Here We Are || HG Sequel

Chapter Nine

"Hey, Ashton!" Niall calls from across the campground, running over to him. Ashton had been bent over, tying his shoe. 

"Yeah?" he responds.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to come hang out with a few of us tonight by the lake. I think almost everyone is gonna be there, actually. So I guess it isn't exactly a few of us." Niall laughs at his own joke, but Ashton remains unamused.

"Is the Princess going?" Niall looks confused only for a moment, then turns to look over at Karalyn, who was now conversing with Taylor and Emily. 

"Yeah, I think so. Not too sure. Why? I thought you'd want her to go," he smiles, a small laugh escaping his lips, making light of the matter.

"As much fun as that sounds," Ashton chirps, highly sarcastic, "I think I'll have to pass." Just then, Louis and Zayn decide to make an appearance, whilst Louis puts a friendly arm around Ashton's shoulder.

"No worries, Zayn and I will have to pass on that as well. We'll keep 'im company well enough, Niall." With a smile, Louis removes his arm from Ashton's shoulder, pats Niall on the back, and sends him on his way. 

"Keep me company?" Ashton scoffs. "More like keep an eye on me. You two haven't left me alone practically since I got Here. I didn't even know you guys. Now all of a sudden we're best friends?"

"Relax, Ash," Zayn tries to calm him down. "We're just here because we like you. You're a pretty chill dude."

"And you're about the only one we can trust with shit like this who won't freak out on us. We need information, and you've got the guts to get it. The others, yeah, sure, we've all survived The Hunger Games. But even if you make it out alive, no one truly survives. You, Zayn, and I, are the strongest Here; emotionally and physically. Luke is too caught up in that Princess girl you seem to like so much, Niall has Annie to worry about, Pierre, well, he's french, Alex almost got himself killed last time, and Rhett... So as you can see we're out of options. Plus, you shut everyone out. You know how not to give a crap; like us. So, are you in?"

"First of all, no one calls her Princess except me," he calmly warns. "Second," there is slight hesitation for dramatic value before continuation. "I'm in."

"Great. We go again, tonight, at midnight. You're in charge of the light this time. Oh- and you'll need these," Zayn smirks at Ashton, tossing him a box of matches, who rolls his eyes and heads back to his bunk where his stuff is. He secretly pulls out a very small box, and conceals it in his hands so that no one can see. It has taken some damage from being hid in his uniform in the arena, but what remains inside is still untouched. He opens it carefully. Taking one look at the contents, he closes the box and puts it away. Just in time, too, it seems.

"So, I hear you don't wanna join us tonight," Holland is standing in front of him. "Why not?" 

"Why do you care?" Ashton remarks, shaking his head and standing, brushing past her.

"Is it because of Luke? Do you and he have a thing? Like a secret thing that we don't know about? Cause that's totally cool if you do, I just wanna know. Crystal and I have a bit of a thing ourselves."

"What? No!" the boy replies, angered and annoyed. "I don't even like him as a person."

"Hmm..." Holland ponders this. "Well, I call bull shit on you not liking him as a person in general, but hey, I can't say I blame you, with all this trouble you two have been dragged into." 

"Great, are you going to play therapist too?" he asks, glaring at her. 

"Hell no, I'm not here to tell you that you need to be more open. I'm here to tell you screw that. Do what you wanna do, Ashton. But hey, make sure you're doing the right thing when you do it." There's a long pause of silence between them as Ashton took in her words. "Well... I gotta go. Remember what I said." As she left, Ashton groaned, running his hands through his hair. He had remembered what Taylor had said, he had thought of what Holland had said, and of course, he was haunted by what Karalyn said. He knew all three of them were right, but there was still a resistance in him that wouldn't allow anyone close to him.