Flaws || A.I

Chapter eleven

~Brielle~

It had been a few months since I'd spoken to Luke. Even though I was trying to keep my distance, it was hard. I missed him and I wasn't sure why. Tonight was some big thing at the auditorium that everyone knew I wasn't going to, so I didn't know why Claire was bugging me to go.

"Just come," Claire pleaded. I rolled my eyes at her.

"No," I replied. "I'm not going to some crap school concert to watch some crap band I don't even like anyway."

"That's a lie and you know it," Claire said and I rolled my eyes again.

"Come for Luke," she said and my stomach flipped. He liked me and I hurt him. I couldn't bear to face him.

"Not a chance," I said and she sighed in defeat.

"Whatever," she said, getting up and leaving. I sighed and rested my head against my knees. I wanted to go, I just couldn't. I led Luke on and dropped him like he was nothing. But he was more than nothing.

"No!" I shouted, throwing a pillow across the room. I couldn't go down that road again. I groaned and fell back against my bed. What was I going to do?

~Luke~

As we set up to play I could hear screaming girls just a few feet away. They were screaming so loud the stage was vibrating. I appreciated all of the support, but I'd trade them all for Brielle in a heartbeat.

"Claire and them are in the fourth row," Ashton said excitedly. I was happy for him. He seriously couldn't get over that Claire was his girlfriend.

"And Brielle?" I asked hopefully. He gave me an apologetic look.

"Claire said she didn't want to come. Something about not wanting to face you," he told me and I was shocked. She led me on and was too embarrassed to face me? Did she care about me, even slightly?

"Just forget about her," Michael said to me. "She's not worth it. She doesn't have feelings, okay? She just doesn't care. She led you on and left you like you were garbage. Just forget about her."

I just sighed before picking up my guitar.

"What are we starting with?" I asked the boys.

"Whatever you pick," Calum replied. "You always start out our songs. Just pick one and we'll go along with it." Michael and Ashton nodded. I gave them a weak smile before running out on stage, a real smile on my face now.

The school let us use the auditorium when we wanted to throw concerts. The administrators always said that as long as our grades were okay, our concerts were approved. We hadn't held one in a while because of Michael's broken fingers, but now that he was all healed and cleared to play again, we decided to have a concert.

"How's everyone doing tonight!?" I shouted into the microphone. Everyone in the audience screamed back, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Ashton blushing and waiving at Claire. I sighed and looked down for a split moment before being shocked at what I saw.

Brielle was standing there in the front row, wearing some ripped light blue skinny jeans, a long white t shirt, and a denim jacket I'd left at in her room. That was it, I knew what song we were going to open with.

I started playing the opening chords of 'Try Hard', Michael, Ashton and Calum joining in.

"She's dropping out of school 'cause she don't need the grade!

The colours in her hair, don't seem to fade!

I get dressed up when I go out, but she gets dressed down!" I sang.