Ashe slammed her locker shut, glad to be done with another day at school. One day closer to being free from the prison that was Halsey High. Then again, with the way her life was going, she might actually end up in prison, especially if anyone learned she killed a man. It was almost funny how insignificant her school worries had grown over the last few weeks.
Gray had been glaring at her from the moment she walked inside, likely pissed over his interrogations. It wasn’t a surprise that he didn’t give them anything to go on, his family was well enough connected to get him a good lawyer and argued to secure his release despite the holding period. That was a fun conversation when Mother got the call.
Ashe knew they were frustrated, every lead kept getting slammed in their face and it was becoming increasingly obvious that there was pressure being applied from higher up to see things swept under the rug. Given how widespread the Iron Patriots were, she wouldn’t be surprised if the Mayor, or even the Governor, were putting pressure on the Chief of Police to hide things, and that was being generous and assuming he wasn’t involved as well.
Neither of her parents talked about it, but she could tell something was off, and she wasn’t about to ask. Besides, she was going with Crystal tonight to trail the transport of victims and see what they learned from it. She only hoped the lead wasn’t a dead end.
Turning to leave, she was once again confronted with her ghost for the day, Gray and his little entourage were all lined up nearby, glaring at her. She smirked, glad they were finally getting over their pussyfooting and finally confronting her. Ashe adjusted her backpack and walked right up to Gray, looking him dead in the eyes.
“Is there a problem?” she asked.
His face remained grim, but she could see the surprise and confusion in his eyes. He hadn’t expected confidence, or a confrontation being initiated like she had done. That gave her the leg up on setting the stage. She could see the gears turning as he tried to regain his footing, or remember the lines he spent the day rehearsing to himself.
No point letting him use them.
“Well, come on then,” Ashe said, turning to leave. Her heart was already picking up its pace as she began to walk. “Whatever this farce is, I don’t feel like getting detention or expelled over it, so let’s take it off school grounds.”
Ashe didn’t wait up to see if they were following, but she did make a point of heading towards the exit she always used to meet up with Crystal. She hadn’t been late once since they started hanging out regularly, and Ashe was counting on that. Just because she was confident didn’t mean she was going to be stupid about things.
She could hear frantic whispers behind her, an argument of some kind, not that she needed to hear things to know it was about how he wasn’t standing up to the big bad trans girl. If it wasn’t for the fact that she was almost certain that she was escalating things into a fight, she would probably be more amused by all of it.
Tension was mounting in her shoulders, her body building anticipation for the coming brawl. Stepping outside, she caught sight of Crystal almost immediately. She could simply run up to her, even the odds a bit, but then they would wait until she was alone to confront her again. Worse, Crystal would get in trouble for attacking underage students regardless of circumstances. No, she needed to handle them herself and make sure they knew how stupid it would be to come after her again.
Besides, she had killed someone just days prior. What did a bunch of highschool punks have on her after that? Crystal looked up from her phone and frowned when she saw how she was being led away from the school. That would guarantee backup at least if she needed it.
There wasn’t much in the area surrounding the school, but there was an alley between two shops where the students liked to slip off to smoke where they wouldn’t be caught. Ashe tried to keep her panic down as she entered, memories of that initial attack bubbling up as she was followed deeper in.
Once she was confident they were out of sight of casual observation, Ashe turned and crossed her arms loosely. She kept from interlocking them, ready to act if necessary. Four others had followed Gray, which meant one chickened out, or was acting as a lookout. He wasn’t a concern, only those in front of her mattered at the moment.
“I must admit,” Gray said, stepping forward. “I didn’t expect you to walk yourself into this.”
“Planned to threaten me into coming willingly?” Ashe asked with a teasing lilt, even as her heart hammered in her chest. “Sorry to say, but after the shit I’ve dealt with in recent weeks, you don’t even rate.”
A few of his flunkies bristled at that, but her focus was on the quarterback in front of her. He glared for a moment before laughing. “Intimidation won’t work, freak.”
“Bet he hoped he would get trained by all of us,” one of the flunkies said. “As if we would give you the pleasure.”
