Chapter Text
Summer was walking out of school with Emily, who was on her phone while Summer began ranting about her relationship with Robert as she blabbered "I'm glad that idiot dumped me, I never liked him in the beginning! I only dated him for the money, gifts, and for the popularity. I can't believe that he was so selfish to understand my thoughts and feelings for him, now that we're broken up... I can use Troy as well." Emily laughed along with Summer as she added "I know right, I can't believe you had one boyfriend who likes to watch you dig gold out of the dirt, I need to get myself one soon to squeeze out of."
"Yeah, you should actually," Summer said "You need some patience, just be yourself and don't be like Robert, who likes to go after girls for their appearances." Emily nodded as the two started walking inside the mall, Emily pulled out her daddy's credit card and said "I managed to steal my dad's credit card for our shopping and I kept quiet to my mom that I would return it back." Summer giggled a bit and the two went inside the jewelry store to look around for some jewelry, that's when Emily noticed someone that looked so familiar from the distance, she immediately recognized who it was.
Emily walked over to Summer and whispered in her ear "Girl, Ash is here." Summer looked at Emily, who pointed at Ash, who was hanging out with Mya as she said while pointing at one of the cheapest rings in the store "I'm looking for the cheapest ring in the store for our first day." Ash looked surprised to see himself inside a jewelry store and he asked "Don't you need a ring for your mother or for our first date?" Mya looked back at Ash and responded "I just want to buy something to remember our first date together."
"That makes sense," Ash said "We can just remember by memory, even if we don't clearly remember it." Mya giggled, Emily decided to go to them and said "Hello losers." Ash and Mya looked behind to see Emily, who had her arms crossed and she added "Why are the cheapest chipmunks like you two are doing here in a jewelry store?" Ash seemed bothered by her words and responded "Says the one who makes fun of men for popularity."
Ash seemed annoyed by Emily's mocking tone, crossing his arms as he retorted, "What do you want, Emily?"
Emily snickered, enjoying getting under Ash's skin, "Oh, I just couldn't resist seeing you two lovebirds in a place like this." She gestured around them, "Looking for the cheapest ring, huh? Seems like you're going all out."
"Excuse me?" Mya asked, her eye twitching with frustration and said "We don't need your pity! Go away!"
Emily chuckled, clearly amused by Mya's reaction. "Oh, touchy much? I was just making an observation. After all, your relationship seems so... 'affordable'." She smirked, tossing her hair back.
Mya and Ash rolled their eyes, the two began walking away from the two brats, not thinking about Ash being held back by her words, it was something that he couldn't control. He made his way out with Mya, forgetting about getting the cheapest ring before Summer shouted at them "GO GET SOME FOOD FOR YOUR PARENTS INSTEAD ASH!" Ash seemed offended as he suddenly remembered that his parents abandoned him and he lived with his abusive uncle, now that he lives with his aunt because of his uncle's terrible parenting skills.
Ash paused in his tracks, the barb hitting a sore spot. He turned slowly, the mention of parents stirring up old wounds. His expression hardened, his usual calm demeanor replaced by a flicker of pain and defensiveness.
"You don't know anything about my life, Summer," Ash retorted, his voice sharpening. "My parents...they're not a part of my life anymore. They didn't care enough to stay. So don't talk about them like you understand a damn thing."
Summer began laughing at Ash, not giving a damn about his feelings, all she wanted to do is bother in a lot and make him irritated, she said to him "I HEARD FROM ROBERT THAT YOUR PARENTS ABANDONED YOU, YOU WENT TO STAY WITH YOUR UNCLE, YOU GOT EXPELLED LAST YEAR FROM YOUR OLD SCHOOL AND RUMOR HAS IT THAT YOU NOW LIVE WITH YOUR AUNT!" Ash had enough.
Ash's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white. The vein in his neck throbbed as Summer's words cut deep, reopening old wounds. His gaze hardened, and he stalked towards her, his steps heavy.
"You've always loved stirring the pot, haven't you, Summer?" Ash's voice was low and cold. "Digging up my past, twisting the truth? Why are you so obsessed with ripping me apart?"
Summer rolled her eyes, not giving a damn about his feelings and said "Aww, are you going to cry to your Aunt about me beating your ass? LoL! I don't care at all you useless brat! All you ever do is act like a selfish brat!"
Ash's jaw clenched, his breathing heavy. The mention of his aunt stung, but he refused to let Summer see how much her words affected him. He took another step further, his eyes narrowing.
"Is that all you've got? Old, recycled insults? Do you get some kind of sick satisfaction from trying to tear me down?"
Ash's usual collectedness began to crumble, his emotions simmering dangerously close to the surface.
