(Corridors) Our Solemn Hour

[Bradyn Reed]

[it's just impossible to stay sad around people like Bradyn. xD]

Bradyn grinned. "Oh god forbid, my head gets disproportionate and I'm not 'eye candy' anymore." He said, highly sarcastically, of course. "Wouldn't want to be disowned, now would I?" He sighed a little and couldn't help but think what some of his friends would do without him. Always have to have the one friend who says the stupidest things to break the ice.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash burst out laughing, "That would be a shame!" he agreed, giggling. "Not that you were ever 'eyecandy' to begin with!" he teased, a spark of spontaneity finally lighting up his eyes once more.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn laughed a bit but then his jaw dropped a little. Dramatically grabbing the front of his shirt as if his heart were on fire, he staggered back a few steps. "Merlin, oh how my self esteem plummets!" Bray said, gasping a little and looking highly offended.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash snickered and rolled his eyes, jumping down from the wall, he walked past Bray and lightly smacked him on the head, "Drama queen!" he muttered, turning he called back over his shoulder, "See ya at dinner!"


((yeah, it sux i know. who cares?))

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn smirked, "That'd be Drama King to you, mister." He said, and grunted when he got smacked in the head. Obviously, his friends found that to be something they could to freely to him. "Well, later. Don't slit your wrists, I'll be checking." He said, and raised his hand in a lazy wave as he left.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash turned back, "King? Coulda fooled me!" he smirked, however, the smile slipped from his face at Bray's next words, "And I've already done that." he said grimly rolling up his sleeves so Bray could see the scars that adorned his arms and wrists, "And no, it was not because of Maxi, I've been doing this since before I met him."

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn frowned and turned back around, what Ash had said obviously peaked his curiosity. Stepping back over to his friend, he frowned down at his arm. Tracing a couple of the scars he looked back at Ashton. "You shouldn't do that, if you hit an artery just right you could die." Bray said, frowning and genuinely upset. Then Bray pulled up his own sleeve, deciding to show his own scars. They weren't from cutting himself, but they sure looked it. "You shouldn't scar yourself. They're battle marks, you should earn them." Bradyn frowned down at the claw marks he'd gotten from cat fights.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash scoffed, how thick could Bray get? You shouldn't do that? You could die?. "That's what I wanted. That's why I did it." he said quietly.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn frowned, not liking to think that his friend could actually be suicidal. "Well, obviously you did a choppy job of it. Either that or someone likes you to much to let you bleed out." He said, close to snapping in irritation. He would definitely keep a better eye on him now.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash nodded, "It was Jac. Jac Biggerstall. She couldn't understand why I would want to die, and when I told her, it was because of my dad, she was like, 'You could've used your wand to stop him!' But I couldn't! One, I'm underage, and two, my dad takes my wand away when I get home for holiday." He sighed dejectedly, "Now she hates me and thinks I'm weak." Sinking down to the ground, Ash buried his head in his hands, "Maybe Jac's right, maybe I am weak." he said lifting his head, tears running down his face.

[Bradyn Reed]

Bradyn rolled his eyes at Ash. Like he was going to agree with 'Oh, killing yourself is okay sometimes', was Ashton out of his mind? "She should've knocked some sense into you while she was at it! From what I hear, you're dad may be a loon and make your life hell.. but.." He stopped off there, not quite sure what to say. He couldn't say 'fight back' because that would just make things worse, but what, was he going to tell him to buck up and take it like a man? Hell no.

"But.. he's still you're father. In the end, you love him, right?" Bray sat back on the floor next to Ash and put his arm around the older boys shoulders. "And no matter what he says or does to you, he can't break who you are. And you're one of the strongest person I know." Bradyn smiled, he wasn't lying. Friends like Ash and Fay, the ones that had to deal with struggles like this all the time were the people he considered strong.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Are you insane!" he cried, as he jumped up, "How could I love someone who uses me for a freaking punching bag? Someone who blames me for every damn thing that goes wrong in his life! Someone who will never see me as anything but worthless!? Do you honestly think that I could love a father like that!?" he cried, his voice rising as he became more and more hysterical. He sighed and laughed bitterly. "No Bray, you're wrong. I could never love some one like Daniel McLane, because he never made an attempt to love me!"

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

((Neecoole... do i need to drag you back in here young lady?))

[Bradyn Reed]

( -sigh- I guess it couldn't be avoided? )

Bradyn didn't expect Ash to jump up so suddenly, and he retracted his arm after it was practically ripped out of its socket, cradling it against his side. "It doesn't help if that's all you view him as. If all you think he's capable of is being an arse to you, you'll never appreciate him or notice the good things he may do. If you blind yourself with the negative aspects of someone, you'll never see the real person!" He said, but didn't look up at Ash and just stared at the ground.

"But fine, believe what you wish. Who am I to say? I don't even understand, anyway.. right?" Bray said quietly, a little hurt by Ash's cold words.

[Professor Ashton Laurent]

Ash sighed, "I'm sorry Bray. I didn't mean to go off on you like that. It's just that, I'm so sick of everyone telling me to try and see the good side of my father. There is no good side! The only good thing is when he is far, far away from me. And now I can't even have that!" His shoulders slumped in defeat, "Why does he do this to me? Why can't he just leave me alone?"