Once again Ash's use of his mother's car was being exploited. A simple favour soon blossomed into a regular turn of events, and so Ash sat in his car awaiting Gary to eventually appear outside. He didn't mind too much about being his personal chauffeur because more often than not they would be going to the same place. However, he did mind that he almost consistently made them late. But today being a Thursday, Ash's classes didn't start for another hour, hence his impatience was rather mellow.  Gently tapping on the steering wheel rhythmically in beat to a song on the radio, Ash absent-mindedly peered outside his windows. The neighbourhood was bustling and lively; kids and parents journeyed to school, cars navigated down the main roads while the birdsong emanating from the trees gave the area a tranquil feel.

Suddenly a small patter of raindrops formed on the windows attracting his attention, streaking down out of site. Eventually small patters formed into bigger patters, a showery experience delivered by the rolling grey clouds basking in the sky. Expecting it to rain, Ash rolled down his window slightly, allowing his palm to tingle in the sensation of cool rainwater. It was refreshing to say the least but soon the small shower developed into a full-on downpour. The pavements adopting a darker shade of grey, small puddles forming in the uneven gradients. This resulted in little kids jumping in said puddles, much to the displeasure of their parents trying to keep a hold of their umbrellas. Ash smiled at the interaction, seemingly reminiscing of a life he could no longer live, but happy for those who could.

A few minutes later the passenger door opened, a small waft of cool air invading the car's humid atmosphere, gently touching Ash's forearm. Looking to his left, Gary wiped the water of his face, his normally voluminous hair flatter and saturated with rain. Reading his dashboard, he noticed it wasn't too late, so they set of at a seemingly leisurely pace, navigating through traffic. The mahogany haired man initiated some small talk about the weather and sports, Ash upholding with his own replies. Ash had found out he had indeed made the school team but was only a substitute due to his lack of experience, which he felt was justified. His friend was rather pleased, for not having many good friends on the team crippled his morale during bad games.

"I'm telling you Ash, most of those guys only play for the girls." His words muffled by the croissant in his mouth, the butter slowly dripping down his thumb. Ash laughed at the notion, assuring his friend that he was mistaken, however they were on a losing streak as of late and so he felt he could at least improve the team somewhat. "Anyways have you heard about this 'Angel Investor Opportunity' my grandfather was talking about?" Finishing his breakfast, he cleaned the crumbs onto the car floor, much to Ash's annoyance.

Gary lived with his grandparents having grown up in care for the first few years of his life. They adopted him after social services deemed his biological parents unfit to raise a child, a reason Ash never found out but didn't push. He often admired his friend's resolve, wondering what went through his mind at times. Living with his grandparents, the boy usually had little to no boundaries and structure to his schedule, something Ash knew all too well. Growing up together, he himself was relatively well behaved, but Gary insisted on following his wild natured ideas which only landed them into problematic situations. He knew the feeling of growing up without a parent, but Gary grew up without either of them, so he never blamed Gary for wanting additional attention. It was his coping mechanism and Ash wouldn't deny him that. However, growing up his attitude matured and balanced out. Understanding the situation for what it was, Gary was determined to make something of himself, not wanting to take the same path as his parents.

His grandfather, Professor Oakly, was a very respected man at their university. Gary got along with him soon enough to the extent where Gary replaced his father with him mentally. Ash wondered what he would do if he lost his mother as well, but he ignored the thought in appreciation to what he had compared to his friend. Delia knew Gary very well, often staying over meant that it was almost his second home, but his visits became less frequent after Mark's untimely passing. Gary envied his friend for knowing his father and consoled him when he was gone. A favour Ash very much intended on paying back, for his whole life if needed be. Despite his old age, Professor Oakly still taught at the institution, in one of Ash's and Gary's classes in fact. He was proud of the two boys, loving them equally as sons.

