starstruck - lrh

fourty-one.

"I thought it was epic."

    "Calum, you missed the whole entire thing," Michael says to Calum as he looks over from the front seat.

    "Yeah, but I saw how bloody that son of a bitch was."

    I cringe at the memory and the visual of Jake being covered in blood. Not that I mind perhaps, it's just the fact that I despise blood. I have no doubt that the image is going to be in my head for a lot longer than I'd like it to.

In the situation, I was so numb and frozen that it didn't matter. I couldn't process anything that was happening. Now that I'm able to properly reflect on it all, I can definitely feel the emotions that I should've felt then.

    "You guys should've heard Liam and Zac," Ashton says. "They were going nuts and thought it was the most epic thing to see you kicking his ass."

    "Oh for sure, I even heard Zac cheering on Luke," Calum says. "Don't worry, I made sure everyone knew that we're his best frien-"

    "Will you all shut the fuck up?" Luke speaks from his side of the car causing everyone to look over to the person who hasn't spoken a word since we got in. His face has only read pure anger as he has not looked at anybody or contributed to any conversation and I'm sure he's still trying to recollect everything, just as I am.

Aspen sits in between the two of us which prevents me from being able to comfort him in any way I possibly can. I don't think I'd be able to offer much comfort anyway but I'd like to at least hold his hand to remind him that I'm here.

    Luke and I not sitting next to each other was far from intentional, it only happened considering the guys rushed Luke out of the house before anything further could happen and Aspen was adamant in getting me into the car and sticking by my side so it just kind of happened.

    I didn't notice until I snapped back to reality when the car started moving.

    "Dude, aren't you pumped?" Calum asks. "You just kicked Jake Thompson's ass in a room full of people who all hate him."

    Luke shuts his eyes and pinches them together with his thumb and pointer finger as he clearly isn't amused by it all. I'm sure he's trying to process everything that happened as well considering it seemed to be a heat-of-the-moment action.

    "This isn't some fraternity party in your crummy basement, Calum," Luke says. "It was a public fight that has the potential to ruin our image."

    Ashton doesn't seem to give into Luke's words as he gives him an exhausted look from the back of the car.

    "Would you take back your actions?"

    "Fuck no," Luke says, his voice firm.

    "Then, what's the issue?" Ashton challenges immediately. "You wish you dragged him into a private alley instead?"

    Luke shuts his mouth, clearly realizing Ashton has a point here considering it'd be one thing to say he wishes he could go back and reverse his actions. However, if he's not regretful of them, then there's nothing that would've been different.

    "Plus, I think we're going to get excellent press from this," Calum says, his tone cheerful as everyone looks to him. "I mean come on, everyone in the world hates Jake Thompson. To hear that he got beat up by some Z list celebrity in front of Hollywood's biggest stars, hell, everyone's going to view you as a hero."

    Michael snorts in response to Calum's words and Luke seems to just ignore them.

The truth is, Calum is probably right. Everyone's been waiting on the day that Jake Thompson was taught a lesson and he certainly was taught one tonight.