if you don't know, then just let me go
"I can't believe you guys are already a thing!" i exclaimed.
calum and coll were now a couple. calum's arm was wrapped around coll as they sat on the couch. michael was sitting next to ashton on the floor, and i was sitting in the love seat nearby the couch.
"well, calum here is just irresistible." coll planted a kiss on his lips.
"PDA!!" michael screeched and everyone laughed.
"well at least now you have more of a reason to come back and visit." ashton suggested. everyone mumbled their agreements.
"michael, maybe you'd be interested in my roommate, kelly?" coll said suggestively, looking at the redheaded boy.
"i'm not single actually. i have a girlfriend back home named lizzie."
"oh, i've been meaning to ask, why didn't you bring her?" ashton inquired.
"um, well, she's kinda mad at me right now. she was supposed to come, until she found out we'd be staying for 2 weeks. she has some volleyball tournament or whatever." michael shrugged, not really caring.
ashton's eyes somehow found mine, and we telepathically communicated.
we are not gonna be like them, we're actually gonna care , i say to ashton
he nods in agreement.
we all sat doing nothing for a while, the tv playing quietly in the background. soon enough, calum and coll were making out again. michael grabbed the remote and paused the tv.
"OKAY, seriously. If you guys wanna go at it, be my guest. BUT NOT WHEN EVERYONE'S HERE. like damn take a hint." michael stated sassily.
calum shrugged and took coll's hand, pulling her out of the dorm room. coll waved a small goodbye, i figured they were going to coll's dorm. we all burst into laughter.
"michael, you totally just slayed them, oh my god!" i said in a mocking valley-girl voice.
"same goes for you two!" he says, pointing at ashton and I. we laugh and decided to cook some lasagna.
michael offered to cook so we'd have some time to ourselves.
"so i gotta respond to some emails, but you could cuddle up to me while i do it?" i suggest to ashton.
he nodded, a smile tugging at his lips, his dimples promienent. i quickly grabbed my laptop and settled into the side of the couch. ashton clung onto my side, nestling his head underneath my arm, so that i was cuddling him comfortably. opening up my gmail, i noticed a load of emails that were unread. curious, i decided to read them all over. most of them were social media alerts, teachers warning about due dates, sales, etc. until i stumbled across one from the photography school in london. the one i had entered a scholarship contest for, and had gotten 2nd place. it was titled ; Last Chance.
my heart skipped a beat as i was about to open the email,
what could this mean? i had no clue what to expect, and wanted to confront coll about it first before i opened the email. they had sent it 3 hours ago, so whatever last chance i had, could wait awhile. closing the tab before i got tempted again, i heard soft snores and felt light breathing against my arm. looking down, i saw ashton asleep, his mouth curled into the softest smile. i almost lost myself at the sight, but remained calm since i didnt want to wake him up. without moving too much, i reached for my cell phone with my left hand, and dialled coll.
"hello?" a guy's voice answered. calum.
"hey, it's luke. could you give the phone to coll?"
"well mate, she's in the shower, so i can tell her for you. what's up?"
hesitating, i bit my lip. calum couldn't find out about this, not until ashton knew.
"it's kind of private, so could you just tell her to call me right when she gets out of the shower?"
"sure. see ya."
he hung up, and i sighed. what could this possibly mean?
to take my mind off the email, i decided to watch how i met your mother. it was an easy show, not too dramatic and it was funny. a few episodes in, my phone started ringing, and i was reminded of the email once again.
"luke? what's up? calum told me it was urgent."
"i got an email from the photograph-" i whispered, making sure sleeping ashton wouldn't wake up and hear me.
"wait, hold on. i cant hear you, luke. speak louder."
i gently took ashton off of me and set the rest of his body onto the couch. i stepped into the bedroom, leaving the door a crack open.
"i got an email from the photography school in london."
"really? what's it about?"
"that's the thing, i havent opened it yet. i'm too nervous. its called Last Chance."
"ok, i'll be there when you open it. does ashton know?"
i looked out of the bedroom to see ashton dozing off happily, his curls out of control.
"no." i admitted, embarassed.
"luke! this could be something serious."
i sighed. "i know, i know, but i'll tell him later. michael's cooking lasagna for dinner tonight. you should come over."
"will do. i'll bring calum and maybe we can read the email."
"uh, no. this is the first dinner we havent ordered out with michael and calum, so its special. i dont want to ruin the night with some email. we'll do it tomorrow."
coll agreed, we said our goodbyes and i hung up.
"lasagna's ready!" michael tells me once i leave the bedroom.
"okie, thanks michael. but coll and calum are coming over to eat with us, so let's wait 'til they get here."
the two of us walk over to the couch where ashton was.
