-- BUT IT'S NOT MY SCENE [Ashton]

Ashton had never paid too much mind to Valentines Day. Since Ash was such a doting guy, there really was not a difference between how he treated a girl on holidays and how he treated them during regular ol' weekdays. It was weird to think that he had a girlfriend this Valentines. During the last he'd been single and—hah! It occurred to him that he had spent the last Valentines with Lark as well, except then they'd been strangers participating in the Academy's blind dating event. Funny how that worked out. It brought a smile to his face and he chuckled, attracting the attention of a few classmates sitting closest to him. He waved his hand as if to say that it was nothing and stood up when the bell rang, feeling his stomach punching him repeatedly in the gut as punishment for skipping out on breakfast. He'd arranged to meet with Lark in the mess hall anyway and so he supposed that worked out. He managed to slip ahead a lot of the crowd and get into the hall before it was insufferably packed, getting a burger and fries from the buffet bar and grabbing a can of soda as well. When he spotted Lark he waved her over to his table with a broad smile, deciding that he would sit apart from his usual large group of friends and spend time just with her. "Hey hey," he replied, smiling broadly as she sat down and kissed him on the cheek. He returned the gesture without hesitation and shook his head. "Geez, right? History is such a drag." He could not understand how anyone understood it or liked it. It was so boring! "I was in English. Better than Math, at least. Way better than Math." College Algebra, the bane of Ashton's existence. At least it wasn't physics but to a Math-hated that was a small comfort.

He yelped slightly in surprise when she poked him in the side, automatically flinching inward but then relaxing with a goofy grin. "Just. I feel like I could sleep for days." He hadn't gotten much sleep lately because college was a lot harder than he'd ever thought it would be. "Least it's a holiday, though, so no tests or anything." He missed high school when they'd spend holidays watching movies in class instead of doing work. Oh well, he'd take the absence of tests in the mindset that it was better than nothing at all. Ever the optimist. "So glad I can finally eat," he said with longing, sticking two fries into his mouth at once after he spoke. "I ate a bunch of candy in the morning that my brother had for his classmates and I didn't catch breakfast." He looked a little furtive as he admitted this crime, flashing a quick smile. He had seen the candy sitting on the counter and he hadn't been able to help himself. Cameron and his parents had gotten upset with him so guess who had to do the early morning run to the corner store? It had caused him to miss breakfast and be late for his first class, how fun. It was better than being bitched out by his parents and little brother for the rest of the day, though. "I have homework but I really just do not want," he groaned. He didn't like doing homework because he thought that it was boring and pointless and all around blah. Because 'blah' was a great descriptive word for that. "What about you?" Because when you had homework and didn't want to do it, why not talk about not wanting to do it?

Ashton couldn't really decided whether he disliked History or Math more. Probably History. Why? "Well at least Math is useful sometimes. What's the use of knowing a bunch of war names and generals? Not like I remember anything about the actual wars..." He shook his head. They did teach the class about the wars and the basics of what went down but generally there was a lot of stress on remembering names and dates and all that. He stressed so hard to recall that information that he ended up forgetting what actually mattered. "Math is just boring." Multiplication and adding, division and subtracting, he got that. Fractions in a way. Some algebra was useful. Volume? No. Geometry? No. Why should he care about the different kinds of triangles? He could honestly say that he'd never seen a triangle and thought excitedly, Oh my god, it's an obtuse! Pointless and boring. "Mm, sleep," he said with obvious longing. "I mean I don't know if I should... might fuck me up even more later on, but... guhhh." Oh, the temptations of the couch in the dormitories. He did miss having a big room all to himself in the dormitories, though. The perks of being a leader had been pretty awesome. A bigger room, more amenities, privacy. Oh well. Two years had been the maximum term and he was lucky he'd had that. "Isn't breakfast like, the most important meal of the day or something? Or is that dinner?" Yeah he didn't really know. He looked at Lark expectantly, wondering if she would. "Food is food, though. I don't really care when I eat." He sank his teeth into the burger and closed his eyes for a moment. So good. All the best foods tended to be unhealthy.

