Rejects // l.h.

9

"Luke? Can I talk to you?" Ashton says, staring hard at me. I swallow and nod, standing up.

He leads me out the room, leaving Michael and Calum staring at us. Ashton shuts the door and leans against the wall of the corridor, eyebrows furrowed.

"I want the truth. What's going on between you and Carmen?"

"What? Nothing!" I say quickly.

"Luke, I want the truth," He repeats.

"I don't know what you-"

"Yes you do! I've seen the way you two look at each other, how close you sit, how you sneak off together when you think no-one's watching! Well, guess what, I'm watching!" He explodes. I blink, taken back by his fierceness. I didn't realise Ashton, the boy who giggles at the planet Uranus, had it in him to yell at someone like that.

"Ashton..." I sigh. He looks at the ground.

"It just hurts, you know? My best friend and my crush,"

"We're not together, Ashton! We're just friends!" I exclaim.

As if on cue, the girls corridor door opens and Carmen comes out. She blinks at us both.

"Everything ok?"

"Yes! Yes, we're fine," I say quickly. She raises an eyebrow.

"So... Why are you standing out here?"

"Oh, we just got back. We're just going in now..." Ashton drifts off, gesturing towards the door. She nods slowly.

"Right. Well, see you guys later," She smiles and hurries off down the corridor. Ashton looks at me.

"Are you two dating?" He asks straight out. I shake my head truthfully. We aren't. Are we?

Ashton sighs and eventually gives up. I slip out the building and find Carmen, sitting on the wall with Dani and Emily, painting her nails black. I clear my throat.

"Carmen? Can I talk to you?"

"Ok," She screws the lid on the bottle and jumps off the wall, leaving Dani and Emily alone.

"What?" She asks.

"Ashton thinks we're dating,"

"And aren't we?"

"I dunno," I shrug. Carmen frowns.

"You like me, I like you, what else are we meant to do?"

"You're right. But how would we tell him?" I ask desperately.

"We'll tell him the truth," Carmen says confidently. She marches me over to Ashton, who was just heading out the door.

"Hi, Ashton," Carmen said.

"Hey,"

"So, Luke and I have something to tell you," She smiled. Ashton sighs.

"I already know it. You guys are dating," He says expressionless.

"Well, yeah, but-" Carmen's cut off, as Ashton hurries away.

"Shit," I mutter as Ashton disappears back into the building. Carmen looks helpless.

"What now?" She asks.

"I don't know. You talk to him,"

"Why me?"

"Because you're braver than I am,"

"Don't be such a pussy!"

"I'm not talking to him. I wouldn't know what to say,"

"Fucking hell," She snaps before hurrying off into the building. I sit down in the usual spot, under the tree, waiting and watching the door expectantly. Various kids come out, but none of them are Carmen or Ashton.

The minutes slip by, and I decide to go and see what's happening. I go to the room, and press my ear against the door to see if I can hear voices.

That's them, alright.

"Ashton, what can I do to make it up to you?"

"Break up with him?"

"Except that? L0ok, I just want my best friend back,"

"You should have thought of that before,"

Silence. Then I hear -

"I'll leave you alone for a bit, ok?"

I jump away from the door and lean against the wall, about a meter away, as if I've been there the whole time. Carmen opens the door and looks at me.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, nothing. Just...standing,"

"You don't know how much I hate you," She growls, walking past. I hurry after her.

"You don't hate me, you just said to Ashton you weren't gonna break up with me,"

"So you were listening?"

"Um, no,"

"Idiot,"

A/n woah Carmen where's yo chill at