"Yeah, I heard a little about it from the posters. We do need a good idea though if we want that investment". Studying in a prestigious institution came with its own perks, one of them being attracting investors for small start-up businesses. Once a year, a group of established companies would send a representative to scout an investable project delivered by the students. Being able to be invested with up to twenty thousand pounds intrigued many students into applying. Although all ideas from any students were allowed, only a few projects would be properly considered so the competition was fierce. Knowing this, the boys mused over potential ideas bouncing them off each other.

"Hmm. How about we do something to help kids from disadvantaged backgrounds? As in help with meals and clothes and trips." Ash wasn't surprised to hear Gary's idea, knowing all too well about growing up without key fundamentals. He remembered him saying that his care home, before he was adopted, didn't have sufficient funding and so the kids rarely got to go on trips and visits like other children would. Building on his ideas, Ash's mind soon bridged the gap between his own ideas and Gary's, forming new foundations in their plans.

"Yeah, we could work with foodbanks to help deliver the meals and everything. And then because people hesitate from using foodbanks in case of being seen, we could set up some delivery system that they would apply online to send the parcels to normal supermarkets". Ash lived near a foodbank but usually saw people reluctant to go in. He wished they didn't feel under scrutiny and fear, but society was sometimes an unforgiving place to those who were closer to the bread line.

"Meaning when people see them, they think they just went shopping like everyone else. Hey that's pretty smart. What about the clothes and stuff? We could ask for donations, but I doubt we'll get enough." Ash's thoughts drifted on possible solutions knowing his friend was right. Recalling doing a couple of weeks of volunteering at a charity when he was younger, he heard them speak about donations and clothes not being enough to give away to everyone.

"Well clothes can be reused so we don't need as many of them, because one box per family should be enough for a couple of weeks or months. Shauna mentioned that her fashion class usually makes testing clothes for design ideas so we could ask the university to help." Gary's eyes lit up at the idea, immediately making a note to speak to his grandfather about it. Although it may still not be enough, they would need to research online to get key statistics to see the scope of their operations. Overall, the two boys were pleased at their initial ideas, considering they were in a car stuck in traffic at the time. Both growing up without at least one parent meant that they wanted to alleviate a social problem as much as possible, for they didn't want their pain to be experienced by others.

The traffic soon fizzled out once Ash made it onto different roads which were significantly quieter, they weren't journeying towards the city centre. Although driving was quicker by only a little bit, buses in the city were notoriously late sometimes and if they did come on time, there wouldn't be any space to get on. Hence Ash began adopting his routine of leaving slightly earlier to drive, albeit spending some more time in traffic was a small price to pay. The rain eventually worsened, the drops violently lashing on the windscreen. His wipers struggling to fully deal with all the water meant visibility was poor, so he decided to drive a little slower. However, a nonchalant Gary, who admittedly enjoyed relaxing without the pressure of driving, looked out of his window. "Hey Ash that guy has the same jacket as you."

Stopping at a red light, Ash turned his head. Gary's finger was pointing to the person walking. Without an umbrella they hid beneath the hood of the jacket, tightly clutching their bag. Wiping the glass of the moisture materialising on its surface, the raven-haired teen gasped, quickly turning the steering wheel and entering a small side road once traffic could continue. Confused, Gary turned to his friend who parked in the middle of the road, engine still running. Thankfully, no cars were coming so they waited for a few moments before Ash opened his window, shaking his arm while using his other to sound his horn. "Have you lost it Ash what are you doing!?" Gary screamed at his friend who looked to see the door open behind him and a person enter.

"You know I could've picked you up from home so you wouldn't have to take the bus." The person pulled their hood down, a set of warm blonde strands dropping down, slightly damp at the bottom leading to slight curling of the locks. Her blue eyes met Ash's who turned around and smiled.

"Thanks Ash. Morning Gary." Her tone was gentle, immediately taking her, rather Ash's, jacket off as to not to get the seats wet, but abruptly stopped after some insisting by the two boys. A now relieved Gary watched Ash turn around and get back on the main route, still fifteen minutes out from campus, his heart resuming it's natural rhythm. Serena placed her bag on the mat between her legs, the bottom of her trousers now wet and her socks completely soaked. Thankfully, she prepared beforehand and so changed into a new pair that she dug up from her bag. Feeling a little cold, she saw Ash instinctively turn the heating system on, immediately basking in the soothing warmth of hot air.

