Ashton's throat burned at the taste of the shot he just took. Luke told him it would taste like liquorish. It just tasted like fire.
Luke was totally gone. He was off his face. He was loud and yelling about how he wants to pierce something. Ashton just rolled his eyes and ignored him.
Michael wasn't too bad. Just really clingy. He kept telling Ashton what a good friend he was and how lucky he was to have him in his live and all that normal drunk clingy stuff. It freaked Ashton out a little bit.
Charlie hadn't been spotted the whole night. Well, Luke said he saw her but Ashton is 90% sure he only said that to piss off Michael. Ashton knew he could do something about Luke and Michael's fighting. He knew the truth and he could put an end to it all. But then they would go for Calum. Jade would know. She would know it was Ashton who told them what really happened.
Ashton wouldn't say he was drunk, but he was heading that way. If anyone offered him something he would take it. He didn't want to get drunk though because he actually wanted to see Jade after this. He missed her. He wished he could have been with her tonight instead of here. He blames Luke for it all.
"Okay," Luke said as he leaned against the kitchen counter like Ashton. "Who we thinking off?"
"What?" Ashton took a drink of beer to try and get rid of the burning taste in his mouth.
Luke lazily slung his arm around Ashton. "Girls." Luke says blatantly. "Who is Ashton Irwin's choice of the night?"
"Oh... uh..." No one. Well, that isn't true. If he could pick anyone it would be Jade. He would be with her tonight, not some random girl he would forget about the next morning.
"Come on," Luke groaned. "There are so many hot girls here. Some I don't even know." Luke's eyes scanned the kitchen and landed on a petite red haired girl. "She's got a good butt." Ashton's eyes found her too but he refused to comment. "But," Luke sighed. "Charlie is my main goal tonight."
"Really?" Ashton's eyes widened.
"Is Jade here?" Luke asks.
"No." Ashton says thankfully.
"Then it's Charlie." Luke nods.
"Don't do that to Mikey." Ashton sighs.
"Why not? He already thinks I have." Luke laughs. "Plus he's basically doing the same thing to me."
"What?" Ashton raises an eyebrow.
Luke doesn't seem to really be paying attention to what he is saying. "He doesn't actually want Jade. He is just doing it to piss me off because he thinks that I fucked Charlie."
"But that's different." Ashton says to Luke. "Michael really likes Charlie, for some crazy reason I will never know." Ashton keeps the last part quiet.
"And what?" Luke turns to look at Ashton. "I can't feel that way about a girl too?"
Ashton stares at Luke before asking, "Do you like Jade. Like, actually like her. Not just in a sex way."
Luke shrugs and looks down at his feet. "I'm going to college soon and I've never had a real girlfriend. I'm just..." Luke lets out a big sigh. "She's nice."
"Have you even spoken to her?" Ashton asks Luke harshly.
Luke looks up when he hears Ashton's tone and then scoffs. "Have you? You seem to hate her but yet you have said for ages how you have no idea who she is or even noticed her. Least I have noticed her."
"Yeah, when you thought she was dating Calum and thought it was a good way to mess with him." Ashton points out and Luke knows that the truth.
"Am I not allowed to change?"
"You're Luke Hemmings." Ashton says bluntly. "You'll never change."
"Jesus," Luke lets out a breathy laugh. "Thanks for that, Ash." He says sarcastically. "People can change. I can change."
"Do you even want to?" Ashton was being dismissive. He didn't care what Luke was wanting to say. He was probably just saying it so Ashton will feel bad for him.
"Fuck!" Luke slams his can down on the kitchen bunker making everyone, but Ashton, flinch. "Yes! Of course I want to change! I'm not the best person, if you haven't noticed."
"I've noticed." Ashton begins to walk away when he is yanked back by his shoulder.
"What the fuck does that me?" Luke growls, staring Ashton right in the eye.
"You're a dick." Ashton spits. Something else was controlling him and what he says. "You slept with Charlie." It was lie but Ashton wasn't supposed to know that. "The girls Michael is in love with. Who even does that to their friend?"
"I didn't sleep with her!" Luke grabs the collar of Ashton's shirt but Ashton just laughs at him.
"And the way you treat Calum." Ashton reminds him. "Not great."
"I've stopped that." Luke says quietly.
"Because I told you to." Ashton was doing his best to rile Luke up. Maybe if he pushed him enough he will kick Ashton out and he can go to Jade's.
"I've still stopped." Luke says.
"And then the way you talk to your mom." Ashton says.
