/// IMPORTANT A/N AT THE END!!!! ALSO LOOK AT HOW CUTE MICHAEL IS WHEN HE EATS CAKE ///

I thought long and hard about what Ashton said about taking chances. So I decided I'd take a small one.

Mae: do you still hate me

Ashton and I stared at my phone screen for what felt like hours, waiting for the three little dots to appear.

"He's not going to reply," I mumbled, slamming my head down on the table at Denny's.

"Give him a minute, maybe he's doing something," Ashton reassured me, ruffling my hair. I swatted his hand away and sat back in my seat, staring at the ceiling. Ash pulled out his phone, typing away furiously. A few seconds later, it dinged.

"Okay, maybe he's not busy," he sighed. I groaned loudly.

"He knows you're here, right?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, smoothing his hair back. "He's not happy about it either."

"Why?" I asked, my curiosity rising as I shoved some of my pancake into my mouth.

"He wanted to be the first one to meet you," he shrugged, sipping his coffee. "So what's the deal with that Dylan kid?"

I shrugged this time, not really wanting to say anything. "Just an ex."

"Just an ex?" Ash scoffed, shaking his head. "Seems more like a mental case if you ask me."

"Well I didn't," I snapped, instantly regretting it. "Sorry."

He put his hands up in defense. "I'm just trying to figure you out."

I sighed. "He called me nasty things, forcing me to do..." I gulped. "...things, and beat me, leaving me emotionally and," I pulled back my shirt collar, revealing an inch long scar on my collarbone, "physically, scarred."

Ashton looked at me with sad eyes, taking hold of one of my hands. "I'm-"

"Don't," I said, sighing. "Apologies aren't going to reverse what happened. I was dumb. I still am at times."

"Is that why you... y'know..."

"Dylan made me more insecure than I already was when I met him. At first he was sweet, but after a month or two, things got bad. Getting called fat and ugly on a daily basis, multiples times a day, can really mess with your head. I know it doesn't sound that bad, but-"

"It's horrible," he interjected, frowning and scrunching his eyebrows together. "No girl should ever be called ugly, or fat, or anything negative. I guess I just don't understand why you'd catfish Mike."

"I was scared, Ash. And I know that's not a very good excuse, but I was so scared of rejection. I still am. I'm terrified of liking Michael and him not liking me back cause I'm too fat, too ugly, too imperfect. He's out of my league."

"No one's perfect, Mae. And Mike doesn't care about those kinds of things. He doesn't judge people. It's what's on the inside that counts."

I rolled my eyes and laughed. "That was so cliché."

Ashton giggled. "It's true though! You should have heard the way Michael would talk about you. And only once did he say how pretty you were. Well, not you but-"

"I get it, I get it."

He sighed, smiling at me. "He'll come around. Just give it some time."

----

"HE'S CALLING ME. ASH, HE'S CALLING!" I screamed out from inside the shower. Ashton burst through the door in no time.

"Answer!" He shouted back. I groaned.

"But I'm showering!"

"Answer!"

"But-"

"Mae!!"

"Oh for fucks sake," I grumbled, turning the water off and answering. "Hello?"

"Hello?"

Michael's voice rang in my ears, making my knees weak so I sat down in the tub, pulling my knees to my bare chest and closing my eyes.

"Hi," I said quietly, smiling.

"Hi," he replied.

"Are you just going to repeat everything I say?"

He chuckled lightly and I almost cried. "Sorry."

"How are you?" I asked, staring at the walls in the shower. I peaked out from behind the curtain, finding Ash sitting on the toilet lid, eavesdropping.

"I've been better, I'll admit."

"I can understand that."

Michael sighed. "We need to talk."

////////

(a/n)

how would you guys feel if i started one of those 5sos imagine/one shot book thingies??

would anyone read it??? cause i kind of have some ideas (and i would be happy to take requests too) and i kind of want to do it but i don't want to write an entire story based around one little plot when i can just write it in a one shot or whatever it's fucking called

i might even try a little smut idk i've never written any before so it might not end well

anyway i hope you all are having a fab day!!! stay tuned for the next chapter, which will be posted on sunday :-)

song: PVRIS - white noise

❤️don't be a silent reader❤️