Ashley:
"Well, who wants a depressed, hopelessly-in-love-with-the-lead-singer bassit in their band?" I asked Andy. There was a split second of silence before he answered.
"I do."
"Why?" On the outside, I remained sad looking but on the inside, I had hundreds of other questions.
"Ashley, I... I really like you. I'm not sure if it's exactly love, but I'm willing to fall in love with you." Andy says, looking embarrassed. I felt my eyes water again but I blinked away the new wave of tears before they could fall.
"Oh, Andy," I breathed out as he wrapped me in his arms. "I-I'm sorry for... Well, the incident earlier."
"I understand. Just, please, try to stop? I'm not making you promise or swear because I realize it could be hard." Andy says, pulling away from the embrace and hold me at arm length. He brushes a piece of my messy hair out of my eyes. "Okay? Come on, I have Sandra waiting in the lounge."
I crawled out of my bunk and waddled into the lounge of the bus. Sandra was sat there, continually running a hand through her dark hair. Her head snapped up when I cleared my throat.
"Oh my God, Ash, don't scare me like that ever again." She pulls me into a friendly hug. I hug her back and we stand there in an embrace for at least a minute. When we part, I turn to Andy.
"So, um, what do you mean when you say you're, uh, 'willing to fall in love with me'?"
"Well," Andy says while sitting down and inviting me and Sandra to sit down as well. "I haven't really loved Juliet for awhile. She was never interested in me and my love faded. The first time she cheated on me, I kind of gradually realized she wasn't who I loved. Then, out of no where, my love didn't seem to exist for her. I'm only staying with her because..." He trails of and stay silent for awhile. He was staring at his tattoo of the word Dragonfly on his hand. His thumb traced the heart with Juliet's name written across it, permanently on his arm.
"Because what, Andy?" Sandra asks from the couch opposite of where Andy and I sit.
"I don't really know. I think, maybe, it was just because I can't stand not being in a relationship. Like, I have a need to be loyal to a lover. Its weird." Andy confessed while running a hand through his hair.
"Oh." I whisper. I look over to Sandra and meet her eyes. The look I give her says it all.
"Well, how do you feel about Ash right now? And are you going to break up with Juliet for Ash?" Sandra asks. Andy turns to me and I feel heat rise to my cheeks. He chuckles and I start biting the inside of my bottom lip.
"My feelings for Ash," Andy begins but pauses. He turns back to Sandra. "High. They're high, lovely, wonderful feelings. I think when I fall in love with him, I'll love him more than I ever did with Juliet. And I totally would break up with Juliet for Ashley. Although, if we do start a relationship, it'd be complicated with the rest of the band and the fans and others."
I lean back and close my eyes. I can easily picture Andy and I holding hands and walking around a town or in a store. It would be amazing to just be carefree like that, but what would the band think? And the fans?
"Oh God," Sandra says before standing up. I open my eyes and look up at her. "I have to go, Lawren needs me. I'm sorry, I'll text you guys later."
She makes her way our of the bus after we say our goodbyes to her. Andy and I were left alone. While I was picking at my fingers, Andy started scrolling through his social media and messages back fans. The silence that hung around us was eerie. Andy's keyboard, my few unamused noises and our breathing were the only sounds on the bus. I wondered if Andy would ask me something. Or at least talk to me.
Soon after I began drawing blood from my fingers, Andy locked his phone and rested his hands on mine.
"Ashley, I did it." He spoke softly, holding my hands.
"Did what?"
"I... I finally broke up with Juliet."
I stayed silent.
"Do you think you'd be willing to maybe... Um, try a relationship with me? Like... Boyfriends?" Andy asked. I bit my lip.
This is what I wanted. This is what I've been crying myself to sleep over. This is what I thought was impossible. He couldn't be serious.
"I don't know," I whisper. My eyes avert from Andy's saddened eyes and focus on the floor. "Y-yes. I'm willing."
"Are you sure? I'm not ready to fall in love like you already have. Can you wait, I guess, for me to do the same?" Andy placed a hand on my cheek when I looked back up at him.
"Of course I'll wait."
And with that, Andy leant down and pressed his lips to mine. I couldn't imagine why I thought sleeping around was a good way to deal with being gay. This was way better. Too soon after our lips touched, Andy backed away and smiled.
"Ashley Purdy," he whispered.
"Hm?"
"Care to be my boyfriend?"
"I would love that."
His lips were attached to mine again and in the middle of our tongue battle, the front door to the bus flew open.
"Yeah! And I was all like- holy shit." CC stopped his sentence just as Andy and I pulled away from each other. I faced them and went ref from embarrassment. "Holy shit. Ash has the homos for Andy!"
"Oh my God," I laughed.
"Wait, you're not drunk?" Jinxx asked.
"No, neither of us are."
"... High?"
"No!" I hit Jinxx's arm and we laughed.
"So, you guys are like... Together?" Jake chimed in from the left of me.
"Uh," I turn to Andy, who is still sat down on the couch. He nods. "Yes."
"Oh, okay. Cool." CC says. "So now, back to my story."
