Ash (10 page)

“He had a hold over anyone who was weak enough to let him in, and I don’t mean anything by that.” He held his hands up.

“Sometimes, I blame my dad for not being around more. He left Mom to do it all, and I was a little prick who took advantage of her good nature,” I said. “Even that day, in that stupid program they put me on, Andrés turned up at the library and made a scene.”

“Yeah, that’s when Connie stuck her nose in your business.”

Remembering that day put a smile on my face. I laughed and shook my head.

“Andrés didn’t know where to look when she stepped into his face.”

“Yeah, Connie had a thing about that.” Danny laughed.

Connie had a larger than life personality that stopped me dead in my tracks. She turned my life around, and I couldn’t have been more proud to have her as my own.

I sighed and slumped my shoulders back against the seat, revisiting that first day.

I had been failing school so bad. The social worker insisted that I take extra classes, which meant Saturday mornings were no longer for sleeping in.

Begrudgingly, I turned up at the school library. I saw nothing but geeks, with their round double-rimmed glasses, glaring at me as I walked in.

My mother stood behind me, holding a form in her hand. “Please behave, Ashley,” she muttered.

I didn’t look at her. This was all her fault. Her, the stuck-up judge, and the social worker. A bunch of assholes who wanted to make my life hell.

“Ashley Benton.” The teacher called my name and looked over the rim of his glasses at me.

“My name’s Ash.”

“Ah, but here it clearly states Ashley.” He pointed at the form. “So therefore, you will be regarded as Ashley.”

I wanted to punch him in the face hard. Since my last hearing, I was meant to be on my best behavior, which meant not assaulting the aged.

“What time should I pick him up?” my mother asked.

“Oh, we should be done here by three-fifteen.”

My mother turned toward me. Her eyes were full of hurt.

I shrugged and ignored her as she walked out of the room.

“So, Ashley, you are paired up with Connie Fletcher.” He directed me to a table at the front of the library where a bespectacled brunette sat, frowning at me.

This was all I needed, some know-it-all girl who would bore me to tears.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to the table. “Where do I sit?”

“Take your pick. There are five other chairs available,” she said, pursing her lips.

My cheeks burned.

Several students glanced in my direction.

I sat down across the table from her. Unsure of what to do or say, I stared at the label on my bag.

“So, I’m Connie,” she said.

I shrugged and said nothing.

“Okay, Mr. All-Tatted-Up-With-No-Tongue-In-Your -Head, here’s the deal. You’re behind in pretty much everything. I can see from your grades that you really don’t give a shit about school, but unless you intend on making a living doing whatever it is that makes your life so darned fantastic, I suggest graduating with your diploma. You never know when it might come in handy.”

I sat upright and focused on her. “And who has given you the authority to judge me?”

“Principal Boone, and if you’ve a problem with that, Ashley, it’s best to take it up with him.”

She laughed and shook her head. Connie raised an eyebrow and stretched across the table, pulling my bag in her direction.

“Hey, that’s mine.” I tried to snatch it back.

“Too bad. I need to see what we’re going to be working with. Besides, you can tell a lot about a guy from what he packs in his bag.”

“Is that so?”

She removed her glasses, set them down beside her notebook, and pushed her hair back from her face. It was the first time I noticed how blue her eyes were. She wasn’t plastered in make-up, aside from a little mascara and lip-gloss. Less was definitely more in her case.

Connie looked up.

I avoided her intense scrutiny.

“So, you’ve packed . . . comics?”

“I needed something to read if I got bored.”

“Ah, so you can read? That’s something, at least.” The sarcasm rolled off her tongue.

“Are we going to do this? Or will you continue throwing insults at me?”

“Well, it’s going to be a little hard with you over there, but whatever makes you more comfortable.” Connie smiled.

She was clearly busting my balls, and I kind of liked it.

“Right,” she said, sitting up straight and opening a book. “You need to get reading, since you have an essay on Othello, and you need to know a few basics.”

“Basics?”

Connie raised an eyebrow at me and shook her head. “Well, you need to know what the story is about in order to answer the question.”

“Which is?” I smirked.

She sighed and opened up her notebook. Connie read a few lines.

“Analyze Desdemona’s role. To what extent is she a passive victim of Othello’s violence? Describe how her character changes when she is not with Othello.”

Her words went straight over my head. I was too busy staring at her mouth, and the way her lips moved as she spoke. How she took small breaths and paused before speaking again. She was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous geek I’d ever seen.

“Ashley,” she said. “Are you paying attention?”

The sound of her voice broke through my reverie, and I shifted in my seat.

“No idea what you’re talking about, but you can repeat it if you want. I don’t mind.” I winked at her. “Oh, and the name’s Ash.”

Connie’s forehead creased. “If you’re not going to take these study sessions seriously, I can ask Principal Boone to have you reassigned with someone else.”

