Stare At the Photograph - A.F.I.

3

ALYA

"I'm sorry!" I apologize, before running out of the elevator. I run outside the hotel and just stare at the New York City skyline.

How am I in one of the coolest cities in the world, but I don't want to be here? Then I realized that all my stuff is still in Ashton's car. Fuck.

—
I attempt to open the trunk of Ashton's car, but it's locked. I stand there in defeat and hear an accented voice call out my name. I slowly turn around and am relieved when I see it's just Ashton.

"Can you please open the trunk? I'm going back home." I ask him as he approaches the car.

"What? Why? You're already here!" Ashton says, placing his hand on the car.

"I don't have a place to stay and even if I wanted to I don't have the money for it. I was planning on staying with Michael for the next two days." I explain to him.

Ashton opens the trunk and pulls my luggage out.

"Fine. You can stay with me." He says, walking towards the hotel holding my things.

"Ashton, that's not necessary." I tell him.

"Too late." He says, handing my things over to the bellhop. "C'mon let's get you freshened up."

—
By the time we got to Ashton's room, my things were already in there.

"Do me a favor and don't tell Michael I'm here." I ask.

"My lips are sealed." He says, doing the zipping motion with his mouth.

"Now," he says, opening his mini fridge. "let's get wasted."

He holds little bottles of liquor in his hands.

"Ashton, it's 3'o'clock!" I say, astonished as he lays the bottles on his bed.

"It's five'o'clock somewhere." He shrugs. "Pick your poison."

"Tequila!" I say, jumping onto the bed. Ashton hands me the bottle and we clink our shooters before chugging.

ASHTON

I look over at the clock and it's 9pm. How long have we been sitting on the bed? I look over to look at Alya and she's knocked out. I'm bored.

"Alya!" I whisper-shout to wake her up.

"What?" she says annoyed and groggy.

"Let's go to a club!" I say.

"Ash, I'm tired." she says, turning over.

"Alya! C'mon!" I say, shaking her awake.

"Fine! Just stop shaking me!" she yells.

—
I'm looking at myself in the mirror, wearing a black button up, with a few of the top buttons undone and black ripped jeans.

"Alya! Let's go!" I say, checking my teeth in the mirror.

"I'm coming!" she says, stumbling out of the bathroom. She's wearing a tight black dress and black high top converse. She's holding her phone in one hand and a small digital camera in the other.

"Okay before you judge on the shoes, I'm gonna fall if I wear my cute shoes." she says, checking her lipstick in the mirror.

"Let's take a picture!" she says, holding up the camera. We take a selfie and a mirror selfie and then I get the notification on my phone that the uber is here.

—
My eyes are having trouble adjusting to the lighting of this place. I remember coming here before on an earlier tour and liking it. Alya struts up to the bartender and orders a drink.

"Can I get a Jack and Coke please?" she says, giggling, looking over at me.

"Can I get a card for a tab?" the bartender asks.

"Here just take mine." I say handing over my card.

"Don't go crazy." I scold her.

"I won't!" she says, taking her drink in hand and downing it in one gulp.

"Damn! Slow down!" I say to her, taking a swig of my drink. Low By Flo Rida starts playing.

"Ash! I love this song! Let's dance!" she says, taking my hand and pulling me into the crowd.

She's still holding my hand and starts to go low-low-low-low-low and then I pull her back up. I put my finger up to tell her to give me a second and I chug my drink. I leave the cup on a nearby table, meanwhile she keeps dancing and I watch from a distance.

She's stunning. I don't get how Michael would cheat on a girl like her. I like Ashley. We've been only been dating for 3 months, and I haven't looked at other girls this way during our relationship, but it's over. I don't do cheaters.

I keep watching her as she puts her hands in her hair and just sway to the music. Some guy approaches her from behind and puts his hands on her hips. She looks a little surprised at first, but continues to dance. She looks at me and smiles and I smile back. Then I start looking around the bar and Michael, Calum, and Luke are walking in and sitting at the bar.

I walk over to the guy dancing with Alya.

"Get the fuck off of her." I say. The guy puts his hands up in the air and backs away.

"What was the about?" she says looking at me weird.

"Michael's here. I don't think he's seen us yet." I say into her ear.

"Oh fuck. There's so many clubs in New York and they had to choose the one we're at?" She whines.

"This is our favorite one." I tell her. "I've got an idea."

I grab her hand and pull her to a spot where he could see us from the bar. I spin her around, so that her back is facing me and put my hands on her hips. We sway back and forth to Con Calma by Daddy Yankee and when I notice that Michael is looking, I whisper into Alya's ear, "Laugh like I said something funny."

So she starts laughing and turns around in my hands to face me.

"Was that good?" she asks with a laugh.

"Perfect."