Notes // Mashton

Chapter Forty

Forty.

*Michael's POV*

I could not believe the words he was saying. A fake girlfriend? Seriously?

"I don't think so." I mumbled, staring down at the table.

"Well what do you think we should do?" The first man replied, almost yelling.

"Let them fucking be in a relationship!" Luke yelled, staring the man right in the eyes.

"You will lose fans."

"They were never apart of the family if they were homophobic."

"Listen, do you want money or not?" The second man asked, trying to convince us to give one of us a fake girlfriend.

"No." Ashton stated.

A cold breeze came into the room, making us all shiver, except for the two men. They seemed emotionless, they seemed like robots. It was like they had been programmed to tell us these things and not listen to us.

"It's not about what you want. It's about money. It's always about money."

"You jerk." I muttered, and the two men looked at me like they were sick of me not wanting a fake girlfriend.

"You don't get it boys."

"What don't we get? I'm sorry I am not siked about being forced to be in a relationship or see someone I love be forced into a relationship!" Ashton yelled, slamming his fists onto the table. I hadn't seen him this angry before, he was pissed. I wouldn't have been surprised it he murdered them.

"Ashton. Not everything can go your way." The first man said, looking over to the second man to continue.

"The reason we are giving you a fake girlfriend is because your fame has been decreasing lately, and with the new album coming soon, I think you're going to have to become more famous if you want to stay successful."

Maybe if there was no Five Seconds of Summer, Ashton and I could have dated without complications. Maybe we wouldn't have broken up twice, and one of us wouldn't have been forced to have a fake girlfriend. Life would have been easier without fame.

I looked over to Ashton, seeing what he thought about a fake girlfriend. His eyes were focused on the floor, avoiding eye contact with everyone. His light brown hair was messier than it had been before, and his hands were messing it up more.

"No." Ashton stated.

"No?"

"No."

"Someone from management has told us to tell you this. You cannot say no." We didn't say anything after he said that, so there was an awkward silence taking over the room.

"Anyway, which one of you would like to have the girlfriend?"

"None of us." I replied, knowing that neither of us would have volunteered.

"One of you have to!"

"No we don't." Ashton muttered. Luke and Calum had seemed to zone out of the meeting, I didn't even know why they had to come.

"You do."

"I think it should be Michael who has the fake girlfriend." One of the

men suggested, and I started shaking my head repeatedly. He nodded in return, eventually I gave in.

"Fine. But it's only because I love Ashton." I said, mumbling the part about Ashton.

Ashton's lips formed a straight line, he was looking uneasy. I knew he was hating the idea of a fake girlfriend just as much as I did, but we both knew that there was no way out of it. I guess this was how being famous felt.