The room fell into a stunned hush. Ashley and Hunter exchanged a quick look, neither of their expressions all that telling of their thoughts. What the middle-aged teacher proposed hadn’t quite sunk in yet. Mr. Thompson clasped his hands together.

“All right, so that’s settled; you two are our final pair. Ashley, this is Hunter.” The man gestured towards the scarred delinquent, his genial attitude suddenly changing into a sort of apathy. He gave Hunter something like a knowing look, as if he tried to telepathically say, “you’d better mind your actions, and not skimp out on your part.”

Ignoring that empty threat, Hunter grinned. What Mr. Thompson was warning against was already his exact game plan. It wasn’t like he was thrilled to be working with Ashley, but holy shit had he lucked out. He could laze through this project while Ashley did all the work and got him an awesome grade, one he’d probably only ever receive in his wildest dreams. It was a win-win in his book.

Ashley, on the other hand, didn't share Hunter's enthusiasm. He let out a quiet sigh, adjusting his glasses before turning to face the taller teen beside him. The class soon dispersed, with that unruly crowd including Mr. Thompson, leaving Hunter and Ashley standing at their desks. The air still had some of that lingering tension from before, despite Hunter’s happy realization and newfound ideas on how to cruise through the rest of the semester without breaking a sweat.

Hunter leaned back, stretching his arms. "So, partner, what's the plan?"

Ashley frowned. He could already sense how eager Hunter was, for all the wrong reasons. He fixed him with a look that clearly conveyed his disappointment in the situation.

Yet, there was something more behind that expression. Hunter’s smile slowly dropped as he observed Ashley’s delicate face. There was a kind of…sadness in his eyes.

It was what he’d seen briefly in class; a different layer Hunter couldn’t place, and now he was seeing it straight-on. He didn’t know the other boy that well yet, and he sucked at things like figuring out emotions, but even he could tell. This was something that probably went further than dumb school-related matters.

Something was off with Ashley.

With a flat “we'll discuss it tomorrow,” Ashley hunched over his desk and collected his things. Hunter leaned back against his own desk, arms crossed. His next words managed to surprise even himself, as they escaped his lips.

“Hey, what’s up with you today?” His tone held a slight hint of concern.

Concern. For this Ashley kid.

The better question was, what the hell was up with Hunter today?

Hunter watched Ashley’s face and body language intently, awaiting his next move.

Ashley's composed demeanor remained intact, but his eyes showed a trace of passive hesitation. He also seemed a bit taken off-guard by the fact that Hunter asked that.

“I’m fine,” he replied evenly, and ran a hand through his jet-black hair. “That is, unless…you try to evade your responsibilities and expect me to do everything on this project.”

Hunter let out a short chuckle of disbelief. Guess Ashley was a mind-reader, on top of everything else. The broader boy then had a thought, and decided to try it. Hell, he just remembered. Ashley made him annoyed during class earlier, so now it was his turn. Concern, fuck off.

Taking a step forward, ending up within less than a foot of Ashley, Hunter started.

“And what if that’s exactly what I’m expecting?” He almost whispered.

Ashley glanced up at him, with those blue eyes and dark eyelashes, expression still only partially emotionless. Hunter stood his ground, but unintentionally swallowed. There was that weird pang in his chest again, which came and went like a lightning strike.  

“That is not going to happen.” Ashley replied firmly, voice barely wavering despite himself. “Moreover, I suggest refraining from any notion to skip this class. I have a pretty good idea of where you live, as you know.”

With deliberate nonchalance, Ashley sidestepped Hunter—smelling much better than any sixteen-year-old boy should—and brushed past him without a second glance. His stride was steady, and showed no more evidence of that brief, unusual sadness. Just like that, the kid was back in control.

Hunter watched him leave, his small smirk reflecting his amusement. “Heh. Alright.”

