All I Need ✘ [Hemmings] (On Hold)

eighteen: Piercing Blue Eyes

"Ashton?" I yell, my voice echoing throughout the house.

After a few seconds, I hear footsteps and suddenly Ashton appears at the top of the stairs. "Oh, hey, I didn't think you'd get here this quickly," he tells me. "I was actually going to take a shower. Do you mind?"

I take a look around and shrug. "Go ahead."

A dimple pops out on each cheek as he nods his head and disappears around the corner. After I turn on the TV and select a channel, I hear the water turn on. 

"Ashton?" a voice calls out.

My eyes widen. Luke. 

"Dude, where the hell are you?" he asks, his footsteps getting closer and closer until he walks into the room. He shrieks when he sees me and I turn my attention back to the TV, eyes wide.

"Hey, is, uh, Ashton here?"

I clear my throat, wishing Spongebob would drown out the sound of his voice. "He's upstairs. He's taking a shower," I answer, flicking my gaze back to him and offering him a small smile. He doesn't return it.

When I bother to tear my eyes off of the TV, Luke is gone. All of the sudden, I hear a high-pitched scream and loud voices. I reach blindly for the remote to turn up the volume, but end up muting the program by accident. By the time I find the volume button, I don't want to turn it up.

"Ashton, what the fuck, why didn't you tell me she was gonna be here?" Luke hisses, making no point to lower his voice. 

The water shuts off which only makes their voices easier to hear. "I didn't think you were going to be here!" Ashton retorts.

"That's not the problem! The problem is that you keep hanging out with her! Don't you know that you're not supposed to hang out with your best mate's ex?"

"Since when have you followed the bro code?" Ashton bites back and I imagine his face flushing in anger. Whatever the story behind his words, I know it's not something he likes to talk about.

Luke doesn't say anything for a minute and my shoulders slump in disappointment. "When it has to do with her," he finally says, and I bite my lip.

Ashton doesn't say anything and I know the conversation is over. I reach for the remote and turn the volume back up before slumping down in my seat. Luke makes his way down the steps and exits the house the way he came, this time slamming the door behind him.

I bite my lip and grab my phone from my back pocket, dialing Emeri's number. I let myself out the front door as I wait for her to pick up.

"What's up?" she greets and I smile at her cheery tone. Sometimes all you need is a little positivity.

I sigh. "I told Luke I didn't like him anymore," I tell her. "And now I'm hanging out with Ashton at their house. Luke just came in and got super pissed at him for being friends with me. I don't know what to do, I really want to be friends with Ashton, but Luke has a legitimate reason to be mad at Ashton and I don't want to be the reason that they're fighting again."

"Y'know, when I said "what's up", I didn't really want to know," she says, her tone dripping in sarcasm.

I roll my eyes. "Help me," I whine, taking a seat on one of the stairs on the porch. "I'm currently sitting outside their house, wondering what the hell is wrong with me."

Emeri groans. "Abby, it's not worth it."

"Ashton is a really good friend -- "

"I mean, it's not worth your happiness," she corrects and I snap my mouth shut. "Look, it's Ashton's choice on whether or not to be friends with you. He can chose to be friends with you or not, and Luke has to deal with it either way."