Addie's POV
The sun disappeared, and the sky held the aftermath. The white clouds were transformed into pink and orange pillows, with, what seemed like a, glowing halo. The garage door was opened, and Ash was teaching Elena how to play the drums. Watching them gave me hope in relationships.
I’ve never had a model relationship to look up to. My mom and dad never had that fairytale love story, and I’ve never experienced, so at point, not sure when, I stopped believing in love and relationships. But seeing how Ash’s eyes glowed with excitement and happiness as he watched Elena play a little beat, was restoring my faith.
Luke decided to join us after a while, and he was wearing a weird psychedelic tank top that hurt my eyes when I looked directly at it. If I become close with Luke, I swear to god I am making him burn this tank.
Mikey is sitting on a cushion, his back is leaned on the wall, and he has a guitar in his hands.
“Pass me the chips?” He says, when he notices me looking at him. I immediately look away and pass him the chips.
Luke’s phone ringed, but before he could answer it, Mikey managed to get ahold of it first and clicked the answer button.
“Luke’s secretary, how may I help you?” He says in a very poor girly-voice impression.
“Is it Cal?” Luke says, sinking in the beanbag again. Mikey nods and then he laughs at something Calum says. “We’re at…we….yes….Ash, Elena, Luke and Addie and me…kay. Bye, baby.” He says, and hangs up. “Cal’s coming” He tosses Luke his phone and hits him on the lower abdomen. Any lower, and it would’ve really hurt.
“Ow.” Luke says, and puts his phone on his chest. “Ash!” He says after a moment.
“Yeah?” Ash says and sit’s on the armchair. Elena sits next to me.
“Do you have ice-cream?” Luke asks in a very child-like manner. Ash nods and goes in the house.
“I want some as well!” Mikey shouts after him, putting on a snapback cap that was lying on the floor next to him. His fingers then press on a few strings, and with a pick he strums the strings slowly. A soothing melody comes out, and as soon as it does, the fingers on his left hand press on different strings, and he strums again, and then again and he is producing a very gentle and peaceful melody on the acoustic guitar.
My eyes are glued to his fingers dancing on the strings. He is unaware of my gaze. His eyes are closed, and his head is pressed against the wall. A few minutes later Ash comes in. He is holding a tray. On it there are five small bowls of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. He distributes them to us, giving us a teaspoon and then finally holds one for himself.
“Homemade” Ash says, as he gets a spoonful in his mouth. Mike puts the guitar on its stall and takes the ice cream.
“The best in Sydney” Luke says, and produces a very sexual noise, I feel uncomfortable sitting in the same room as him.
“That was disturbing” Mikey says and laughs.
I taste the ice cream and understand why that sound surfaced. The ice cream is so good. Elena then turns on the radio and a song I’ve never heard before comes on. Mikey, consumed by the ice cream, instead of consuming the ice cream, hums the melody of the song.
“No ice cream for me?” Calum says. He is wearing black skinny jeans with holes in them and a striped T-shirt.
“Baby, you came for me” Mikey says, and smiles at Calum.
“Now it’s your turn” Calum says, sitting down across from me.
“I think you should dump Marissa and just date Mikey, Cal. You guys would be such a cute couple” Elena says, eating her ice cream.
“Awww, you hear that, babe?” Mikey says scooting closer to Cal. “Do you want me to feed you this ice cream?” Cal laughs and pushes Mikey away. Luke laughs.
After a moment we hear someone approaching the garage. A middle-aged woman appears. She is wearing knee-length denim pants a t-shirt and a smile on her face.
“Hey Mrs. Irwin” Luke says, waving.
“Excellent ice cream. If I could, I would marry!” Mikey says.
“Well, there’s plenty in the freezer” She smiles, proud of herself. “Ash, honey, I have to go to your grandma’s. I’ll stay the night there. You okay here?” She smiles. It’s a sad smile. Ash tenses a little but smiles at her nonetheless.
“Yeah mom” He says. “Say hi to nana” She nods and says goodbye before disappearing.
After the car drives away, Mikey turns to Ash. “How’s your grandma doing?” he asks, the playfulness sucked out of his voice.
“She’s…okay I guess. I mean, she is better, just…I don’t think my mom want’s her to be alone for too long, so she stays over a lot.” He says. Elena stands up and puts her bowl of ice cream on the little table next to the wall, then hugs Ash from behind the armchair, her arms along his neck. He smiles at her.
Luke puts his bowl on top of Elena’s and Mikey hands Calum his who hands it to Elena who puts it on top of Luke’s. Mine is the last one to go, and I pick all of them up.
“You don’t have to take them inside” Ash says.
“It’s no problem” I smile and walk towards the door.
“I’ll help you” Elena says. We walk inside and she leads the way to the kitchen.
I start washing them and Elena stands beside me, helping me.