Summer chuckled, clearly enjoying poking at Ash's fragility. "What's the matter, Ash? Can't handle a little criticism? You were always so sensitive, taking everything personally."
Emily watched the scene unfold, silently enjoying the drama unfolding before her.
Ash couldn't take it anymore, he just said "If you want a knuckle sandwich, I'll give you one." Ash walked towards Summer and grabbed her shirt, holding her up into the air.
Summer's laughter died in her throat as Ash grabbed her shirt, her eyes widening in surprise. She didn't expect his reaction, her arrogant facade slipping for a moment.
"Let go of me, you jerk!" she protested, squirming in his grip.
Emily gasped, watching from the sidelines, her phone in hand, recording the scene unfolding.
Ash's grip tightened, his expression dark and determined. He pulled her closer, getting in her face.
"You've been running your mouth nonstop, thinking you can say whatever you want. Well, maybe it's time you learned a lesson."
Ash's eyes flicked over to Emily. "And you, put the damn phone away."
Emily complied, turning it off and putting it inside her purse, she stepped back with horror while she noticed Mya smiling at the scene. Emily got jealous.
Mya smirked, watching Summer get a taste of her own medicine. She couldn't deny that a part of her enjoyed seeing Summer humbled like this. Emily, on the other hand, looked a bit peeved at Mya's reaction. She didn't like being ignored.
Summer continued to struggle against Ash's grip, her bravado fading. She looked genuinely scared now.
Summer was trying to escape but Ash's grip was so tight that it was impossible to be let go, she begged "Let me go!"
Ash's expression was still cold, refusing to comply with her plea. "Why should I? You've been enjoying making me feel small and worthless. Now you're on the receiving end, how does it feel?"
Emily couldn't help but snicker, enjoying the sight of Summer's power dynamic completely reversed. Mya couldn't hold back a smirk either.
Suddenly, Ash dropped her onto the ground and Summer was hurt by the force, Ash walked away from the brat and took Mya away from her. Emily was left there, not knowing what to do and held Summer up.
Summer winced as she hit the ground, the fall stinging her ego as much as her body. She sat there, dazed and embarrassed, as Emily helped her up.
"Man, you got destroyed," Emily muttered, a mix of amusem*nt and disappointment in her voice.
Summer grumbled under her breath, rubbing her backside. "Shut up."
Mya and Ash continued walking away, Ash's expression still intense, but noticeably calmer now that they were out of that situation. He glanced over at Mya, his eyes softening slightly.
"Sorry you had to see all of that," he said quietly. "Summer can be a real piece of work."
Mya shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips. "Don't apologize. She was the one being a jerk. I'm glad you stood up for yourself."
Ash chuckled faintly, the tension from the confrontation still hanging in the air. "Yeah, I guess I had enough of her constant barrage. It felt good to finally shut her down."
Mya nodded, understanding Ash's frustration. "She's always had it out for you, ever since that time last year..."
Ash grimaced faintly at the memory, his expression darkening for a moment. He didn't enjoy remembering that messy incident.
Mya immediately noticed his expression and changed the subject. "Anyway, forget her. Let's focus on what we came here to do. Are you still interested in getting that ring?"
Ash smiled faintly, grateful for Mya's ability to cheer him up. "Yeah, I am. Let's go and find something that's a little more on my budget."
The two of them continued browsing through the jewelry store, the memory of the earlier confrontation slowly fading. Mya pointed out a few options that fit the criteria, each one reasonably priced and presentable.
Ash chuckled softly as he tried one of the rings on his finger. "It's funny. I never pictured myself as the jewelry-giving type."
Mya chuckled along with him, watching him try on the different rings. "I guess there's a first time for everything. Who knows, maybe it'll become a regular thing for you."
Ash's expression softened as he looked at Mya, a small glimmer of hopefulness in his eyes. Despite the earlier encounter, being with her was making him forget all about it.
After some more browsing and trying on a few rings, Ash finally settled on a stainless-steel ring with an engraved pattern. It wasn't the most extravagant ring in the store, but it had a simple charm that he liked.
"This one," he said, holding it up for Mya to see. "What do you think?"
"That can help, I like re-useable stuff like Goodwill and etc." Ash said, smiling at Mya.
Mya smiled back at Ash, admiring his thoughtful choice. "It's perfect. Reusable and practical, just like you."
Ash chuckled, a hint of pride showing in his eyes. "Glad you think so. I couldn't justify spending a fortune on something like a ring."
Mya chuckled, amused by his practicality. "Yeah, you have a tendency to be a bit... frugal."
Ash feigned a mock-offended look. "Hey, I prefer to call it 'resourceful.' It's a virtue in this economy."
