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Ashlyn’s day was already doomed from the very moment she woke up twenty minutes after her alarm with a pounding headache. She lays motionless, waiting for the sharp pain to subside until she could finally muster enough strength to get up and check her temperature. She doesn’t have a fever or a growing migraine, thankfully, but with no excuse to miss classes she got herself ready and soldiers her way downstairs for a long commute to school.
Her parents were already out by the time she makes it to the kitchen where she finds Mike and Emma’s written notes stuck on the fridge, each note wishing her a fun and exciting day at school along with reminders of where to find her lunch and allowance.
She ends up skipping breakfast altogether, making sure to grab her lunch at the kitchen counter on the way out the door. The last thing she wants is to be late and accidentally cause a scene, especially when she’s already walking on thin ice the last time she was a few minutes late to the bus stop. The driver gave her a pretty nasty glare for her troubles, and she made it a point never to cross him ever again.
She spots an empty seat by the window and all but collapses to it, trying her best to ignore the boisterous noise at the back of the bus and the gummy texture underneath her seat. There’s a steady pounding at the back of her head and if she closed her eyes hard enough, the pounding only seemed to increase. Placing her headphones to drown out as much noise as possible, Ashlyn lets her head rest on the window, finding a bit of comfort in the cool glass against her warm skin.
The ride to school only seemed to fuel her growing unease, the throbbing pain she felt wouldn’t go away no matter how much she tried to focus on her surroundings, and the longer she sat and waited for their destination, the more she regretted going to school instead of calling in sick like she should have done earlier. Her only respite is that the nerdy looking guy sitting next to her seemed to understand that she was in no mood to make small talk. Little mercies.
By the time she made it to homeroom things only got worse when she realized in her hurry to reach the bus earlier she had completely forgotten her tumbler full of freshly brewed coffee. How on earth was she going to survive the rest of the day without it?
Her awful luck didn’t stop there, unfortunately.
No, it seemed as if the whole universe was conspiring against her today because not only had her headache persisted throughout the rest of the day, but she has also managed to spill orange juice on her favorite white shirt during lunch, she had also accidentally tripped on her way to the locker, twice, and received a few snide remarks that she refused to acknowledge. But even worse than the humiliation she had to endure all morning, her name gets called first during oral recitation.
She wasn’t even all that surprised anymore when out of all the potential questions to ask her, she got asked the one topic she was not able to study for the night prior.
Once the last bell had rang, Ashlyn was more than happy to leave the campus and let the earth swallow her whole from all the awful and embarrassing things she had to endure all day.
And just when she thought her luck couldn’t possibly get any worse, she gets cornered on her way out of class.
She doesn’t even remember how it happened, one moment she was packing her things to head out then the next thing she knew she was face to face with the track team’s new freshman recruit.
Josh Carter was, for lack of better word, persistent.
He never really stood out much apart from his tall stature, but now that he’s part of the track and field, it garnered him a bit of popularity at the start of their semester which unfortunately gave him an ego boost like no other. She’s seen him hang around a couple of the jocks that littered the bleachers after school, seen the way their eyes would leer hungrily over at the field whenever the cheerleaders were out practicing.
It was disgusting.
But with his slightly elevated position in the food chain that made up Alto High’s student body population, the asshole somehow thinks he can get with any girl in his direct vicinity, and for some odd reason he seems to have set his eyes on her.
“Come on, Banner.” Josh coaxed in the most obnoxious voice possible, the volume of it grating her ears. “Just one date.”
He’s standing way too close, backing her up against the empty classroom wall and successfully blocking out her only opening for an exit.
Students were already milling out of the room now that school is over, and despite the obvious scene the guy was making, no one seemed to be paying them any mind, not that she expected anyone’s help.
She was all on her own, she realized, facing off against someone who barely looked at her like she was human.
Ashlyn tries to ignore the pang of disappointment in her chest and squares her shoulders in preparation.
Heaving a tired sigh, she musters up all the courage she could to glare dagger up at him, cursing his stupid height when she realizes just how much she has to crane her neck to look at him directly.
“Not happening, Josh.” She answers evenly, the grip on her bag tightening to try and stop her hands from shaking. There’s cold sweat building up at the back of her neck when Josh refuses to move even after her second attempt at rejection.
“Why not?” He had the audacity to ask.
