Uneasy ➢ smash au

xviii. Trembling Hands & Detached Strings

Everything went by so fast, he never thought his first relationship would end like this. Months have passed, Ashton's feelings directed towards Emery neutral. Every since their last conversation things between them have been small conversations and mumbled 'hellos' in the hallway during school. All that is considered between the both of them is an ongoing friendship, feelings between the both of them faded.

"So I was thinking of asking Aspen to that formal coming up." he tells her, prior to stuffing his hands in his front pockets of his jeans; waiting for her reaction. She takes her eyes away from her lingering stare in the distance to look at him, her eyes hazy from her constant staring.

"That's great," she starts, replaying everything Ashton spent a half hour explaining to her. "I think you should ask her. It would be very sweet of you, plus, I've seen the way she is around you. My guess, she likes you." He smiles at her response while his mind is responding in a completely different way. Her voice is filled with forced words - or so Ashton thinks, her words not honest; as if she was forced to say these things. In his mind, a little bit of him still wonders if she still has feelings for him. Even though it's been a couple months since they've decided to become friends instead of anything more, some feelings were still left behind with Ashton; his hope on finally getting her to be his still not forgotten.

"You think so?" he continues, his eyes focused on hers. Hoping she'll look his way, she doesn't. She keeps her eyes set out on the distance, her stares becoming deeper and deeper by the second.

"Positive," she mumbles, Ashton barely catching what she said. He shrugs off the vibe he's getting from her and tries to continue the conversation between the both of them.

"Do you plan on going?" he asks her, which causes her to look at him; her expression blank.

"Probably not," she replies. "there's no point in me going. It's a formal, you're suppose to go with someone for those types of things."

"Well you could always go with a group of friends," he suggests, the thought killing him. He wanted to be the one who took her, but all that changed with just a slip of the tongue.

"That's pathetic, I'm not going." she scoffed.

"What if I find you someone?" he then suggests, causing her to look at him as if he were a mad man.

"You're joking?" she bluffs. "You can't find me someone, no one will bother to put up with me. You should know on first hand," At that very moment he wants to look at her directly in the eyes and tell her all he's felt for the past couple of months, but instead he shakes it off and continues on.

"Oh c'mon, it can't be that hard. It's not impossible," he shrugs. "why don't you at least try to think about coming?"

"I'll think about it," she agreed, bringing a smile to Ashton's face.  "but don't count on it."

"Deal,"

♡

Even though his hands are stuffed into his pocket, he still feels the sweatiness rubbing off onto the jean material. It surprised him to think that he's this nervous when all he's going to do in reality is ask a simple little question. Instead of heading into his own driveway, he walks the extra couple of steps and heads towards Aspen's. A hesitant knock comes from his fisted hand, while the other is stuck by his side; shaking a little. Within one swift motion, the door swings open Aspen standing before him; dressed in a white robe while her hair remains wet.

"Oh Ashton, hi, come in." she says, surprised by his presence. Ashton doesn't bother to turn down her request, knowing that it'll end up with him entering anyway. "What can I do for you?"

"Is this a bad time?" he asks her.

"Of course not, I was just about to dry my hair," she starts. "but it's fine. It's no big deal, so how did it go with Emery? Do you think she still likes you?"

"I'm sure she lost all feeling, to be honest I feel like I was just a little 'side project'. I think I was just used in order for her to get her mind off of things back home or whatever it was at the time. Like her feelings towards me were forced, you know?" Ashton replies in honest opinion. "But I'm not here for me, or her. I came her to ask you something."

"Oh," Aspen responds, her expression still shocked. She ushers Ashton to her living room before the two of them take a seat next to one another, Aspen facing Ashton. "well what is it?"

"There's a formal coming up," he starts. His hands begin to tremble, his heartbeat quickening. "I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Aspen rebuttals, jumping to conclusions. Ashton grasps her hands into his, his eyes staring deeply into hers. He gives a slight shake of the head, a weak smile forming onto Aspen's face.

"It's been months, she and I have bonded and formed a friendship. We're just friends, that's all there is."

"It's hard to believe you guys are friends now," she releases her hands from his own, bringing them up to her face; her hands raking through her hair.

"I had a hard time believing that as well," he commented. "it took me months to finally get it through my head." he chuckled to himself as he looked back at how he was just a couple of months ago, his head and heart filled with all this 'hopeless romantic' shit. "You're not my rebound girl or anything of the sort, I swear to you. I feel like we'd be better off, we've known each other for months; and I feel like I know more about you than I ever did with Emery."

"Are you saying that you want me to try giving 'us' a shot?" she repeats. Ashton gives a nod of the head before a smile appears on a face, a strong and firm one; not a weak one. "No strings attached?"

"No strings attached."