9. SELF-DESTRUCTION

Enemies and frenemies were two very close but very far things in the hands of Jayce and Ashton. They weren't friends, they hated each other, and did everything in their will to destroy one another, but in the sort of way enemies hate each other, they both completely hated Kimberly Walker.

Jayce scowled at the sight of Kimberly, knowing damn well what she did in the past and in the present.

"Let go," Kimberly jerked her son's hand away.

Ashton sighed, "I'm not taking the brown envelope. Having detention at a time where the president is her," he looked at Jayce from the corner of his eye, "Is the same thing as 2 hours of being in hell's prison,"

Kimberly looked at Jayce, wanting to get mad, wanting to shout and scream, "If you don't get perfect scores in your worksheets and quizzes this month, I will be signing you up for extra tuition and private tutors that you won't rest until you've learned your lesson,"

"Been there, done that," Ashton shrugged, "Okay,"

Kimberly knitted her brows and was about to walk away when Jayce grabbed her forearm with an expressionless face. Ashton winced.

"What more could you possibly want?" Kimberly asked.

Jayce turned around and grabbed the brown envelope harshly from her hand, "I'll take this, thank you very much,"

Kimberly furrowed her brows, "You can't receive extra help,"

"Who says I'm using this for help?" Jayce asked with a curious face.

Kimberly clenched her jaw.

"You have a lighter?" she asked Ashton.

He curled his lip and reached down his pocket, giving a lighter to her.

"Let's just hope that you don't use this to smoke," Jayce said.

"And if I do?" Ashton raised a brow.

Jayce ignored his question and lit the lighter. She started burning the edge of the brown envelope. Kimberly opened her mouth in annoyance and shock.

She dropped the brown envelope to the ground as it started to burn, "Appreciate the cooperation, Ms Walker," she smiled and turned around, placing the lighter on Ashton's palm which she grabbed and walked away.

Jayce had to take her pills again, because now once she heard her mother was going to be free a week from now, her anxiety was back up on its high level.

Kimberly scoffed at how Jayce left with such disgrace, "Tell her mother to teach her proper manners," she said to Ashton.

"She doesn't have a mother," Ashton immediately said, staring at the burning brown envelope, "At least not the one she says to have,"

"What?"

"I have a plan, mom," Ashton said, "I'll take care of everything myself,"

"That girl," Kimberly narrowed her eyes, "Be careful of her,"

Ashton pursed his lips, looking at his mother without an answer as she left for the car. He looked back to the burning brown envelope and squeezed the lighter in his hand, something felt quite off, but he didn't know what. It was as if Jayce also had a weapon, and it wasn't only him.

~~~

Amber was playing with her phone in the dorm, and it was reasonable to say that she had failed around 14 worksheets in the past two weeks. Jayce went into the bedroom with a heavy heart and a pale face.

"Is your IQ high enough to prevent the fact that mom is getting out of rehab next week?" Amber asked emotionlessly.

"Dad called you?"

"The rehab called me, saying that Jayce Brooks hung up on the call, saying the wrong number was dialed," Amber said, "Are you really that embarrassed over her?"

"Not the best time to discuss this, Amber," Jayce said, taking off her bag.

"Where were you?"

"The library," she replied.

"Eric and I are probably gonna date," Amber said, smiling.

"Congrats," Jayce said, putting down her hair and going to her study table, standing in front of her drawer and taking two pills of the tranquilizers quietly and drinking it, not seen by Amber.

"Really? Just a congrats?" Amber said, "Doesn't really sound like you're happy for me," she said, standing up from her bed.

Jayce gulped down her meds and looked towards Amber, "Is there something else I should say? I'm happy for you,"

Jayce knew that keeping her sister's life involved just to take her social status into a perfect one was unfair for her, so she wouldn't really care if Eric and her dated. After all, Amber knew herself if she told him about Nadia Brooks being her mother, it wasn't only her reputation at stake.

Jayce was in guilt. But part of it made her feel considerably against it.

"For once, be truly happy for me," Amber said, "You're not truly happy aren't you?"

"How do you know if I'm truly happy or not?" she asked with a poker face.

"You always are," Amber said, "You act like you deserve everything in the world,"

"I'm not in the best mood to talk," Jayce said, sitting on her bed.

"Because mom's coming back?" Amber asked.

Jayce stayed silent.

"You're an unbelievable sister," Amber took her coat and walked out of the dorm, shutting the door.

Jayce took a breath, "Mom's coming back, and history repeats itself,"

~~~

Ashton was playing with his lighter. He, in fact, didn't smoke. He, in fact, was easily cold. And he, in fact, had asked his mother to place 3 different fireplaces in the dorm.

