Buy The Stars // Book Two

Chapter Ten

June 1st, 2015

"Is this how many times you've gone out with someone?" I asked her as I flipped through her Facebook photos until I spotted a familiar figure. "You've got to be kidding me? This is Ashton Irwin!"

"You know Ashton?" questioned Gwen. She didn't look so excited like I was, and I figured that maybe something happened in their past that wasn't all that pretty.

"Yeah, he's in my boyfr- my ex's band," I mumbled. My ex that I began to date again, is what I really meant.

"I didn't know he had a band, maybe he decided to let loose after all," she huffed.

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just, I met Fletch- Ash like two years ago at a party, and I decided to take him on this trip across America because he hadn't really done anything fun all his life. I wanted to give him a good experience, but we kinda hooked up," Gwen shrugged. "Had sex in Kansas." I laughed but kept wondering why she called him Fletch. It was a cute little pet name, I liked it.

"That's cool. Do you mind me asking what happened?" She shrugged again and looked down.

"It was a little sad, how we broke up. He dumped me in a really kind way, but the next day, I saw him with another girl and- and I just kind of fell apart; you know?" I nodded. "What an asshole," she sighed with a pained expression in her face.

"How long ago did you say this was?" I asked, trying to remember when I met Luke for the first time.

"We broke up, um, like at the end of 2013, it's been a while. I met him earlier that year," Gwen sniffed.

"You don't still like him; do you?" I probably was thinking of some psychotic scheme, if we were being honest, which was the worst thing to do. My friend bit her lip and sighed for a long time, telling me that it was an obvious yes. She still had not gotten over him, no matter how much time had passed. "Do you want to see him again?"

"I- I don't know," she sighed. "Have you seen him in a while?" I shook my head. "Honestly," Gwen smiled weakly. "It'd be kind of cool to see him again. I mean, we spent three months together in a stupid car. I promised to take him to Europe, Paige."

"I'll talk to Luke," I grinned. "Or maybe I'll find Ashton myself."

"I'm scared."

"Aw, Guinevere," I chuckled and she pouted. "Did you guys call it love?" She let out a loud cackle.

"Of course, we were young and foolish. But maybe if we didn't, it wouldn't have hurt so bad," Gwen shrugged. "God, is he almost 21?"

"I don't know when his birthday is."

"July 7th, we made out that day. Our first kiss was three days before that." She got up from her bed and paced the room. "I can't believe I remember this. I can't believe you know Ashton!" I laughed.

"Let me call Luke; okay?" Gwen nodded and sat beside me on her roommate's bed, who apparently was supposed to come back today from her hometown but didn't. I dialled, and it took three calls for Luke to answer.

"Hi?" he shouted through the phone. "Mike, stop for a second!"

"Hey, what's up?"

"Band practice, we switched the days up." Oh, what a coincidence, not. "You?"

"In Gwen's dorm." I told Luke about Gwen the other day, and how I befriended her last March because we both didn't have anyone to sit with at dinner one night. It blossomed from there. "Is Ashton there?"