fortuity - mgc

seven

that next monday, everybody was exhausted. ashton wasn't on the bus, and erin sat with her knees held to her chest, facing the window. everybody knew luke had a weakness, they just didn't know it was erin. everybody has something that shows their true side, sometimes it's your friend's ex-girlfriend. he thought about what ashton said that saturday, how he had not a care in the world for how he acted towards any of them. especially erin.

during the passing periods, ashton saw erin. pulling her to the side. he'd swear he never saw someone so broken over drunken words. erin looked at him, not sure whether to slap him or to ask what the fuck he was thinking last night. "listen, i'm sorry." ashton began, erin slapped him. it echoed through the now empty hallways. "i deserved that, i know i do." dryly laughing, though erin found nothing funny about this.

he looked at her red-rimmed eyes, his heart filling with guilt. "oh god, er.. fuck i'm so sorry." erin looked at the floor. not wanting to make eye contact. "why?" her voice broke as she spoke, as if she'd been crying hours.

and that shattered his heart into a thousand tiny pieces.

ashton cupped her cheek with his hand, "i was with some other buddies.." he paused, seeing as how erin was on the edge of crying, sighing in only embarrassment to himself, "we drank, i didn't realize how much i had in such little time." erin was silent. "i'm not asking you for forgiveness, i know i fucked up, but i'm asking you for a fresh start." she looked at him, confused. "fresh start? what do you mean?" she questioned, motioning for him to keep talking.

"well, just a clean slate. start out as friends again. see where we wind up. if we end up falling for other people, so be it." ashton sounded sincere, and that's what threw her off. she knew he only spoke this way when he truly, deeply meant it.

she nodded, understanding. "just as friends. that's all." erin spoke, and ashton smiled faintly. she didn't notice it though. "friends." ashton repeated, before slinging his bag back over his shoulder. erin was hesitant, stepping up to her tip-toes and throwing her arms around his neck.

as if instinctual, ashton's arms held her waist to keep her up. though she wanted to hate him, she couldn't make herself do it. they respected each other. all erin was happy about was that she was able to hear an explanation.

the rest of the day went by painfully slow, agonizingly slow. sydney and calum walked to a few classes with each other, and michael and lily don't have a single passing period near the other. so they have to wait till the end of the day to see each other. waiting in the final class, lily tapped her pencil on her desk, begging for the bell to ring any earlier. she was the first to race out of there once it did.

boarding the bus was something they all had pleasure in doing. besides today. today was a day nobody wanted to get on the bus. everybody sat in their respective seats, talking to one another and waiting to finally begin the drive home. that is, until ashton got on.

they all went silent. erin looked at everybody, nerves spiking. as ashton passed the filled seats to the back, calum got up. ashton irwin would regret getting on the bus today.

calum shoved ashton down to the aisle of the bus, hovering over him, anger filling his eyes. ashton groaned as he attempted to push him off, but to no avail. calum's fist was holding ashton's shirt, pulling him up closer. "you think you can just fucking waltz in here like nothing happened? asshole!" his fist made direct contact with ashton's jaw. causing him to spit out blood. michael sent lily to the seat in front of him with sydney, luke did the same to erin. who was crying.

michael stood up behind calum, trying to pull him off, but he saw a look in cal's eyes that he'd never forget. calum was landing blow after blow against ashton, who was groaning in pain with each hit he received, clutching his stomach in anguish. "cal get off him! stop!" erin screamed through tears, yet calum ignored her cries.

beating down on what was once his best friend. lily watched in terror, and sydney shielded erin from watching anymore. while the two other boys tried to pry calum away, knowing if they didn't do something soon. calum would beat ashton to the brink of death.

michael shared a worried glance with luke, who reciprocated it. ashton's shirt was soaked in his own blood, and his nose was most likely broken. calum sat in a seat farthest from ashton, they all were silent. besides the heavy breathing, audible crying, and laughter from the kids in the front of the bus from the situation. ashton irwin would regret getting on the bus today.

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hey bffs... so.. how'd we like it..