Claws And Flaws

~Chapter 13

HARLEY

Days went by as I kept on being their slave. They still kept bothering me at class. Asher still gives me suspicious looks and I notice how he sometimes shrugs then looks away.

I never have time for my mum like we use to because I always of lots of homework to do. We don't even talk like we usually do before.

I don't even have more than an hour sleep because I always feel like more time is being wasted when I am suppose to do their homework. In total they give me about ten books, some three and some of them one.

I don't even have time for myself anymore.

"Stop Harley." I immediately stop. Asher doesn't casually call me by my name.

He moves and stands right in front of me.

"Are you okay?" He asks starring into my tired eyes. I slowly nodded. "Is something going on that I need to know about? You have bags under your eyes. You don't seem to have enough sleep again."

I shook my head no. My eyes gets blurry as I am reminded of those students who makes my life a living hell.

"Tell me now, the truth. What is so important that keeps you awake all night?" He asks.

"I..... It's...."

"Hi guys." I heard Klein voice. Coming with the others. I sigh in both relief and defeat. I wish he finds out to come to my rescue and at the same time, I fear what might happen after he finds out.

They stood around us as Asher never took is eyes from me. I quickly look the other side and use my laid down hair to cover the side of my face from any suspicion peaking at him.

"You guys take care. Harley and I are skipping school today." Asher said. My head turned to him in a swift move. I am surprised my neck haven't snapped or hurt. My eyes widen at him. What is he thinking of doing?

"WHAT!" Janine exclaims.

"Why?" Asher asks her, as he raise an eyebrow. "Is something wrong with me taking her?"

"She can't skip school. She is.....our friend and we will miss her." She said the last part giving me a disgusting look. Jax lets out a little cough. I just noticed that Jax and one other person in their so-called high class group don't actually give me their works to do. Who is the other person? "You can't miss school right Harley?" She asked turning to me with a fake smile but not fake glare.

"Yes, of course I can't skip school. I can't." I said as I shook my head turning back to Asher.

"Why do you seem to have a problem with that?" Asher asks Janine. As his tone sounded suspicious.

"I-I what? I don't." Janine said chuckling nervously.

"We are going Harley and that's final."

"W-why are you so angry?" I asked him.

But he just ignores me and grabs my hand walking back were we came from, towards the car.

He puts me in and shut my side of the door as he goes round and entered from his own side.

He then clicks his seatbelt. Before doing mine for him. I stare at him all this while. His change of demeanor was overwhelming.

He faces forward and puts his hands on the steering wheel as he starts the car.

Soon we were out of school.

"Because.." He started. I then noticed he was answering my question from earlier. "...because you are hiding something from me. I can sense it."

"I... I'm not..."

"And whatever you are hiding must be the reason to your sleepless nights." He says as we turn a left into another road.

"It's really nothing serious."

"Yeah right." He scoffs keeping his eyes on the road. As we reach a stop at MacDonald.

"Hello, what would you like to order?" The woman asks.

He asks me what do I want and I told him. He says our orders and we took a round in the car and they gave us what we ordered.

He hands me my own food. "Thanks." I said smiling.

We move out of the venue. Few minutes later we reached a park.

"Come on let's go to the back seat." He says. I nodded in agreement. It would be more comfortable there.

I climbed out the car and open the back seat but Asher being a male just moved to the backseat from inside the car. We sat comfortably as we open our package and started eating. Him starting with his burger while I start with my fries.

We ate in comfortable silence.

"You really don't want to tell me?" Asher suddenly asks, breaking the silence.

I let out a sigh.

"I just want to finish eating and sleep." I said honestly. I feel extremely tired. I really don't have time stressing about how to answer his question.

"Okay." Asher said.

After few more minutes of eating. We were both done.

"Pass me yours, I'll go throw it in the bin outside." He says as he opens the car.

I pass him my own. As I smile at him. "Thanks Darling."

"No problem sweet cake." He grins living me alone in the car as I watch him throwing it to a close by can.

He walks back in. He gestures for me to come closer. "Come here."

I shifted closer to him. "Just lay down and rest your head here." He says tapping on his lap. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, come on." He gestures for me to come closer.

I nodded with a smile as I lay down and rest my head on his lap. I close my eyes with a smile on my face.

He caresses my cheek and laid a soft kiss on my temple.

"Sleep well love." He says. My grin widen.

"Thanks."

"For what?" He asks.

"For the comfort." I said keeping my eyes shut.

"It's my pleasure love." He whispers before landing a kiss on my temple.

I let the darkness take over.

***

I steered awake as I let out a yawn. I open up my eyes to see Asher's face typing furiously on his phone. I was still rest on his lap.

"Good morning." He greets as he face down to look at me.

Morning?

My eyes widen as I quickly got off him. I slept that long?

I looked out the window to see it's still looks like around 1 p.m. in the afternoon. I turned back to Asher and lightly hit his chest as he starts laughing.

"Very funny." I said sarcastically with a bored expression on my face.

"Let's go back to school to see the others." Asher says. 

I felt fear erupt in me at the thought of seeing them again. Back to the disgusted stares. Back to the workloads. Back to the slavery.

"No!" I immediately and unintentionally yelled out from my scary thoughts. Asher looks at me suspiciously. "I'm sorry, I mean no we don't need to. I mean there is no use. You know, school is about to end in an hour." I said.

The car felt with silence as Asher stares at me. I looked down on my laps and decided on being quiet.

ASHER

She holds me tight when they are around. She always stares down around them. When it's time for us to depart to our individual classes, it's like she doesn't want me to go.

I felt for her every morning I see her. She looked tired and stress. That's unlike her.

It must be too much for her.

Come to think of it, Janine never liked her. I noticed from the beginning. Though I might be really wrong.  I continue staring at her, maybe I might get some hint.

HARLEY

He continues searching my eyes. Like he's in some deep thoughts. I let out a sigh before speaking.

"Ash-"

"It's them isn't it?" He asks, cutting me off.. I looked at him blankly. I haven't seen him this serious before.

"Who?" I asked confused.

"It's Klein and Janine."

I kept quiet. The car filled with another silence.

"Be honest with me Harley." I looked up at him. He has a look of seriousness on his face. His jaw was twitching, like he is trying to keep calm. "Harley, f!cking answer me. I'm right, aren't I?" He says gritting his teeth.

"I didn't say you are right." I said hesitant with my voice disappointing me by coming out so low and soft.

He stares at me, like he is trying to contain some anger. He suddenly turns to the car door and opens the door.

"Wait here." He says before shutting the door.

ASHER

As soon as I left the car, I took out my phone and call the only person I could trust. After some few rings, he answers.

"Jax." He says.

"I know, stupid."

"So what's up?"

"Just a quick question and freaking answer me honestly. Okay?"

"Uh, this looks serious."

"Jax." I warned.

"Okay, okay. Fine, if I can."

"Good. Is Klein and Janine in any way bothering Harley?" I asked.

The line went silence and I was impatience right now. I was losing it.

Just when I was about to speak, he answers.

"Why the sudden question?"

"They are." I pushed, not sure myself but he seemed to be hesitating to reply.

"I'm sorry Ash, they aren't the only one, it's the whole group including Gregg and Janine. They give her nonstop homework to do for them everyday. I even heard they treat her like slave in class. I'm so sorry, I-" 

I cut the phone on him. I couldn't take it anymore.

F!CKING HELL!!