With the lighter, he felt he always had a torch. And the only warmth he ever felt was fire-warmth, he never really felt feeling-warmth. And so, he had decided to post the video after the fund-raising activity was confirmed to be held, and in that way, there was no way Jayce was getting off his grip.

He was on the couch, laying down, as if he had nothing to do. He had made the fund-raising list within just a few minutes, as he copied things and ideas off the internet. Take her heart and break it.

In his mind, he was smart. But he gave the list to Jayce. Jayce Brooks. In her eyes, he was the dumbest academically smart student ever.

~~~

Jayce gave a short laugh as she read through the paper Ashton had given her, "This kid is dumber than I thought he would be,"

As someone who might have already planned the entire year's agenda for student council, she definitely had searched this up on Google and it came out with the same thing Ashton had written.

And he didn't bother to take off the hyperlink that was printed in blue and underlined.

Comedic, Jayce would've said in an English essay. Stupid, if it were in a chat. But it made her laugh, even for the slightest millisecond, she had forgotten the fact her mother was soon to be out of rehab.

"He is no help at all," Jayce said, she wasn't disappointed nor angry, in fact, she was amused.

She put his papers in her drawer and opened her laptop, and did her own list, and searched up the some schools around Syville that needed help in terms of construction and education, from books to stationery. She wanted kids to have good education, and make sure they had fun within it.

~~~

Eric walked out of his room to Ashton playing with his lighter, opening it and closing it, just staring at the fire.

"Manifesting something?" Eric queried, going to the couch and sitting beside him.

"They laugh at me 'cause I'm emo," Ashton said, turning off the lighter and sitting up.

"Aw, so broken," Eric snorted.

"Hey," Ashton said, grinning, "I was planning to have a boy's night in the dorm on my birthday," he thought of his words carefully, "Can you and Jaxon not go anywhere, like for that day,"

"Acting clingy?" Eric chuckled.

"It's my birthday," Ashton furrowed his brows in a teasing way, still anxious of the black smoke behind Eric.

"You do love birthdays," Eric said, "Saying that it gets you closer to your doom," he broke out a laugh.

Ashton curled his lip and laid back on the couch, "I'm not waiting for my doom now, I'm waiting for Jayce's,"

Ashton's phone rang and he picked up, "Need help, president?"

"If you think of it, I wouldn't call you if it's not important. After all, you are my last resort," Jayce said on the phone.

"What do you need?"

"I finalized the fund-raising list thingy," Jayce said, "Get down to the lounge room so we can give it to the principal,"

"I'm lazy,"

"Do you want me to drag you out of your room?"

"You don't know my dorm,"

"I literally can ask Amber where it is," Jayce said, knowing she would know from Eric.

"Fine whatever," Ashton groaned and stood up, ending the call.

"Jayce?" Eric gave out a small snort.

"Fund-raising list," he said, "Also, order pizza please,"

Eric nodded and Ashton left the dorm, going down the elevator and meeting Jayce in the lounge room.

~~~

"Surprised you aren't mad," Ashton immediately said.

She turned around and looked at him with a poker face, "With what? Oh, the 'copying from Google and not even bothering to remove the hyperlink' thing?"

Ashton pursed his lips, "You knew?"

"You think I'm an idiot?" Jayce asked.

"Maybe?" Ashton asked.

"Better thank me before you die for all this work," she said, shoving the brown envelope on his chest and he grabbed it, curling his lip.

The two walked out of the dorm building and Jayce wanted to walk out of the gates when Ashton broke in, "You're walking?"

Jayce nodded.

"Yeah, I'm not walking," he said, turning around, going to the car parking lot.

"Too tired, grandpa?" Jayce asked in a mocking style, "You can jump off cliffs but can't walk?"

"I'm not supposed to be intimidated by that, right?" Ashton asked as if it was a genuine question.

"Are you intimated though?"

Ashton sighed and went back to her direction, walking out of the gates first at hand. Jayce gave out a small scoff then walked with him.

~~~

Amber arrived at the boys' dorm for no reason and Eric had thought it was the pizza guy. He opened the door to find Amber and he flinched.

"Amber?" he called.

"I can't find peace, I went to the garden to have a small break and it was too noisy. I can't stay in the dorm 'cause my imbecile sister is being a jerk," Amber said, "Can I stay here for a while?"

Eric widened his eyes. He hadn't said a thing but Amber had shoved past him.

"Where's Jaxon?" Amber asked.