She looked towards him, his eyes darting around the windscreen keeping track of other cars. All his subtle gestures kept her in her trance. He had only known her for a brief period, and yet she couldn't help but feel pleased when he was around. Already he had done so much for her and yet she barely knows him but despite that, he offered his coat, paid for a meal and now is giving her a ride to campus. Inadvertently, she felt lucky that it was raining; the boy being a little bit of happiness she so sorely needed. She broke her eyes' gaze by the sudden noises around her, impatient drivers becoming very aggressive now it was almost nine in the morning.

She grabbed a small tissue from her pocket, slowly drying her tresses that were still fairly damp. Glancing in his rear-view mirror, Ash couldn't help but smile at the girl fussing over her hair, letting a small inaudible laugh escape his lips. Soon enough the rain simmered to the extent that Ash felt comfortable driving at speeds again, and so they reached their parking lot with a few minutes to spare. "Hey guys I need to get going. See you during our class Ash and thanks for the ride. Seeya Serena" Offering a small wave, Gary fast-paced it towards the towering building, following his fellow students like cattle on a farm. Amused by his actions, Ash found a parking spot and followed Serena into the building themselves.

"Hey, I'm heading to the library, how about you?" Subconsciously walking in his intended direction, Serena who also had a free morning, followed him in step towards into the quiet sanctuary of the library. The aroma of freshly printed paper and coffee invading her senses. Seating herself on one of the computers, Serena adjusted herself, attempting to brush off the moisture on her clothes but conceding to the effort. Sighing, she logged on and began typing up notes on a blank document having not had time last night. The image on Mr Swanson's face as he took his rent money disgusted her still, the memory etched in her brain. But calming her emotions down, she continued to type away, copying off a notebook she had written in.

Soon, after a brief conversation with Daisy at the front desk, who herself had been caught in the rain, Ash walked over to Serena and took the available seat next to her. Waiting for the computer to process his identification details, he glanced at Serena's notebook, the written calligraphy reminding him of last week. Examining it more closely he saw the words were very messy and some letters were missing over some of the more complex vocabulary she used. Yet it was still legible, and Ash rather found himself impressed by her writing style. She wrote about her fashion designs as an experience, perfectly detailing the inspirations and usefulness of each decision. His eyes traced her words, almost encrypting the language she was using, however after a few minutes she was made aware of his actions.

Her blue eyes traced a hint of confusion on his face, almost as if he struggled to read the words. However, Serena grew accustomed to seeing people struggle with her handwriting. Even when she was younger, she would be scolded by teachers who refused to mark her English essays because they couldn't read it. She remembered practising at home to improve her words, writing the same word repetitively until she saw even a little improvement. But she no longer had enough time due to the birth of Riley and her mother was on her own at the time. Growing up taking care of Riley, Serena neglected herself in various ways, but she held no regrets, her family was her first and last thoughts of each day. "Stop trying Ash, it won't work. I know it's bad so you might as well give up now."

Suddenly interrupted by her pale hand covering the notebook, his chocolate eyes met her sapphire ones, a defeated expression lacing her words like poison in a drink. Feeling guilty of making the girl feel uncomfortable, he was quick to respond, a much cheerier tone enveloped into his voice.

"Oh no I'm reading the words. You're writing style is incredible, it's amazing how you capture so much in such few words. Really." Her expression changed and now she was slightly embarrassed about reading the situation wrong, surprised by Ash's choice of words. Remaining silent, she allowed him passage to talk once more, frankly stunned by the development. "Yeah, your writing might be messy, but..." His words trailed off, his eyes now studying the ceiling chandelier, mind in thought. Observing him closely, Serena admittedly felt a little sorrowful, watching him rest his chin on his arm musing the open air. A few moments passed and Ash's mind darted to different thoughts, his lips mumbling incoherent words.

