Page 3 of Ashes to Ash’s

What the fuck was I doing wasting time at school? I’d given Ember hell for getting kicked out of here, after we all had to move schools, just as I was getting settled at the old one, but honestly? If she hadn’t been the screwup she was, forcing us to change schools, I would never have met Cal. Maybe one day I’d thank her for that. Or maybe I’d just keep pushing her buttons ‘til she reacted too. I loved it when she slapped me. Maybe I could coerce Cal into doing that, but I had a feeling if I could get him to lash out, he’d be more likely to punch me. That’d be so fucking hot.

“Mr Cross, my office, now.”

Well, now I’m fucked. I turned and followed the headmaster, but honestly, I’d been tempted just to keep walking. It’s not like they can arrest me for not going to school, and my parents sure as hell wouldn’t give a shit.

An hour later, I was finding out just how wrong I’d been.

“I’m so sorry, Mr Witton. We will ensure he behaves better in future,” mum was saying, almost in a begging tone, to a stern grey haired fucker who thought he was the boss of me.

“Fuck that, what’s the point?”

“Ash! Language!” I stared at dad Dory in shock. What the actual fuck.

“Are you two fucking pod people? Where’s dad Gray?”

“Ash, be quiet,” dad Dory hissed, as mum spoke up again.

“He’s been a little unsettled after his sister’s recent issues.”

Recent issues, yeah, she got herself kidnapped by her teacher, and they were now some messed up fucking pair, so why the fuck were they trying to force me into staying here surrounded by these fuckers?

“I’m sorry to hear Ms Cross hasn’t been doing so well lately. It was regrettable that we couldn’t continue to allow her to study here, but-”

“Water under the bridge,” dad Dory interrupted, “we’re just keen to ensure the rest of our children receive uninterrupted schooling. As you know, the only other senior school in the catchment area is out of question, so I know we have to work with you to maintain their academic careers at this school.”

Ohhh, so they were saying it was this school or none? How about fucking none then? I stood up and headed for the door.

“Ash, get back here right now,” mum snapped at me, and I sighed.

“This place is shit, and you can’t make me go here, so give up already.”

I walked out, ignoring their yells from behind me. What the hell does it matter? The only thing I want from this school is the one thing they can’t give me.

Chapter Three

Ash

That shit happened two weeks ago, because after I refused to go back for a week, I then got myself suspended almost immediately for ‘lewd behaviour’, aka a simple hand gesture aimed at a teacher, and now it was Sunday night, and I was due back in the morning.

Dad Gray felt this was the perfect time to try and talk some sense into me, even though I’d asked him three times to leave me alone, each time getting a little more pissed when he ignored me.

“Ash, I get it, school’s shit, and you’d rather be doing something else, but if you don’t keep up with your schoolwork, you’ll fail your exams next year, and then you’ll be struggling to get a job, because of some stupid fucking grades on a stupid piece of paper.”

Wow, thanks for pointing out the utter bullshit of the entire situation, while simultaneously trying to sell me on it. I smirked at him.

“Do you see where you went wrong there, dad?”

He rolled his eyes, shoving his blonde hair back. I was the only one of his kids with dark hair and dark eyes, but it didn’t make me feel like he wasn’t my dad. I mean, mum’s blonde and blue eyed too, so what… she wasn’t my mum either? See? I don’t need school. I understand plenty. Genetics are just weird.

“Yeah, I agree with you on some stuff, kiddo, but the fact is, this stupid country expects certain qualifications to deem you worthy of jobs that probably a monkey could do, and that’s why you have to go. Any questions?”

“Yeah, like a fuckload of them.”

He laughed, sitting back against the wall on my bed. He didn’t seem to be in any kind of a hurry to leave.

“Dad, I’m not smart like Blaze, or even Em, and listening to a bunch of pompous assholes drivelling on about shit I don’t care about isn’t going to make me more intelligent.”

The fact that he’d laughed at my description gave me a fleeting moment of hope that he’d agree with me, and let me leave, but he sobered suddenly.