiration, wondering how he could get hair growth tips from Arrie. So much admiration was in Luke's eyes that I'd think Luke was going for the other team if I didn't know him.