Broken || a. i.

Chapter 8: Dedication.

Happy New Year! My New Years resolution is to update more often 🙊. When I'm almost done with this fanfiction I'm going to publish a Harry Styles short story called Ours and I'm really excited. Vote and comment after reading, thanks!

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Ashton:

I waved at Emily, hoping I would see her after the show. I took my eyes off I her as I walked behind the stage and down the long, narrow hallway.

"Ash!" I heard Calum call.

"Yeah?" I said as I turned into the dressing room. Luke was in his boxers pulling on a new pair of jeans. Michael was already dressed for the show, his hair a bright red with black streaks, as he had asked. Calum tossed a Blink-182 muscle tank over his head and skipped over to me. He clapped his hand on my shoulder.

"You really like her, huh?" he said. his face was serious with a bit of a smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

I sighed and nodded.

"She's amazing. So kind and caring and utterly perfect in every way." I sighed again and walked over to my suitcase of show clothes. I grabbed a pair if black jeans, black vans, and my 'Weekend Warrior' tank from shop jawbreaking. I loved that store.

As I stood back up I saw everyone's eyes look away from me, no doubt they had been staring.

"Ashton, I still have to cut your hair. Get over here." Alex patted the chair in front of her. I walked over and sat down.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I let my mouth fall open. I had really let my hair get out of hand. The tips were just past my ears.

"Can you cut it like it was during the Take Me Home Tour?" I asked. She ruffled my curls and laughed. As she began to spray the back of my head with water Al popped his head in the door.

"Showtime is in 45 minutes... okay?" He said as he looked around.

"'Kay" Calum answered. Luke nodded, as he was scrolling through Twitter or Instagram again. As Al left, Michael got up and chased after him.

"Do you like my new hairrrrr??" We heard him yell at Al.

"Yes I do." Al answered. I could tell he was smiling.

Michael came back in a few minutes later, carrying his acoustic guitar. He began to play our opening number, Try Hard.

"What was her name again, Ash? Emily?" Alex asked. I heard the snip snip of her scissors.

"Yeah. Emily Tanner." I said. she repositioned my head and I tried to keep as still as possible.

A few minutes of silence passed, with the "fuck" or "shit" when Michael messed up a chord.

"All done!" Alex exclaimed. She seemed quite proud of her work. I looked up into the long mirror again and saw why. It was exactly how One Direction's stylist, Lou Teasdale, had done it over a year ago. I let my mouth fall open for a second time as I stood up out of the chair to get a better look.

"Boys! It's time for you to get to stage." One of the stage managers, I think Catherine, said. We hopped up and made our way.

"Good luck!" Alex called from the dressing room.

"Thanks!" We all called. As we got closer to stage, we could hear girls screaming and Snowstorm finishing their second-to-last song. As they began their finale, we were getting ready for our opener.

3 pairs of my favourite drumsticks were shoved into my hand. I placed 2 in my pockets, in case I broke the first pair on stage, and began to play Try Hard on the box of equipment beside me. I heard the last few beats of the other boys song.