"we should watch some tv while waiting, but ashton's napping and i don't wanna wake him up." i say, crossing my arms and looking at my boyfriend.
"let's carry him into bed." michael suggests.
since i'm tall but not strong, i held the bedroom door open while michael carried ashton bridal style and set him down on the bed. i covered the sleeping boy with a blanket, and kissed him on the forehead before returning to the living room.
"how i met your mother?" michael asks me cheekily grinning as he sat on the couch.
"how i met your mother." i reply, before plopping beside him.
about 2 episodes later, coll and calum had arrived.
"hey guys. dinner's ready and i'm starved, so let's eat!" michael exclaimed.
the four of us sat at the table, calum and coll beside eachother, michael and i opposite from them.
"where's ashton?" calum inquires after he swallowed a piece of lasagna.
"he's asleep in the other room, but i'm too hungry to wait for him." i say, shrugging.
as we're eating, somehow, the topic was coll and calum.
"what would your ship name be? caleen?" michael giggles at his own statement.
the couple across from us sat there in embarassment, but i could tell coll was loving it.
"how about collum?" i suggest, before michael and i explode into a fit of giggles.
calum clears his throat uncomfortably.
"you know what? you and michael would be a perfect match." he says, eyebrows raised.
i turn red as a tomato, and i'm pretty sure michael did too.
"not cool dude. both of us are taken." michael says glaring at the kiwi boy.
calum shrugs, picking up lasagna with his fork and says, "you never know, maybe after ashton..."
as if the timing could be any worse, ashton walked into the room.
"hey guys, looks like you started without me." he says, surveying the scene.
coll laughs nervously and says under her breath, "we sure started something alright."
ashton doesn't hear her, and i'm pretty sure i was the only one who did. ashton sat at the end of the table, leaning towards me slightly and kissing me. i returned it graciously.
after what felt like hours of silence, calum cleared his throat awkwardly.
wow he sure did clear his throat often.
"this lasagna tastes amazing, michael." he says a bit stifly.
fortunately, ashton doesn't seem to notice and chimes in.
"yeah, thanks mikey, it's great."
michael flashed ashton a genuine smile and looked down, avoiding calum's eyes.
"well, i gotta go do something, excuse me." michael pushed his chair back and stood up, heading into the bedroom.
once the remaining four of us finished, we all sat in front of the tv, trying to decide what movie to watch.
"clueless!" ashton squealed, it had become his favourtie movie ever since i made him watch it.
"the conjuring!" calum reccomended.
no one seemed to take notice how long michael was taking, but i was concerned.
"i'll be right back guys, i'm gonna check on michael." i pushed myself up off the couch, and peered slightly into the bedroom.
michael was pacing back and forth, a hand holding a phone, and a hand running through his red hair.
"i'm saying we're over lizzie. get over yourself." he said into the phone.
my eyes widened at his tone, the conversation seemed pretty heated. i'd never seen him this frustrated.
"goddamn it lizzie, you think you're all that, but you really aren't, okay? not everything is about you." he was still pacing, and i saw his eyes the darkest shade of green ever, and he just seemed.. off.
i took a deep breath, trying not to be heard by him.
"it's over lizzie. for real. we are breaking up and i never wanna see, hear, or talk to you, ever again." he finished, hung up the phone and threw it onto the bed with exasperation.
he stopped pacing and sat on the edge of the bed. his hands came up to his face, and i heard sobs.
i tried to stop myself, but i just couldn't. i walked into the room, the door creaking slightly when i pushed past it. i walked slowly towards him, as if he were a hurt animal. i didn't want to scare him.
"luke, what did you hear?" he asked me, looking up at me with his dark green eyes which were red from crying. the sleeves of his sweater were stained with tears and at that moment, i felt so bad for him. i sat beside him on the bed, putting my arm around him, rubbing him comfortingly.
"it's okay, mikey. i'm here for you." i said quietly, looking him in the eyes. he looked like a sad kitten, helpless and innocent.
"you wanna know why i broke up with her?" he sniffles. i nod, encouraging him to go on.
"she cheated on me, luke. how could she do that to me?" he says, as if he expected me to answer.
"you don't deserve to be treated that way, mikey. she made a horrible choice. if i were her, i would never cheat on you." i say sincerly.
michael nods, sniffling some more, before crying again.
"hey, hey, don't cry." i say while wiping his tears away with my hand.
i take his face in my hands.
"michael, you are one of the best guys i know, and you'll find the person for you, don't worry."
michael stopped his sobbing and began leaning in, as if he were about to kiss me. i froze on the spot, not sure what to do with myself.
just before he was about to kiss me, i heard a soft but hurt voice call.
"luke?" i turned around, ashton was standing in the doorway in disbelief.