“So,” She says putting dishwashing soap on a sponge. “How are you holding up here? Being the new kid and all that” She smiles at me.
“I’m okay” I say.
“Ash tells me Marissa is telling Cal that he can’t hang out with you?” She says, not looking at me.
“Yeah…kinda” I say rinsing off the soap off the bowl.
“Don’t worry about it” She says, and turns towards me. I look into her eyes. They are as green as Ash’s. “And don’t let her win. Calum may let her choose his friends, but don’t give her the power to choose yours.” She says, and dries the two washed bowls she just cleaned.
I smile and nod at her, washing the last bowl. We finally return to the garage. Elena sits in Ash’s lap. He looks annoyed. I look at Luke and he just shrugs, looking at Calum and Michael. There is a tension between them.
“I just don’t get you, Calum” Mikey says, grabbing the guitar again. Calum has his chin propped on his knee, looking at nothing.
I sit down where I was sitting, and I feel uncomfortable.
“Did we miss something?” Elena asks. Thank God I didn’t have to ask that question.
“Calum and Michael drama” Luke says.
“Don’t tell me you’re not thinking it, mate!” Mikey shouts at him, playing the soft melody on his guitar again. Luke pulls his hands up, as if backing out. And then he looks at Calum, and Calum notices so he closes his eyes, pretending he doesn’t see them staring at him.
“You’re just letting her brainwash you” Mikey says.
“Fuck off, Michael” Calum snaps at him, and shots him a glare. Michael shakes his head and continues his melody “It’s not like I have any evidence, okay? And I really like her, and I don’t want to break this up over some stupid suspicions. Can’t you be a friend for five minutes and support me in at least one aspect of my life! Jesus!” he adds.
Mikey’s jaw clenches, but he says nothing, just continues to play his melody.
“Alright, both of you” Luke says, sitting up on the beanbag “Enough! I can’t listen to this conversation again.” He finishes and sinks in the beanbag again.
“Whatever” Calum says, barely above a whisper.
“You boys need to relax” Ash says. Then he pokes Elena to stand up, and grabs a little box from one of the shelves behind the drum set. Then, he sits back down, and pulls Elena with him. He opens the little box up, and I already know what’s inside. The unfinished joints lie in a little pile of ash. He gives one to Mikey and another to Calum. They take them without questions. Finally, he takes the last one and puts it between his lips. Calum fishes out a lighter from his pockets and lights his joint, then he gives Mikey the lighter. Ash already lit his joint.
“Since when do you carry a lighter?” Luke asks Calum, as he takes the joint from Ash, and then inhales.
“Since now” He said a little to sharply and takes another drag. And then Luke hands me the joint and I shake my head. I noticed that Elena also didn’t take any.
Luke shrugs, takes another drag and gives it back to Ash.
“You’re like their drug dealer” I say to Ash and everyone loosens up a little bit.
After that, the boys go into a laughing fit about something, and the tension in the ear completely disappears.
But the entire night, I noticed, Calum did not talk to me directly at all. Not even once. I didn’t know if it was on purpose. But it was getting late, and I really did not want to piss my mom off again.
“I have to go, guys” I say. Mikey is almost asleep, and Luke is trying to explain something to Elena. Ash smiles at me, and I start getting up.
“I have to go too” Cal says, and stands up right after me. His eyes are incredibly red. “I can drop you off” He says to me. The first sentence he addresses to me.
“No offence, but I do not want to be in a car with someone who is stoned. Especially if that someone is driving” I say. “Thanks, but I’ll walk” I say and turn around. “Bye, guys” I say to the others.
But as I exit, Calum follows me outside.
“You can drive then” He says, handing me his keys. He smiles, and he looks like a three year old who just want an argument of ‘no, you are!’. He dangles the keys in my face, and I take them.
He gets in the passenger’s seat, before I even start walking to his car. When I finally get in, I adjust the seat and turn the engine on.
“I’ll guide you” he says, leaning his head back.
I nod and put the car in reverse, backing out of Ash’s driveway.
We don’t talk; apart from the direction Calum gives me. Surprisingly enough, we end up on our street. I park his car in front of his house, and turn off the engine. I go to unbuckle my seat, when he catches my hand.
As if I’ve been shocked by electricity, I jump.
“Are you okay?” He asks me, slurring on his words a little bit. His eyes are half closed.
“You’re the one who’s about to show up in front of his parents with bloodshot eyes, the real question is, are you okay?” I smile, and wiggle my hand free. He laughs softly.
“My mom will kill me. First degree murder” He says, and gets out, softly laughing. I get out as well, and walk to his side of the car. I hand him his keys.
“Wait” He says, as I walk towards my house.
“What?” I ask, unsure if I should just go.
“Can I ask you a favor?” He says, cutting the distance between us shorter. He comes so close that I can feel his soft breath on my face. It smells of cannabis and mint toothpaste. I don’t move. He looks down, at my eyes.
