Addie’s POV

My punishment starts at 9 in the morning, when mom wakes me up. My head is throbbing and she is waaaay too loud, and she knows it.
“Rise and shine!” She says, opening a window “I will not comment on how this room smells like you’ve soaked everything in alcohol” She says and I groan. “Get up, get a shower. You’re coming grocery shopping with me, then we’re going to have lunch in town, then come home, make dinner, then you will go pick up your aunt and uncle from the airport, drive them back here, and we can have a nice family dinner.” She continues. My head is rejecting the information
“Stop talking” I say, diving in my pillow
“It’s your own fault that you came back late, and drunk” She smiles at me. Oh, she is enjoying this. “Get up, and get your but in the kitchen in 20 minutes if you want breakfast before we go.
She then leaves my bedroom, and I drag myself to my shower. My pillow smells faintly of Michael. I take a quick shower, and get dressed really fast.
Mom is in the kitchen, cleaning up plates. Her and Aggie must’ve had breakfast. I take a piece of bread and put butter and cheese on it, and then we’re out.
Mom’s car is parked in the driveway. I get in the car and mom has to go back inside because she forgot her wallet. I stare at Calum’s house. His car is parked, and I see Mali in the front yard wearing a blue coat, walking to their door. She waves at me, and I wave back.
“Got it” Mom says, entering the car.
Aggie gets to stay home and do whatever she wants, which means my house will be crawling with Marissa and her friends, and I’m kinda glad I’m not at home.
“So,” she says “How did you manage to loose track of time yesterday?” She says, not taking her eyes off the road. It’s a 20 minute drive to the city. Let’s just get this conversation over with.
“It was a birthday party mom” I say “I didn’t really sit with my phone in my face, checking the time every 10 minutes. I was having fun and it kinda…flew by” I answer.
“Mhm” She says and then after a minute “And how did you get home?! If one of your friends drove you drunk, I swear to god-“
“Michael walked me home” I cut her off before she finishes her sentence.
“Michael?” She asks surprised. I nod. “Is he like…your boyfriend?” She asks. Ughhhh.
“No, mom. We’re friends” I say, my cheeks flushing. She notices, and smirks.
“Yeah, okay” She says, stopping at a traffic light. “And what was he doing in your room last night?” I shot her a stare. I’m baffled. How on Earth did she know.
“He wasn’t in my room” I say. Maybe she’s bluffing.
“Yeah, and when I went to check in on you, he was not lying in your bed, all snuggled up and cozy” She says. Oh my god. I want to jump out of the car. I don’t care that it’s moving. I just don’t want to have this awkward conversation.
“We fell asleep. We were talking” I say. But I already lied, which puts ideas in her head. I don’t know if she is just messing with me, and knows that we are just friends, or if this is her attempt of being a ‘cool mom’ and tries to shrug it off, but I actually really pissed with me.
“I’d like to have a little talk with him” she says. Dig a hole, and hide in it, Addie.
“You are not going to have a talk with him” I say, sitting straighter. “He is not my boyfriend!” I say after she smirks.
“That’s how I lied to my mother as well when she caught my boyfriend in my room” She says laughing.
I groan. She is enjoying this too much.
“Ooh my god, can we drop this” I say, sinking into my seat
“Invite him to dinner” She says.
“What?!” I look at her surprised.
“Yes, invite him” she says. “And Calum and your other friends.”
I sigh.
“When?” I ask.
“Sometime next week.” She says, smiling “After your aunts settle’s in”
We then switch the subject to my aunt. Where she is going to live, what will she do, where is uncle Dan going to work, and so on. We didn’t mention my dad, even though we were both thinking about it.
We go grocery shopping, which takes forever, and I escape my mom to find chocolate milk. I walk down the isles, all kinds of canned food around me. I spot the fridges along the wall and finally, find the chocolate milk I was looking for and then start walking back. This store is huge, and a maze.
I spot Calum and Mali, laughing. They see me, so I can’t avoid them and give them an awkward wave. Calum avoids my eye contact
“Hey Addie” Mali greets me. “What are you doing here?”
“Buying groceries” I say. She looks at me confused. We are in Sydney, at a giant supermarket, 20 minutes away by car, and I don’t have a cart or anything, just a chocolate milk in my hand.
“You came all this way for chocolate milk?” She asks me, laughing.
“No, I’m here with my mom.” I answer. And like I summoned her or something, she appears.
