She Looks So Perfect

Chapter Two

Ashton's POV

I love her. She resembles pure ecstasy. She makes me greedy, she makes me a different man. She makes me want to be a perfect human. But no one is as perfect as her.

Cailey. Her hair is a toasted almond shade. She's short, but I like that about her. Her cinnamon eyes sparkled like the embers of a thriving fire. She smiles like the sun on a crisp summer morning on the beach. Her short shorts always tease me, making me crave their removal. When I'm done with a gig, she's always the first to be there, hugging me, telling me how perfect I did.

Her hugs make me weak, the way she holds onto me like her life depends on it; and mine sometimes does. She is my everything, and I would hate to see her go.

But she can't be with me while I'm touring the radio stations. Her mum won't let her go with us, besides, she has anxiety, and the crowds would break her down; I don't want to see her like that ever again.

We Skype or FaceTime every night, but that isn't the same as holding her close to me, feeling her embrace, breathing in the distinct smell only she belongs to.

~

The first time I played for a crowd with 5 Seconds of Summer, there was around 200 people. We hadn't had any songs of our own yet, and we were just performing covers that we were known for on YouTube. One of them was I Miss You by Blink-182. I was sweating, getting really into the drums, feeling the beat in my heart, in my brain, in my fingers and toes. I was doing great, the wave of adrenaline rushing through me like an illness. We were at the final verse, when I heard the sudden gasps running through the crowd. Then Luke stopped singing, so I looked up from the drums to see a circle of people below the stage. I stood up to get a better look at a frail brunette laying unconscious in the center of the group. Two medics came from behind the stage to retrieve her.

We finished the concert, but the whole time I was thinking of her. I wanted, needed to know if she was okay. When the last song ended, I found myself behind the stage asking around about her. I finally got someone to tell me she was waiting for us in our dressing room. I went to the others and informed them about her. We went in, her small frame sitting on the couch in the back of the room. Her face went from dispair to relief, maybe even love, when she saw us. Luke was the first to approach and hug her, and she sobbed into his shirt.

Luke is always the one to take the fans to heart. He soon let go, myself, then Calum and finally Michael taking a share of her hugs. It was the best thing, hugging her after seeing her pass out. Many things to say went through my head, but one seemed to push through and out of my mouth, "Let me take you to dinner." What the fuck, Ashton?

She blinked at me a couple of times before hugging me again. Calum laughed a little, Michael and Luke just stared at me. Why the hell did I just ask a random fan out to dinner?

Luke helped me pick out my clothes, Calum giving me advice. They acted like I'd never been on a date.

~

I put a mint in my mouth as I approached her house in my car. She was waiting at the front door as I went up to it, smiling and handing her a bouquet of flowers Mikey picked up for me. I took her by the hand to the car, where I opened her door for her. If I was going to take a fan on a date, I was going to do it properly.

The car ride started out quietly, but I decided to put the time to good use, and ask her questions about what happened at the concert earlier. "So, what happened earlier, at the concert? Are you okay?" She looked at me and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thank you. I have anxiety, and the crowd was just too close to me. I love you guys and Blink, and I guess the amount of people surrounding me along with you guys singing that song just got to me."

I smiled to myself, realizing that this date wouldn't be that bad.