"With his sister," Eric replied.

Another knock came on the door.

"You have a guest?" Amber asked.

Eric shook his head and opened the door. The pizza guy was there. He took the pizza and gave the money.

"Pizza?" Amber exclaimed.

Eric nodded, "I was saving this for Ashton,"

"I'll just take a slice," Amber said.

"I-" Eric couldn't talk anymore when she opened the pizza box and ate one slice of pizza. He sighed.

Eventually, Amber didn't only eat one slice, she ate 5, and Eric ate 3. He sighed at the sight.

"Thank you so much for the meal," Amber said, although she wasn't really given the meal.

"Right, welcome," Eric flinched and threw away the pizza box.

"I feel better now," Amber said, standing up, "That said, I'll get going, have a nice night," she smiled and left the dorm.

As soon as she left, Eric muttered under his breath, "She just came here to be fed, what the actual hell,"

He took out his phone and called Ashton.

~~~

"For research purposes, what's your dorm number?" Jayce asked suddenly as they both walked in the evening.

"I thought you could get it from Amber," Ashton said.

"We're not in good circumstances right now," Jayce said.

Ashton raised a brow, "You both are never in good circumstances,"

Jayce just gave a sigh.

"It's 513," Ashton said.

"367," Jayce replied.

"What clubs are you joining?" he asked.

"Debate, math, science, newspaper and probably basketball, if I want to, and if I have time," she said.

Ashton gulped in frustration, "You can play basket?"

"Is there a violation not to?" she asked back.

He pouted and they arrived at the building.

They went into the building and knocked on the principal's office. Jayce looked at the principal reluctantly, and slyly smiled under her breath. They went into the room and gave the fund-raising list to him.

"We've- No, I've found a school nearby that requires some funding and these are all the things we could possibly do. We'd hope you'd agree to it and confirm this funding at a go," Jayce said. Ashton seemed pissed at the choice of words between we and I she used.

"Very well," Harrison said, reading the paper Jayce had given, "This has solid and awesome ideas, I will talk with the rest of the staff and I will inform you right away. But from me, I will accept and confirm this, Ms Brooks and Mr Walker,"

Jayce smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Mr Harrison,"

She glared sharply at Ashton who wasn't saying thank you. He flustered and gave her a 'what' look.

Harrison noticed and laughed from his desk, "This is the first time Mr Walker is here for other purposes other than explanation of why he was always leaving the school without notice,"

"And by that said," Jayce said, "A rule I've created which says that no student will leave the school unless approved by the teachers, principal or the student council's president themselves," she glared at him sharply and he groaned and sighed.

They both walked out of the classroom and before Ashton could say anything to Jayce, his phone rang.

"Hey, Eric," he said.

Jayce lifted a brow.

"Hey, man," Eric said, "The pizza's finished,"

"The pizza's finished?" Ashton repeated, "Did you go out without food for like a week or something?"

Jayce opened her ears wide out loud, still standing beside him.

"I ate 3 slices, Amber ate 5," Eric sighed.

"Amber went there?"

Jayce furrowed.

"Yes, unexpectedly," Eric said, "And I'm not hungry anymore so I don't know what you're gonna eat,"

"It's fine," Ashton said, "I'll probably just go to the kitchen or go out,"

Jayce glared at him sharply at his words.

"No worries," Ashton said and hung up the phone.

Jayce was still glaring at him, just looking at him, judging and warning him.

"Don't look at me like that when your sister is the one who ate the pizza," Ashton said, noticing.

"Whatever," Jayce said, "I'm not going to babysit you,"

"So I can leave the school?"

"No," she replied, "You're not going anywhere,"

"Then what if I take you with me?" Ashton asked, "You said I need the permission of the student council's president, and you, obviously, is that president I'm talking about," he said, "What do you say, president?" he gave her a mischievous expression.

Jayce looked away.

"Unless you want to eat cereal for dinner, of course," he said.

"Who eats cereal for dinner?" she furrowed.

"Me,"

"I don't eat cereal," Jayce said, with an expressionless face. Cereal made her feel sick, those boring two weeks with cereal for breakfast and sometimes for dinner when her mother became a psychopath, and it never made her want to eat it anymore.

"Oh," Ashton said, "Pizza?"

Also, it was basically her everyday dinner.

"No," Jayce said.

"Then what do you eat?" Ashton asked.

"Do you like steak burgers?" Jayce asked.

~~~

"How's mom been doing?" Jaxon asked Jasmine.

