Up From the Ashes

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR-Interesting

Hot af picture of Ashton above

*Ashton's POV*

"I still can't believe you're here right now," Bryana says from across the table with her perfect smile, "I mean, it's been years since we've seen each other and we just somehow end up in the same place! It's like fate." Okay, it's been great seeing her. But now her blonde tendencies are getting really frustrating. She's a great person, but sometimes she's just too blonde for her own good.

"Yeah, you too Bry," I say, shoving food in my mouth so I don't have to say more than that. I can't believe I blew Ady off for Bryana. We were on a date! She didn't seem to be upset when she left, but I have no clue how she's going to feel once she finds out Bryana is my ex.

"So, who was that girl you were with Ash? I mean, red hair? That's so 2003." And there she goes again, talking and making me lose brain cells. Who even talks like that!?

"Her name was Adelaide," I say, trying not to get frustrated, "and she's a great person. We were actually on a date." Before you got here and ruined it all I add in my head.

"Well, I guess she is kinda pretty. In that homely, girl next door sort of way," she says while rolling her eyes, "but she's not me. I mean, I'm a model." The more she talks, the more brain cells I lose.

When she was on vacation in Australia, and I still lived there, she was nothing like this. She hardly wore any makeup, and she would talk about animals and really interesting things. That's why I dated her, because she was down to earth. But she's not like that anymore.

"Why did we break up Ashy," she says, grabbing my hand, "I mean, you just broke up with me over the phone. And I never saw you again." Why haven't I just up and left yet? I should've just gone after Ady. Crap, how is she gonna get home!?

"Ashton," Bryana interrupts my thoughts of Adelaide, "I asked you a question. You're, like, supposed to answer me when I ask something." That's it, I'm done here.

I drop a 50 on the table and walk out. I'm not gonna give her the satisfaction of any more conversation. I don't want to talk about why we broke up anyway. I haven't told anyone that story, and I don't plan to do so for a long time. I might tell Ady eventually, but I'm just not ready right now.

I grab my phone out of my back pocket, and dial Adelaide's number. "C'mon, please pick up." All I get in response is the phone dialing. After way too many rings, I get her voicemail. I should expect her to not answer, but that doesn't make it suck any less.

*Adelaide's POV*

"Please tell me what happened between Bryana and Ashton," I tell Calum as he pulls into McDonald's, "I don't want to know everything, but it'd be nice to at least know a bit more about her and their relationship." I should be asking Ashton this, but that doesn't seem to be an option at the moment.

I'm trying to keep my cool, but it's really hard to do that when you get blown off on your first date.

"Well," Calum starts after opening the door to McDonald's for me, "I don't really know much about it to be honest with you." He stops to order a 20 chicken nuggets and once we sit down, he says, "all I know is that she was on vacation, they met, and started dating. Then he broke up with her. He doesn't really tell us much about his life in Australia."

So, the only person who knows why they broke up is Ashton. Perfect. Guess i'll be stuck not knowing.

"Oh well," I say while stuffing my face with french fries, "it's not really my concern anyways. So, aside from that frustrating subject, how've you been lately?" I'm tired of frying my brain thinking about Ashton and Bryana, so changing the subject seems like a wonderful idea.