Retreat (A.I.)

56. Truth

---Kelly---

"So, Kelly, what are you going to do for spring break next week?" Mali asks. I've been avoiding thinking about it. Originally, I was supposed to fly out to the guys for a week and tour with them, but since Mikey is still the only one who will talk to me, that's not a good idea. I thought about flying out anyway, since I have the plane ticket, but I can't afford a hotel for the week.

"Nothing, I'll probably just go visit Mum and Dad and Mark."

"What about the ticket you have?"

"Mali, Mikey is the only one who's talking to me, and I can't afford a hotel. Not to mention I can't get to Minneapolis from Dallas to be able to fly home. It just won't work. Maybe you should take the ticket and spend the week with Cal. I know he'd like that."

"I can't take the week off work. But thanks for the thought." Oh well. I guess  there's one plane ticket going to waste.

---Ashton---

"So Ash, isn't your girlfriend supposed to be coming out again soon? Like for her spring break or something?" Liam asks. I completely forgot about that. I hope she's not planning on still coming out. I look to Michael, since he's the only one who would know.

"Originally, yes, Liam. She was supposed to fly out Friday. But she's not coming now." He glares at Harry with the deadliest look I've ever seen.

"Thank God!" Harry says. Jackass is the reason behind it, too. "I don't need another black and blue nose. She almost broke it last time. Bitch has a mean arm on her!" What? Kelly's the one that did that to his nose? Why? She's the one that was kissing him! I look to Mike, who has a proud smirk on his face.

"You deserved it, you prick!" he told Harry. This isn't quite the way to "bond" with the guys.

"If I knew she'd almost break my perfect face, I never would have kissed her. Damn!"

"Why did you in the first place?" Mikey asked the question that was on the tip of my tongue. I'm beginning to feel like there's more to the story than I thought. Like Kelly and Michael tried to tell me.

"I don't know," Harry laughs drunkenly. I firmly believe this conversation would not be happening if he was sober. "I was jealous?  I wanted to piss off Ashton. And it worked! I knew she'd never kiss me on her own accord, she was much too in love with Ash. I was dying to know what her lips tasted like. So when Ben kept her at mix a bit longer, I saw an opportunity and took it. I never expected you to bruise my neck Mike, or for her to have such a wicked right hook though. She went all crazy bitch on me. You're better off without her, Ash! I'm surprised she never unleashed on you!"

"Mike, let me out of this booth! NOW!" Michael quickly slides out of the booth, standing between Harry and I. He knows me too well.

"Go call her already. I'm not letting you at Harry. That's why she wouldn't let me tell you the truth. She didn't want to ruin the tour for us. She'd rather suffer without you than see something happen to the band, or the tour." That is such a typical Kelly thing to do.

Luke and Calum get out of the booth and follow me. "What are you doing?" I ask them.

"We didn't know mate. We need to apologize to Kella too." Calum answers.

I pull out my phone and decide to send her a text before I call her from the hotel.

---Kelly---

Once again, I cried myself to sleep after talking to Mali, but my grumbling stomach woke me up. I haven't gotten a good nights sleep in over a month and a half since I left the guys. I sit on the couch eating my bowl of cereal and start flipping through Twitter. I've been following their tour via my timeline. I'm glad that Ash never goes out with the guys because then I don't have to see pictures of him with other girls. It also makes it easier to tell when Mikey's going to call me. He always calls me after a night out, drunk off his ass, unless he finds some chick. Then I don't hear from him til the next day. He's so predictable. Tonight there's a new picture up. All nine of them are out together. That's a good thing for them. They need to bond. A few minutes go by and I get a text. My heart stops beating, or at least I stop breathing, as I open the text from Ashton.