“There you are” She says, and then walks to me, pushing her cart. “Hi Calum, nice to see you again.”
“Hey Mrs. Benson. This is my sister, Mali” He says, smiling. My mom talks with Mali about her trip. We slowly start walking, Calum and I falling behind my mom and Mali.
“You disappeared last night” I tell him. He says nothing, just shrugs. “when did you get home?” I ask, making conversation.
“Late” He says. I can see shadows under his eyes.
“Why are you up this early?” I ask, confused.
“Why are you?” He says, looking at me, for the first time since we started talking. I am taken aback.
“Because I’m grounded” I say “I came back at 1, instead of midnight, and my mom is punishing me.” I say, in a matter-of-fact way. “Why are you so grumpy? Did you get any sleep?”
He doesn’t answer and then my mom and Mali say goodbye, and Calum doesn’t even look at me as he follows his sister. Rude.
We finish the grocery shopping, and we drive to a small restaurant where we order food. I order a veggie sandwich, and mom orders a cheeseburger.
“So tonight I’m thinking stir fry?” She says, taking a bite from her cheeseburger.
“Sure” I say, playing with my food. Not really hungry.
“You’re aunt and uncle are landing in three hours” She says, checking her watch “You can have my car. Don’t be late”
“I won’t” I say, biting into my sandwich. It’s cloudy and windy outside. I’m incredibly tired, but I manage to keep up with my mom.
We have lunch, she asks me more question about Mikey, I want to dig a hole and burry myself in it, and she is enjoys my embarrassment to talk about this.
We finally get home after forever, and I have to immediately drive to the airport and pick up my aunt, uncle and cousin.
“They’ll call you most likely after they land” Mom says as she walks me to the door.
“Kaaay” I say, and exit. I walk to her car, and get in the driver’s seat. It takes me a few moments to familiarize myself with my mom’s car, but then it comes naturally. I notice Calum’s car is gone.
Putting the address of the airport on the GPS of my phone, I drive off. Conveniently, I pass by Ashton’s house. The garage is propped open, and I see Calum’s car. I stop and honk twice. Michael’s green haired head peeks from underneath confused.
“What’s up, losers” I say. Ash shows up next, and then Elena.
“Since when do you have a car?” Mikey asks, walking towards me, grinning.
“Since I got grounded” I say, and smile.
“Wow” He says, resting his arms on the opened window frame. “When I get grounded, my mom confiscates my PlayStation” He smiles.
“It’s my mom’s car” I explain “I’m suppose to pick up my aunt and the rest of the bunch from the airport” I say. He studies my face for a while.
“How are you doing?” He asks, his voice low.
“I’m okay” I say, and smile “As okay as I can be” He smiles and nods.
“Michael, Uno is not going to play itself” Calum shouts. I don’t see him, only hear his voice.
“You’re needed” I say. He grins.
“It appears so” He backs from the car. “Talk to you later?”
“You know it” I say. And then he waves as he goes back into the garage.
The car ride is boring, and I listen to the radio, singing along to horrible pop-songs.
My GPS finally announces that I have reached my destination, and I stand with the car in front of the main entrance.
“You can’t stand here, miss” A security guy tells me. I apologize, and then drive to the parking lot, which I have to pay for. My phone rings, and it’s an unknown number.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Addie, sweetie, how are you?” It’s my aunt.
“Aunt Anna, hey!” I say, faking some of the excitement.
“Are you at the airport?” She asks.
“Yep, I’m walking to the main entrance right now” I say, exiting the car.
“Oh! We see you” She says, and then I see a dark haired woman waving. She has two suitcases next to her. I see my uncle Daniel, his dark skin matching his eyes, and then I see my cousin Lucia. Her hair has gotten longer, and she is wearing sweats and a hoodie. They all have two suitcases each, plus backpacks and what not.
When they reach me, my aunt pulls me in for a hug. Then Dan hugs me, and then Lucy. The hug with Lucy lasts the longest.
“Ughhhh, I’ve missed youuuuu” She says, squeezing me, as Daniel and aunt Anna put the suitcases in the car. They barely fit.
“You guys need help?” I ask them.
“We’re alright” Daniel says, as he puts the last of the suitcases in the car. It’s completely packed.
