Ashes // l.h.

29. spring break

James Vincent McMorrow- Wicked Game

29. spring break

Miami.

Luke and Calum take their cars and we give each one of us assigned seats so we can have a smooth ten hour ride there. Mikey's going to be in the passenger side of Luke's red jeep while me and Faye sit in the back. In Calum's car, Grace and Christina will sit just so Grace and Mikey won't bicker and me and Christina won't either.

My phone buzzes and I look down at the screen to see Ashton sent me a picture. It's of the venue he's going to play at, the largest gig ever for the band. He then sends me another text, saying, so excited to play here. Have fun in Miami. Missing you already.

By the fourth hour of the trip, my head is pounding because of the stupid rock music Mikey and Luke are blasting. We finally stop at a gas station soon after that Christina texts us to meet them at. I exit the car and groan with the pain that comes along with cramped muscles after being seated in the car for hours. Me and Faye spot Grace and Christina and we walk over to chit chat while we can. Every one of us goes inside the gas station to buy snacks except Luke who stays outside, leaning against the hood of his car, smoking a cigarette.

"What's up with Hemmo?" Grace nudges me while I pay for my stuff.

"Like seriously. He hardly spoke a word the entire ride here." Faye chimes in.

"Maybe he's mad he forgot to pack his oatmeal." Calum says from behind us. "Because he seemed pretty upset about that earlier."

"Luke and his oatmeal." Mikey scoffs lightly.

I don't necessarily know the exact reason for Luke's odd behavior, but I do have an idea or maybe even a pretty good guess. Once I retrieve my change from the cashier, I tell them, "I'll go talk to him now."

Grace nods almost like encouraging me to do so and I walk outside and make my way over to where he stands. He takes a large puff once he sees me coming and tilts his head back to exhale straight up into the sky.

"Everyone can tell something's wrong with you." I say.

"Even you?"

"Especially me." I look at him, but he's looking at the sky with a hard face; no look of warmth in his blue eyes that suddenly seem darker. "Is this because I'm back together with Ashton?" I ask and he doesn't answer which is all the confirmation I need. "Don't be mad at me."

"I can't stand to see this guy walk all over you, Andie." He says suddenly, looking down at me.

"He's not walking all over me, and maybe you should just..."

His eyebrows raise in question. "Just what?"

I frown slightly and take a breath before answering, "Just stay out of it."

He stays there for longer than a moment, just staring into my eyes as if he's trying to figure out what color they are, but that's not it because he already knows. He seems to be shocked by my words and even a bit hurt by them. His eyes then leave mine and instead fall upon the necklace I'm wearing; the one Ashton gave me for Christmas.

"Okay." He says just as our friends walk out of the gas station, their loud voices breaking the silence that once existed out here without their presence. "Will do."