Belief

7.8

Tell me that gif isn't Ashton. And yes I watched that twitcam 3 times before writing this chapter (swipe). No shame.

Maddie's POV

It is nice to have a routine for once, a consistency that gives your heart some time to rest and your mind a secure notion that everything is in place. Monday through Wednesday are study days and classes. Thursday is class in the morning and dinner with the boys. Fridays and the weekends are spent in the extra room of the boys' LA house, or Grace and I would invite them to frat parties at school. They would spend their days in the studio or talking with management. "Big plans" they would tell us. Each of us has a routine, and for once life is normal.

"Ready Madds?" Ashton grabs my overnight bag and opens my dorm door.

"Hold on, let me just finish reading this chapter," I mutter, focused on my textbook.

"You can do that on Sunday, Friday is fun day remember," he whines like a child. I ignore him, two paragraphs left. "Madds!" He sighs. "Don't make me do it."

"Shh, I'm almost done," I mumble, my eyes scanning the last few sentences. Frickin microeconomics.

As I reach the last line my body is lifted from the chair. "Ash!" I smack his back as he slings me over his shoulder, grabbing my bag and carrying me outside. "Ash you are going to drop me!" I burst into laughter, his giggles in my ear.

"Fine I will put you down," he smirks, resting me on the hood of his car. "There." He gives me a quick kiss.

"You suck, I was literally reading the last sentence," I stick my tongue out at him and he flicks it with his fingers. Ow that hurt.

"You can finish that sentence another day, today is for us," Ashton opens the car door for me, giving me a little tickle as I get in before shutting the door behind me.

"Oh yeah because we get so much alone time with everyone sharing one house," I roll my eyes as Ash starts driving.

"Its a big house!" He defends. "And we have it to ourselves until 7," he smirks. "But then we have to do a twitcam at 8."

"How did that happen?" I turn on the radio.

"Luke and Calum are writing with All Time Low, and Michael is going to dinner with Grace and her parents," Ashton pulls into the driveway. "Which leaves us."

We start off riding our bikes down to the beach but the sun was too hot, and we were too lazy, so we turned around after a block and went back home. The pool is just as good as the beach.

"You're drowning Ketchup!" Ashton warns as I attempt to sit on Ketchup's back and float, but the float part isn't really working out. "Gosh I invite you over and now you are trying to murder my dog? Monster." He giggles, swimming over to me. He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me off of the plastic creature.

"Ketchup loves me," I protest, trying to reach for him, but Ashton pulls me the other way.

"No, I do," he laughs, trying to throw me in the deep end, but I end up falling on top of him. We tried.

After a few rounds of Marco Polo (which I tried telling Ashton it doesn't work with just two people) we get exhausted and go inside.

"I like your new haircut," I run my fingers through Ashton's short curls. I rest my chin on his chest, watching him watch me.

"It's not that new," he rests his hands behind his head.

"Well its cute," I pout.

"And so are you."