Ashe rolled her eyes, mostly to hide her revulsion. “Please, you’ve seen my girlfriend. Why would I even dream of settling for the likes of you?”
A technical lie, since they weren’t dating yet, but she was certain Crystal would forgive her for this one. That it pissed them all off was just a bonus. Gray especially took it as intended, stepping forward until he was standing over her, glaring down.
“Maybe we should have our fun with her instead,” he said, a leering smile breaking out across his face. “Who knows, being fucked by real men might just straighten her out.”
Ashe saw red, her hand snapping out on impulse. Next thing she knew, Gray was on the ground, out cold. She blinked, realizing she’d just rolled right into her Krav Maga training. If she’d had a knife, there was a good chance she would have killed him on reflex before she truly understood what was happening.
The other flunkies were in motion, and Ashe would have to dwell on that later. She fell into the well drilled stance her instructors favored and let her instincts guide her. A wide arcing fist was caught on the inside, balance was disrupted and she took him down at the same time as she avoided another strike.
Ashe flowed from that into another take down, catching a leg, then driving the man backwards and into the ground. She spun with the momentum, turning to face the remaining two that were mobile, already back on her feet. The two remainder looked at the guys on the ground before looking back at her.
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She grinned.
One stepped forward while the other took a step back. Ashe took the offered initiative, closing the distance and struck. Her blow was parried, but she turned that into a joint lock, snapping something audibly in the exchange before he managed to push her away. She didn’t let him disengage, and ducked low, using her left arm to sweep a leg and drive him to the concrete.
Her head was on a swivel, four men were down, the fifth had turned tail and run, only to get clotheslined. Crystal was on him the moment he hit the ground, striking the downed man once before pulling back.
“You okay?” Crystal called across the alley.
Ashe was panting, but she felt alive, free. Gray groaned and she kicked him in the ribs, steel toe boots meant she did some damage, not that she really cared. She’d entered a fight five on one and was walking away with some bruises at worst. Sure, they were kids, not hardened gangers, but it was definitive proof that her training was paying off.
“Yeah,” she said, a bit breathless before chuckling a bit maniacally, not that she cared. “Fuck I needed that.”
“You look like you just had the best fuck of your life,” Crystal admitted, eyeing her up and down. “It’s not a bad look on you.”
“Careful, I might take that as an invitation,” Ashe said, running with it. She knew the adrenaline crash was coming, but she didn’t care at the moment. “Wonder how long until word gets around that I took five guys in smoker’s alley?”
“Four,” Crystal corrected, shaking her head with a big grin. “One ran right into my tender affections, remember?”
Ashe snorted. “What about the other guy? Was he acting as their lookout?”
“Sure was,” she said, throwing her arm around Ashe’s shoulders. “Come on, I think you deserve some ice cream after a show like that.”
“I won’t say no,” Ashe said, leaning into the embrace. Crystal might be insistent on waiting, but knowing that she was going to wait, well, Ashe was determined to be just a bit closer to her friend. Thinking about it, there was one thing she could do that would be an excellent slap in the face to the school. “So, did you know my school has an interesting rule about prom?”
Crystal raised an eyebrow, glancing at her as they walked.
“What sort of rule?” she asked cautiously.
“A girl can only attend with a guy. The school forbids same sex attendance as well as enforces a dress code.”
“That’s stupid but it checks,” Crystal said. “So what, you have to wear a suit?”
“I would,” she said. “I would also be allowed to bring a girl, if she were interested.”
They had just stepped back onto the street across from the school when Crystal paused, breaking away as she looked at Ashe with a complicated expression. Ashe had to resist fidgeting under the scrutinizing gaze.
“Ashe,” Crystal said slowly, “are you asking me to prom?”
Rubbing the back of her head, Ashe looked away. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind going with you. Plus, it would be a fun way to rub it in the school’s face that they can’t do anything about it. You’d need to wear a dress, but I think I could get away with a feminine cut suit…”
Ashe trailed off, holding her bad hand and rubbing it as she bit her lip. She’d been less nervous facing down five guys looking for a fight, and why had she just brought it up so suddenly? Ashe didn’t know what she was thinking and simply blamed it on her adrenaline high. When no answer was forthcoming, she risked a glance back at Crystal only to stumble over her thoughts.
