Ashton Enchanted » [cashton] √

0.2

Ashton had been in Crystal's bedroom a few times before; this was the first time it had been for anything other than a school assignment. She was texting away on her phone, and he was looking carefully around her room, she had a few new posters on her wall since he'd last been there and had hung a set of soft fairy lights around the room. The silence between them was comfortable, but it made Ashton realise he didn't really know all that much about Crystal. They'd not been friends that long, but he felt he should know more about her by now, he guessed he wasn't really used to having to make conversation and ask people about themselves.

He took a quiet breath before rolling himself onto his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows. She looked up from where she sat cross-legged a few feet away, "so, how long have you and Michael been dating?"

She thought for a moment, "I don't know, maybe three months? Why?"

"Just curious I guess, the four of you seem like you've been friends forever is all," he shrugged, he was curious, Crystal often seemed quite close with Luke and especially Calum, he didn't know much about dating. Still, couples in movies seemed to take longer to warm up to one another's friends.

"Well, I grew up with Cal, and then he met Michael and Luke, who were already friends from primary school. So, they all buddied up, and then when they started at our school in grade 7 Calum was so excited to introduce them to his cool older friend, and he came and found me," she laughed as she spoke, rolling her eyes fondly.

Ashton couldn't help but smile along with her, wistful for that sort of history with other people. "Never thought I would end up dating one of his friends, I really didn't have that much to do with them until like grade 10," she continued, shrugging.

"So, you're pretty good friends with Luke too?" He wanted to understand their dynamic. Michael was so jealous of Ashton; he found it hard to imagine how the four of them worked together.

"Yeah, we're pretty close, I'm much closer with Calum and Michael obviously," she waggled her eyebrows at this, "but we used to talk about girls and music and stuff. Things have changed a bit, cause I started dating Michael and he started dating Sierra. Do you know her? She's really nice; I think you'd like her. Luke doesn't bring her to hang out with us much though; I think he thinks we're too weird," she made a face at this before chuckling.

"You let me hang around with everyone pretty quickly, are you saying I'm weird too?" Ashton asked with faux horror, he laughed, and he hoped she couldn't hear the nervousness underneath it. Crystal was cool with her boyfriend and her purple hair; he didn't want to make the wrong step and have her decide he was too dull to hang out with them. Which he realistically was.

"Honestly? I didn't have much choice; I like Michael a lot, but, he's very jealous. He kept seeing us around school together, so I thought it would be easier if you met. I also had a feeling you and Calum would be cute together, unfortunately, nothing has come of that yet," she shrugged, smirking at him.

Ashton blushed deeply, which just made her laugh and he let a laugh bubble out of himself feeling a little more comfortable. He did, however, pray she would limit comments like that too when it was just the two of them. Also happily noting down that Calum was very much interested in boys.

Her phone must have vibrated, or she had psychic abilities because she picked it up off the floor and grinned, "Michael's here," he reflexively sighed, and he thought he'd fucked up, but Crystal just laughed. "I promise, once you get a boyfriend, I will be your lookout whenever you need. Now go downstairs and gush about Calum or whatever it is you do on your own,"

He held back a curse and rolled his eyes, getting up and leaving her room. He passed Michael on the stairs, and they did that weird nod, acknowledgment thing. A few seconds later, he heard Crystal giggle and the door close; then there was silence. As his foot lifted off the last step, though was when the real trouble started.