Shattered (Continuation of: The Chase) ▹ Ashton Irwin

Chapter Sixteen

"Why are we here again?" Luke asked as he, Michael and I walked down one of the aisles of the pharmacy.

"I need to get something," I replied, thinking of Brooke as I usually do. I stopped where I would guess what I'm looking for was and I scanned over the bottles and boxes of over-the-counter medicines. Michael and Luke stayed quiet behind me, until I found what I was looking for: sleep medication. Sorry, I couldn't help myself from looking for it.

"Here." I said, somewhat to myself as I finally found it.

"Wait Ashton," Michael said in a serious tone, walking up next to me. He looked at me with worried eyes. "Is it getting worse?"

"What? Me?" I asked. "N-no, I'm fine."

"Oh," Michael said with his gaze softening. "Then why do you need it?"

"I don't," I corrected him. "But I think Brooke does."

As the words left my mouth I saw the look in Michael's face shift a little, and his eyes looked to the floor. His eyebrows were raised with a casual look on his face, and he shuffled his right foot against the floor in what looked like an uncomfortable manner.

"Oh," he said again. Only this time, his tone was full of something completely different than before.

"Yeah...?" I tilted my head to the side, confused. Michael slowly nodded his head, and his eyes glanced over to Luke, who looked back at him just as puzzled as I was.

"I mean why don't you just get a doctor." Michael spoke up after a moment of silence.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Why?"

"Like...is it that bad?"

"Well, actually," I retorted. "It kind of is."

"Oh of course it is!" Michael said sarcastically, stepping back from me. I fully turned my body to him, furrowing my eyebrows over my eyes. What the hell is he talking about?

"Huh?" I asked.

"What?" Michael replied with a shrug.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not saying anything," Michael replied. "I can shut my mouth if you want." His tone of voice sounded really, really annoyed. And I could tell mine was about to be the same thing.

"No I don't want you to shut your mouth I want you to tell me what the hell you're talking about." I pressed on. I could tell he was angry at something...and whether it was me or not, I was growing worried myself.

"Nah. I shouldn't have said anything anyway," Michael scoffed at me.

"Uh, guys?" Luke's voice said from beside us.

"I should have thought you would feel like you have to help her," Michael continued. "Even though it's probably nothing."

"Well actually it is something you fuck," I retorted.

"Is it, Ashton?"

"Yes-"

"Guys." Luke said.

"-It is. And I'm really worried about her, and as my best friend I would love it if you fucking helped me with it." I finished and crossed my arms over my chest, staring Michael down for an answer. I have no idea how we managed to escalate our conversation into an argument; Michael is just being really weird right now.

"She seems perfectly fine to me," Michael replied. "She always has."

"Well she's not!"

"I doubt that-"