Best Years // Alex Gaskarth

Chapter 11 - Cotton Candy

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Stella's POV
It's been about 5 months since we got home from the shortcut tour. Alex and I have been talking a lot but I hadn't seen him in person since. Luke ended up forgiving me after lots of passive-aggressive comments and talks with my parents. 5 Seconds of Summer continued working hard on their music and their fan base expanded due to the shows they did play. I knew they would've had more success with more time on tour yet I'm learning to forgive myself as well. All Time Low was signed to new management and all their listeners supported them through the change.

"Alright, we doin' this?" Michael bursts into my room with two plastic bags in his hands. I made fun of him for missing a spot in his hair once and now he makes me color it. I can't be mad though, we have too much fun.

"Yep," I hopped off my bed and ran past him "to the bathroom!"

I pulled out some old towels and laid them on the counter. Michael pulled out a box of gloves, bleach, and blue hair dye.

"Back to blue, huh?" I said, picking up the container of Manic Panic. "This shit stains be careful."

He shrugged and pulled off his sweatshirt revealing an old t-shirt. "Worth it."

I took out my phone, putting on a shared Spotify playlist we created. I began applying the bleach to his hair while he stared at us in the mirror. It was totally fried at this point but that never stopped him.

"When are you gonna switch it up?" He motioned to my head. I'd always had it my natural color other than the one time I kool-aid dip-dyed in middle school.

"I don't know." My eyes made their way to the bottles of leftover dye Michael hoarded under the sink. "I've been thinking of pink." I admitted. Ever since Micahel had his hair a baby pink I've had it on my mind.

"Let me do it! Stella please it'll be fun." He pleaded.

"Maybe I'm due for a change, huh?"

Not long after we both sat on my floor with dye saturating our heads.

"How are you and Luke holding up?" Michael popped open a bag of chips and began downing them.

"Alright," I sighed "I know he understands and doesn't really blame me but I can't help feeling bad. Plus I miss all the memories we made on tour. I spent every day with those guys, I miss them."

"Mhm." He paused to swallow his food. "Are you in touch with Jack?" his eyebrows furrowed and his voice lowered.

"Yeah, of course." I stopped and looked at him. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know." Michael shrugged and looked around as if he was scanning for a new conversation topic.

"Michael." I snapped a bit. "Why'd you ask?"

"Stell." He groaned and laid his back against the wall. "It's ridiculously obvious he has feelings for you."

"What? No, absolutely not." I stood up, my cheeks beginning to heat up. I was almost mad at him for suggesting this. He knows how bad my anxiety is and putting these thoughts in my head doesn't help. "Why can't a guy and a girl be best friends without it being something more?" I crossed my arms, my voice going up a few octaves.
"I don't know." Michael buried his head in his hands and laughed. "Just speculation me, Rian, and Zach had. The way he talks about you is.." he sighs looking for the right word. 
I stopped him and scoffed. "You guys are nuts.. so what does he say?"
Michael shrugged "Well I guess more so he just talks about you A LOT." He reached up to touch his head that was beginning to dry. "Can we wash our hair out now?"

And so we did just that. I let the conversation go because it sounded ridiculous. Plus I didn't have time to argue with him. If that's what he wanted to believe so be it but I know it's bullshit.

The rest of the boys were over. Michael and I joined them on the couch our freshly colored hair dripping down our shoulders. 

"You guys look like cotton candy." Ashton laughed and ruffled our hair causing my shirt to be even wetter. 

"Oh wow, thanks!" I reached over and hugged him, pressing my soaking head into him. 

"Damn it!" He looked down at the spot on his shirt and laughed again. 

Luke was glued to his phone. It's funny because he wasn't typically like that. I threw a pillow at his head, causing him to look up. He kept his eyes locked and playfully flipped me off. 

"Your friends here to help you pack?" My mom called from the kitchen. We had a vacation planned for me and Luke to visit our cousins. They moved to the US a few years back and we hadn't seen them since. I was never really close with them and neither was Luke but it's supposedly important to my mom. 

"Yeahhh, we will eventually." Luke looking up and gave her a sarcastic smile. 

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're not excited to stay with people we barely know for a week?" I said, loud enough for just him to hear. 

He raised his eyebrows and nodded.

"All the way back to the US, huh?" Calum shook his head. "The Hemmings never rest." 

"Yeah," I laughed under my breath. Sadly it wouldn't be anything like the last time we were there. Even though we were closer to Alex, Jack, Rian, and Zack than we are now, it would still be days worth of driving we don't have the time or money for. I missed them all so much it was ridiculous. I truly felt like my home was with them regardless of where we were. There's a part of me that occasionally touches on the thought of what could've happened if I stayed Alex's little secret. It ate me alive, yeah but I was with him. It's a different empty feeling now and I'm weighing which one's worse.