Swiftly he once again met Serena's eyes, a dazed poise resting on her image, his own widened in realisation. "I'll be right back". A bewildered Serena watched the boy unexpectedly take her hand off the notebook before grasping it in his own, pushing himself out his chair. Almost leaping out of his sitting position, he paced towards the front desk, notebook in tow. The last thing Serena needed was more attention on her already poor handwriting, and so the feeling of dismay built up inside her. Being no foreigner to bullying, she attempted to convince herself to recall optimistic thoughts, but this proved futile for she could not escape her mind winding into darker memories. Watching an older woman approach an impatient Ash at the front desk, she adorned her glasses and began tracing the boy's hands which glided across the page.

They conversed for a few minutes, Ash flicking the page and hovering over more words. Maybe Ash was no different after all. Now without her notebook, her notes remained incomplete and so gritting her teeth she turned to approach the desk herself. Her despondent look developed into one of surprise once more, as the two now approached the girl, both adorning slight smiles. "Sorry Serena, but I had an idea and Daisy here agreed with me." Glancing at the mentioned woman, she took a moment to analyse her. Her brown hair was tied back, and her glasses hung from a fine string just approaching her chest. She wore a plain grey jumper with fitted trousers. Nothing too untowardly from a librarian, however she did feel a little anxious seeing her expression.

"Hello dear, I'm Daisy and I'm in charge of the library usually. Ash here showed me your writing and I think I might be able to help." Politely taking the book from Ash's hands, she opened a random page, scribbles and pen marks littered on the once perfectly neat page. Her black fingernails traced certain words before she resumed. "You seem to be making similar mistakes on similarly spelt words and pronunciations. Like here you've missed a p and here you've missed a q. The same applies to your d and b letters where in this line you've mixed them up." A tentative Serena watched her finger outline her words, mentally wishing she hadn't come in early today. Already knowing that the spellings were incorrect, she grew rather annoyed at people for pointing out things that were obvious to them. However, she internalised her opinions, not wanting to cause offence but still felt patronised somewhat.

"Tell me dear, when you write, do you think of the words or do you just write them down?" Daisy questioned the sitting girl, curiously awaiting her reply. She was intrigued by Ash's idea but wanted to confirm her suspicions.

"I usually don't think about it. That's probably why my writing is so bad." She peered up to the standing woman, who now addressed her with a warmer smile. Their conversation was a little unsettling, and Serena felt like the centre of attention but for all the wrong reasons.

"Serena, I think you have something called dysgraphia. It's not a bad thing by any means, but it seems like you are being negatively affected by it. I would like to offer my help to you, and Ash here I think is willing as well. However, I'll need get back to you, duty calls." Quickly pacing back to her desk, Serena glanced over the room noticing a substantial queue forming, with four to five students seemingly annoyed at the time they were standing around. Regardless, Serena finding out she has something she'd never heard of was a tough pill to swallow. Her eyes drifted to her book, outlining her own mistakes, feeling pathetic for making so many even in the smaller words.

Suddenly she felt the weight of Ash's hand gently rest on her shoulder, his long fingers wrapping around her shoulder bone. Taking his seat after standing a little behind Daisy for their conversation, the boy peered into her eyes, his own full of encouragement which tinged his words. "I don't mind helping you if you want. I know a bit about this stuff from a book I read so I should know something or the other." His answer surprised her slightly, not giving much thought into Ash being into reading but was relatively pleased hearing his words of encouragement. Turning back to his computer, they began conversing about dysgraphia, after searching up tips to help Serena and her writing.

Over the next hour, Ash helped Serena write in a different style, changing her pen grip and making her write cursive letters. They noticed fractional improvements, yet it still felt a long way away from what Serena envisaged, but knowing Ash supported her surprisingly gave the normally timid girl some much-needed confidence. Also checking in frequently, Daisy gave some useful advice and offered her services leading to foreign emotions developing in Serena's mind. Ash scrolled through different sites, writing, and noting things down, telling her new ideas she could try and yet she didn't know why he cared so much. All through high school her teachers chided and scolded her in front of other students, and yet Ash was a polar opposite.