Oddly enough, Ashton really wasn't much of a sugar whore. He didn't like candy as much as some people did but when he woke up with an urge to have chocolate and there was a tub of chocolate hearts on the kitchen table, he couldn't help himself. "No, Cameron's definitely not too pleased," he agreed. His brother was still quite young and in the spirit of being young he had pitched a fit and Ashton had been chewed out by his parents. It had not been a fun morning. All the same, Ashton's optimism made it easy for him to bounce back from things. "I drove out and replaced it, though, bought him something extra too. That seemed to cheer him up." Ashton was the type that would overcompensate if he thought someone was mad at him. He would try harder than usual to make them happy because he didn't like to see people angry or upset, especially not at him. Ashton laughed at the idea of homework wanting him, then looked mildly disturbed, though it was mostly for the sake of the joke. It was a pretty creepy thought, though. "Sentient homework? Jeez, Lark, you'd think you were trying to give me nightmares!" He got nightmares a lot, actually, but they were mostly stupid things that made no sense rather than night terrors or anything serious. His parents had always attributed it to the fact that he watched too many scary movies. That was probably it, actually. "Oh, god, now I'm going to have a dream that my Math homework is coming onto me. Why must you do this to me, Lark? Why?" He was laughing, though, smiling, completely at ease with their situation and conversation.

He was a procrastinator to the extremes. Ashton always put things off until the last minute and so he totally understood Lark's desire to do just that. "Take me with you," he laughed. "This voyage of procrastination sounds awesome." Seriously, though, he did not want to do homework right now. He was with his girlfriend, too, and she was a bigger distraction than anything else. It was fun to be with Lark. Homework was not fun. When given a choice, guess which he'd rather choose? "Wanna find something else to do? After we eat, that is." He sank his teeth into the burger again, took another couple of friends. His mouth was full enough that he couldn't talk through the food even if he wanted to and so he waited until he swallowed, which was a bit painful thanks to such a large bite, before saying, "Hey, we should totally skip the rest of the day and go to Wal-Mart or something," he said suddenly, lighting up like a kid on Christmas. Or a Christmas tree on Christmas since, y'know, those things were pretty freaking bright. They could ride the bikes around the halls and have nerf gun fights or beat one another with plastic swords or pool noodles. Silly things. I mean, it technically wasn't allowed but as long as they weren't hurting anyone it was okay, right?

He laughed, ducking his head as he did so with a broad grin plastered on his lips. Lark could make him laugh without even trying. A lot of people could, he was easily amused, but it was always nice to know that your girlfriend was one of those people. "Okay, okay, History and Math can tie, then. Would that make you happy?" He poked her cheek as he spoke, smiling. He liked to see her happy. "Ugh, that'll be the day," he groaned in longing. No more Math class, no more school, it would be perfect. Why couldn't it be perfect now? "Just wish it could be now and not like forever away." It was only a couple years and when one considered how long they'd actually lived it didn't seem too long at all but that did not matter to Ashton in the present. All that mattered was that he did not want to do his homework tonight. "It was... kinda worth it?" He shrugged. "I'm not really big on candy even though I do get those random cravings and having my parents yelling about it was not fun." The candy had been good and all but getting into trouble was not quite so fun. He enjoyed spending time with Cameron, he liked seeing his brother happy, but there were still those rare times when he realised his younger sibling got the favouritism. He knew it was only because they saw him as the older, more responsible sibling but it stung to see Cameron getting away with murder while he got chewed out for a lot of things. Ashton was easy-going and accepting, though, so at the end of the day he sucked it up and dealt with it.

The idea of being tortured by Math homework was not one he liked to entertain but then he knew it was not a real possibility so there was at least some comfort there. "D'ahw, my hero," he joked, fluttering his hand over his heart like he couldn't take his affections for Lark any longer. Then he pulled back as if affronted, though it was all an act. "Hey, hey, hero? Are you trying to make me the girl in this relationship? I thought you said I'd look terrible in a dress!" He sniffled and pretended to wipe away a tear. "I thought you cared about me, Lark, but I guess it was all one-sided." He was such a silly guy, really. He hoped that Lark knew him well enough to know that he was kidding but then, Ashton's joking around was always far too obvious. Who grinned like an idiot when they were pretending to cry, anyway? This guy. It totally gave away his act but that was alright with Ashton. He didn't want Lark to believe that he was upset with her. If he thought she was taking him too seriously he'd probably frantically take it back amidst a flurry of apologies. He was an incredibly apologetic person when he thought that he'd done something wrong. "A cliché ending to a movie," he corrected, chuckling. Not that cliché things were all that bad in Ashton's book. He read romance novels, they were practically the masters of the predictable ending. "Can I have some? I don't think I've ever tried that kind before." At least he was more polite about it than some of his friends who thought it was so totally cool to snatch food right out of his hands and have it eaten before he could even begin figuring out what was going on. That was never fair.

