Disconnected - 5SOS AU

43. In the Wake of the Storm

Katie's POV

I was lying in bed looking up at the ceiling, trying to get to sleep, but I kept replaying the events of the last couple of days, and couldn't turn it off.  I could hear the vibration from my phone telling me I'd gotten an alert – I'd turned my phone on silent so I wouldn't be bothered while trying to sleep, but I couldn't bring myself to turn it off completely like I would've liked to.  I was driving myself crazy waiting for a call, or a text, from Ashton, but one never came, and that hurt more than I wanted to admit to myself.

My head was spinning with thoughts and scenarios; music was flooding through my earbuds, trying to distract me, but distractions are hard to come by when you're listening to a 5 Seconds of Summer playlist and you're trying to forget one of its members.

I felt a vibration near my pillow and I reached quickly, praying for contact from Ashton, but what I got was much worse.  It was a text from Rose, and she had forwarded a link for a news article to me from a paper somewhere in New York City.  The caption for the link showed up on my lock screen: Broken Home for 5 Seconds of Summer?

"What the hell?" I whispered to myself as I clicked on the link to the article.

"A physical altercation broke out yesterday afternoon amongst members of the popular teen boy band 5 Seconds of Summer – or 5SOS as they are sometimes called.  The incident happened right in the middle of the Central Park Zoo, with many witnesses.

It was front-man Luke Hemmings' twentieth birthday and what we assume was a celebration of sorts ended abruptly when the birthday boy received a blow to the face from bandmate Ashton Irwin!  Spectators believe they were fighting over a girl, and that there is now a definite rift between these so-called 'friends' following the incident.

Hemmings was seen leaving the scene with the girl in question, whose identity is unknown, while Irwin left with the rest of the crew which included fellow bandmates Michael Clifford and Calum Hood, as well as their girlfriends Crystal Lauderdale and Rose Morgan respectively, and Irwin's good friend Katie Spencer.  This was also in the presence of Irwin's infant daughter, Brielle, and Spencer's toddler son whose name is unknown.  Witnesses say that Irwin's anger did not dissipate after the incident, as he was heard yelling at Spencer, but the details are unknown.

The band then played a show last night at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey, acting as if nothing had happened."

I sighed and reread the message a couple of times.  "Oh, Ashton.  What a mess you guys are in" I whispered to myself as I decided to send a text to Rose.

How's he doing?  How are things with him, Luke and Nikki? – Me

My phone rang and it was Rose's number.  "You don't know?" she asked.

"No...  Rose, I haven't heard a single word from him since he yelled at me yesterday.  He hasn't even tried to call or text, or anything" I told her.

"Oh my God, I had no idea...  I knew he was upset, but I thought for sure he would've been talking to you by now..." she said.

"No, and it really sucks.  This is the longest we've ever gone without speaking since we met.  But how is he?  And that whole situation?" I asked.

"Well, he's got Nikki on a suspension of sorts.  She's still here on tour with us, but he had me babysit last night because he was afraid he couldn't trust her after what happened.  Says she lied to him and kept secrets from him, and he wasn't sure that was someone he trusted around his daughter.  He said I did, too, but that he's known me longer and can trust me a little more.