Work Text:
Ring ring
The school bell rang.
It’s the last class of the day.
Ash walked out when he accidentally bumped into someone.
”I’m so sorry!” The person apologized.
Ash looked down at the girl that was picking up her papers from the floor.
She has light blonde hair, a bright orange hoodie, light blue jeans, and a pink and orange sunglasses.
It’s by no doubt Squiddo.
And she’s softly blushing.
Ash started at her for a moment before his cheeks turned red.
Parrot and Spoke were giggling while watching the whole interaction.
Parrot usually try’s not to laugh about people’s crushes, but this is ironic.
Spoke, on the other hand, is Ash’s younger brother, as well as the school’s jokester.
Ash held a hand out for Squiddo.
Squiddo looked up and awkwardly chuckled.
Ash tried to give a smile, but it ended up looking weird.
Squiddo grabbed onto Ash’s hand and stood up.
They were both blushing like crazy.
Squiddo walked away, hugging her folders and notebooks tight against her chest.
Spoke walked up to Ash.
The two walked home together.
Parrot wandered through the school halls looking for his best friend, Wifies.
If there’s anyone that can help Parrot with his ‘surprise’ it’s him.
“Wifies!” Parrot yelled, waving his hands.
Wifies spotted him and walked over.
”Hey!” Wifies greeted.
”Hi, I have a surprise I need help planning,” Parrot replied.
The two started walking down the hall together.
”Who’s it for?” Wifies asked.
”Ash and Squiddo,” Parrot replied, opening the school door and walking outside.
”Ah.”
”Squiddo’s your friend, right?”
”Yeah, I’d say we’re pretty close friends.”
”Good.”
Parrot and Wifies walked to Parrot’s house.
”So what’s the plan?” Wifies asked.
”We’re gonna lock them up in a closet,” Parrot deadpanned.
Wifies didn’t reply for a moment.
”…That’s not the type of surprise I expected.”
”C’mon man! We both know that they have a crush on each other!” Parrot replied.
”Yeah, I know that, but-“
“Great! So I have a plan.”
”Parrot.”
”Yeah?”
”You sure we should do this?”
”Of course, bro!”
”I mean, like-“
”Wifies, bro… don’t doubt my brilliance.”
”…Okay…”
Wifies and Parrot lay down on Parrot’s bed.
They barely even did any planning and they’re already tired.
Well, to be fair school does take a lot out of you.
But there’s no time to be tired!
They have two lovebirds to bring together!
After a quick nap, Parrot and Wifies got to work with making a plan.
They also called Spoke and he helped quite a lot.
Although, half of the time he was teasing Squiddo and Ash.
”Hear me out! Hear me out!” Spoke yelled.
”No!” Parrot and Wifies refused.
”But can’t you agree that they don’t have any similarities?” Spoke asked.
”Opposites attract…” Wifies deadpanned.
”But don’t you think that they’re a little bit… too opposite?” Spoke questioned.
”Too opposite?” Parrot queried, looking at Wifies.
”Well, Squiddo has a lot of energy. She likes cute things, she loves gardening, and cannot stand being still or not talking for too long,” Wifies replied, looking back at Parrot.
“She also doesn’t like being the center of attention,” Parrot mumbled.
“Or not being able to help someone,” Wifies added.
”Exactly!” Spoke started.
“Ash is chill, likes being popular, doesn’t really care about others, the last person you want to mess around with.”
”Just give them a chance,” Parrot argued.
”I know! I know!” Spoke giggled.
”Anyways, we know where we’re going to trap them,” Wifies started.
“How are we going to get them there?”
”Umm… that’s a good question,” Parrot replied.
”What if we kidnap them!?” Spoke spitted out.
Wifies and Parrot shot their heads towards the phone, staring at Spoke.
“Absolutely not!”
The three eventually decided that Wifies could lead Squiddo to the closest and Spoke can lead Ash there.
There’s one major flaw though, there’s a decent chance that Ash won’t listen to Spoke.
