I arrived home to the empty house once again. Mum had left a note that she'd been called in early because of staffing issues, which seemed to be the issue that the hospital had been having for a while now. I'd come home to notes most days this week and spent it alone, dad coming home around 10pm some nights - which I only knew because he'd wake me up as he went to his bedroom. I threw the note back down on the counter and sighed. Most kids would relish the free time but the novelty had worn off now. Truth was I was just lonely, I didn't talk to anyone at college and then I came home to an empty house to continue my silence. It was boring, exhausting even.

Heading up to my room, I shut the door behind me and fell onto my bed; the familiar detergent smell rising up and filling my nose again, giving me at least a little comfort. I smiled to myself as I pulled my bag open and yanked out all my homework, starting on it straight away as I always did. Whilst it was painfully depressing, the silence did help me concentrate and do what I'd planned to do all year - work my ass off to get the grades I needed and then get the hell out of that zoo. I worked my way through my homework quickly, my playlist turned loud enough to drown out any outside noise as I concentrated, hoping to complete it all before I made myself something that resembled a dinner. Who knows what it could be this time... I'd exhausted every food that could be cooked in the oven or microwave, and was too lazy to prepare a whole dinner and use loads of pans just for myself. Takeaways had been calling me for the last few days but I'd luckily resisted. Maybe today I could treat myself.

With a new-found energy, I completed my homework in record time and took to my phone to look up places to eat. I had an interest in trying new foods, and always liked to try and new food place that popped up. It seemed like I'd been scrolling for ages when I came across somewhere I hadn't seen before: Katsu, a Japanese restaurant that seemed to only have been open for around a week or two. My stomach pulled at the thought of tasty Japanese cuisine so I clicked on the menu and ran my eyes delightfully over the menu, a smile forming almost instantly. I ordered some prawn gyozas and a chicken katsu curry to be delivered to my house as soon as. My eyes ran over the time and I noted it was already 7pm - still no sign of anyone coming home any time soon. I sighed to myself as I paused my music and headed downstairs, my phone in my pocket just in case it got too lonely. When you spend all day every day listening to music, it seems so much scarier when you turn it off and face the silence you normally ignore. Today was a day like that. Chills ran down my spine as I sat in the kitchen with a cup of water, waiting for my delicious meal to be delivered. I was always awkward and often didn't hang about to talk to the delivery people, who equally just wanted to throw the food over and leave. This suited me down to the ground. My phone buzzed a couple of times in my pocket and i pulled it out carefully.

Your order is on its way!

One message read whilst the other came as more of a surprise.

New message from College

I clicked on it without hesitation.

College: we're not friends. We don't associate with each other. I don't know or care who you are. But I do feel I need to thank you for the heads up about Amber. Hopefully I taught her a lesson.

A smile grew on my face quickly. Do I respond? It was quite obvious he wanted to make sure I wasn't yet another person about to spread rumours about him.

Me: it's okay. Thought you deserved to know. Don't worry, I'm not telling anyone you thanked me or spoke to me. I'm not into spreading rumours or being popular.

I pressed send seconds before the doorbell rang and as I skipped to the door, opening it to reveal my delivery driver.

"H-" I began but it fell short as my eyes connected with Ashton's, his phone chiming as he stared back at me with slight fear on his face.

"Fucking hell!" He sighed as he rubbed his hand over his face. "Go on, fucking laugh it up Earphones." He thrust the bag at me but I lay it on the floor beside me and looked back at him.

"Why would I laugh?" I asked him seriously, my brow furrowing in confusion.

"Because the popular bad boy just delivered your dumb food? I'm normally so careful with names of people from college, I'd have avoided you if I knew." He huffed, clearly angry at himself. I shook my head.

"You've got a job and you're saving money for the future, that's commendable. It's not something I'd laugh at." I shrugged honestly. He hesitated over my words and his response. For a moment, he just looked over me.

"Right. Well. Cool." He shrugged, turning his back on me for a second. He took a step away but then hesitated, turning back round to me quickly and stepping into my house. He shoved me against the wall in the hallway, grabbing my clothes in his fist as his face got into mine. "You mention this to anyone, Earphones, and you're dead. You got that?" Surprised by his outburst, I didn't respond - I just stared back at him in disbelief. I'd just said I found it commendable, yet here he was backing me into a wall and threatening me.

"I'm sure your boss would love to hear how you threatened a customer..." before I knew what I was saying, I'd responded in a way I never thought I would. "I'm assuming your friends don't know you're doing this either." He let go of me and took two steps back, anger growing in his eyes.

"Watch yourself, Earphones. You don't want to make an enemy out of me."