Let's Pretend (5sos Adoption Story)

0.3

In the morning, Ashton called me down to breakfast. I had spent the night mostly awake, staring out my window and listening to music on my ipod. I tried not to think about what had happened with the piano, or feel guilty about the expressions on their faces when I ran out. I only got about an hour of sleep, the jet lag was really messing with me. It was eleven am in Sydney, but it would be about two am in Boston.

The five of us sat around the table in silence. I picked at my pancakes, cutting them up and shoving them around my plate but not really eating them. I didn't want them, it made me feel fat when I ate anything other than fruits and vegetable or ate too much. I was hungry though.

"So," Michael said, "um, how did everyone sleep?" Clearly no one had filled him in on what had happened the night before. The four of us left him hanging awkwardly as we ate. Or they ate.

"Allie," said Ashton. "Is there something wrong with your pancakes? Why aren't you eating?"

"I...." I bit my lip, staring down at my food as I tried to think up a quick lie. "There are eggs in this, aren't there? I'm actually vegan."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Clearly," I mumbled under my breath.

He set his fork down, "do you want something else?"

"I'll just take an apple."

"Okay." He got up, disappearing into the kitchen for a moment before coming back out and setting down an apple in front of me. "Are you sure you don't want anything else? An apple is kind of a small breakfast."

"It's good for me. I'm one of those people who usually doesn't eat breakfast anyway."

He was quiet for a moment, then he sat down slowly. "Okay," he said finally.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I took a bite of my apple, chewing it slowly.

"You don't have a phone, do you?" Ashton asked.

I looked up, "uh, no."

"We should get you one," he said quietly, almost to himself.

"Why?"

"Well don't you want one?"

I shrugged. "I don't really care." Which was the truth. Everyone I knew either had a phone or wanted one, but I didn't really see the point. I never really had a need for one and I didn't feel like I wanted one. I didn't see the appeal.

"Oh. Well I still want to keep in touch with you while we're not in the same place."

I frowned. "Why wouldn't we be in the same place?"

He shrugged. "Well sometimes we have to record for hours at a time, and besides that you have school."

"Oh," I said and my voice sounded small. I hadn't really thought about school much. Sure, it crossed my mind once or twice but now I realized I'd be going to an entirely new school with entirely new people in an entirely new place. The idea was a little bit terrifying. (a/n so I don't know how school works in Australia but I'm from America so I'm just gonna go ahead and pretend school is the same there as it is here)

"You're gonna be a freshman, right?" Calum asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. What school will I be going to?"

All eyes turned to Ashton. "Britannica High School for Girls." (a/n you can google it if you want but it's totally made up)

"It's an all girls school?"

"You okay with that?" He asked, a note of amusement in his tone.

"Yeah, I'm okay with it."

"Good."