Belief

0.7

I know I was going to wait until chapter 6 hit 100 reads, but it didn't look like that was going to happen :(

So I punished you guys with a cliffhanger...enjoy :P (If you want a clue, it helps if you have read all of the chapters!)

"Way to answer my texts last night," Ashton greets me as I walk into his apartment for our weekly breakfast. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying refrain from smiling at the sight of me. I held out my arms, wiggling my fingers, inviting him in for a hug, but he turned away.

"Good morning to you too," I sarcastically smile, giving him a poke in the side, making him giggle against his will, before waving to Calum and Michael who were sitting at the kitchen table. The two of them already feasting on a table covered in food.

"Can you please shut him up? He has been complaining all morning," Calum groaned, taking a bite of muffin as I walked over to the counter. I sat down next to Michael. He passed me a bagel and welcomed me with the good morning Ashton and Calum had neglected to give. Ashton was still glaring at me, arms folded, like a mad little teddy bear.

"Sorry Ash I was on- um...I was at Jonah's house working on a project," I lie quickly, looking at the ground.

"I don't understand why you need to hang out with those nerds when you have me," Ashton whined, stomping his foot, "I could help you with your work too yano," he muttered to himself. Calum and Michael were sent into a fit of hysterics.

"Okay next time I need help writing my essay I will make sure to have the high school drop-out proof read it," I roll my eyes. I will never understand his obsession with the other guys I hang out with. He was unable to grasp the concept that he was my best friend. One of those real best friends that you could call in the middle of the night just to say hi, or the kind that knew exactly where to touch you to send you into a fit of giggles. He was like my other half, each of us possessing the qualities that the other lacked. I just wish he could see how much he meant to me. I wish he could see for himself what I saw in him.

"Whatever, but they take away from my Maddie time," he pouted, his bottom lip puckered out. I hopped off my chair, and jumped on his back, giving him a big hug from behind. His pout vanished, spinning around to embrace me. His hug suffocated me as he lifted me off the ground, crushing my ribs. His childish laughter ringing throughout my ears bringing a familiar smile to my face.

"Okay Ash, I can't breathe," I gasped hitting his back. As he put me down, all of his paranoia and anger vanquished. His smile was that of a child, full of happiness that mimicked my own. We never seemed to stay mad at each other for more than five seconds.

We joined Calum and Michael at the table. I watched as they feasted on any food they could get their hands on. They rambled on about their video game tournament last night, and told me stories of their midnight venture to the store because they ran out of vegemite which was apparently necessary to stay up gaming. I was doing a good job at dodging any questions about my night. I hated lying to Ashton, but I was too scared to find out how he would react. Plus, Luke asked me not to tell anyone. I couldn't betray his trust, even if the whole date was a onetime thing.

"You know what's funny," Michael tapped his fingers on the table, "I stayed here all night and Luke didn't even bother to call me," he interrupted the boys' story about scaring the old lady across the street, "I wonder what he must've been doing to not even notice his roommate was gone the whole night," he questioned a bit too knowingly, dragging out each word. His eyes were set on me, his eyebrows raised, a smirk wiped across his face.

"He was probably at a party you idiot. Probably stayed with a girl and didn't even go home," Calum rolled his eyes at Michael as if it was obvious.

"Luke doesn't go to parties unless you make him mate," Ashton laughed, "He can't even start a conversation with us, let alone a stranger," Ashton made fun of Luke's reclusiveness. I found myself amused, but a bit uneasy. "He was probably at the gym, or sleeping," Ashton shrugged, thankfully not picking up on Michael's suspicion.