But, Shes my Best Friend (Ashton Irwin fan fiction)

Chapter 58

Ashtons POV

I stared up at the ceiling. Zoe was supposed to be coming back from her trip today. I tried to forget about her these past few day. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't going to work out between us. We were better friends, not lovers. She liked to keep the boys lingering, while I preferred to stay grounded. I was in love with her, and I now saw that no matter how many times we said it to each other — she never felt the same. Her mind was always on something else while mine was on her. The amount of stuff I missed during class just wasting my time thinking about her. About the next time we would talk. Or the next move I would make. Thinking about it, none of it was worth it. I thought we were perfect for each other, that we deserved each other. I can't help the fact that she doesn't feel the same way. I can't change her mind or change myself to be more to her liking. I shouldn't. For years I tried to help her to notice what was right in front of her. How our liking for the same thing wasn't just a coincidence, it wasn't just a good friendship, but compatibility. Was I lying to myself all these years?

There was a knock on my door.

"Come in." My voice didn't sound like my own anymore. Chloe and Calum slowly entered. Chloe sat at the edge of my bed, while Calum stayed lingering at the door.

"She's coming today," Chloe spoke sympathetically. "You want to see her?"

"No. Not really." I said.

"You want to do anything? Get away? You're not going to stay here and mope like you have for the past two weeks?"

"Lets go on a trip!" I suggested, sitting up so quickly my focus blurred.

"A trip?" Calum almost choked at the idea.

"For how long?" Chloe asked.

"Until freshman orientation." I replied. They weren't expecting this when they came in here.

"Are you sure? I mean, for these past few weeks we've done nothing but take you out, and now you want to go on a trip?" Chloe asked me.

"Why not?" I shrugged, a crazy smile on my face. "You guys we have to be spontaneous. We can't go into college with no good stories."

"We have plenty of stories." Calum crossed his arms over his chest.

"Guys, I really don't want to see her get home, or see her come to my door and beg for forgiveness." I paused, "Cause I don't think I'm ready to forgive her."

Chloe looked over at Calum, he gave her a slight nod.

"Where to?" Chloe smiled.

"Why don't we talk about it over lunch, I'm starving." Calum suggested, Chloe and I agreed.

We sat in a brightly lit booth in the back of a Mexican restaurant. I wiped the condensation of my soda on my jeans while the waiter took our order. Honestly, I had no idea where to go. Where to be spontaneous at. We were three broke teenagers. There was no where to go but the local raves and the mall.

"So where to?" Calum asked once the waiter left.

"How about the New York?" I offered.

"Ashton, even combined we don't have enough money to afford a trip to New York and a stay in a hotel." Chloe said.

"Lets go to California." Calum suggested.

"Europe?" I looked at both of them carefully. Chloe's eyes shone with excitement.

Calum looked uncertain, "Well like Chloe said, we can't afford that."

"We could try. . ." She looked up at him carefully. I couldn't think of a way to get money in such short notice.

"Look, we've all been working for the past two weeks. We work harder, extra hours, extra jobs for about 10 days and we got enough money for a plane ticket." I began, "We ask our parents for some more, and we might have enough."

Calum nodded in agreement. When Zoe left we all had jobs. I had to get one to keep me distracted. I worked long hours and extra shifts on the nights when she was all I had on my mind. Put together we had enough for a plane ticket and train rides. Our server put a sizzling plate of fajitas in front of me. I was excited for the trip. Even if we need to do a lot to get there. Thinking about this trip was the only thing I had put a lot of thought on that wasn't Zoe.

I pulled up into the driveway, after a long day at the diner. My mom had been seeing this guy, Connor, who owned a restaurant at a country club. The country club was inside a gated community of rich retired folk, with too much money, but knew how to tip their waiter. When I walked in my mom was in the living room watching a movie with a box of girl scout cookies on her lap.

"Zoe was looking for you." She told me keeping her eyes on the screen. I nodded, even though I knew she couldn't see me. I sat on the couch right next to her. I began to figure out a way to ask her for money. When a commercial came on I went right on and asked.

"So Chloe, Calum, and I were thinking about going on a trip to Europe—"

"Europe thats wonderful." She interrupted.

"Yeah, we figured by the end of next week we'd have enough money for the plane and a few other things but not enough for a whole trip. You think you could loan me some?" My voice was shaky. I never really had to be this blatant while asking.

"How much money are we talking?" She asked quizzically.

"About fifteen hundred." I shrugged. While we never thought about much details, I thought fifteen hundred was a pretty good amount.

She smiled, "I'll see what I can do."