“I don’t need to explain myself to you, so back off and let me go already.” She tries to shoulder past him but an arm grabs her shoulder and yanks her back in place. She tries to fight off against this hold but he pushes her with too much force until her back hits the wall and she’s seeing stars from the impact
A pained groan escapes her lips, but she quickly bites it back down. She tried to blink the pain and nausea away but before she could do so much as stand her ground, strong hands gripped both of her wrists, pushing her even further against the wall.
“What the hell is your problem?” She hissed, hoping more than anything that her voice doesn’t sound as shaken as she felt. His hold isn’t letting up and she has no idea how she was going to get out of this mess or why he’s even doing all of this to her in the first place when she barely spoke a word to him all semester.
He couldn’t possibly be doing this out of actual feelings for her, it just didn’t make any sense.
Regardless of what Josh’s reasons were, she still needed a way out of his grip, and Ashlyn desperately wracks her mind for a way out. She could try to scream for help, but a part of her refuses to show him any kind of weakness, lest he think she’s some helpless girl who can’t save herself.
If there was one thing she hated more than being cornered by an asshole like him, it’s asking anyone for help.
“I was being nice earlier,” Josh shook his head at her, sounding almost disappointed. As if her earlier reaction to his coercion wasn’t anything but fucked up. “If you keep saying no, I’m not gonna be so nice, so learn when to fucking take a compliment and stop whining like a bitch about this.”
“Compliment?” She asked, momentarily stunned.
“I’m asking you out, aren’t I?” Josh clarified like the answer was so obvious. “Do you honestly think anyone else will?”
“I don’t get it.” Ashlyn heard herself saying, swallowing down the panic in her voice when she felt his grip on her wrist tightening to a bruising degree. It hurts, but she’s never been the type to back down from a fight. The adrenaline pumping in her veins was enough to forget about the pain she was in. “If that was the case, why are you even asking me out in the first place? Did you lose a bet or something?” She adds, trying to make sense of everything that was happening.
His eyes widened for a fraction at her accusation, his expression looking caught before he schools it back into a deep scowl. The weighted silence that followed was answer enough.
So, he’s been harassing her all this time over a stupid bet.
The truth does nothing to appease her growing agitation.
He doesn’t let her go either.
“Well, not exactly. But I’ve got a reputation to uphold, y’see?” He smiled at her, all teeth. He places a hand on her chin and tilts it up so that the green of his eyes could bore into hers. “The older guys at the club, they're pretty hard to please, said I gotta pass a lil initiation before they let me in their group permanently.” Alarm bells rang in her ear the longer she listened to his explanation.
“And when I asked them what I gotta do, well, imagine my surprise when they suggested I try dating the school loner for a week. I guess they wanted to see how good my reputation will hold after getting with someone like you.” Josh shrugged passively, not at all bothered by his admittance, as if this entire ordeal was nothing more than an item he had to tick off a list. “So why don’t you do us both a favor and just put up with ‘til then, who knows maybe I can even make it worth your time?” He adds, not even bothering to hide the sly grin from his face.
The way he was looking at her, at her body, made her skin crawl.
It was becoming increasingly obvious that her own feelings or opinion didn’t even matter to these assholes. They saw her as a tool, a clueless girl to provide entertainment for their twisted games, a cannon fodder to boost their own inflated ego. It made her sick to her stomach.
Anger surged inside her chest at the audacity and humiliation she was being subjected to, at the fact that she has already suffered through so much and cannot catch a break.
“I’d rather eat glass.” She spat out in pure defiance, her nails digging painfully into her palms.
“Stop being so fucking difficult,” He practically shouts the words to her face before slamming a fist to the wall, only missing her face a couple of inches. “Do you honestly think you’re too good for me? Nobody in their right mind would ever want a freak like you."
And the truth shouldn’t hurt as much as it did, but after all that she had to endure today, after every mortifying moment she had to face and the constant pounding in her head, hearing someone tell her point blank that no one else would ever be interested in her hurts.
The sting of Josh’s insult lands far too close for comfort and Ashlyn tries to blink away angry tears at the sheer humiliation.
God, she was so pathetic.
“Come on, Banner.” Josh urged her with a hard look. “Don’t make this even more difficult than it already is, just say yes while I’m still asking nicely.”
She levels his look with a glare of her own, sharp and vindictive, as she draws in one steady breath.
“You can fuck right off, Josh.” She answers, forcing her eyes forward despite the sharp pain in her head.
The words are out of her mouth before she can think them through.