As the door clicked shut behind Ashley, Hunter pulled out his phone, opening texts from his friend’s group chat. Looked like there’d be another junkyard party soon. With that news, his everyday persona fully returned, killing any trace of the momentary care he'd felt. He shrugged it off; after all, whatever might have been going on with Ashley wasn't his problem.                                                        

                                       ****

Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.

That was the first thought to enter Ashley’s mind as he sat in the back corner of Mr. Thompson’s history class on Tuesday afternoon, alone. That’s right—the desk next to him, which belonged to a certain Hunter Dillon, was empty today.

Ashley had already set low expectations for the other boy actually showing up to class and helping him, and he was correct. The hardened teen, with his dirty blond hair, scars, tattoos, and penchant for fighting, checked every box for an 80’s movie bad boy cliché. Adding truancy to the list only solidified that even more.

He’d known Hunter for a grand total of about two days but felt like he already knew what he was all about. Subsequently, Ashley would prefer to not have anything to do with him. But, as luck would have it, they were not only next-door neighbors, but now project partners. He was new to this school and therefore knew no one. Of course he would have a hard time finding someone to work with right off the bat. Hunter, on the other hand, was apparently quite unpopular, as none of the other students wanted to pair up with him. Another unsurprising reveal.

Mr. Thompson shuffled in, placing notes on his desk and casting a discerning glance toward the vacant seat. He cleared his throat. “Looks like we’ll have to start without one half of our dynamic duo today.” The class snickered, and Ashley felt the weight of skepticism in their stares. Even when Hunter was absent, he did nothing but cause Ashley trouble.

Still, Ashley was there, and had no choice but to get to work. After all, it was just one day.

                                                                                      ****

It wasn’t.

Days slipped by, marked by Hunter's consistent absence and Ashley's growing irritation. Each time Ashley entered Mr. Thompson's class, he found himself sitting alone, the empty chair beside him serving as a constant reminder of the delinquent’s negligence. The initial frustration progressed into a simmering anger, as Ashley’s calm, collected demeanor began to dissipate.   

What added fuel to the fire was that he could see Hunter from his bedroom window the past few nights. Hanging out, gaming, all kinds of things that relayed the fact he was fine. He just didn’t want to work, and didn’t give a damn how Ashley felt about it. It was like he was garbage.

With the go-ahead from a somewhat contrite Mr. Thompson, Ashley attempted to move forward with the project, working diligently on his own, compensating for Hunter’s laziness. He juggled between resentment and a relentless commitment to not let Hunter's behavior affect his grades and create a blemish on his reputation. He couldn’t afford that.

Friday afternoon came, and while penciling away at his notes, Ashley paused, with a new thought. Even though it was decided that this was now a solo effort and Hunter would receive none of the credit, he felt he could not just let this slide. His resentment towards Hunter then transformed into a determined resolve. He decided it was time to confront the issue head-on.

                                                                                      ****

Ashley readied himself to head over to Hunter’s house that evening. Without much thought, he glanced at himself in the mirror, brushing aside some of the black fringe from his face. He didn’t know Hunter's family--he hadn’t had the chance, or a reason really, to meet them yet--and showing up unannounced did feel a bit awkward, but appearances and first impressions still mattered to Ashley. Moreover, given how Hunter was, he could only imagine what his parents were like. He was slightly uneasy about possibly setting something off by just showing up, but he figured he had to talk to Hunter and get things off his chest; it just couldn’t wait anymore. The faster he got this over with, the sooner he’d never have to think about that blond troglodyte again.

Ashley quietly closed his bedroom door behind him, fingers delicately pulling the knob along, with his signature grace. His breath held steady in his throat, as he glanced towards the room at the end of the hall. The door was closed shut, as usual, but he could hear a low hum being emitted from the TV, as well as some light noises indicating movement. The length stretching from Ashley’s room, past that room, and to the front door was a mere few feet, and yet, the path appeared endless.

The boy pushed up his glasses and stepped forward, his eyes focused on the exit before him, one thought repeating in his mind on a loop.

Keep walking.