At first he thought that Lark was scolding him for wanting to skip and so, ever the people pleaser, he turned red and offered her a sheepish smile. "Or we can, um, not. It's whatever you want, really!" He wanted her to be happy, wanted everyone to be happy, so he was willing to sacrifice things that he would normally do for others. But then she amended her words and he grinned, the excitement back on his features. "A bet, huh? Uh... hm, ten bucks says ten minutes or do you think we can last longer than that?" It honestly depended on how quickly they were spotted and how understanding the people that caught them were. He hoped the cops weren't called but that seemed a silly thing to call the police for. They weren't going to steal anything, they were just planning to have some stupid, teenage fun. The bell rang and he grinned. "C'mon, let's go!" He followed and blended in with the crowd but broke away from it when they neared the doors and slipped out behind a couple other college students who probably had a free period they were going to spend at Tim Hortons. Bless college for giving him some good cover. When they got to Wal-Mart, and it was a very large Wal-Mart, he gave a disarming smile to one of the clerks and then cast his green gaze toward Lark. It twinkled with mischief, the promise that they could get up to something and have a good time. "What should we do first? There're so many things..." He almost didn't know where to begin!

Unfortunately for Ashton, he hadn't thought too much about the practicality of his major. Elemental Studies was not something that could be bragged about in the real world. It was recieved under the guise of a botany degree just as Fires had geology and Waters often studied some sort of marine-related major. Their elemental courses were mixed in with things that were actually useful in the real world but the main focus on element was not something the mortals hiring you in the future could ever know about. It was his mother's main argument but he'd tuned her out in all debates about it thus far. He was doing what he wanted for now, testing the waters of the college experience. "Yeah, it does kind of suck," he agreed. "I mean, if I were paying rent they might be a little bit less...strict, but..." They hadn't started demanding financial compensation for the roof over his head yet. Should he offer? It would mean less money in his own pocket but it would also mean that he'd be able to argue his case if they started treating him like he was eight years old again. "For girls it's heroine," he pointed out. "Like the drug but way more badass and not dangerous to my health." He laughed. Yeah, he might have tried smoking weed once or twice thanks to peer pressure but thankfully Ashton had not yet been stupid or gullible enough to dabble deeper in that world. It was a whole new can of worms that he was not very keen on opening. He'd stick to his addiction-free life, thank you very much.

It was fun to joke around with Lark, nice to see that she was always happy and smiling around him. It helped to remind Ashton that his past relationships were in the past and that it was still possible for him to be with a girl and not feel like shit about it all of the time. It made him happy. "Well then it's your fault if you're the one who's not expressing things," he accused. lifting his chin as if he were affronted at the idea of her upset. How dare she try and guilt him into feeling sorry for her! Sometimes he wished that he could stop smiling on command, it would help to make his jokes so much more believable. Ashton was too silly for his own good. "When did I say cliché was bad?" He raised his eyebrows at her in challenge, smiling. He had never said such a thing. "I read romance, Lark, I know all about cliché." Had she forgotten about his not so secret love of steamy romance novels? Well, now it would all be at the forefront of her mind again no doubt. Must be quite awkward to think of your boyfriend reading things that were often favoured by lonely, middle-aged housewives. Well, that was the stereotype for romance novel readers anyway. Clearly the fact that he enjoyed them meant that there were others in the fanbase. Ashton grinned. "Nah, I got my cootie shot in like, third grade. I come prepared!" He'd been just as silly back in third grade except he'd been smaller and probably a lot more hyperactive. Not much else about him had changed.