That’s how it always is with her, that’s how it’s always been, her heart and mouth and body all seem to move faster than her brain, and while a part of her feels immensely satisfied that she’s managed to say the words so effortlessly, she knows she’d fucked up when one of Josh’s hands grabs a fistful of her shirt and pulls. Ashlyn watches when the other hand pulls back a clenched fist, ready to strike, and she could do little more than steal herself, shutting her eyes close and hoping that he’ll be done with her once he’s had a punch in.
But the hit doesn’t land.
In the span of a few seconds, Ashlyn felt Josh’s grip loosen, and in the next moment she’s safely pushed back, a solid presence standing firmly between her and her assailant.
Tyler Hernández stood tall, planting himself right in the center, arms crossed in a way that alludes sheer confidence even when he’s at the receiving end of the other boy’s harsh glare.
“Carter,” Tyler addressed, head lazily cocked to the side. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Stay out of this, Hernández.” Josh warned, clearly unimpressed by the sudden interruption.
“Don’t think I will.” Tyler drawls. Ashlyn couldn’t really see his expression from where she stood, but something told her he sounded absolutely bored.
That seemed to push Josh even further, boys like him did not appreciate being regarded so little. She watches as Josh steps forward, anger evident in his voice when he asks. “You trying to pick a fight right now?”
“You sound confident,” Tyler starts, completely unfazed by the other boy’s threat. “Think you can win?” He adds, taking his own dangerous step forward, completely blocking Ashlyn’s view until all she could see was the broadness of his shoulders, her eyes immediately locked on the bold red number 22 stitched to his jersey.
Somehow, the sight of his back reassured her more than anything.
The two boys faced off for what felt like eternity, the air in the room charged in anticipation, the silence weighing heavily the longer Tyler refused to give way.
Tyler takes one more challenging step and finally Ashlyn sees the crack in Josh’s resolve.
“Fuck this.” Josh spat before finally relenting. Ashlyn watches him as he makes his way to the door before stopping to glare at her unexpected savior. “Don’t think you’ve won just yet, Hernández.
He turns to Ashlyn next, pointedly glaring at her when he adds, “You got lucky this time bitch, but the next time I see you, you’ll be begging for—”
But he didn’t get very much farther than that, because in the span of three seconds, while Josh was still mid-word, Tyler had the guy up against the wall with his face planted to the plaster and his arm twisted painfully behind his back. Tyler presses in hard and the guy lets out a pained cry that has Ashlyn wincing herself.
“Try finishing that sentence, see what happens.” Tyler warns, voice so still and quiet and cold, nothing like the explosive anger Ashlyn was used to hearing. She’s never seen him like this before, his brown eyes burning like a forest fire. “If you mess with her again, you won’t have to worry about making tracks for the rest of your life.”
Ashlyn blanched at his words, heart in her throat.
Funny how none of Josh’s earlier threats ever truly got under her skin, and yet just hearing one from Tyler, one that wasn’t even directed at her, was enough to unnerve her completely.
He sounded like he meant it, she realized then.
There was an unmistakable promise in the way he spoke, leaving no room for doubt.
Of course she’s heard rumors about the Hernández twins, they were insanely popular since the start of freshman year and not a single day went by without some insanely ridiculous rumor circulating within the campus regarding the two of them. The rumors always varied in intensity, from exaggerated to outlandishly far-fetched, though one thing remained constant: no one messed with the older twin. Ever.
Once Tyler earned his spot as Alto High’s starting Center Fielder, the rumors surrounding him only seemed to intensify just as much as his popularity. When a fight broke loose in the Baseball team’s locker room between Tyler and Barron’s group one day, with Tyler only suffering a few minor cuts and bruises compared to the rest, everyone knew not to cross him.
No one really did find out why the fight in the locker room started that day, and any time someone brought the fight into conversation, the story always changed depending on who was telling it. As far as Ashlyn knew, the only thing everyone seemed sure of was that Barron had said something about Taylor that Tyler didn’t like.
And apparently when it comes to Tyler Hernández, his devotion to protect those he cares for is nothing short of obsessive.
Ashlyn wasn’t exactly sure how real some of the rumors surrounding the older twin were, but from the way Tyler carried himself and the glaring scars that littered his skin, she could tell nothing about his terrifying reputation was a lie.
“I suggest you leave while you still can.” Tyler warns with sharp finality.
That was all the cue Josh got before Tyler shoves him out the door and Ashlyn has never seen anyone else run as fast. She honestly hopes she never has to deal with something like this ever again.
The seconds that followed after Josh’s disappearance were silent once more, Ashlyn wide-eyed and stunned as she watched her classmate turned savior with careful consideration.
