Dedicated to CXNTRAST for making the new cover! :D
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Ashton knew he wouldn't be able to hide from Luke again today so he didn't even bother trying to.

Luke came up to him while he was leaning against his locker. "Have you thought about it?" Was the first thing Luke said.

"Hello to you too. I'm fine, thanks for asking." Ashton rolled his eyes.

"Oh." Luke blinked and took a small step back. "Sorry. How are you?"

"I said I was fine." Ashton turned and opened his locker.

"So..." Luke stuffed his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight.

Ashton sighed and turned back around. "I have thought about your proposition, as it is."

Luke brightened. "You have?

Ashton nodded.

"What's your verdict then?" Luke asked anxiously, biting his lip.

"I'll be your nerd." Ashton admitted reluctantly.

Luke burst out in a huge grin, but before he could speak, Ashton cut him off.

"But I have some rules first."

Luke nodded. "Fair enough. What are they?"

"One, you don't tell anybody, got it?" Ashton said seriously.

"Well duh!" Luke rolled his eyes. "We would both get expelled if we got caught."

"E-expelled?" Ashton faltered.

Luke nodded. "Its happened before. They were both expelled from this school and had to transfer."

"Transfer?" Ashton asked shakily. He just moved here! He couldn't transfer!

"Next rule?" Luke asked, tilting his head, oblivious to Ashton's worry.

"Uh, um...next rule is, I quit." Ashton said, slamming his locker shut and hugging his books to his chest.

"What?" Luke protested. He grabbed Ashton's arm and pulled the smaller boy closer to him. "What do you mean? You just started!"

"I don't wanna get expelled! I'm here on scholarship! Ashton cried. "I literally just moved here, I can't get transfered!"

"Hey, hey, hey..." Luke took Ashton's face in his hands. "You won't get caught, I swear. The only reason that other pair was caught was because they got in a fight about how much the nerd was getting paid and the nerd told the principal and everything was found out. Here, I'll pay you double. That way, we won't have an issue, okay?" Luke said soothingly.

Ashton shook his head frantically. "No, I can't do that to my mom...she would be so disappointed."

Luke sighed and looked around the halls before taking Ashton's hand and pulling him to an empty janitors closet.

"Here, we can safely talk in here." Luke said in the dark.

They felt around for a light switch but gave up after a few minutes of feeling blank walls.

"I don't wanna do this." Ashton sniffed. "I'm too scared!"

He expected Luke to get mad at him and call him a wimp or a baby or something, but instead the taller boy just wrapped his arms around Ashton, hugging him tightly.

"It's okay if you're scared, I don't want to force you into doing something you don't wanna do." Luke said softly, petting Ashton's hair. "But I really really really need someone to help me with my school work."

"Then get a tutor, or hire someone else to be your nerd!" Ashton said, gripping Luke's leather jacket-clad shoulders tightly.

Luke sighed. "That's the problem though. I don't want anyone else."

"Why not?" Ashton questioned.

Luke shrugged. "What if we start small? I have a worksheet due at the end of last hour. If I give it to you now, do you think you could finish it before then?"

Ashton wiped his eyes and nodded. "I think so, for what class is it?"

"Biology." Luke said darkly. "Here, give me your number and I'll send you a picture of the worksheet. You can text me back the answers. No one will know, okay?"

"Okay..." Ashton said. "But what if someone sees me on my phone?"

"What about it? Everyone's on their phone at school, you'll blend right in." Luke smiled. "It's just labeling, think you can handle it?"

Ashton nodded. "This doesn't feel right..."

"Well, moraly, it's not. But think of it this way, you're helping out a friend! And that's a good thing." Luke smiled and stepped back.

"A friend?" Ashton asked. "We're friends?"

"Well...maybe not friends. More like...close aquantainces." Luke admitted.

The bell rang from somewhere above them and they jumped in surprise.

"Shit, we better get to class." Luke felt for the door knob and opened the door. "Give me your number quick."

Ashton gave Luke his number, a bit grudgingly, and they hurried off to their seperate classes.

-

Half way through first hour, Ashton felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

When the teacher wasn't looking, he pulled it out and viewed the message.

As expected, it was a photo from Luke.

Ashton inhanced the quality so he could get a better look.

It was just labeling parts of a cell, and he knew the first few right off the top of his head.

He kept his hands under the desk as he skillfully replied.

first one is the mitochondria
second is the endoplasmic reticulum

Luke replied quickly.

wait whats the endo thingy??

Ashton sighed and typed back:

the squiggly lines connected to the nucleus

oh, ok. thanks!

Ashton rolled his eyes and smiled.

He scribbled down some notes for his class, to show he was paying at least a little attention.

His phone went off again and he quickly answered it.

the nukeleus is the big circle in the middle right?

nucleus* and yes

oh shut up, this isnt a spelling test

Do u suck at spelling too?

The teacher started walking by and Ashton had to put his phone away as she neared his desk.

He excused himself to the bathroom, when he could text Luke without getting in trouble.

Just answer the rest of the questions plz

Fine fine.
3. Golgi Apparatus
4. Centrioles
5. Cell wall

Yayyy thank u! I told u u could do it! (;

Dont push it

Ashton smiled and pocketed his phone. He headed back to his class.

"Excuse me? New boy?" A voice called.

Ashton stopped and turned around to see a girl hurrying up to him.

She had brownish/red hair that tumbled half way down her back. Her eyes were bright green, and her skin was pale.

"Can I help you?" Ashton asked politely.

"What's your name?" She asked him. "So I don't have to keep calling you 'new boy'?"

"I'm Ashton. Who are you?" Ashton questioned.

"Varia." She said. She looked him over. "I'm Luke's girlfriend. Who the fuck are you and why did you disappear into the janitors closet with my boyfriend?"