He cared enough to make the effort to help, and that was all that Serena ever wanted from someone. Admiration made its way into her sombre heart, believing that finally a positive was on the horizon, albeit in the form of a raven-haired boy who simply couldn't help but support her at every corner. For the first time since she was accepted, she was truly glad to be at the university.

Attempting more and more words gradually, Serena did admit that she could see less mistakes in her words and vowed to keep practising. If not for herself, then for Ash who had gone above and beyond. Glancing into his auburn eyes, he continued talking to her, pointing at the screen, practising the letters himself. Serena didn't dare take her gaze off him, he was purity, and she was a witness. Noticing the still movements of the girl, Ash abruptly stopped talking, meeting her symphonies of blue behind the small locks of hair elegantly touching her cheeks. Unmoving, he wondered what thoughts she was pondered in, not having said much for a little while now.

Some people said the eyes were the windows to the soul, but in her eyes, he saw a beautiful but misunderstood girl, an enigma he could sit and decipher to his heart's content and yet he knew very little about the girl. His inner contemplation was unexpectedly halted by the rolling of a tear down her skin, but despite this he knew her next words, stopping her lips from ushering the syllables. He stood up with her, tightly wrapping his long arms around her waist, gently grazing the fabric of her jumper, her arms firmly gripping his back. Although he was surprised by her small frame, he allowed her to sink into his warmth, feeling short breaths on his neck. Thankfully, the library was a relatively secluded location during the mornings and so there was no one to see Serena emotional breakdown. Yet Daisy, who had now dealt with her queue, shot the boy a worried look to which he waved his hand at, assuring the woman.

A few moments passed, Ash feeling as if his friend regained composure as her breaths were now more normal and her heartbeat settled on a slower and more relaxed pace. He pushed her back slightly, maintaining his arms' position around her. "Hey what happened?" Although her eyes were still glossy, she was no longer crying but moisture stained her cheeks. His tone was gentle, clearly intending to not make her feel embarrassed. Using her palms, she disconnected from the embrace and wiped her face, straightening her creasing folds on her clothes.

"Thank you, Ash, for caring so much." Confusion adorned his face, but regardless he felt he understood her emotions, not wanting to question a clearly sensitive topic. Simply nodding his head, they sat back down, turning back to their screens. However, the mood was a little awkward now; the two unable to converse as freely as they wished. That was instantaneously solved by Ash's phone, his ringtone blaring to the few students who they didn't notice walk in. Quickly silencing the device, he apologetically looked at Daisy, who ushered him to take the call outside to which he adhered to. Seeing the boy walk away, and the woman now deeply furrowed into a pile of books, Serena opened her bag which had dried in the warm atmosphere.

Reticently popping out a small pill from the plastic packaging, she placed quickly deposited the white object in her mouth, proceeding to take a drink of her water. Luckily, Ash had returned, her eyes watching him come back over, secretively thanking him for taking so long. Waking up late meant Serena had forgotten about taking her tablet, and so she felt despondent for doing it on campus but was left with little option. Stuffing the box back into her bag, they both proceeded to carry on with their respective tasks, soon settling into the groove of open conversation once again. 

The minutes soon turned into hours, and before long it was midday, the two having spent the last couple of hours catching up on work. Ash was simply revising his notes, while Serena was catching up on hers, not having her own laptop home exacerbating the effects of an increasing workload. Between her shifts at work, her responsibilities towards Riley and the commute to and from campus, Serena had little time to study for exams and projects. Often waking up late after staying up after midnight some days severely affected her routine, not to mention a lack of proper food available at home taking its toll. Small pains in her head developed into a migraine, her hand clutching her head in a feeble attempt to subside the pain. Gritting her teeth, she decided to concentrate on her work, internally hoping that it would dissolve, and that Ash wouldn't notice.

