Heartbreak Girl

Part 2

A week later, the four housemates were sprawled across the surfaces in their living room; Luke had claimed the armchair, Michael was on the arm of the sofa, Calum on the end and Ashton on his cajón. They were discussing when they would perform at the open mic night in town and what songs they would play.

"You're writing a song for Bethany?" asked Michael as he tuned his acoustic guitar, Luke doing the same.

"Let's hear it then," urged Calum.

"It's not finished yet," protested Ashton, his fingers tapping nervously against his instrument.

"Then play us what you have finished," argued Luke, wanting to know what sort of song Bethany had inspired the other man to write. "We won't judge," he promised, grinning when he sighed, mumbling a reply of assentation.

"You've got a boyfriend,

And he's a total loser,

All your friends tell you,

That he's got no future,

But they like me,

Just saying," sang Ashton, tapping his cajón in time, his friends silent as they listened.

"He barely takes you out,

If he does, he's late,

And when the check comes,

He always makes you pay,

I'd never do that,

Just saying,

You should leave him,

'cause it really makes me sick,

Just saying, just saying,

You don't need him,

I'll help you get over it,

Just saying, just saying,

When you change your mind,

I'll be waiting,

'cause I'm better than him,

Just saying,

When you change your mind,

I'll be waiting,

Just saying," sang the drummer, his voice trailing off once he was done. "I know it's not great, and it needs a second verse and maybe a bridge, but-"

"But nothing, Irwin," interrupted Michael. "That was awesome. You're gonna play it for her, right?"

"Probably not," confessed the curly haired man, not meeting his friends' eyes and shrugging. "I'm sure she'll hear it at some point," he continued before they could interrupt. "But I'm not gonna play it for her specifically."

"Dude, if a girl finds out a guy wrote her a song, it's major points for him," Calum pointed out. "Especially if it's a love song."

"It's not a love song as such," admitted Luke, strumming his guitar absentmindedly. "But she'll love it."

"She loves all our songs," mumbled Ashton, refusing to get his hopes up.

"But-"

"Anyone home?" called a voice, before Bethany walked into the room. "Hey," she greeted them with a smile. "Sorry; I didn't realise you were banding tonight," she apologised, starting to back out of the room. "I'll leave you to it."

"Nonsense!" replied Michael, grabbing her arm as he was closest to her. "You're always welcome here, even when we're banding."

"Greg ditch you again?" questioned Calum softly as the redhead encouraged her to sit with them, pulling her down on the sofa beside him. When they got no reply, they knew the answer to his question was yes. "Never mind, B; we're cooler anyway," he said, trying to cheer her up and getting a small smile in return.

"I wouldn't go that far, Calum," protested Luke with a grin. "We are more fun, though," he told them as Calum left to put the kettle on.

"What can we do, love?" prompted Ashton, the endearment slipping out unbidden and not going unnoticed by his friends. "We hate seeing you like this."

"Can I stay?" she whispered, not wanting to ask in case they wanted her to leave despite their kind words.

"Like you need to ask," replied the blonde, smirking at the eldest of the boys, who he knew would never turn her away. "You're always welcome here," he repeated.

"Since you had pizza the other day, how about we order Chinese and put a movie in?" suggested Michael, putting an arm around his best friend.

"I'd like that," she murmured, leaning against him willingly. The moment she agreed, Ashton was on his feet, retrieving the takeaway menu and checking he was ordering the right dishes for the five of them.

"How is it he always remembers what you get, but he always mixes ours up?" Michael asked Bethany quietly when the food arrived half an hour later and they shared the cartons out, though he already knew the reason.

"How should I know?" she replied from her place in front of the sofa, huddled between his legs and Ashton's. "You got the right food, didn't you? Don't complain. Besides; I think the question we should be asking is why Ash knows my order after two years and you don't after twelve."

"She's got you there, Mikey," said Calum from the armchair, having stolen it from Luke when he paid for their food, leaving him to sit on the floor as well.

"Some best friend you are, mate," teased Luke, stealing a spring roll from the bass player in retaliation for the chair stealing.

"Maybe Ash should be my best friend instead," she agreed, making the man in question smile, though his friends could tell that it wasn't completely genuine.

"Nah, you'd miss me too much," argued Michael, playing along with a laugh.

"I'd be here just as much as I usually am, idiot," she reminded him, shaking her head with a smile. "You share a house."

"Still," replied the twenty year old, giving her shoulder a gentle shove. "Better idea; I can be your best friend and Ashton can be your boyfriend," he suggested, getting a glare from both of them.

"Not gonna happen, Clifford," dismissed the eldest of the five. "No offence to Ash," she added, glancing up at him for a moment. "I'm sure you'd be a great boyfriend; but I'm with Greg and I'm happy. I am," she repeated when their looks clearly said that they didn't believe her.

"If you were happy, you wouldn't be showing up here near tears most nights," said Ashton quietly, not meeting her eyes, his on the floor.

"He loves me; that's enough," murmured Bethany, trying to convince herself as much as she was them.

"If he really loved you, you'd be with him right now," Calum pointed out softly before pressing play to start the film they had chosen and effectively ending the conversation.

But as she leant against Michael's legs, her head on his knee, Bethany couldn't keep her attention on the screen in front of her, thinking instead of her relationship with her boyfriend. Things had started out so well between them, but after a few months, his work load had supposedly increased and he had less and less time for her. He had started cancelling dates at the last minute, sometimes not until he was already late, which he was even if he did show up.

If she was honest with herself, she knew that she deserved better and she didn't like that her friends would readily express the same thing. She knew they only wanted her to be happy, but it didn't help her insecurities, because if she was enough for him, Greg would surely treat her better. She was just thankful that the boys cared enough to welcome her into their home at any time of day, because she didn't know what she would do if she didn't have them in her life.