He grinned. He couldn't say he found anything wrong with being called cute. Maybe some guys might get offended by such a term but not Ash. Lark bet that they'd last twice as long as he thought and he nodded. "Deal. May the best better win!" Best better. It was a bit like a tongue twister and he refrained from repeating it a few times over. He grinned back and followed her without question through the store, down the aisles, skirting the unsuspecting staff. It felt good to be bad. He might have been a good guy, a relatively good kid, but that did not mean he didn't enjoy these sorts of antics as much as your average teenager. There was something satisfying about breaking the rules in an innocent way. He didn't like stealing or vandalism but Wal-Mart expeditions were harmless. He wondered where the hell Lark had got off to with her gun when she popped out from behind a shelf and shot him, causing Ashton to yelp in surprise. He laughed, then exclaimed, "Hey! I'll get you back for that!" He grabbed and loaded a Nerf gun of his own, also picking up a Frisbee to use as a shield. He would have preferred something larger like a garbage bin lid but they were not close enough to that section of the store for him to successfully nab one. He chased after Lark and shot a dart in the general direction of her shoulder, grinning wide. He ducked behind a shelf for cover when a staff member rounded the corner, feeling a lot like James Bond as he peeked out from behind his hiding spot to check if the coast was clear. Man, this was great. Why didn't they do this every day?

Since he'd never really tried much to reason with his parents, Ashton could not be entirely sure of how they would react. Lark seemed a bit doubtful but that did not phase him too much, being the optimist that he was. He'd be an awfully pathetic one if every little comment made him doubt himself, now wouldn't he? "Sounds like something my Mom would say," he concluded fairly, lips twitching. Analynn was definitely the strict one of the pair, the disciplinarian. "Dad might give me a fair shot, though." It was Dustin who'd allowed him to take the loft in the barn as his room rather than having to stay in one of the smaller upstairs room. It was also his father who encouraged him to do what he wanted with his life, who supported the use of his powers, who let him do a lot of things that his mother would frown upon. Ashton decided that he would go to his father if he did decide to try his hand at negotiation. "Then I'll stop paying rent and find a place of my own if I have to, I guess," he decided, shrugging. Moving out was not his immediate wish since he wanted to take it easy on his wallet but he was also getting sick of being ordered around by his parents. "I mean I can understand some rules but I'm not five any more, y'know?" He didn't need curfews or stupid guidelines. He did understand the reason they'd gotten mad about him eating his brother's candy, though, and so he didn't have much else to say on that matter. He should have asked about it before he decided it was fair game. Still, he'd apologised and replaced the candy so that storm had blown over.

Though he knew they were joking, he had to reflect on the fact that Lark was anything but bad for him. It was nice to finally have a solid way of moving on from his ex. It had been a long time since Asha but it had also been a long time since he'd gotten himself a girlfriend. Now he had a girlfriend who he could dote on and completely forget about the one that he'd left behind. "Careful, Lark. I have a lot of people who care about me. They might stage an intervention." He liked that show but it could get sad sometimes to see people ruining their lives and those of their family. He liked to watch it for the success stories because it meant that not everyone was beyond help. He was cheesy, he knew that, but it wasn't like he'd ever tried to deny it. Ashton grinned and ducked his head when she kissed him, looking content and amused. He shoved her playfully but leaned over and kissed her nose in response. They probably looked awful silly to anyone else sitting around them but he had never cared much what people thought about him. He was comfortable in his own skin. "I'm direct about everything," he pointed out, being serious for once. "If I really thought it was all that bad, you'd probably be able to tell." If he didn't say it aloud he'd probably make it obvious by pulling a face or something like that. Ashton had never been all that great at hiding his thoughts and feelings. Not that he'd want to. He had nothing to hide. He chuckled when she commented on his love of romance novels, not realising at all how awkward and inadequate it made her feel. Ash was oblivious to a lot of things and it was not always for the better.

