What I Like About You (Lashton)

5

Luke's POV

We pile into my car once again and decide to get some food, since we're all hungry.

Ashton stays quiet, I feel bad for him. So I do the only thing I can think of. Carefully, keeping my eyes on the road, I reach into the console and pull out a CD. Our CD. The cover is of the four of us, standing on an amp. In the picture, Ashton holds onto me with a big smile on his face.

I insert the disc, and turn the volume up.

"Simmer down, simmer down.

They say we're too young now to amount

to anything else, but look around.

This deadbeat town's only here

just to keep us down.

If you don't swim, you'll drown.

Don't move, honey."

The song continues to the chorus, and I watch in the mirror to see Ashton's reaction.

"Ash, this is us. That's you playing the drums." Calum smiles.

A big smile replaces Ashton's once glum look.

"This is really us?" He says giddily.

Mike puts his arm around Ash and nods, proud of our band. We decide to stop at In-n-Out Burger, and I order us some food.

We drive the rest of the way to my flat again, listening to other songs we've done.

When we get there, we eat and talk awkwardly. Because Ashton still lacks memories, there's nothing much to say. I watch in a sort of trance as Michael and Calum attempt to make inside jokes with Ashton, but he sits there cluelessly, picking at his fries.

We finish our food and clean up.

"Hey, me and Michael are gonna head out. Ashton, wanna come with?" Calum says.

"NO." I say too eagerly. "I mean... No. He can stay with me tonight, I have an extra mattress." I save myself as the boys give me wierd but knowing looks.

Ashton smiles slightly, but hides it easily. I act like I didn't see.

"Okay... Ash, you okay with staying here tonight with Luke?" Michael asks.

Ashton nods, and they walk out to Calum's car.

+++

It's now about 7:30, and me and Ashton have been playing Xbox all day. I tell him stories of how we all used to hang out, how it used to be.

I feel like he's changed. Something has changed within him, and I haven't yet found it. However no matter what is changed, I still love him.

I am distracted by thoughts of Ashton when I realize I've completely frozen.

"Luke, are you alright?" Ashton asks. "You lost again."

I snap ot of it and look towards him.

"Yeah, I guess today's just not my day for gaming..." I awkwardly say.

I lean back so i rst my feet on the short table in front of the couch. He reaches to turn off the telly and does something I never expected him to do.

The hazel-eyed boy lays next to me and wraps his arms around my torso. I feel him shuddering.

"Ashton... What's wrong?" I say soothingly. "What's up?"

He brings his legs up to his chest and begins to whimper like a puppy. He holds his hands around his knees and keeps crying. I sit up as he starts shaking.