"Hey!" Luke barks, pulling Ashton closer. "Don't you fucking dare!" Luke and Ashton could both feel the eyes on them. Watching what was unfolding.
"And then how about what you did to Ben. You fuck-" Ashton wanted to say more but Luke's fist hitting his nose stopped him and he fell back as Luke let him go.
"No! Ashton! You can just stop fucking talking!" Luke screamed dragging Ashton back up. "How would you feel if I told everyone about your dad!"
"Fuck you!" Ashton yells, pushing Luke off and backing him into the wall, pinning him there.
"Then you can't say anything!" Luke screamed but there wasn't just anger in his voice. There was pleading. He was begging Ashton to shut up.
"Fine!" Ashton let him go. "I'm leaving." Ashton announces.
"Good. I don't fucking want you here!" Luke yells after him.
Ashton just laughs and walks out of the kitchen. He walks through the living room where very one could hear the fight. He then reaches the hall and stops dead in his tracks.
He saw Charlie sitting on the bottom one of Luke's stairs. She was sitting grinning at Ashton. She would've been able to hear the fight from where she was sitting. That's just pissed him off and he was willing just to leave and not look back. But then he saw Jade.
She was sitting on the step above Charlie. She was also watching Ashton. But she had no trace of a smile on her face. It was more like concern and shock. She looked completely different. She was completely done up. She was plastered in make-up, similarly to Charlie. Her dress stopped mid thigh and looked even shorter because she was sitting. Her heels were huge, Ashton didn't even know she owned heels. She didn't look like Jade at all, but he knew it was her.
"Hi Ashton." Charlie smirked as Ashton just stared at Jade.
He quickly looked around before making his way over to the pair on the stairs.
"What the fuck?" Ashton whispers angrily at the two girls. He tries his best not to look at Jade. He was just mad at Charlie he didn't want to be mad at Jade. But then again she did say she was going to be with Calum. Where was Calum? Was this his idea?
"I think Ashton's mad." Charlie whispers to Jade making her giggle.
"I think so to." Jade hiccups and brings a green bottle to her lips.
Ashton's eyes widen. "No, seriously. What the fuck?"
"Yeah Jade," Charlie laughs. "What the fuck Jade? How dare you say one thing to Ashton's face and actually do something different."
Jade giggles and mumbles something into the bottle. Ashton still couldn't quite figure out what was happening.
"Jade how drunk are you?" Ashton looks at her.
"A lot." Jade giggles and takes another drink.
"You lied to me. You said you were with Calum." Jade just nods back and smiles innocently at Ashton. "So what happened? Did she make you both come here?" Jade shakes her head. "Then what the fuck happened? Why are you here?"
"Jeez," Charlie whistles. "I thought you would've been happy seeing your girlfriend actually enjoying herself."
"What?" Ashton groans.
Charlie stands from the stairs. "I'm going to find Michael." She sighs and brushes down her short dress. "Have fun." She pats Ashton shoulder as she walks past him and he quickly dodges out of the way.
"Hi, look at me." Jade giggles and takes another drink.
"Give me that." Ashton sighs.
Jade shakes her and grabs Ashton's hand, pulling herslef up. She sways forward and Ashton quickly catches her before she drops. "Whoops." She giggles and runs her free hand through Ashton's hair. She then giggles. "I prefer it when your hair is messy." She begins to tugs at it and Ashton's cheeks begins to burn when he realizes anyone at the party could be watching them.
"You're going home." Ashton tells her and pulls back, making sure she can stand by herself first.
"No," She whines. "I want to stay with you, here, and be your girlfriend in front of everyone."
Now Ashton gets it. "Is this what this is about?" Ashton asks.
Jade smirks and slowly backs away from him and up the steps.
"Jade," Ashton groans. "Come here."
"Come and get me." She giggles and takes off up the stairs and onto the top landing. Ashton has no choice but to go after her.
"Jade!" He calls when she runs into a random room. Ashton pulls the door open and when he does Jade drags him further into the room and smashes their lips together. She drops her bottle on the floor and begins trying to take Ashton's army jacket off him.
"Jade," Ashton pushes her back when she tries to deepen the kiss anymore. He holds her back by her forearms.
"What?" She says innocently. "Isn't this what you want me to be like?"
"What?" Ashton sighs.
"I'm not being a prude." Jade says back, batting her eyelashes.
"Jade..." Ashton sighs, getting frustrated when Jade tried to close the gap between them again.
"What?" Jade almost yells. "What am I doing wrong now?"
"Nothing."
"Then why do you say that stuff about me. Why do you call me those names?!" Ashton could tell Jade was getting really upset now.
