Chapter Song: For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic-Paramore
3 MONTHS LATER
Andy
"Hey Andy, wanna go get some ice cream?" My friend Ashley asks me. I was currently in the study lounge at the college I now attend. I nod and follow her and a few of my friends out the door.
After I ran and cried to my mom, she helped me get my life together. Literally. We figured out that I could still get into the college I am in now, all I had to do was write an essay. The college was a community college, which means it was close in town to my apartment, so I didn't need a dorm room. It wasn't the best college or one of my dream colleges but it would help me get the degree I wanted.
I was now 2 1/2 months in and I loved it. I had made so many new friends, like Ashley, the one who asked me to get ice cream. I also had loved studying literature and creative writing, which were the main classes I am attending. I still go home every night and sleep in my apartment, also a plus.
My mom is paying for my expenses, because she said she 'owed it to me'. Our relationship was almost normal, but honestly I wouldn't know what normal was for us. I finally was able to look at her and not remember all the times she had left me in the past. I would say we were improving.
Everything in my life was going great for once. I felt like I was content, and looking back at the past months, I would say I am doing so much better. I was almost happy. Almost.
I could say that everything was perfect and I had everything I wanted but I would be lying. Because in all honesty, there wasn't a day that went by that I did not think of Luke. I played it off really well when my mom asked me about him. I guess I was just good at hiding emotion.
There wasn't one text shared between the two of us in the past months, nothing. No calls, no sappy letters. Sometimes I would stare at my phone and wonder when he would text me, but then I would think about how stupid I was. I would then stop feeling sorry for myself, because it wasn't worth it. I would never text him first because I have a fear of rejection. Something also tells me this is what he wanted.
He wanted us to be broken up, or not together, whatever you want to call it. He would always say "I'm just going to fuck something up," which he did. He fucked up my heart, and I never even told him I loved him. I have thought that maybe if I did tell him that he would have not let me go, or maybe he would had laughed. There was really no way of knowing.
My contact with Riley had been minimal, just because we both got busy, she got a job, and was planning on moving in with Ashton at some point and I had school. Not talking to her was hard because she was my rock, but maybe it was good. It was good because I know I would ask her constantly if Ashton had been with Luke. And then everyone would get annoyed.
So other than Luke being on my mind all the time, I had made some new friends. Something the old Andy would have never been able to do. They were all really nice, I had met Ashley on my first day, in our literature class. We became friends and she so kindly introduced me to her friends.
So now here we are at the ice cream shop, one of the best ones in town. I always got a vanilla malt and we all sat in the same booth everytime we came here. There was 5 of us all together, Ashley, Gage, Oliver, Layla and I. When I first met Gage he was wearing the tightest red skinny jeans, and the cutest shirt I had ever seen, he complimented my hair and how amazing the color went with my eyes. He was gay. And he would tell anyone, anywhere at anytime, he was very proud.
I had loved him from the start, just from his amazing attitude towards life. Layla was a short blonde sassy girl, she and I didn't get off on the greatest foot but it was getting better. Oliver was a dark haired boy, he was sort of reserved and only talked when he felt comfortable, I found it cute. And Ashley was a tall and very loud, her laugh was the funniest thing. We were an odd group.
We were all talking about the days classes we had earlier and someone mentioned a party that was later this week, "Oh my god, I am so going!" Ashley yelled, I shushed her, and she laughed. That's how it usually went. I smiled at her.
"Are you going Gage?" Ashley asked in a softer voice and waited for his answer.
He rolled his eyes, "Uh duh, what party am I not at?" It was true, any party that was going on was not a true party unless Gage was present. "What about you, Andy?"
I thought it over, and I had nothing really to lose, "Sure, why not?" I smiled at him. He faked gasped.
"Andy not doing homework for once, surprising." I gentlely hit his arm, Layla had laughed at his comment. She was also a big party going so there wasn't a doubt that she would be there. I also had a feeling that Oliver would be there too, he and Layla were very close, in a brother sister kind of way. He followed what she did.
"Oh my gosh I found the cutest band when I was on youtube the other day!" Ashley tells us, she was into knowing everything before it got popular, so her knowing a new band was not surprising.
"What's their name?" Layla asks.
"5 Seconds of Summer, it's a weird name." The second I heard the name, I choked on my malt. "Oh Andy are you okay?" Ashley asks with concern. Yeah I was totally fine, hearing that my ex boyfriends band is now a band again, surprised me the most. Or just hearing anything that had to do with Luke, surprised me.
"Yeah went down the wrong tube!" I essure them, they just gave me weird looks and moved on with the talk of the new band.
"Yeah they're so cute, there's only three of them. Luke, Ashton and Calum. I think they had another member, but they quit or something. Luke's my favorite, he has so many tattoos it's so hot."
