youngblood | lrh

▷ 05.

 I was the only one sitting at the table meant for five and the waitress had came up several times ask to when the rest of my party is coming. I assumed that the boys had just gotten stuck in traffic but I felt like it would be wrong to text Luke and be annoying. Besides, I owed a lot to Luke and his friends. Without them I would've never gotten my promotion.

The bell on the door chimed and I turned my head to see a group of four boys with hats and sunglasses on. The one in front took off his sunglasses and it was Luke, although I kind of figured it would be them. I waved them other to the table and they all sat down. "Hey Brielle!"

I grimaced at the nickname. The other boys didn't know me and I would hate for them to start calling me Brielle too. I barely liked Luke calling me it because it felt like the opposite of who I was. Although I couldn't deny that my heart fluttered every single time I heard the word slip between his lips. "Hey Luke. Hi guys!" I said with my million dollar smile, shaking hands with all the other boys.

"Brielle, huh? I thought your name was Gabriella." Calum said. I nodded, taking a sip of my water while the waitress came back up to the table to ask the boys what they wanted.

"My name is actually Gabrielle," I emphasized the e sound. "But your friend here has decided he wanted to call me Brielle since no one else calls me that." Calum nodded. "But please feel free to call me Gabriella if you'd like."

Ashton shook his head. "Why would we call you Gabriella? That's not your name." I shrugged and took a sip of my drink to avoid this awkward conversation. I never really bothered to correct people if they called me Gabriella because it was so common. I used to say that one day I would actually change my name to Gabriella but I never had the balls to do it.

"I really don't know why you would but some people do it. Maybe because they wish I was Gabriella Montez?" I suggested with a laugh. The waitress came back and brought the boys their drinks and left once again, giving us time to figure out what we wanted.

"What are you gonna get to eat?" Luke asked enthusiastically. I scanned the menu, despite the fact that I came here all the time since it was cheap, I tried to get something different every time.

"I don't know. Maybe a sandwich? I'm not super hungry but it was important that I got you all here to thank you. I know I can't take credit for what you named your album but you guys going with Youngblood did amazing things for me. I am no longer an intern at the label, I'm an official, full time employee." I said. My eyes glanced toward Luke who was beaming.

"That's really cool Gabrielle. And please, take full credit. We were truly thinking about going with Want You Back and Youngblood is honestly much better." Ashton said.

"And edgier. It brings us back to the days where people said we weren't a punk band." Calum followed up.

"Yeah, it was a good idea. But Luke wouldn't shut up about the great the idea the pretty intern ha-" Michael started to speak but got cut off.

"The pretty smart intern," Luke said.

"You talked about how hot she was for three days?" Michael questioned.

I could feel my face get hot and I knew I had to get out of there. "Excuse me, I have to take this phone call." I gestured to my pocket, even though I wasn't getting a phone call. I ran out of the small diner and into the parking lot, taking a deep breath. Luke thought I was hot? That boy looks like someone cut him out of a fashion magazine and copied and pasted all the best features anyone could ever want on a boy. He's got the most amazing blue eyes, he has the most amazing beach hair, and he's so unbelievably tall. I'm not a particularly insecure person but how could someone like that like someone like me?

The door chimed and I turned behind me to see who was walking out. Speak of the devil. Luke walked up to me smiled. "Hey."

"Hi," I said, my voice getting softer.

"Look..." He rubbed the back of his neck. That's hot. "I'm sorry for Michael. But yeah, I thought you were really pretty. I think you're really pretty. I figured I've already been exposed so I may as well man-up and just ask. Do you want to go get dinner tomorrow? Just me and you, like a date."

My heart stopped beating. My lungs stopped breathing. My brain stopped thinking. My body stopped feeling. This wasn't happening. I couldn't date someone like Luke. He was a celebrity and I was a college student. I still had scars from River. I wasn't prepared for this. What would happen if the label found out? Would I get fired? I was trying not to panic, my mind was racing at a million miles per second.

"Luke," I started. I couldn't look him in the eyes, his smile was too much for me to handle. "I'm sorry, but no." I looked up to see his face and I had never seen such a devastating scene. He looked like I had kicked a puppy in front of him. "I'm so busy and you're just as busy, and I don't think I like you like that. I'm so sorry. I have to go," I pulled a hundred dollar bill of out my wallet and thrust it into his hands. "That should cover lunch. I'm so, so, sorry."

I turned on my heels as fast I could and unlocked my car, quickly climbing into the driver's seat and driving off. I only drove for a few seconds until I pulled into a gas station parking lot. I rolled up my windows and locked my door, and sobbed. 

AUTHORS NOTE: 

UHHHHHHH IM CRYING????? LIKE GABI TRULY OUT HERE PASSING UP THESE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AND LIKE IMAGINING LUKES FACE MADE ME ACTUALLY HAVE A FEW TEARS SLIDE DOWN MY CHEEK LMAO !!!!!

i told yall things were gonna get good soon and things are only gonna get better from here!!

qotc: 

have you guys ever been to a 5sos concert? (or any concert?) 

i went to one concert when i was like 6 years old and my mom snuck me in without a ticket lmao but im gonna see 5sos on 9/30/18 and im super excited !!!