Reject.

Chapter 27

"Hey Michael, want to go out?" Ashton asks.

"Where?" I look up from my spot on the couch.

"The bar."

"I don't think it's a good idea." I say. "You scare Sophia when you get home drunk."

"Sophia's not home. And you don't mind driving home if I'm drunk, do you?"

"No, but I-"

"Alright, let's go."

♢♪♢

We walk into the bar, sitting at the stools like last time. We order our drinks and talk.

"Look, I don't want to be rude, but maybe you should take a break."

"Come again?" I'm confused.

"Sophia. Break up, just be friends." Ashton says, sipping his beer.

"I don't think now's the time." I say.

♢♪♢

Sophia

♢♪♢

"Can't you just get the happy meal?"

"I told you, I've changed my mind." Bekah insists.

"You're holding up the line." I argue.

"Fine. I'll take the happy meal." She says. "But no tips for the waitress. That was horrible service." She adds.

I put her money in the cash register and hand her her happy meal.

"Next?"

Calum and Luke come up to me, laughing and punching each other playfully.

I sigh.

"What is this, annoy-your-friend-at-work day?" I groan, leaning against the counter.

Calum howls with laughter, and Luke orders large fries.

"So, how's it going with Mike and Ashton?" Luke asks, sitting on the counter.

"Listen, just because I work here doesn't mean you can just barge in and act like idiots." I scold, pushing him off the counter. "Go sit with Bekah."

"No. We want jobs." Luke says.

"Okay, go find them." I say, getting someone a soda.

"No, we want to work here." Luke insists.

"Here? At Maccas?" I ask, getting annoyed.

"Yeah. We could be working buddies."

"Luke, if you're flirting with me, it isn't working, do you even speak to your girlfriends? And Cal, are you okay?" I say worriedly. Calum is laughing so hard his face is tomato red, and he's lying on the counter.

"He's fine. He's just Calum." Luke says, causing his friend to erupt in even more laughter.

"You're lucky it's night, otherwise you'd be scaring children. And if you want jobs, go speak to the manager. I don't own McDonald's, I only work here." I give Luke his fries and he drags Calum over to Bekah's table.

♢♪♢

Michael

♢♪♢

Hi, this is Sophia. Leave a message and I'll get back to you later!

Sophia's phone goes straight to voicemail. She's still at work.

"Hi, Soph, come pick us up in ten minutes. We're at the bar." I speak really fast into the phone. I feel lightheaded, but it's not the worst feeling in the world; it's actually enjoyable.

Just one more glass. I tell myself. One more, one more.

I talk to some people next to me. I'm seeing almost everything double. A girl and I share a drink, and we sing to a song on the radio. Ashton meets some new girls, too. Eventually the whole bar is singing, we're dancing, people are kissing, and the place is like a huge party, a giant, messy, party. Ashton walks away, and I lose him in the crowd.

"MICHAEL, COME ON." A girl screams, pulling me out of the bar and shoving me into the backseat of her car.

I'm pushed onto Ashton, his shirt ripped and his hair in his face.

"Please don't turn into him." The girl tells me, looking me in the eye.

"Sure thing, lady." I say before everything goes fuzzy.