Starry Eyed. Lashton AU

13.

When Michael told me Ashton was a liar I didn't believe him. Not because that was the first time Michael had talked to me since secondary school. Not because he changed his hair color more times than Taylor Swift decided she was in love. Not even because the first word of the sentence he told me it with started with the words, "Hey sunshine." I didn't believe him because Ashton could've me in the teeth and I still would've looked at him like he was the only star in my solar system.

It was only 15 weeks from Ashton's first letter when Michael came up to me, ripped black skinny jeans and a guns and roses tank top hanging from his shoulders. He leaned up against a locker that was about three away from mine and I could basically feel the bad news sitting in his chest just by the look he was giving me when I glanced at him. "Hey sunshine," he breathed, the and the breath in my lungs was immediately gone and my heart clenched as I filled with the most childish rage because that was Ashton and I's thing, we said things relating to the stars and the moon and the sun. It was ours and ours alone and for Michael to call me sunshine felt wrong like wearing a shirt that was ten sizes too small.

I swallowed the huge lump in my throats and forced myself to look him in the eyes and brace myself for whatever was coming. "Hi."

"You and Ashton seem pretty close, lately I mean," he mumbled, shifting as he leaned against the metal. His spikey red hair reminded me of my maths folder; bright and warm.

I looked away from him, focusing on the combination I was trying to do. "Well that's what people do when they're dating, Michael," I said to him.

I could hear his jaw hit the floor and he gasped and then he was stuttering. "What? No- Luke why? Why would you date him?"

Starting to get frustrated I stopped struggling with my combination and crossed my arms, "why would you have any say on who I date? I haven't talked to you or even made eye contact with you in over two years, Michael. And for your information, he's very sweet."

Michael scoffed and raised his eye brows. "Since when?"

"Since the second week of school when he started putting letters in my locker about the stars."

Michaels eyes widened, then his mouth formed an o-shape, then there was only anger in his eyes, and then he was looking at me. "Those letters? About the stars and galaxies? Those were from me. Ashton stole them."

I felt anger starting to bubble up inside of me. Why would someone make up a story like this? Just to get between me and Ashton? "Why the hell would he even do that, Michael?"

"Cause he knew I was in love with you first, and I would've loved you better." He whispered.

I shook my head and turned to walk to math class until he yelled something to me that made my heart break like the bones in my body. Something that made me believe him. Something that only the person who wrote the letter would know. Even though I knew I'd probably end up loving Ashton either way in the end, the words Michael said dug into every little crack in my heart and tore it apart. It broke apart all the love and repairs that had been done to it and broke it apart and crushed it until it was nothing but the remnants of star dust and broken love.

"My mum always said not to get starry eyed over someone, especially if it blinds you to someone really important. I thought I was the one who was starry eyed Luke, but it's you."

I left school. I didn't stop for the teachers or when the alarm went off when I went out the emergency door.

I just let a temporary numb wash over me like a bandaid I knew would get ripped off as soon as I got to my car. But I let it happen. And I walked to my car. And I just went home.

I didn't even get my letter that day.