"She's been well," Jasmine replied, "You can come to the city some time you know,"

"I wouldn't really know," Jaxon said, "I really miss her,"

"Let's stop talking about how messy our family is and let's talk about you. Do you have anyone you like?" she asked.

"Me?" Jaxon said, "I don't like anyone romantically, but I really love my friend," he said, "I mean friends,"

"Ashton and Eric?" Jasmine asked.

Jaxon nodded, "Eric's dad works with dad and Ashton's mom is the foundation funder for the school,"

"I see,"

"Hey, why don't we play tennis? It's been a long time since that,"

"Sure," Jasmine said, "Whoever arrives last at the yard is tossing the balls," she laughed and both of them sprinted down the stairwell.

~~~

"Is this the first time our little president is breaking rules?" Ashton teased as both of her arrived at the parking lot.

"Very funny, Ashton," Jayce scowled.

"You came up with the idea," he snorted.

"Just wanted steak burgers,"

"What history do you have with steak burgers that you break rules to eat them?" Ashton asked while clicking the car key to turn on the car.

"I just like it," she said, "Can't I not like something?" she walked towards the passenger door which Ashton opened up for her. Take her heart and break it.

In fact steak burgers was the first meal she got after the two weeks. She still remembered the restaurant Dave brought her and Amber to, to eat steak burgers. It reminded her pain was dormant. It's dormant but not over.

Ashton got in the car and started driving. They went out of the gates and Jayce opened the car window, feeling the autumn breeze against her. Refreshing, she thought.

Ashton looked at her, with the slightest smile, he would've done it. He got on his senses, to wake up, making sure he knew who he was seeing was none other than someone he was going to destroy.

"Why are you passing through this lane?" Jayce asked, noticing, "It's shorter if you use the one near the graveyard,"

Ashton made a poker face, "I don't like graveyards,"

Jayce furrowed, "You don't?" there was only one thought in her head: a key to weakness, "Why?"

"Why should I tell you?" Ashton asked.

"If it's something you wish to hide then it's something that makes you weak," Jayce concluded, "Am I right?"

"Are we going to dinner or are we interrogating each other in another psychological game?" Ashton asked.

Jayce slouched against her chair, "Dinner," she said in a disappointed manner.

"Thank you," Ashton huffed.

The two arrived at a food truck near the restaurants, across the town hall. Jayce went down and bought two burgers and coke, then went back to the car and gave it to him.

"I've never tried steak burgers," he said.

"Then it's your time to try one," she gave him the coke.

She munched on her burger, eating it tastily.

Ashton tried out the burger, and it tasted good, "This actually tastes good,"

"It tastes amazing," Jayce said, "Not good, amazing,"

"Okay, president," Ashton said, "It tastes amazing," take her heart and break it.

Jayce finished quicker, Ashton finished a few seconds later. They both drank their coke before driving off.

Sharp eyes, Jayce would've described herself. Before Ashton stepped on the gas, she broke in, "You have a-"

He had a little sauce on his cheek.

Ashton flustered, "A what?"

Jayce took a sheet of tissue and moved herself to get closer to him, and wiped the sauce off his face, when she accidentally glared sharply in his eyes. A feeling Jayce had never noticed, this feeling she wouldn't be able to describe. Eye contact, awkward eye contact. They were frozen, for a few seconds, not for long, but for a good amount of time for both of them to see clearly what each other's eyes were.

She broke eye contact and wiped the sauce harshly off his face. He flinched, "You had sauce on your face," Jayce said immediately and buckled her seatbelt.

"Oh," Ashton gulped, "Right,"

"Let's go back," Jayce said.

"Yeah," Ashton nodded.

Take her heart and break it, but he may have really taken her heart too far.

~~~

Jayce laid down on her bed, as Amber was taking a bath. She pretended to sleep in order to not have another fight with her sister. And even if she wanted to pretend, she ended up really sleeping in the end.

Early in the morning, Jayce woke up, with Amber still sleeping. It was around 6.30 in the morning, but her phone and Amber's phone were both blowing up.

She flinched and furrowed at the notifications, hate comments and texts towards Jayce in the school community. She flustered and opened the app.

Ashton had posted a notice at 3am in the morning that included a video of when Jayce was calling her father regarding Nadia's leave from the rehab. He had typed everything:

'Jayce Brooks and Amber Brooks are not daughters of Izzie Brooks. Jayce lied to have a good reputation. Their real mom is Nadia Brooks and Jayce hid it because she was embarrassed that her mother was an alcoholic. Watch the full video of her conversation to prove what I'm talking about. And also, Jayce's ex, Jasmine, is Jaxon's sister, and she has also confirmed the same thing.'