She moved forward without thinking, the tears trailing down Crystal’s face all she needed to see to know that her friend needed a hug. The silent tears turned to choked sobs as Ashe held her. She didn’t think she’d done anything wrong, yet her anxiety was only swelling. She wouldn’t let herself panic, she wouldn’t break down over this while Crystal needed a shoulder to cry on.
The one thing that was worrying her, they hadn’t made it far from the almost literal pile of groaning bodies they left behind in the alley and she really didn’t feel like being questioned over that. Rubbing gentle circles across Crystal’s back had helped, but they really needed to move somewhere else.
Carefully, Ashe disentangled herself and carefully regarded Crystal’s face. Her makeup, light as it was, had run and smeared. Ashe gently reached up and wiped a few tears away with her thumb.
“Hey, let’s get that ice cream,” Ashe said softly. “We can talk about whatever caused this once we have it and can get somewhere a bit more private.”
Crystal nodded, a hiccup escaping as she did. Ashe couldn’t help but giggle, a bit manic, and pulled her into another side along hug as she started walking towards Crystal’s bike. They mounted up without a word and rode the few blocks to a small mom and pop ice cream parlor that used the same soft serve equipment from the fifties.
A root beer float was Crystal’s choice and Ashe picked out a banana split. They ended up seated in the corner booth, and ate their frozen deserts in silence for a time. Ashe was content to let Crystal work through whatever thoughts were troubling her, even if her own anxiety was proving to be quite annoying.
When the waitress came by to check on them, Ashe added an order of fries to be shared and continued to maintain a vigil over Crystal’s sullen mood. She was expecting to be turned down, that Ashe was still too young even if Prom wasn’t until May and that much closer to her birthday.
June couldn’t arrive soon enough.
“Sorry about that,” Crystal said, stirring her straw through the last dregs of her float.
Ashe paused, fry half eaten in hand, then quickly finished it. “About what?”
She’d tried to sound casual about it, but couldn’t help how it sounded almost desperate to her ears. Ashe knew she had overstepped, but there would be no taking it back or playing it off as a joke, she refused to do that. If Crystal shot her down, she would be crushed, but she would do her best to take it in stride.
“I just,” Crystal sighed, and when she looked up, her eyes were red and puffy, but filled with determination. It made Ashe’s heart skip a beat. “I never got to go to prom, you know this. I didn’t expect you to ask me, especially with how I’ve been pushing you away despite knowing you like me and liking you back.”
Ashe swallowed heavily, her throat suddenly dry. She was expecting a rejection, but this almost sounded like she was going to say yes, which couldn’t be what was happening. She vaguely remembered Crystal admitting to liking her, but it had felt hazy, as though it had been a dream. It probably happened over the weekend when she was drugged and couldn’t remember things clearly.
“Ashe, are you sure you want to ask me?” Crystal said. “I’m not a good person. I’m a bit of a mess and my father is likely to have you killed if you take me.”
That excuse, she at least had an answer for. “Crystal. I’ve already got a target on me, and just painted a bigger one by kicking the shit out of Gray. His father is the mother fucking Mayor of Jericho.” It really seemed like Ashe just couldn’t do small when it came to enemies. “The point is, taking you to prom won’t do shit to my reputation. People already know you come pick me up after school, it really isn’t confirming things for them. The only risk is to you, really.”
“Because of my father,” Crystal said solemnly, her head dropping. Ashe wasn’t sure what thoughts were racing through Crystal’s mind, but she was content to let her work through them at her own pace. “You know how dangerous he is,” Crystal whispered after a moment. “He’s not above having someone executed in the streets. He’s done it before.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Ashe said firmly, her resolve settled. “You’re worth it.”
For the first time since they sat down, Crystal smiled, and it was a thing of radiant beauty. “Flattery will get you everything, Ashe. Yes, I’ll go to prom with you.”
If Ashe could have jumped over the table and hugged her, she would have.