the hating game ; lrh

seventeen

ALMOST TWO WEEKS HAD passed by, and I still hadn't spoken to Luke.

Calum had been mostly spending lunch times with Anna and I, and as far as I was aware he hadn't been seeing Luke outside band practices despite how much I had urged them to reconnect.

"Luke and I have always hated each other — this is no different," I had told him on countless occasions, though there always seemed to be a reason not to see him. It seemed that Luke had hurt Calum just as much as he'd hurt me that day.

I had continued seeing Ashton despite his horrific behaviour at the party. I wasn't sure whether it was because his behaviour wasn't quite as bad in comparison to Luke's or because I wanted so badly to give him a second chance, but nonetheless I had — only after he'd promised me it would never happen again, of course.

Today Anna, Calum, Ashton and I all sit around a cafeteria table together for lunch. Over Calum's shoulder I can see Luke and Michael sitting on a table nearby, and part of my heart aches for them. Although I know my actions were valid, I can't help the guilt that I feel at causing a rift in the group.

"He's just been so distant lately," Anna continues her seemingly endless complaints about a college boy she's been seeing on weekends. "I just don't get it."

"Maybe he's busy with classes?" Calum suggests with a shrug, taking another bite of his sandwich.

Anna shoots Calum a look of disgust. "Boys don't go to college to study, Calum — they go to find hot girls," she rolls her eyes at me as if it were a commonly known fact.

Calum frowns at her. "Maybe he's found one then," he mumbles, though clearly too loudly because Anna punches him hard on the arm in response. "Ow."

I giggle lightly and lean into Ashton, my smile deepening when I feel his arm tighten soothingly around me in response.

"Anyway, we've got more pressing issues to worry about," Ashton announces, and I have to refrain from rolling my eyes — I know exactly what he's going to say. "When are we going to find somewhere to play?"

For weeks the band had been trying desperately to contact any bar, club, pub, restaurant, even cafe in town to book in to play a gig, but none of them appeared to be biting. The boys were becoming restless, with so much good material that they had practiced over and over with seemingly no end goal in mind.

"You've contacted everywhere?" I ask for the umpteenth time, and although Ashton lets out a sigh as I say the words I know that it's worthwhile given each other time I've managed to think of another venue.

"Yes! For real this time," he assures me.

"Missy D's?" I question, and he nods. "Chunky Monkey? Al's?"

"Yes!"

"What about that one on fifth?" Anna questions vaguely, her head half in her food.

"We've contacted every venue we can," Ashton lets out an exhausted sigh. "It feels like we'll never get to play a gig."

I look across at Calum and cast him a pouted gaze. I know how hard these boys have worked to try and land a gig, and disappointing that they won't get to see the fruit of their efforts. I wrack my brains for somewhere they could possibly play — they've contacted all the typical gig venues, and there's no way a hall would allow them to play. If they could find somewhere outside to connect their instruments that would be helpful, but the noise complaints would shut them down almost instantly... if only somebody we knew owned a venue that we didn't have to pay for or didn't have to apply to...

"Wait," I burst out suddenly. All eyes turn to me and an excited grin creeps across my face. "I think I've got it."

"Well?" Calum is leaning almost halfway across the table in excitement.