Maybe Swearing Will Help (SWAT Generation 2.0 3)

Mr. Humphries sighed as he looked at me with concern.

“Okay,” he said. “Next time study, though. And if you feel bad, don’t come to school.”

My mouth twitched. “Yes, sir.”

Once the teacher moved down the row, I caught Ford looking at me as if he was about to say something.

I narrowed my eyes and pointed at him.

“Don’t,” I ordered.

“Ashe…”

“Shut up, Chevy,” I snapped softly. “And just remember, you owe me.”

Ford shut his mouth with an audible snap.

Then turned stiffly in his seat.

What he did not do was open his mouth or say a word to the teacher.

The moment the bell rang, I took off at a run out of the classroom.

Despite my speed and readiness to move, Ford still managed to catch me.

I was outside by the front of the building when he did.

He roughly yanked on my backpack, hauling me back.

I turned and got ready to yell, but the look in his eyes stopped me in my tracks.

“What?” I snapped.

“Why did you do that?” he hissed.

I shrugged.

“Because you need to play,” I told him. “And I want your dad to watch you play your senior year. And you’re too good to be out just because you can’t pass calculus. I’ll do it as much as I need to.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t have to keep repaying me.”

I rolled my eyes.

“You saved me, Toyota,” I said. “I can do whatever the fuck I want.”

Ford gritted his teeth.

But it was true. He’d saved me from stepping out in front of a truck when I was pissed at him once. If he’d been even milliseconds behind me, I would’ve been a pancake on the road.

I would never forget it.

“I don’t like this,” he said.

I wish I could say that was the last time that I bailed Ford Spurlock out of a bind, but that would be lying.

And I wasn’t a liar. At least, not when it came to him.Chapter 1

Maybe if we wait a little longer, a fuck will fall from the sky and I can catch that fuck. Then give it to you.

-Ashe to Ford

Ashe

Four months ago

“I’m sorry, what?” I said through clenched teeth.

“I said no,” he repeated. “I’ll not pose for a stupid calendar.”

I narrowed my eyes at the man. “But why?”

“Because I’m not taking my shirt off,” he said. “I refuse.”

I tilted my head to look at him through slitted eyes. “Then don’t take your damn shirt off, Ford.”

He bared his teeth at me.

“Then what would be the goddamn point of posing for a calendar if I don’t take my goddamn shirt off?” he challenged.

I threw up my hands in defeat. “It’s for a fucking charity. Jesus Christ. Don’t you want to help the children, Ford?”

He rolled his eyes.

“You can’t keep referring to cats as children,” he said. “They’re animals. And not even good ones at that.”

I gasped, my mouth fell open, and I pointed at him warningly.

“Take that back,” I ordered.

He shook his head.

“I’m not doing it,” he insisted.

“Do you remember that time when you were a senior, and I helped you pass the twelfth grade?” I snapped.

Ford clenched his teeth.

“That’s not fair,” he said. “I never told you to do that.”

“No, you never told me to do that. Yet, if I hadn’t, you’d never have graduated senior year.”

Ford knew that I was right.

Ford had a learning disability.

He had dyscalculia to the point where numbers were practically impossible for him to read.

Where everyone else saw seventy-five, he saw fifty-seven. No matter how much he tried to train his brain differently.

Not only had I helped him pass a few calculus tests, but I’d also helped him take the SATs, take multiple exams, and literally ruined my own GPA my junior year in the process.

Luckily, my senior year, I was able to pull them up far enough to get honor roll.

Barely.

“That’s not fair…” he said.

“Life’s not fair,” I told him. “Now, please? I don’t ever ask you to do much.”

He rolled his eyes.

I shook my head. “No, Ashe. I’m sorry. Now I have to go. I have to work,” he said. “Unlike you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I work!”

“You volunteer at a cat shelter and play with cats all day. You’re a crazy cat lady that has no source of income,” he countered.

“I go to school!” I growled. “And I could have a job if I wanted to. I could have your job.”

He did laugh at that.

“You couldn’t do my job,” he snorted. “That’s laughable.”

“Listen here, Chevy,” I snarled. “I could do your job. I could also qualify for the SWAT team.”

He snorted. “You’re a girl, Ashe. You can’t be on the SWAT team. You’d be eaten alive.”

The notes started playing through my head as Ford Spurlock told me that I couldn’t become a police officer because I was a girl.

Anything you can do, I can do better…

“I can, and I will,” I countered. “Watch me.”