Thick and Thin [l. hemmings]

eighty-one

"You've been going on so many dates with this girl, obviously things are going well." I tell Ashton, watching him rush around his room.

"Yeah, they are going really well. I'm really excited." He smiles, stopping in his tracks to look at me while he speaks.

"So then tell me about her!"

He hums as if he's in thought before simply replying with no.

"Dude!" I groan, standing up from his desk chair.

"Kels, listen, I love you, but this is something I need time and space with, okay? Maybe after a couple more dates, not yet. Now, I need to get ready so if you kindly leave my room."

"Wow, now I'm getting kicked out?" I question, pretending to be offended.

Ashton sighs, stopping his pacing again. "I'm sorry, I'm a little stressed. For good reason."

"Well-"

"Ashton, you ready to go? I just have to- fuck my life."

"Ashton's going on a date?" I question, turning to face Nina, who just barged into the room. When I look between them, and notice how dressed up Nina is, my jaw drops to the point it seems like it hit the floor as everything clicks.

Ashton sighs, muttering under his breath, "Fuck, Nina."

"I thought she was still at Luke's!" Nina defends.

"Oh my god?" I shriek, my eyes just going back and forth between the two.

"Kels-"

"She's the- you're- you two- she's the girl- what?" I exclaim, pointing at them as I try to stammer through a sentence.

"You're so fucking lucky Kyle isn't home right now or I'd kill you." Ashton mutters.

"It's Nina?" I ask, my voice still raised as I turn to Ashton.

"Yes, Kelsey! I've been going on dates with Nina!" He groans, rolling his eyes at me, clearly over my reaction.

"How did this happen?" I yell, still in shock.

"Stop screaming!" Ashton yells back, pulling me over to his bed and forcing me to sit down. The two stand in front of me, and I stare at them in shock.

"Okay, Kels, listen. We've just spent more time together recently now that you have Luke and Kyle is seeing Ellie. I've always been attracted to him, but since we were friends I never pushed anything." Nina explains.

"Feelings really started to come up for me recently with all of our time together, we've gotten to know each other so much more. These things started to come up one night when the two of us were drunk, we both started talking about this. We then drunkenly scheduled a date, and the next morning we figured, why not try it?"

"Oh my god."

"I'd like to think things are going well so far, it's been a few dates now, and nothing's gone wrong yet." Nina chuckles, looking over at Ashton.

"Things are going well. And it would be great if you didn't mention this yet? We aren't really ready. We're giving it time. We obviously didn't want you to know yet."

"Yeah, I won't tell anybody. I'm just- processing." I tell them. "We all live together? How did you hide this?"

"I've been staying at Alina and Sydney's place more often to try and hide the fact Ashton and I would always be gone at the same time." Nina chuckles.

"How could I not know! Ashton tells me everything and refused to tell me anything about the girl! It's making more sense now. I can't do this. What the fuck is going on."