“Alright then, let’s go.” I say and we all get in the car. Lucy sit’s in the back with my uncle, and aunt Anna is in the front. We start talking about how beautiful Australia is, and how their plane rides have been, and all that jazz. We talk about school and how we’ve been settling in. We arrive at our house, because aunt Anna wanted to see my mom before they go to their house.
The sun is setting behind the clouds, and casts interesting colorful shadows over them. The wind is a soft breeze on our street.
We get in the house, which smells like cooked vegetables. Mom and aunt Anna start hugging, and then my mom hugs both Lucy and Daniel.
“Where’s Aggie?” Aunt Anna asks, eager to see my sister.
“Agatha, your aunt is here!!” Mom yells. “Oooh, the food!” she jumps, suddenly remembering, and then turns to me “Addie, could you call Aggie downstairs. I think she has headphones.”
Lucy follows me upstairs, as I give her a tour. I knock on Aggie’s door. I actually haven’t been in her room at all. The first and last time I saw it was the day we moved in. It was a plain normal room. But now, she has posters on the walls, a whole make up kit on her desk, her laptop on her bed, and she is sleeping under her duvet.
“Should we wake her?” Lucy asks me. Her voice has mutated a bit. And she’s gotten taller. And prettier. Puberty does wonders to people.
I walk to Addie’s bed, and shake her shoulder softly “Addie” I whisper. She groans “Aunt Anna is here. And Daniel. And Lucy” She slowly sits up, and then gets up to hug Lucy. I stand awkwardly, as they chat, and then get out of her room.
Downstairs mom and Anna and Daniel are talking.
“Well, the food is done, what do you guys say I drive you to leave your suitcases, and then we come back and eat?” My mom says, washing her hands.
“Sounds good!” Aunt Anna says.
And then they are off.
“Lucy, do you want to come?” Daniel asks her.
“Nahhh, I’ll just hang out with Addie and Aggie” She says. And then the grown ups are out.
The three of us sit in the living room.
“Alright!” Lucy says, jumping. She is very energetic “I want to know all about school. I’m like two weeks late, so I know no one and nothing, so you guys really need to fill me in” She says.
“Umm, yeah, it’s a pretty standard high school” I say.
“Are there cute guys?” She asks. Since when did Lucy talked openly about boys? Last time I had to force her to tell me about a guy she liked. Now she is all ‘where’s the desert’? Damn.
“I guess?” I say, thinking about Calum. And Michael. And Calum.
We have a catching-up conversation, and Aggie and me didn’t exchange any words directly with each other the entire time. Lucy didn’t notice.
After half an hour, Anna, Daniel and mom got back, and we had dinner. We laughed and it was the most family time I’ve had in a long time. My phone vibrates in my pocket.
‘what’s up?’ It’s Mikey.
“Who’s that?” Lucy asks. Luckily, my mom doesn’t notice as she is too busy talking with my aunt and uncle.
“A friend” I say as I reply ‘having dinner with the family. U?’
“Is he hot?” She asks me. Whatever happened to the shy little Lucy, who thought her nose was too big for her face.
“What happened to you?” I ask, changing the subject.
“I grew a couple of inches, punched this mean girl in school and got everyone to respect me” She says, and then fills her mouth with vegetables. I arch my eyebrows in surprise.
“You punched someone?” It’s surprises me so much. I know I’ve barely talked to her the last two years, but I never took her for the punching type. She was always the girl that apologizes 200 times for the silliest things and let people talk over her. Glad she changed, to be honest.
“Yeah, she was being a bitch so I whipped that smirk off her face” She says, her mouth full.
“Not something you need to brag about, Lucy” Aunt Anna says. “You got in a lot of trouble for that fight”
“Ummmm, she called me black waste, and I got the one in trouble” My jaw drops. “Racism is alive and well” she says.
“She deserved that punch” Daniel says and the high five each other. Aunt Anna laughs. She is obviously proud of Lucy, just not proud of the fact that it happened on school grounds where Lucy was subjected to punishment.
“Got a month of detention. Worth every minute of it” She smiles.
We talk about school, and it turns a bit weird when Aggie starts talking about her friends as if they are saints. Yeah right.
“And Addie, do you guys have the same friends?” Aunt Anna asks.
“Not really” I say, and don’t elaborate. I just add that I have my own friends.
And then they are too tired and mom drives them to their house. Aggie and I are left to clean up.
I get another text message from Michael.
‘we’re drunking. Hahah get it’
I stare into the distance as if I am looking into the camera, like in the office.