Thankfully, his computer now portrayed a blank screen, the boy carefully placing his textbook and notepad into the pockets of his bag. "Hey, I've got a class now, so I'll see you later right? We could go out for a late lunch at two or something?" His words were now whispered, the library almost brimming with students who had entered in the last couple of hours. The sounds of feet shuffling and keyboards dominating the quiet delicacy of the room. Nodding her head, he walked towards the door, waving a goodbye to the girl who simply smiled back. Her headaches were now becoming unbearable, and so once she confirmed Ash had left, she followed suit. Recklessly tucking her book in her bag and switching her monitor off, she escaped from the room, the harsh lights of the corridor blinding her slightly.

Walking to the bathroom, she pleaded no one else occupied the stalls. Thanking her good luck, she proceeded to douse her face with cool water, tingling her pale skin. Observing herself in the mirror, her attire hung off her shoulders loosely. She once fit perfectly into her jumper but now her body and frame shrunk to the point where she felt slightly ashamed of wearing it. But she wasn't prepared to update her wardrobe at the expense of food and basic necessities so this would have to do. Her stomach rumbled violently, Serena thinking that even someone outside could've heard it, her eyes darting towards the closed door.

Taking a heavy breath, she put another pill in her mouth, quickly shoving the box into her jacket pocket upon seeing the door open. An older student eyed her for a moment, before escaping into one of the empty cubicles, allowing Serena safe passage to leave. Her shoes tapped on the floor, the door closing slowly behind her as she carelessly swung her bag over her shoulder, her headache simmering down a little. She had only traversed a few yards before her feet abruptly stopped. "Well, if it isn't the girl from the gutter. Didn't think I'd find you so soon."

The tone was malevolent, the words laced with poison as they travelled across the empty hallway. Quickly turning on her heel, Serena sternly looked to see an older student standing motionless, arms crossed. His stance was threatening to the girl, who took no sudden movements, her attention purely focused on the male. The same hair, the same grin, the same disgusting attitude to the people beneath him. Concluding quickly, she spun back round, hair waving quickly, walking away hoping he wouldn't follow. Confronting the son of Mr. Swanson was not an engagement she was keen on participating in, especially with the throbbing pains in her head keeping her from steadily walking. However, the loud thuds of his jog only made the girl wince harder, wishing it were another day when she could actually defend herself.

"Woah Serena you don't look so good. Maybe I should take you home, I'll promise I'll take care of you." His words were as far from comforting as possible, her nerves grimacing at his heinous tone. Her feet sped up slightly, her bag not making it particularly easy to escape, the hallway now seeming a little longer than before. Catching up to the girl, the boy ran his hand lazily through her hair, provoking a reaction. Her slender arm outstretched, creating a small distance between the two.

"Don't you dare touch me. Leave me alone!" Her voice was now much more forceful, not giving a second thought to see if anyone else was around. Her eyes narrowed on the boy; pent up anger only fuelled by her headaches made her rationale reckless to say the least. His red sweatshirt outlined his muscular frame, intimidating her somewhat but she couldn't back down in case he tried anything. Forming a wicked grin between his lips, his next words spilled out of his mouth, twined with his toxic reproach.

"Ah you're a feisty one, Dad should've said. I'm Kyle in case you were wondering. So how about we leave campus for a while, I'll even drive to the local primary school to pick up what's-her-name". Barely finishing his sentence, a strong stinging sensation burnt up on his cheek, his neck jerked to the side, eyes in astonishment. Serena mustered up all her strength to deliver a firm slap onto the boy's cheek, not thinking beforehand of the repercussions of course. But she couldn't stand his lips even mentioning her family. Her bag dropped onto the floor, eyes wild with rage, her body livid with emotion.

"Don't even talk about my family. You stay away from me and you stay away from them!" Attention was now being cast upon the interaction, a teacher coming out of the class to inspect the loud noises. Keeping her gaze firmly fixated on Kyle, he ran his hand through his hair, smiling at the girl who began walking away. Thankfully, Serena could escape thanks to a teacher telling them to vacate the corridor, yet his smile still managed to make her teeth curl to no end. Trudging to her next class, she endured the pain of her wrist, briefly ignoring her headaches for a few moments. Sighing, she dragged her bag across campus, hoping the day would end quickly now.