Chapter 1: The Truth Hurts
"Ms. Donovon".
Gently snapping out of her daydream, Ash boredly turned her attention to Mrs. Haddaway. Last she remembered, the old bat had been prattling away about the "dramatic and heart-wrenching" demise of Lennie Small, revealing an end to a classic the student had yet to read. She had managed to so far fool the melodramatic teacher into thinking she had kept up with the book by getting the answers to her assignments from her friend, Lyndie, the biggest bookworm in the school. However, this time, the frizzy-haired poindexter could only look on as her educator set her beady sights on Ash.
"I sincerely apologize if I am stultifying you into a stupor, Ms. Ashleigh-"
"Ash".
Mrs. Haddaway paused for a brief moment, displeasure written clear on her wrinkly features at the interruption. Despite the numerous corrections, she continued to refer to Ash by her full name. Her full, girly, wrongfully stereotypical name that was the bane of her existence. The only other person brave enough to call her that was Claire Nuñez, the underclassman a grade below her. The difference was the approach. While Mrs. Haddaway obviously meant it as a reproach to her lack of enthusiasm for her class, Claire only ever treated the forbidden name like an old friend; her hello buddy before the bell.
"Ms. Ash, if you desire to pass this class, then I require your full, undivided attention for the one hour I am paid to teach you", she lectured agonizingly slow, tapping the top of a marker on the palm of her hand. "I require your effort in the assignments I give you, like it or not. I require your respect for dealing with your transgressions in a very courteous manner, despite your insistence to test my patience. I require your-"
Believe it or not, this was a daily routine for Ash. This was not the first "I require" speech she has heard and it will not be the last. The bitter feelings between them were mutual, ever since the aging teacher caught the student giving her grandson a knuckle sandwich. Ash was suspended for three days. Mrs. Haddaway made sure of it. What she did not know, or refused to believe, was that her precious boy had been picking on another student. Persistently. Ash merely put the matter to rest.
Stealing a glance over at Lyndie whose head was stuck behind The Grapes of Wrath (a huge John Steinbeck fan), she threw a decapitated eraser head at the hardcover, grabbing her friend's attention. A pair of hazel eyes shielded behind prescription glasses peeked above the rim of the book, giving Ash a playful glare. Unfortunately, as her best friend, Lyndie was bound in an unspoken contract to play a role in whatever mischief Ash got herself into.
Are we still on for tonight? Ash mouthed as Haddaway turned her back, still carrying on.
I told you I can't. Briefly glancing in the teacher's direction, Lyndie nervously adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose. Quickly ripping a piece out of her notepad, she used one of her glitter gel pens, the purple one, to write something. Folding it neatly, she tossed it over to Ash.
I have chess club tonight. Plus, if my Aunt finds out I've been lying
to her about avoiding you, i'll be grounded from my laptop for a
month!
She silently snorted, grabbing her own pencil to write a response. But she hesitated, unsure of what to say. Lyndie was not keen on telling lies, especially to a friend, and Ash had seen the signs on the activities board in the hallway. There was practice tonight for an upcoming chess championship at a nearby school, but she had a hunch Lyndie was also using it as an excuse to skip hanging out with her. Sponging the truth to her family was taking its toll, and while Ash understood her reasons, it still hurt. This would be the fourth time this month she cancelled.
It's going to be a little hard without you. Tryouts for the team start
in two weeks. This is my last year to get in
She passed it back, hoping she would change her mind using some good old fashioned guilt tripping.
"And as for you, Ms. Lucinda Saleh". A startled Lyndie nearly fell out of her chair, the paper crushed in a death-grip against her pounding chest as Mrs. Haddaway faced her with a stare that could turn Medusa to stone. "I expected more from one of Arcadia Oak's most prized pupils". She reached out a bony hand, to which Lyndie shakily gave up her means of communication. Not bothering to read its contents, she ripped the paper into confetti and sprinkled a handful on each of their desks. "If I were you, I would find a new peer group. Classmates that will benefit you on your educational path rather than distract you from it. You have potential. I would hate to see it go to waste in the end". Her gaze traveled to Ash pointedly. "Now fix your glasses, dear".
The poor girl blinked a couple times before reaching for her disheveled glasses, arms still racked with tremors. The bell rang just as Mrs. Haddaway returned to her desk, leaving her traumatized student to wait out an anxiety attack.
"Hey". Ash moved between leaving students to check on her. "Don't listen to that nasty troll". She put a comforting hand on Lyndie's shoulder, encouraging her to breath. She shot a ruthless glare the teacher's way, but the woman did not notice. "Who cares what she thinks? She is just trying to get under your skin, just like with every other defenseless student she has taught since the stone age", she continued, earning a small, breathy laugh from her friend.
"Thanks, Ash, but I'm fine. She just gave me a scare". Lyndie used her sweater sleeve to wipe cold sweat from her forehead. "You go ahead without me".
"You sure?" The two did not share the same class after Literature, so seeing each other would have to wait until tomorrow morning.
"Yeah", she responded evenly, rubbing her temple. "I'll go wash up in the bathroom before the next class. I'll see you tomorrow". She rested her forehead against the cover of her book, leaving Ash to think twice about whether she should leave her or not.
