leave him // a.i {au}

14

flashback

Tonight was the dance and Ashton was scared shitless as he stood in front of his mirror in his bedroom, dressed in a black suit. He had never gone to a school dance before, never having anyone to go with. He wished that Luke was coming with, but he couldn't convince his friend to come. Luke did not find himself a date, not being one to take the iniative and ask a girl out. Instead, Ashton and Stevie would be going to the dance with her friends Leila and Calum. He had grown a liking to her friends, not feeling as out of place as before with them.

"Aw, you look so handsome," Ashton's mom gushed when he walked downstairs. She had been sitting in the living room, watching some lifetime movie on tv.

"Mom," he groaned as he went to the front closet to find his dress shoes. He was glad to be picking Stevie up at her place because he didn't want his mom to embarrass him in front of his girlfriend.

"Be sure you're back by midnight, ok?" she reminded him as walked up to him, pulling him into a hug. She placed a kiss on his cheek before standing back to look him over more closely. "You really do look handsome, sweetie. You look so much like your father," she smiled sadly. She never spoke much of Ashton's dad, not wanting him to know the realities of how much he hurt her.

Ashton was quiet, not knowing exactly what to say. Instead of speaking, he hugged his mom tightly again. "I'll be back on time," he reasured her before leaving through the front door.

***

"Now stand on the stairs. Ashton, you on one higher than Stevie," Alice, Stevie's mom, was instructing the pair. She had already taken over a dozen pictures, but insisted on continuing. Stevie groaned at her mom, just wanting to leave for the dance. "One more, sweetie. Please?" her mom pouted, holding up the camera.

Ashton stood behind Stevie, loosely wrapping his arms around her waist. She was dressed in an all black dress that had one shoulder strap, the top half covered in glitter. She looked incredibly beautiful in Ashton's eyes, he had trouble keeping his eyes off of her.

"Ok! We're good," Alice announced and the two teenagers walked down the stairs. "Now, you two have fun ok?"

"We will mom," Stevie said quickly. "I'm sorry about her," she apologized once they were outside.

"It's fine," Ashton laughed. "My mom would have been embarrassing as well."

They arrived at the school not too much later, finding Calum and Leila standing off to the side in the middle of an argument.

"I can't believe you were looking at her!" Leila was practically screaming over the loud music.

"Babe, calm down. You know I wouldn't look at anyone except you," Calum was saying, trying to hold on to some part of her, but failing because Leila backed away every time he got close.

"What's going on?" Stevie asked, standing close to Leila. Ashton stood back a little bit, not wanting to get in the middle of their fight.

"Him," Leila sobbed, pointing to her boyfriend. "He was looking at Tara Saunders like he wanted to devour her." Leila was shaking as Stevie pulled her into her arms.

"We'll be back," Stevie said and walked her friend toward the bathrooms.

Calum groaned and went to take a seat at a nearby table. Ashton followed because he didn't know what else to do and he didn't want to stand awkwardly by himself. Again, he wished for Luke to be there with him.

"I can't believe this man," Calum said, but Ashton wasn't really paying attention to him. "I looked at a girl for one fucking second and she flips out," he shook his head. "This ever happen to you?"

"Huh? No," Ashton answered truthfully. The only girl he ever noticed was Stevie, no one else comapred to her.

Fifteen minutes later, the girls returned. Leila's makeup was fixed and she was trying to force a smile. Calum stood up and pulled her into his arms. "I only want you. You know that don't you?" She nodded into his chest. "Good, now let's go dance." The two walked away from the table and onto the dance floor that was really just an open part on the gym floor.

"How did that go?" Ashton asked, pulling Stevie to him so that she was sitting on his lap.

"Fine. They always get into little arguments like that. I just have to calm her down and remind her how much she likes Calum."

"Hmm," Ashton mused. "Would you care to dance?" he asked as a slower song started, holding out his hand for her to take.

"I thought you'd never ask," she giggled, pretending to play out some cheesy scene in a movie.

The pair walked to the edge of the large mass of people dancing, or rather swaying. Ashton's hands found their way to Stevie's waist while hers found their way to his neck. Ashton held her close, so there was barely any space between them. She looked up into his sparkling, warm eyes and found what she had been missing. She found acceptance and pure adoration in the eyes of her boyfriend. Ashton made her feel wanted and special, unlike she had felt all her life. She knew she had to hold onto him because who knew if she could ever find that again.

it's been way too long, sorry. hope you enjoy the update. please vote and comment. xx zoe