» à deux // luke hemmings « [editing]

2

fallout - marianas trench

[Ivey]

Noise.

I liked noise. It blocks out everything.

Millions of screaming girls greeted us as we were escorted to a car and I could feel my ears starting to hurt. I stopped shortly in front of the black car, waiting for Sam to adjust in her seat inside.

"Come on," Ashton said from behind me. His arms carefully held my shoulders. "I'll be here."

I sharply turned around in shock, blinking a few times as if to make sure that he was real, that he was standing there. My heart stopped. Everything stopped. I studied him carefully, locking with the familiar eyes that felt like home. I opened my mouth to speak, maybe gasp, but was cut shortly when I noticed the missing piece of his beauty.

No scar.

There was no scar on his jawline and I felt my entire world crash down.

"Oh," I frowned. I hastily got inside the car, positioning myself across Mandy and Sam, with Ashton sitting beside me.

"Why are you here?" Mandy asked, looking up from her phone.

"I switched seats with Alice." He explained with a shrug.

I wish he didn't switch seats with Alice. It was hard enough to get into the car, and him sitting right beside me made everything worse. Ashton always wanted to keep an eye out for me ever since, but right now instead of taking care of me he’s been making things worse.

I could tell that Sam noticed how tensed I was with the way she kept looking at me. I gave her a reassuring smile when she caught my eye, but with the quizzical brow she sent me, I knew it wasn’t enough for her to stop worrying.

"So, what movie are we watching tonight?" Jackie asked, clearing her throat.

Our band had a thing for movie marathons. After every first show of a tour, we would watch at least two movies together and whoever falls asleep first ends up being drawn on with Sharpie markers and sometimes, when we're lucky, food.

"High School Musical." I took out my phone to see what time it was.

"Third movie." Sam said.

"Second." Mandy frowned.

"Do you guys want to join us?" Jackie offered Ashton with a smile.

He nodded and squirmed to get his phone from the pocket of his pants. "Yeah, I'll text them."

It didn't take long for us to arrive at the hotel and the amount of camera flashes and screaming people was overwhelming. People were grabbing my arms and shouting at my face, asking for photographs or declaring their love for me. No matter how many times this happens to me, I could never get used to it.

Another car similar to the one we rode arrived when I was about to enter the hotel and Luke, Calum, Michael, and Alice stepped out of the vehicle, causing even more chaos. The screams were louder and the camera flashes went on and on. I watched them take quick photos with fans that managed to somehow squeeze themselves next to them before following me inside the lobby and to the elevator doors where Ashton waited.

"So, High School Musical tonight?" Luke asked me as we entered the elevator, Calum pressing the buttons.

I nodded. "It's the first night of tour, so."

"You guys have weird," he paused and looked up as if trying to find the right word, "rituals."

I laughed at his choice of word. "Rituals, sure."