I'm going to be sick, I'm going to puke. What is going on? How did they get so famous? Ashley talking about Luke being hot made me want to strangle her. But I couldn't because it was like I never exsisted to him anyways. The also rumor of Michael 'quitting the band' made me queasy. As far as I know me and Luke were the only ones who knew the truth other than Michael of course.
"I think I'm going to go home." I say to everyone, I walk out the door before everyone could say goodbye. I went straight to my apartment and grabbed my laptop. The first thing I searched was '5 Seconds of Summer'.
Luke
"Austin!" I scream trying to get his attention, "AUSTIN!" He was downstairs, doing something, I forgot what he told me.
"What?" He screams back finally.
"Make me a sandwich." I say, knowing he can hear me. It was silent for a second.
"Fuck you Luke," He replies walking away. I smile knowing that he is going to make me one. I know he is because he is staying at my house for the week, his mom is out of town. He had been doing what I have told him since his been here. He didn't want to stay alone, so he asked if he could stay with me. I, of course, being the amazingly nice person I am, I accepted.
You could say that I sort of forgave Austin for not telling me the truth. I was over it, I mean keeping that secret from me hurt, but I didn't want to ignore him forever. He was extremely thankful for letting me forgive him because he really didn't have anyone else who truely liked him. I felt bad for him.
He also let me annoy him all I wanted to with my constant rants about how much I had missed Andy. He knows that I love her, because I confessed it when I was drunk, and after I went on a rampage and almost killed the guy at Zone. Since then I apologized to the guy, and make sure Austin doesn't let me drink before I fight.
That night was a mess. I only remember half of it, before I passed out from the alcohol and fighting. I probably passed out because I finally found out what had been bothering me. It was that I loved Andy, I mean I should have already know. I was in too deep for her from the beginning. Yet I let her slip through my fingers, but I think that I saved her from loving someone like me. She deserves so much more.
I wonder what she's been doing, and every time I ask Ashton if she's talked to Riley, he says that they haven't been in contact. I found that strange, since Riley was her best friend. It made me worry about her, like if she was okay or not. I wanted to know but I had no way to find out. I didn't want to annoy her with my texts since she probably already moved on.
Aside from being obsessed with Andy, I had rejoined the band. 5 Seconds Of Summer I mean, it wasn't the same as before because we didn't have Michael, he was no where to be found. But we worked through it, we had what we needed. Ashton our drummer, Calum's on bass and I on guitar. We started posting even more youtube videos and start to get even more popular.
Most of our fans were teenage girls, which was fine with me. We played at more venues than we had before and people seemed to really like us. There was always a few comments to me about having such horrible tattoos but I would disregard those comments because honestly I didn't give a fuck. The attention had felt good, knowing that people like the music you play, was the best part. We had been playing all of the songs we had played before we broke up, and even some new ones.
It was a good escape from everything that was going on. But we had been looking for a new member, someone who could take the main guitar. We put an add in the local paper and met up with people interested. They all were shitty, none of them even knew how to play the guitar.
Speaking of which, I should be going to practice right now. "Fuck," I say remembering that we had practice all the way over at Ashton's. I changed quickly. I ran down the stairs and saw Austin in the kitchen, probably still making me that sandwich I asked for. "You can have it, I have to leave." I shout to him and run out the door.
I was going to be a little late, but I was usually always on time nowadays. Surprising I know, but I managed. I thought that if this band was the only thing I had going for me, I might as well put my all into it.
I walked through the door that's always open and ran down stairs where Calum and Ashton already were. "Sorry I'm late." I say out of breath, plopping down on the couch, the run had wore me out.
Ashton laughs, "It's all good bro, we didn't start without this time I swear." I stick my tongue out at him. I was too worried about being late, I didn't even noticed Calum wasn't present anymore.
"Where'd Calum go?" I question.
And as if on que, Calum runs into the room, "Guys! I think I found our new member!" He says excitedly, "He is on his way here now." I roll my eyes, he had said this every single time he thinks he has found someone good.
"Can he actually play an instrument this time?" I ask, Ashton laughs because he was probably wondering the same thing.
"Yes!" Calum exclaims and throws a pillow at my face.
"What's his name?" Ashton asks.
Calum smirks, "It's a surprise, come on he is probably here." He says and sprits up the stairs.
I shrug at Ashton and follow Calum up the stairs. I hear the door open and someone walking in. I can't quite make out their voice, "Why the fuck is Calum so excited about this one?" Ashton asks. I don't answer. Because I didn't know.
I make my way throught the living room and finally see the guy, with his guitar in his hand. Calum is still standing in front of him, they seem to be having a conversation. Calum finally moves and I see his face. I look to Ashton and his jaw drops like mine does.
"What the fuck." Is all that comes from my mouth. The guy standing in from of me was Michael Clifford.
-----------
Yeah so that happened, are you surprised? Because I am ITS SUMMER AND IM FREE SO EXCEPT LOTS OF UPDATES