Tragically for you // 5sos

Chapter Eighteen: The Friendly Date

It's time.

The "friendly" date. (Although they've been acting like a couple for months now.)

And it was  just supposed to be a friendly date, so why in the world did it make Ashton more nervous than usual?

So, she didn't know that he planned the friendly event today. No clue. They haven't talked days before today, due to his planning.

He takes a deep breath as he rings the doorbell he only now notices. He feels dizzy just expecting to see her hazel eyes and hair open the door and smile at him-like always. He still saw the girl he saw on the train, he never stopped seeing her that way. And his heart stops, for just a moment, when the door opens.

Her mom.

She smiles at him a weak smile as if it wasn't a good time. And it wasn't.

"Oh hello, I'm sorry, Harlow must've forgotten to tell you she isn't feeling well today. She has a fever. Did you guys have an outing?" she asked eyeing Ashton's backpack.

He did his best to smile. "Um... sort of. Is she alright? Can I um... check on her?"

Her mom smiled back. "Ofcourse, come right in. Just knock before you enter her room. She doesn't like it when boys intrude." she winked.

He followed her mom into the house. It was a big house, you could easily get lost in it. He stopped in his steps as her mother was about to lead him up the stairs.

"I'll just knock for you-" she looked at him, puzzled. "-are you alright? She's up here-"

"Sorry, this isn't right. I can't see her just yet."

An hour and a half later....

Knock.Knock.Knock.

"Come in."

Ashton peeked through her door. "Hi" he giggled.

She sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes and smoothed her hair. "Wh-what are you doing here?!"

He laughed as he made his way over and sat on her desk chair. He twirled in it. "I was kind of hoping we'd have the friendly date today."

She looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry, I tried to call but-"

"But I wasn't answering. I get it. It's fine." he shrugged. " How are you feeling ?"

"Much better." She smiled.

He stood up and walked over to her to kiss her on the forehead. "You still feel a bit warm, though. "

"Yeah."

He reached into his bag and grabbed a notebook and pen. She didn't say a word. He kept glancing back up at her while he was writing. She looked at him funny.

"Are you drawing me or something ?"

"Nope. Get back in bed." he commanded and continued writing. 

When he finished he put the notebook back in his bag. He reached up and sat beside Harlow on her bed, wordlessly, she scooted over to the side nearest to the window to give him space. He crossed his left feet over his right. And he looked out the window.

"I guess this could be our friendly date." he said quietly.

she laughed "We have to stop calling it a friendly date."

"Not yet."

After a few minutes, he put in a movie and they watched. He'd pass her the tissue box if she ever started to cry (which she always denies) or when she got a runny nose. He'd kiss her forehead everytime she sneezed, as he found her sneeze cute. Sometimes, he'd look at her night stand and pick up some of her books then read some of the pages-which he sometimes made fun of. She just rolled her eyes at his attempts.