“I’m going to bed” Aggie says, and then she is on the stairs, going up. That’s the most she’s said to me all night.
I finish the dished, and then mom comes back, just as I’m about to go into my room.
“Not so fast” she says. I come back.
“Yes, mother?” I ask, smiling.
“We need to talk about yesterday.” She says, and walks to the living room.
“Ughhh, but I’m so tired” I say, sitting across form her.
“Should’ve thought of that last night” She says. “You’re grounded. You’re not to be out after dark, as soon as the street lamps turn on, you teleport your but home. Are we clear?” She’s all business now.
“Yes” I say, not dropping my eyes.
“Good” She says. “Now you can go to bed. It’s almost 1am.”
I nod, and say goodnight. I get in my room, turn on the light and find my pajamas. Then I sit on the bed and check my phone. Surprisingly enough, I have a missed call from Calum.

Calum’s POV

Drunk driving is never fun for me. I get really anxious and scared and I can’t see shit, and Mikey is not helping by being super loud. I am driving at the speed of a snail.
“You’re so sloooow!” He says, opening the window. Cold wind blows inside.
“Do you want to die?” I ask, stopping at the streetlight.
“No” he says, and rest his head on the heel of his palm.
“How do you get away with coming home drunk or high?” I ask him.
“Same as you, bruh” he says, and laughs “They don’t notice me.”
“Alright, sure” I say. All night I’ve been thinking about Addie, and how Mikey talked to her when she stopped by, and how yesterday he was at her place, and was sleeping with her, or like...on her bed, with her next to him. And I try so hard not to be snap at him randomly, because I can’t be mad at him. He likes her, and so do I and…I don’t know where I’m going with this.
“Where was Addie going, by the way?” I ask, trying to sound casual.
“To pick up family from the airport” he says. Pinch of jealousy again, because she told him, and not me. Of course she couldn’t tell me. I didn’t even say hi. Why would she run out of the car, kneel beside me and tell me why and where she is going? That’s unlikely.
“Oh, okay” I say, and then I arrive at Michael’s house.
“I would’ve walked faster” He says and then he is out of my car.
“Fuck off” I say, laughing.
“Call me tomorrow morning, kay?” He says, and slams the door shut, without waiting for my response.
“You’re so needy!” I shout, unsure if he heard that. He shows me the finger, as he walks to his door. He heard it.
I drive home, faster now, cold air gashing through the window. And then I park my car, barely, and get out. Addie’s door is closed.
I don’t’ know what made me, maybe it was the alcohol in my blood, or the jealousy or whatever, but I take my phone and I call her. Maybe she is awake?
As it rings, and rings, I want her to talk to her even more. I have to tell her that I like her. That I like her a lot. But what if her and Michael are already a thing…but what if they’re not. Mikey wouldn’t lie to me.
But then again, I know that he doesn’t like her, and it would be a shitty thing to do – telling her that I like her when my best friends is obviously into her. But he is not entitled to her; she can make her own decision. But I don’t want to put her in that pick one decision. And what if she doesn’t like me back? Then I’ll make things awkward and-
‘I can’t come to the phone for whatever reason. Don’t leave a voicemail, I never check them, so call me later or text me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can’ I hear her voice. I laugh at her voicemail, and then start walking towards my door. She’s asleep; the light in her room is turned off.
I get in my room, and take my shirt off. I put on pajama bottoms, and before I go to bed, I decide to open my window. When I look down, I see the light in her room turned on. She is awake. She just ignored my call. Anger builds up in me, and I try to take a deep breath, to calm myself down, but it’s not working. And then my phone rings, and I see the caller ID. It’s Addie.
“Hey” I answer. Still angry. Why am I still angry?
“You rang?” She asks. I am quiet. Suddenly I don’t know what I wanted to say, or what I wanted to talk to her about. I stand in silence, staring at her room below. “Calum? You okay?” She asks. She sounds concerned, which makes me angrier for some reason. I might have anger issues.
“Yeah, sorry. I called you by mistake” I say.
“Oh” I hear the disappointment in her voice. Or maybe I’m imagining it. “Okay then. Goodnight”
“Night” I say, and hang up. And then I’m beating myself about not actually talking to her until I fall asleep.

Notes

Sorry for spelling mistakes and weird sentence structure. I would like to apologise to my frieND ELENA WHO ALWAYS COMMENTS ON IT WOMAN I KNOW I SUCKkay.

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