Our reality //m.g.c//

Thirty six

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
~Walter Winchell

"So you're staying here Ash?"

"For as long as you want me here."

Ava smiled and happily squeezed Ashton's hand. Then she looked at Luke and Calum.

"Cal and I are going to see his family and spend some time there. But don't worry, I'll be back when dad and Rosalie come back from Europe."

Ava nodded and hugged her step brother before the brown eyed boy as well and wishing them a good time. Then they left and Ava and Ashton were alone in the house.

"Walk?"

Ava agreed and the two headed out.

"You never told me what your favorite song is from the last album?"

"Outer space/carry on. Forever and always. I just love it. What's yours?"

"Used to be jet black heart. Probably still is but...I don't know. I can't really listen your album for long."

"Understandable."

"You think I will ever be able to?"

"To what? Listen to our album?"

Ava nodded.

"Yeah without, you know...wanting to cry because of...well because of hearing Michael's voice."

"I'm sure you will. Time goes on and you will heal. You've already started."

"I still can't see him."

"Well seeing your first love who broke your heart is forever hard but...I know you'll manage. The next time you'll see him, it won't be a big thing to you. At least not feeling wise."

"You do know the last time I saw him was in Bali right?"

"So you haven't seen him once in two weeks we've all spent in your house?"

"Noup. Not once."

"Wow that is some dedicated avoiding."

"Yeah well, preventing mental breakdowns is crucial for recovery...or so I've been told."

Ashton chuckled because all though what Ava was saying was true and wasn't a joking matter, her sarcastic tone made him crack up.

"And who told you that?"

"My therapist."

"Right...I forgot to ask how the first session was?"

"Okay I guess. She just asked how I felt, what had happened and who the people I trust are."

"And you told her...?"

"I told her how I was which was okay then, then I gave her a brief overview on what had happened because I didn't feel comfortable enough going into details and then I said you, Luke and Noah."

"On that note, how is Noah?"

"So happy. As he drove me home from the session, he was smiling and telling me how he's proud of me the whole time. He's the best."

Ava smiled at the thought of the golden eyed boy and Ashton nodded in agreement. Noah truly was the one person that never ever crossed Ava and always did what benefited her the most.

"He really is the best. Much better then any of us."

"Not true Ash. You are an amazing friend. Like truly great."

The boy scoffed slightly.

"A truly great friend would have told you your boyfriend hooked up with his best friend."

Just the memory of that stung Ava but she kept it together and grabbed Ashton's arm and looked him dead serious in the eyes.

"Okay now listen to me. No matter what you did or didn't say then, you did it because you thought was right. You thought you were doing the right thing and I can't hold that against you. But everything else, you've always been there for me once I needed you and you've nothing but helped me. And that is just my case. You can ask Luke or Cal or Mike and they would say the exact same thing because you're an amazing person and an even more amazing friend. So stop being so harsh on yourself and enjoy the beautiful sunset we have here."

Ashton smiled and nodded. The talk Ava gave him didn't wipe away his worried but it sure as hell helped. So they continued their walk.

"What happened to your blog? You haven't posted on it in two years."

"I just wasn't feeling it. How do you even know about it?"

"Mike told me and in the past months I've read every single entry. Then I saw that the one about reality was the last one and that was over two years ago. Before you even met Luke if I did my math correctly. So what happened?"

"Honestly...I don't know. I just...changed and didn't feel like myself. I did an entry every time I thought about something interesting and my mind just dropped into the infinite spiral of thought but then, something changed and the thought spirals weren't...inspiring anymore. They were different and I didn't like them so I didn't write them down. And eventually...they just stopped. "

"Do you know what caused this?"

"I'm pretty sure a certain pair of green eyes."

Ashton mentally punched himself for asking that but Ava just brushed it off and tried not to imagine the eyes she was talking about.

"Do you think you'll ever get back to it? The blogging I mean."

"Maybe. I loved doing it. Like a lot. And I just hope I'll feel like myself soon enough again to do it. But in the direction I feel I'm headed in, it probably will happen."

"Well I for one can't wait to read a new thought spiral. The reality one was great, by the way."

"Thanks. Just something I've been thinking about since I was young. The relativity of reality."

"That sounds like hella of a book title."

"Yeah...maybe one day."

Then the walk continued and the talk got less serious. As the sun was already long set, the two returned back home.

"Ash...can I...um...where did Michael go? You know since he didn't go with Luke and Cal and he isn't here..."

"He's...I think he said he's going to Columbus to see Crystal."

"Are they...?"

"Dating? Not as far as we know. I think as of right now, she is just helping him get through stuff but you never know."

Ava nodded. Something about Michael dating someone else bothered her and she hated that it still influenced her so much.

"Don't worry. Not wanting your ex to date someone new is normal after a break up."

"7 months after a break up?"

"If you really loved him and since he was your first ever love, if you wouldn't want him to date anyone again ever that would still be pretty normal to me."

He smiled and the blonde smiled back. Just having the curly haired boy there with her every day, making her feel normal and happy again felt like the best thing in the world and after two years she was begging to feel like maybe, just maybe she would find herself once again.