"Where is Calum?" Ashton trues to change the subject.
"He isn't here. He thinks I'm in my house." She giggles. "I lied to both of you. I'm not that innocent, am I?"
"I'm getting you home."
"You called me a slut, but also a prude." Jade lets out a breathy laugh. "That just doesn't make any sense now, does it?"
"I was trying to get Luke to leave you alone." Ashton was starting to feel tired. He just wanted to get home, but he wasn't going anywhere without Jade.
"Then tell him the truth!" Jade yells at him. "That's what Calum says anyway."
"Calum?" Ashton raises an eyebrow.
"He told me what you say about me behind my back." Jade says smugly but then quickly covers her mouth, her eyes widening.
"Come on," Ashton tries to drag Jade but she keeps her feet planted. "Jade." He says firmly.
"I'm staying." She sayd definatly.
"No you aren't."
"You can't tell me what to do!" She yells at Ashton.
"I can. And I am!" Ashton yells back, hating himself for it. He doesn't want to yell at Jade but maybe that's the only way she will listen.
"Don't yell at me!" She yells.
"Don't yell at me!" Ashton repsonds the exact same way.
"Leave me alone!" Jade yells and rips her arm out of Ashton's grasp. "I just want Ca-Charlie!"
"Fine!" Ashton could take it. The fight with Luke and now the fight with Jade was just too much for him in the same night. "You want me to leave?!"
"Yes!" Jade yells back.
"Then I will!" With that Ashton swings open the the door and pushes past everyone in the top landing and down the stairs. He then just leaves the house, not looking back for a minute.
~~~
Ashton heard heels clicking on the sidewalk as he sat on the curb. After leaving the house he didn't go far. He just went outside walked for like not even a minute and sat down on the curb, trying to breathe. Half an hour might have passed. Ashton was that sure.
"Ash?" Jade said quietly behins him. Ashton sighed and turned around. He was ready to lecture Jade but when he saw the state she was in he thought differently.
"What happened?" Ashton jumped up and cupped Jade's face in his hands. Her lipstick was smudged around her mouth. Her mascara and eyeliner was running down her cheeks with the tears flowing from her eyes. Her hair which was in ponytail has been let out to fall freely around her face.
"Ashton..." Jade crumples into Ashton's chest beginning to shake and sob. Her jacket was gone and all she was carrying was a bottle of water and her phone.
"What happened?" Ashton hugged Jade to him tightly. He could already guess what happened, he didn't need to ask. He shouldn't have left her. Why did he leave her? He was so stupid to leave her. "What did he do?" in response to Ashton's question Jade just cried even more. It was the worse sound he has ever heard.
"Please take me home." Jade sobs out.
"I will." One small problem, Ashton couldn't drive. He would get pulled over. "Sit down." Ashton brings Jade down onto the curb with him. He takes off his jacket and places it over her shivering body and her head falls onto her shoulder. "I'm going to call someone." Ashton pries Jade's phone from her freezing fingers. Jade mumbles an okay and Ashton manages to guess the password to her phone. It's her birth year and he searches through her contact list before he finds Calum's name.
"Hey!" Calum chirps cheerfully on the other end of the line when he picks up. Ashton can't help but wonder why he is awake at this time.
"It's Ashton." Ashton deadpans.
"Oh." Ashton can literally feel Calum's whole attitude change. "Is she okay?" Calum suddenly panics.
"I don't know." Ashton lets out quietly.
"Oh god. What happened?" Calum's voice is thick with worry. It is as if knowing that something has happened to change has made him completely forget about his issues with Ashton.
"She went to Luke's party."
"Fuck." Calum groans.
"I need you to come get us." Ashton tells him.
"I will." Calum says immediatly.
"Thank you." Ashton never thought he would be in this position. Going to Calum for help was never something Ashton saw himself doing.
"She's my best friend. I'd do anything for her."
"I know." Ashton would do anything for Jade as well. that's why he feels so stupid that he can't do anything just now.
"I'm coming now." Calum tells Ashton.
"Okay, see you soon."
"See you soon."
Ashton hangs up the phone and sighs out in relief. He wraps his arms around Jade, who has stops shivering and places his chin on top of her head.
"Ashton?" She asks weakly.
"Yes?" Ashton responds.
"I'm sorry." She sniffs and hugs into his body more.
"It's okay." Ashton feels Jade relax slightly in his arms.
"I feel sick." Jade tells him.
"You going to be okay." Ashotn promises her.
Ashton meant it. Jade was going to be fine.
But Luke won't be.