*Ashton's POV*

"I get you ice cream, Ashton, and then you don't even touch it?" Michael scolded. "Look, it's going to melt."

We were currently sitting in his living room. Well, he was sitting. I was lying face down on one of his sofas. I didn't even feel like eating ice cream, so I just left it alone. It's wasting Michael's money, I know, but it's not mine, so what does it matter? Besides, he doesn't care about that.

"You seem glum," he said. I turned my head so that way I was facing him.

"A little bit," I said, not even bothering to lie to him. He's just going to figure it out.

Michael sighed before standing up from his spot. "I'll make you some chocolate milk. How does that sound?"

I smiled, "That sounds lovely." Michael walked into the kitchen and I just hid my face back into the sofa again. I flipped myself over so that I was staring up at Michael's ceiling. I took a quick glance at my cup of chocolate chip ice cream. I just wasn't in the mood for ice cream right now, even though earlier I was super excited.

Maybe it's because I met Luke there and found out he has a girlfriend. He's as straight as a linear line. He'd never go for a guy, not even a sexy one like myself.

I groaned before slapping my hands over my face.

"Why did I have to be a guy?" I whined quietly so Michael couldn't hear me. "Or better, why couldn't he be gay?"

It bothers me that Luke has a girlfriend, yet I've got a little crush on him. I don't know the guy that well, but it doesn't seem like I'll ever get past the customer zone. That's worse than being in the friend zone.

Damn it, what's worse is that he's straight. But it's just a crush that I have, so it'll go away. It'll definitely go away. I've had crushes on girls in the past and they're gone now, so what would make Luke so different?

If I never walked into that store he would have never came into my life.

"Your chocolate milk's ready," I heard Michael announce. I glanced over at him and watched as he set the cup down. I slowly got up and threw my feet off the couch. I take the cup of chocolate milk into my hands and take a sip of it.

Oh, sweet chocolatey goodness.

"I love the way you make chocolate milk," I sighed, taking another swig of said drink.

"Since you like chocolate milk so much, how about I just give you my Nesquik powder?" I nearly spat out the drink right then and there. I set the cup down and manage to swallow the milk. I stare at Michael with wide eyes. "I mean, I only ever use it whenever you come over, so why not just hand it over to you?"

"Are you serious?" I asked. "You're giving me your Nesquik, no lie?" When he nodded I jumped up from my spot, ran over to him, and wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you, Mikey! I love you!"

"Calm down, it's just Nesquik. I'm not giving you my first born child or anything." I pulled away from him and began gulping down more of the chocolate milk. I eagerly handed the empty cup to him, begging him with my eyes to give me more. He let out a sigh before he took the cup from me and walked into the kitchen.

Don't judge me, okay? I love chocolate milk just as much as I love stealing.

I sat down on the sofa again, clasping my hands together and bouncing my knees. I stared at the cup that held my chocolate chip ice cream and saw that it was nearly melting. I picked up the cup and began finishing that. It's not as good as chocolate milk, but it's ice cream. Well, it's more like a milkshake, but I don't care.

I think I literally went through six cups of chocolate milk in ten minutes and I was still asking for more.

"You're lucky I bought an entire box of this stuff," Michael laughed. Is he giving them all to me? That would make my life a hundred times better. Well, it would make my life a billion times better if Luke was even gay, or at least bisexual.

"Sorry," I apologized, "I just really like chocolate milk."

"I can tell. Why don't you come to the kitchen with me so that way I don't have to walk back and forth?" I nodded and sprung up and ran for the kitchen, but on my way there I slid on the slippery floor and fell onto my bum. I could hear Michael laughing from behind me. "God, you're such a klutz."

I chuckled weakly before pulling myself up and sitting at the table. Well, now since Michael's giving me his Nesquik powder I could get that item off my list of 'free' stuff. Now I just need a TV, a clock, and some cash.

I watched as Michael made another chocolate milk and handed it to me. He sat down at the table as I began finishing the drink.

"You're so addicted to chocolate milk," Michael said.

"Tell me something I don't know," I said back when I took a quick break. I set the cup down and licked my lips clean of the milk. "Hey, have you heard of the robbery that happened last night?"

"Yeah," Michael said. "They found a screwdriver and they believe they can find out who the thief is from fingerprints that were left on it."

"Unless the person used gloves." Because that's exactly what I did. I know for a fact that there aren't any fingerprints on that screwdriver. It is my screwdriver. Well, was. Unless I can break into the FBI headquarters (and I would if I knew where it was), it isn't mine anymore.

"They also found out that the thief stole this pendant that's supposedly worth thousands of dollars." Well, that is an interesting thing to know. If I were to sell it, then I'd be rich. But it is far too pretty for me to want to sell it.

I don't sell the stuff I steal. I steal it, because I like it, and I want it to be mine. Now, if only winning someone's affection was as easy as stealing a pendant from a jewelry shop. That would be pretty awesome.

"Man, whoever's investigating the robberies suck," Michael continued. "For two years they've never caught a single person and they never got any clues to suspect who might've been behind it all." I am pretty amazing, aren't I? "Do you think it's the same person?"

"What makes you say that?" I pressed, becoming slightly curious.

"Come on, there's no way that every single person is sneaky. It's got to be the same person every night. I wouldn't be surprised if it was." I just nodded my head, my fingers tapping the side of the cup.

"Well, if it was the same guy they're really good at this stealing stuff." I'm more than good. I'm skilled. Yesterday when I left my screwdriver behind was a minor setback. They can't track me down, I know that.

"Can we talk about a different subject now?" Michael pleaded, resting his head over his crossed arms. "Why is it that every day you bring up the robberies of the previous night?"

I shrugged, "It's just the first thing that comes to mind when I want to talk to you."

"How about we talk about that blond kid back at the ice cream shop?"

I looked up into Michael's eyes, mine nearly coming out of my head. "Wh-What?"

"Don't act stupid, I may have been standing pretty far away, but even I know what looking at a crush looks like. Who is he?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." I brought the cup back up to my lips, but then Michael pushed it back down.

"I know there's no more chocolate milk in there. The cup is see-through. You at least know his name, don't you?"

"He's just some random guy that came up to me, is all."

"So do you not know his name?"

"Why are you interrogating me?"

Michael just stared at me before releasing a sigh. "I'm sorry, I'll stop bugging you." When he leaned back into his seat, turned away, and crossed his arms over his chest a pang of guilt filled me. I only ever feel guilty around Michael. He is my best friend, after all. But there's no way I can tell him about my love of stealing and the people who've been stealing every single night for the past two years were actually one person, and that person being me.

"His name's Luke," I began, earning a small glance from Michael before his eyes averted me. "He's, um, an employee at the 7-Eleven nearby my place. Sometimes I stop by the place after I complete a few things on my to-do list. I've been going there for a week, and I guess Luke must've recognized me and decided to talk to me."

"Interesting," was all Michael said before he fully put his attention on me. "So, do you like him?"

"He's a guy..."

Michael raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Uh, okay? I didn't think he was a girl. Do you like him?"

"Luke's cute and all, but he has a girlfriend."

"Ah, so when you were mumbling about why you had to be a guy and why he couldn't be gay, you were talking about your little crush on Luke?"

I blushed a little at that before staring down at my lap. "Maybe," I muttered.

"If you can't have the guy, why not try befriending him? At least you two will be more than customer and employee."

I thought for a moment. Did I really want to be friends with Luke? I know I can't have him, but should I be friends with him?

I've made my answer.

"Nah, I'll stick with watching him from afar."