"Yeah. See you", she mumbled with a hint of disappointment, slipping her backpack through her arm. She gave Lyndie a last over-the-shoulder glance before disappearing into the hallway.
A thoughtful sigh escaped her lips as she absently searched for her locker. While her eyes remained forward and alert, her mind was preoccupied. Ash was not good at making friends. She pretty much rocked first impressions, being a protector of the weak and all, but once they learned of her reputation or figured out she was just as vulnerable to bullying as they were, the spark fell flat. Unlike them, she could defend herself, but it was not enough to keep them around or put their minds at ease.
Lyndie was the only person who stayed by her side. She was the new kid two years ago and as if it were not enough that she was labeled a typical nerd because of her thick glasses and heavy sweaters, her darker skin tone and slight accent made her a target for kids who were unfamiliar and even threatened by different cultures. Arcadia tended to be accepting of all backgrounds, but every school had its bad seeds.
Needless to say, Ash had to stand up against Arcadia Oak's worst of the worst: Steve Palchuk. Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, he was a mediocre bully at best, but he was strong enough to cause pain and persistent enough to make a name for himself. He had excellent reflexes and a killer punch, but it was childs play for Ash to knock him to the ground and force him into submission. She had training. He did not.
However, despite his loss, he still went out of his way to poke fun at Ash. The only thing she accomplished was that he stayed away from Lyndie, which is all she really wanted.
"Hey, Karate Kid! Watch out!"
Before she realized what hit her, Ash was knocked backwards onto the tiled floor.
"Ah, man, I am so sorry. Are you okay?" Ash's head pounded painfully, her vision just a tad blurry as she tried to make out who she just ran into. She had half a mind, one that pulsed greatly from the collision, to open up a can of whoop-butt on the guy.
"Yeah, i'm fine", she spit out, running her fingers through her pixie cut. Her pack had slipped off during the fall, so she ignored him and instead tried to find where it had slid off to on hand and knee.
"Looking for this?" A red and black striped backpack was thrust in front of her. Her eyes widened in surprise. "I really need to start watching where I am going". Rising to her feet, Ash grabbed the pack and slipped it on. "Ash, right? Donovon? I'm Jim Lake".
"I know who you are", she answered, tightening the straps. Ash only knew him from the few times they locked eyes in the hall or from some gossip she heard from time to time. He was the son of a a doctor and chose to hang around that pudgy kid that liked sweater vests. Timmy something. "Thanks".
"Ningun problema", he replied with a wink. She just raised a brow, assuming that meant "no problem". Spanish was not her forte. Actually, any language besides English was not her forte. Somehow she had managed to get out of those classes all through high school. The last thing she needed was another bad grade on her report card, not that her parents cared.
"Butt munch!"
They both winced.
"And you're with Donnie the Dyke!" Steve Palchuk erupted into a fit of intentionally loud and obnoxious laughter, gaining a few glances from passing students. He walked up grinning, hands on his middle, with a few of his nobody lackeys in tow. Ash thought nobodies because nobody really cared to know their names. Their purpose was to follow and provide backup support when Steve ordered it. She was unsure if the two underclassmen even had lives or friends of their own outside of Palchuk.
Ash felt her cheeks grow hot. Turning slightly away, she clenched her fists in an effort to control her rising anger. "What do you want, Steve?" Jim sighed in exasperation, clearly not in the mood to deal with him. He spared a sympathetic sideways glance at Ash, but it went unnoticed.
"Just making sure you're warmed up for the beating i'm gonna serve you for thinking you can stand up to me", Steve answered, swooping in real close and poking a finger against Jim's chest. "That better not be why your talking to boy shorts. She may look like a guy, but getting her to fight your battles for you would still be really pathetic".
Jim had nobly stood up for little Eli Pepperjack yesterday after his daily locker time with Steve. What was meant of be a thing of bravery ended up being the start of Jim being persistently harassed nearly every day of school. In that way, he and Ash were alike and she really admired what he did, even if it came with uncontrollable consequences.
"Afraid I'll make you look bad in front of everyone, Steve?" the tomboy challenged, crossing her arms. Steve turned his head to give her a nasty glare, but refused to move from his spot. He knew what she was capable of. "Again? I kicked your butt so bad last time, i'm not surprised you don't want to fight me a second time. It must suck being beaten by a girl, or is that not what you tell your friends? Too embarrassed to admit i'm not a dude?"
She took a step forward. Without realizing he had reacted, Steve flinched back, shoving Jim ahead of him to inadvertently dodge whatever Ash was going to do. Ash crossed her arms in victory, giving the bully one of her smuggest smiles she could muster. Seeing him so vulnerable made up for all the insults he shot her way every time he cornered her. Even Jim was caught trying to suppress an amused grin at the shameful display, as well as his goons who made themselves turn away from the embarrassing scene so as not to humiliate Steve.
Meanwhile he stood there dumbly, slowly coming to terms that he had just, once again, made a fool of himself.
The bell rang above them, signaling the start of class. "That's my cue", Ash hummed pleasantly. "See ya, Jim". Waving goodbye, she went on her way to calculus, leaving Steve in a social conundrum and Jim to revel in his awkwardness. The day seemed to grow a little better.