He was always nervous getting the flu shot because his mother reacted badly to it one year and it made her sick but Ashton was also afraid of getting sick and so he sucked it up and dealt with it every year. He had friends who never got their shot and never came down with the flu, either, but he wasn't taking any chances. His luck was not exactly the kindest thing in the world. "At least we can suffer together," he said dramatically, leaning on her and placing the back of his hand against his brow as if he were about to faint. Silly, silly. Running around in Wal-Mart probably wasn't the most responsible activity they could have chosen but who said they had to be responsible? "Oh, no!" he cried dramatically when she pretended to be hit. "I'll tell myself that you love me!" He laughed and then darted down another aisle so that she wasn't able to hit him immediately after she got up. She claimed the ten dollars as hers and he didn't seem all that bothered. "After we get out I'll give you it." They could exchange right here and now but that would require getting too close for comfort and he didn't trust her not to 'kill' him if he strayed that near. "You'll never take me alive!" he cackled, shooting another two darts in a haphazard manner while running. She could probably dodge at least one, if not both, considering aim was not his main concern right now. Getting away was.

He definitely wanted a sense of independence at some point in the future. Ashton didn't want to live his life constantly relying on his parents and being that guy who still kipped in his mother's basement when he was thirty years old. He might have been shameless for the time being in admitting he hadn't flown the nest but that would all change if he got older and older and people started to notice. He didn't want to be the last in his circle of friends to move into his own apartment. Plus, the freedom would be a really nice bonus. He opened his mouth to ask her about her own plans concerning a place to live and then closed it with an apologetic chuckle when he realised she was already speaking. And answering his question. Great minds, he thought, and his lips tugged into a smile of amusement. "That sounds like a good idea!" he encouraged. "Does your job have good enough income for rent and food and all that stuff?" He might normally have just assumed that all was well but in considering getting his own place Ashton had realised how difficult living on your own really could be. You were suddenly responsible for furniture, bills, transportation, food, clothes, food for any pets if you had them... it was a big deal. "You totally need to invite me over if you get your own place, though!" he said. "We could do the whole house-warming party thing." Because parties were awesome.

He shuddered at the idea of leeches. They'd always freaked him out and he remembered being afraid to swim anywhere they were known to be found. "Ew, leeches," he said, making a face. "When I was a kid I used to think that once they stuck themselves to you they never came off and just... no. Just no." It was such a disturbing thought. They were the vampires of the Earth, black and slimy and gross. Koalas were really adorable though and his expression cleared at the thought of them. "They look like they'd make great huggers," he joked, which was true. Koalas spent all their time clinging to trees, it seemed, so they'd be even better than bears at hugging. "Why do they call it a bear hug, anyway?" His train of thought knew no bounds. Hopefully Lark would be able to roll with it easily enough. "I mean bears don't seem like they'd be that great at hugging. More like a bear maul." He laughed at his own joke. Hey, it was funny! Not so much the dying-from-bear-mauling, just the thought.

As always when he found something in common with someone, a broad grin spread across his face. He nodded but did not say anything more on the subject, content to let that stand as it did. It was good to have things in common with your girlfriend, right? He certainly thought so! Even if it was just the fact that they were honest people.

He did not think much of throwing the word love around like it was as simple as any other word in the English language. It was not like Ashton to analyse what he was saying or filter himself for fear of saying the wrong thing and so he did not notice. "I thought you said it was hard to get rid of you," he whined. "Don't go making me feel guilty, Lark! You started this war!" He jabbed a finger at her accusingly. What would anyone else listening to this conversation think? Probably that they were a bunch of crazy teenagers. Which they were, to be fair. His eyes briefly widened when she said that she would allow him to keep the money. "No, no!" Ashton insisted, shaking his head rapidly. "It's fine, really! We made a bet and all." He had no problem holding up on his end of the bargain, especially since he trusted that she would have done the same if she were in his position. His trust in other people was remarkable and sometimes it made him seem naive but it also meant that he didn't spend a lot of time doubting his friends. That was a good thing.

Laughing and breathless, he did not think too much on the consequences of their actions until the irritated clerk approached them. He avoided her gaze and looked sheepish, never dealing well with getting into trouble even though he'd come here knowing that it was going to happen. It was like when he'd broken into the vineyard with Asha simply because she'd said that it would be fun. He knew it was wrong, he'd known there was a chance of being caught, but the idea of fun had completely obliterated the thought of consequences in his mind. "Sorry," he mumbled guiltily as he passed one of the clerks, force of habit. He put the gun back and exhaled, his heart hammering from the exhilaration but his thoughts starting to slow down as the chase was forcibly given up and things relaxed. "That was so fun, though," he enthused when they were out of earshot from the people who would get them into trouble. "Are we going back to school or do you want to grab something to eat?" He decided that he could go for some fries at Burger King and a long drink.