Especially since Spoke often bugs him for no reason.
The next morning…
Ring ring
The first bell of the day rang.
”Hello, students and staff. There are not any events going on today, which is ironic. Anyways, I hope you have an awesome day! Remember, you all are special in your own unique ways!”
That was JamatoP, the school principal, as well as Spoke and Ash’s father.
Ash is called ‘cool’ for the principal being his father.
However, Spoke is sometimes bullied because everyone knows that the only reason he hasn’t been expelled yet is thanks to his dad.
Spoke doesn’t mind, though.
He has many friends and quite a few people respect him.
Ash walked into class and the teacher, Mr. Pangi, was changing the seat order, AGAIN.
He does like every week.
Anyways, this is Ash’s favorite class.
For multiple reasons too!
The first one is that Pangi is very kind and actually funny.
And the second one is that Squiddo is in this class.
He’ll get the guts to ask her out one day!
Unfortunately, one of Spoke’s friends is in this class.
His name is Leowook… or Leo for short.
Despite being 13 like Spoke, Leo is somehow in 10th grade.
Actually, why is this unfortunate?
Leo literally tells Ash when Spoke is planning pranks or something.
Sadly, Spoke caught on a little while ago and stopped telling Leo about the ‘important’ pranks.
Luckily, Ash can still sometimes get out of a prank.
”And now for the back row!” Mr. Pangi shouted.
“The order from left to right is Leo, Cube, Hannah, Ash, Squiddo, and Wifies.”
Right, Wifies recently skipped grades.
Apparently, ninth grade was way too easy for him.
He’s 14, right?
Also Parrot’s best friend.
Parrot is 12 and in eight grade…
Dang, why are so many students in grades higher than their normal age group?
And wait a minute…
Did Mr. Pangi say that Ash is next to Squiddo!?
Oh, no!
He’s cooked!
”Ash, do you mind taking a seat?” Mr. Pangi asked.
”Oh, um, yeah… m- my bad!” Ash stammered.
Ash walked over and sat down in his seat.
”Ash, are you feeling alright?” Mr. Pangi checked in.
”Um… yeah, I am,” Ash replied.
”Okay, just let me know if you change your mind,” Mr. Pangi responded.
Ash nodded.
That was embarrassing.
The proud, confident Ashswag was… not so proud or confident.
Classes went by in a blur.
All that Ash could think about was what Squiddo said to him.
”Hi.”
Hi.
She said ‘hi’.
She said ‘hi’!
SHE SAID ‘hi’!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Ash’s heart started beating so hard that he was 100% sure that Squiddo heard it.
BUT SHE TALKED TO HIM!!!
He tried to respond, but didn’t do the best.
”H- h- h- um… h- i- h- he- h- uh…”
He was so embarrassed.
Embarrassed enough that he didn’t even realize that he was blushing.
Anyways, school’s done now.
So Ash is going to go home.
”ASH!” Spoke screamed, running down the hall.
Right, he has his younger brother.
Ash turned around and looked at Spoke.
”Yo! Bro, can you take me to Parrot’s house?” Spoke asked.
”Can’t you walk there yourself?” Ash questioned.
”PLEASE!”
Ash rolled his eyes, before agreeing.
After about twenty minutes of walking, they got there.
Spoke knocked in the door.
“Can you please come in with me?” Spoke asked.
”Why?”
”Please.”
”No.”
”Please?”
”…Fine!”
Creeeeeak
”Hi, Spoke! Um, hi, Ash,” Parrot greeted them.
”HAI!” Spoke yelled, grabbing Ash’s arm and running inside.
”SPOKE, YOU LITTLE BI-“ Ash yelled.
Spoke threw a hand on top of Ash’s mouth.
Ash was about to stick his tongue out and lick Spoke’s hand before he saw her…
Ash’s jaw dropped.
Why is Squiddo here!?
Squiddo looked down and shuffled her foot on the floor.
She’s blushing.
‘Why is she blushing?’ Ash thought.