“Aww, don’t be like that.”

“Seriously, Ash.” My name rolled of her tongue with contempt. “I take my education seriously, and if you don’t, then that’s on you, not me.”

I opened mouth to offer her a smart retort. Raised voices coming from the doorway got my attention. I turned around.

Andrés and his crew entered the library, tossing chairs, flipping paper off the front desk, and throwing books.

“Excuse me,” one of the librarians said.

Andrés pressed a finger to her lips and shushed her. “Just go and be a good coffin dodger, and let me see my boy.” He smirked when he saw me.

“Ash, my man.” He walked over to where I sat and held a hand out to me.

I stood, and we shook hands.

He pulled me into his arms and hugged me. It was his way of making sure I knew who was top dog.

“So this is where they are keeping you.”

I cleared my throat and glanced at Connie, noting the look of irritation on her face.

“Yeah, listen, man, I have to be here. You know the deal,” I said, trying to keep my voice low.

“About that, Ash. Fuck authority.” Andrés stepped back and looked at Connie. “Ditch the stiff and come ride with us. We’ve a job for you.”

Conflict swarmed through me. Sweat spread across the palms of my hands. My neck burned. Embarrassment was a new thing to me. I hated being put on the spot, especially in a setting that was completely alien to me.

Andrés waited for me to move.

For the first time since I’d gotten involved with his gang, I found myself unable to listen to him.

“I have to stay, man,” I replied. “If I don’t, I’m going to wind up inside.”

Andrés grinned and shook his head. “Ash, I don’t think you heard me right.” His face went serious. “That wasn’t an offer. It was a command.”

Silence descended upon us. I didn’t know what to do or say. Aware of the repercussions if I left, a part of me wanted to stay with Connie. It was a fucked-up situation.

Danny soon appeared. “Hey, Andrés,” he said. “I didn’t realize you had come back to school.”

Andrés eyes burned with rage and stepped up to Danny. “I’d fuck you up now, only you might get pissy when I fuck your mom,” Andrés whispered loud enough for Connie and me to hear.

Connie did the unthinkable. She scraped the chair back and walked over to where Andrés stood.

“Listen, you arrogant piece of shit,” she said. “You don’t come into my school, pushing your weight around like you own the joint. Ash is here because he has no choice, and from what I gather, it’s all on you. So why don’t you and your lapdogs move on? Go rob a bank or score some whores down South Side.”

Andrés sniggered before pointing a finger at her face. “Oooooh, I like you. Just know that you’re marked, puta.”

“Andrés, she’s just a girl. Don’t be doing anything stupid,” I said, trying to smooth the whole thing over.

He sneered at me before nodding at his boys to follow him. Andrés turned and walked to the exit, tugging the door open.

Connie stepped out in front of me and shouted, “Nos vemos en el infierno, cabrón!” Her voice echoed throughout the building.

Andrés stared at her and blew her a kiss.

I grabbed her arm and glared at her. “What the fuck did you just say to him?”

She looked up at me, shrugged, and giggled. “Oh, just a little, ‘See you in hell, asshole.’”

That was the moment Connie Fletcher stole my heart.

Danny let out a long breath before opening his door. “Right, you need some sleep, I need more beer, and your couch is mine for the night.

There was no way of getting rid of him. To be honest, I was glad to have his company. He’d keep me from hanging off the edge, and I needed that in my life.

The door to my room opened, and Jake ran in, jumping on my bed. “Daddy, when are you getting up?”

I pulled the covers back, and he climbed in beside me. “Soon,” I replied, kissing the top of his head. “Let me rest my eyes for five minutes.”

“Grandma told me to leave you alone,” he said.

“Hmmm, Grandma is just making sure I’m getting my beauty sleep.” I hugged him. “But I’m never too tired for you.”

“Uncle Danny is snoring,” he remarked, and giggled.

“Yup, Uncle Danny and his big nose would give a pig a run for their money, huh?”

Jake threw his head back and laughed hard. He was the best cure for a hangover.

Still worse for wear, I got up and sat on the edge of my bed.

Jake climbed under the covers, making animal noises as I nursed my sore head. It had been a while since I last felt like this.

“Daddy.” Jake growled.

I looked under the covers and peered at him. “Yup?”

“When I grow up, I wanna be like you,” he said with a huge grin.

Sometimes, the kid choked me up and left me in awe of his sweet, innocent mind.

“And why is that?” I asked.

“Because you’re my hero.”

It took all of my stubborn, manly willpower not to break down in front of him. How could someone so small have such power over me?

He crept out from under the bedding, wrapped his arms around my neck, and planted a kiss on my cheek.

“I think you got me confused with you,” I replied, pulling him over my shoulder and cradling him like a baby.

He stared up at me, his huge blue eyes opened wide, and smiled, “How?”