He had not yet achieved a raise in his own job, mostly because he was too nervous to ask Andy if that would be something he'd consider. He didn't like to ask things of other people or sound selfish or demanding and so the Earth elemental tended to take what he could get without argument. Maybe he would say something, though, and be up-front about it rather than slipping hints. It might be nice to have the extra cash lining his wallet so that he, too, could consider getting a place of his own. "Oh, sure!" he said brightly. He would accompany Lark anywhere she wanted him to go and he'd gone apartment-hunting with friends before. It was pretty fun to see all of the different places and weigh the pros and cons of each. He liked adventure. "Some of the downtown places are actually pretty decent!" There were those that were dirty and unkempt but if you were not pressed for time and could actually take the time to visit a lot of them, there were diamonds in the rough. It was a dangerous area at times, the downtown was, but that thought didn't cross his mind. Naivety at its finest.

Since Ashton was not entirely accustomed to her serious-faced style of joking, he was actually convinced momentarily that the concern on her face was evident. He suffered a bit of a mini panic attack as he wondered what was wrong with it, what it was that he had done. He was a people-pleaser, especially if he was dating someone, and he did not like to consider the fact that he caused any kind of a problem for that person. "Um, how?" he wondered, concerned about this. Was he going to have to pass some kind of a test? Then she smiled and nudged him and it was after a few seconds of looking baffled by this sudden change that he realised she'd been pulling his leg. "Heeey," he whined, but he was grinning and it was clear that he wasn't upset with her for tricking him. It took quite a bit to upset the boy. "I know loads of people," he agreed, bobbing his head. "Who are you going to invite? Would I know them?" He knew they had some mutual friends and all but he wasn't positive about every single friend they had in common. Not that he minded! Ashton adored meeting new people, a social butterfly.

He imagined a nightmare in which a giant leech attached itself to the side of his face and then immediately wished that he hadn't. A shudder passed through the Earth elemental and he shook his head. "So gross." He definitely wasn't going swimming again for a while unless he could be told with complete assurance that there were no creepy leeches hanging about. He gave a goofy grin when Lark pointed out how utterly random he was being. "I know," he chirped, clearly not bothered by the idea. "Oh, geez, death grip. That is not what I call a hug." Of this the Earth was quite adamant. Hugs were nice things and being suffocated to death by a freaking bear was not a very nice thing.

He did not mind the idea of taking Lark out to dinner at all and so he nodded. Ten bucks probably wouldn't be enough for that but he didn't mind that, either. He had quite a bit of money from his paycheck that went to friends and hanging out with said friends because he didn't have any particularly expensive hobbies of his own. Well, there was snowboarding and he was saving up for a new board but he was doing so slowly considering he had the rest of the year until the next winter. There was still some snow around but he preferred the height of the season to be safe. "It's a date!" He meant it both generally and literally. He was agreeing to take her out to dinner whilst also mentioning the fact that they were a couple probably meant that this was going to have some romantic connotations. That was fine by him! Their first date, hm? That would be something to see. They'd been 'dating' for a while but they'd never actually gone out to eat together. "Where d'you want to go?" he asked, since he was not picky at all.

When they were talking about finding something to eat he remembered their discussion about dates in the Wal-Mart and he said, "Well, do you still want me to hold up on my end of the bargain?" He figured she would and he was grinning, clearly in high spirits. "Cause we could do that now if you wanna." His mind had been on Burger King but on second though a nicer place might be a good idea if he was taking her out to dinner or something like that. He wasn't sure what sorts of things she liked in that respect. They might have been a couple but they still had a lot to learn about one another. That was alright. He liked getting to know people, it was fun! He hadn't known much at all about Asha before she'd walked out on him. There was still a prickle of bitterness but thinking of his ex was no longer painful. He had moved on, he was happy.