hey rockstar

ten ; benefit of the doubt & traditions

"Yeah, so he went out of his way to see her and he talked about her a lot but what happened next month? What happens when he's spent a month away from her and starts to doubt the whole thing? Is he going to back out of the relationship again?"

"Dude, what is wrong with you today?"

"Nothing. I'm just making a point. Think about everyone else you've dated - why did you break up with them?"

"Lots of reasons..."

"Face it, you hate being away from the people you love. And her being here isn't going to help when you live in LA and then we start touring in April, it's going to wreck you."

"Hey, it all depends on the person. You know that," Luke jumps to my defence, narrowing his eyes at Ashton.

"Well yeah but-"

"Give him the benefit of the doubt," Liz jumps in from the kitchen, giving me a careful smile. "Tenley has spent years away from her family, she knows how to love from afar. And if you have a good feeling about it - go with it."

"See, mum has the right idea!"

"Yeah, what's up your ass man. Cal gets a girlfriend and suddenly you're against love?"

"I'm just trying to make a point!"

"It was a shitty point man. We're all away from the people that we love, it doesn't matter where we are. He deserves to be happy, it doesn't matter how long it's for. And besides, Crystal loves her already."

"Oh joy," I let out a laugh thinking about how Crystal jumped to my rescue at the beach.

"Actually, she wants to have a new year's eve party," Michael wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at me. "I think we should party like we did when we were in school, those shitty beach parties."

"I know the perfect beach," I glance at Luke who nods his head.

TENLEY

As the week goes on I see very little of Calum, mostly having quiet phone calls later at night - in an effort to avoid his mum and his sister who are always beyond excited to see me. But we decided on Christmas eve that we would make a date at the park, just to see one another before heading off to our respective parties.

I spent the early afternoon packing a small bag to spend the night at the Heart's home, making sure all the gifts were tucked into the trunk and Butterscotch had the right bed. Getting dressed I felt much more anxious than usual whether it be visiting Calum in public after finalizing our relationship or just my excitement of Christmas it was a hard pick. Over the weekend I was put into two group chats, one of 5sos and the girlfriends and the other of just the girlfriends - something new to me considering I'd only met Crystal for about ten seconds two weeks ago. But I rolled with it, because what else would I do?

When Butterscotch and I finally left the house it was half past one, just enough time to get us to Sydney park ontime.

"Hey hon," I smile as I answer Calums phone call, turning off my street slowly.

"Hey, I'm going to park on the north end, and me and Duke will wait for you okay?"

"You don't wanna meet in the park? What if someone sees us?" My anxiety rises, unsure how prepared I am for a rush of fans and paparazzi to be in my personal life - and knowing his history with them I'm sure he's not extatic either.

"We'll be okay. And if anyone sees us - oh well. We can confirm the whole thing when we're ready, yeah?" I nod to myself winding down the road with Butterscotch in the front seat. "Aw, I think I'm behind you!"