Ash stared at her.
But not even a minute later, he felt someone pushing him.
”OW!” Ash yelled, trying to stand up before he bumped his head.
It’s dark…
Where is he?
“That wasn’t necessary,” A small voice whispered.
Oh gosh.
Squiddo’s in here with him.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No.
No!
No!
NO!
NO!!
NO!!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!
NO!
No.
Ash tried budging the door open, but couldn’t.
”SPOKE!” Ash yelled.
”GOOD LUCK, GUYS!” Spoke laughed.
Click
A door clicked shut.
Everything went quiet.
Are they alone in the house?
”Sooo… heh,” Squiddo stammered.
Ash looked down.
“Uh…”
”How did we get trapped in here?” Squiddo chuckled.
”I- um… I don’t… really know,” Ash whispered.
”We got tricked by twelve, thirteen, and fourteen year olds,” Squiddo laughed.
“How did that happen?”
”I- I don’t know.”
Ash couldn’t see it, but Squiddo’s smiling.
”I don’t know about you, but I’m sixteen,” Squiddo whispered.
”Sixteen too,” Ash replied.
”Nice,” Squiddo mumbled, looking around the closet.
”Should we try to find a light switch?” She asked.
”Um… yeah.”
Squiddo stood up and felt around for a light switch.
She eventually found one and turned it on.
”Ow,” Ash mumbled, squinting his eyes.
”Yeah, it’s a little bright.”
Eventually, their eyes got adjusted to the light.
”Ya know…” Squiddo started, locking eye contact with Ash.
“Your eye’s are really cute.”
Ash’s brain malfunctioned.
“Um- Th- You’re welcome!- I MEAN-“
Squiddo put her pointer finger over Ash’s mouth.
Ash’s eyes widened.
Squiddo giggled.
”You’re cute.”
Ash blushed, shooting his head down.
Squiddo only giggled more.
After Squiddo calmed down, she sighed.
“Ash… I like you… a lot.”
Ash’s face remained blank…
Well, except for his bright red cheeks.
Ash eventually mustered up the courage to look at Squiddo.
His breathing was heavy.
What is he supposed to do?
”I- I uh… I like you too,” Ash replied.
His voice came out deeper than normal.
Sure, he has a natural deep voice, but still!
Squiddo chuckled.
She reached her hands out and lightly grabbed onto Ash’s hands.
Ash looked at their hands.
Squiddo was gently rubbing her thumbs against Ash’s palms.
Ash looked up at her.
She’s smiling.
Squiddo looked at Ash.
Her ocean blue eyes and freckles making it impossible for him to calm down.
She’s beautiful.
Ash felt his guard lowering.
Something that rarely happens.
He’s always on the top of his feet and paranoid.
But here… he’s calm.
Not fully.
He’s still embarrassed and panicking.
But just enough…
To feel…
Normal?
He’s always held himself up to these impossible standards and expectations.
Squiddo knew that.
She knew that he didn’t want a girlfriend.
Unfortunately, feelings don’t stop, just because you want them to.
Squiddo placed a hand on Ash’s shoulder and scooted closer.
Ash’s gaze reminded blank.
Squiddo placed her other hand on the back of his head and leaned her head forward.
Ash immediately understood and placed one of his hands on Squiddo’s side.
He also leaned in.
It was long, a little uncomfortable, and very awkward.
It was gentle by the very least.
And it was theirs.
A kiss.
Their kiss.
They slowly pulled apart.
Then, laughed.
They don’t understand what’s funny, but that doesn’t matter.
What matters is that they’re enjoying their time together.
”So, are we a thing now?” Squiddo asked.
Ash smiled.
Squiddo’s never seen him smile before.
”Yeah, I think we are,” He answered.
Squiddo blushed.
They leaned in for another kiss.
Again, it was slightly uncomfortable and definitely didn’t need to be held that long.
They didn’t magically perfect it.
But, they did, somehow, make it ever so much less awkward.