For someone like Tyler, who pretty much ignored anyone who isn’t his sister and the rest of the baseball team, Ashlyn can’t really make heads on why he went out of his way to help someone like her.
It wasn’t like they even talked in the first place despite sharing the same classes. He didn’t owe her anything.
So, why did he?
“Hey,” Tyler calls out, grabbing her attention when he moves to stand in front of her. “Are you alright?” He asked with a furrow in his brow.
“I’m fine.” She answers on principle, ignoring the strange look he gave her. It’s still surreal to be speaking with him, Ashlyn doesn’t know how to react if she was being honest with herself.
She had expected her answer to be enough reason for him to leave her alone, but Tyler didn’t move, in fact he’s been watching her closely this whole time, brown eyes assessing her for any possible injury.
“You sure, you look like you’re seconds away from collapsing on the floor.” Tyler points out, never one to mince his words. He looks unimpressed when he notes the way she kept rubbing the fresh bruise on her wrist.
“Yeah, well I wouldn't be surprised considering how hard Josh pushed me earlier.” She answers, not exactly sure why she’s even answering his question, it wasn’t like she owed him an explanation.
“If he pulls that kind of shit again, let me know. I’ll take care of it.” Tyler says, and there’s something about the way he said it, the way he seemed to genuinely care that has Ashlyn stuttering out a soft ‘why.’
Because none of Tyler’s actions made any sense.
And it confused her, because everything she had thought she knew about him didn’t seem to fit the person she thought Tyler was.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Tyler challenges, crossing his arm over his chest.
Ashlyn balks, trying to figure out what his angle was. Boys like Tyler who people naturally gravitate to due to their popularity wouldn’t normally spare her a second glance. She was the class loner for a reason, she has no friends, no group to be a part of, heck even bullies like Barron wouldn’t give her the time of day cause she doesn’t talk or respond to anyone. Period.
It’s why assholes like Josh and his group thought she’d be the perfect victim for their cruel little game.
“Look, I don’t need a reason to help someone who clearly needed it.” Tyler finally says, sparring her from having to explain herself. He studies her in their proximity for a moment before adding, “But if you really needed one, well you let Tay borrow your pen during History.”
Ashlyn tries to remember, not recalling any instance where she had interacted with the younger twin throughout the day, only for a single memory to resurface.
But that had been weeks ago.
Ashlyn didn’t think Tyler would notice, let alone care enough to remember something so trivial.
A rush of warmth makes its way to her chest, her earlier struggles momentarily forgotten in the face of Tyler’s honesty and grounding presence.
Without realizing, a small smile begins to form at the corner of her lips. “You must really care about your sister.”
Tyler’s eyes widen for a second before something soft settles across his face. “Of course I do.”
Ashlyn looks away, not knowing what to say. She doesn’t know how to handle this version of Tyler, doesn’t know if she should even be witnessing something so profoundly tender overtake him at the mention of family when she’s clearly an outsider in all of this.
She doesn't say anything for a short moment. Instead, she lets her eyes linger to the classroom clock, noting how much time has passed since the two of them were left together.
What would have happened if Tyler hadn’t showed up in time, Ashlyn tries not to think about the answer for too long, focusing her attention back to what's already in front of her. Regardless of what Tyler’s reason was for stepping in between her and Josh, one fact remains the same, he’d saved her today and the least she could do was thank him.
Gathering herself, Ashlyn pushes through her nerves and takes a step closer until she can see the specks of gold in the brown of his eyes.
“Thanks, for helping me earlier.” She hears herself saying, surprised that she meant every word.
He frowned as he considered her words carefully. “You don’t need to thank me for that.”
“I want to.” She huffs defiantly.
Tyler chuckles dryly. “Sure.”
Ashlyn lets out another huff that sends her fringe fluttering, surprised by the way her heart began to race the longer she stayed in close proximity with Tyler. "I guess I better get going," she says, suddenly needing to get away from this boy who confused her to no end. Tightening her grip on the strap of her bag, she spares him one last glance before making her way to the door.
Tyler meets her eyes and smirks. There’s a knowing look on his gaze before he gives her a lazy salute. “I’ll see you around, Carrot-top.”
She meets his gaze evenly. “Don’t call me that.”
The door clicks shut behind her, and she pretends to hate him for all but two seconds before giving up and making her way to the parking lot where she dutifully tries to ignore just how warm her face was feeling.
She had miscalculated in her assumption earlier, it seemed.
Tyler Hernández wasn’t her savior, he was a problem.