“Yeah” I say in barely a whisper. He is too close to me. No personal space.
“Can I cool off at your place?” He says, glancing at my house. Of course that’s what he wants to say. I don’t expect him to apologize for Marissa, although it could’ve been nice.
“Are you allowed?” I say.
“Don’t be Michael, please” He closes his eyes. “I hear that from him every day, I don’t want to hear it from you. Please” He says and smiles. He looks sad, but maybe it’s because he is completely baked.
“Yeah, but you have to stay in my room. My mom might be home.” I say and walk towards the door that leads to my room. Calum is right behind me. I unlock it and he enters, lying down on my bed immediately.
“I’m really thirsty” he whispers.
I tell him that I’m going to bring him a glass of water, and he nods, closing his eyes. I exit my room and enter the kitchen, looking for the biggest glass of water I can find. I hear voices in the living room.
“I just think he doesn’t trust me” Marissa is in my living room. With Aggie. “and he went to Ash’s after, and your sister is there and…”
“Marissa please stop worrying about Calum and my sister. There’s nothing going on between them. You see them in school; they don’t talk. Like, at all.
“You’re right. You’re right” She finally says. I realize that I’m actually standing frozen in the kitchen, listening in on their conversation. But even after this realization, I don’t’ move. Marissa laughs. “I can’t believe I’m threatened by her”
Aggie says nothing.
“I mean he can’t possibly like her.” She says.
“Umm” Aggie says, a bit unsure.
“She’s so anti-social and a bit weird. How did you guys end up being so different from each other” Marissa says.
“She’s just shyer than me” Aggie says. Wow, thanks for the super awesome defense, sister. Please, don’t waste your words.
“Shy? Aggie, she has no friends. It’s weird” Marissa says.
“She has friends. She always hangs out with Michael and Luke and that other older guy.” Aggie says. I’m surprised she even knows their names. I’ve mentioned them a few times but…yeah ok, she knows them from one of Marissa’s rants about them most likely.
“She is hangs with Calum’s friends.” She laughs, and then adds, a little quieter, maybe to herself “A pile of trash attracts rodents”
“Hey!” Aggie snaps. “Stop it! She is my sister and I really don’t appreciate you calling her a rodent!”
I grab a glass and quickly go to my room. My eyes are stinging when I walk in. I fill the glass with water from the bathroom and when I come out Calum is propped.
“You were gone for like, a year” He says to me, taking the water, and drinking the whole glass in one take. When he’s done he looks at me “Are you crying?” He asks.
“You need to go” I say and take the glass from him.
“Why?” He asks, sitting up on the bed.
“Because” I say and turn towards him, the glass still in my hand “Marissa is here. In the other room. Right now. And if she sees you in my bedroom, she will demand my head on a tray. So you have to go. Now.” I say and hurry him to stands up.
He doesn’t protest and walks to the door, but before he completely exits, he turns towards me. There is intensity in the way he looks at me. I cannot look away.
“Elle” He says. A little muscle on my face jumps. That is such a stupid nickname, if it was an object, I would throw it at him “I’m sorry about all of this.”
“You don’t have to apologize” I say.
“I do. I want to hang out with you. I think you’re really fun and cool and it sucks that Marissa won’t let me” He says, leaning on the door frame.
“Are you even listening to yourself?” I say, smiling in disbelieve “Let you?! She has no ownership of you, Calum. That’s just her way of telling you that she doesn’t trust you” I say before I can stop myself. I should really not meddle into this.
“Elle-“ He says, but I cut him off.
“Stop calling me that.” I roll my eyes.
“Addie” He corrects himself “You don’t get it” He says, and lowers his gaze.
“Don’t get what? That you let her run your life however she pleases? Let me guess, you can barely find time to hang out with Mikey and Luke and Ash because she occupies your whole time, but she can hang with her friends whenever she wants to? You can’t talk to a girl, but she can sleep over at her guy-friend’s house any time she pleases. You have to pick up after the second ring, otherwise she goes on a shouting spree and then you end up feeling like shit?” He looks at me. His eyes are watery, and I’m not sure if it’s because they are dry, or if those are tears, but I can’t stop talking. “And then when you try to confront her, she turns the situation around, and it’s your fault so you feel like you need to apologize and then she has the upper hand? You’re do one who doesn’t get it, Calum. Everyone else does” I say, and take a step back.
He looks at me.
“But who am I to tell you this, right?” I say, reading his look. He really didn’t want to hear this. He had to. “You hear it from Mikey and Luke and Ash everyday. Don’t listen to me, I don’t care. But…listen to your friends. You’re pushing them away, and one day, when you realize that the only person you hang out with is Marissa and her friends, you’ll want them back. And when she leaves you, because she gets bored with you or something, or hurts you in a worse way, you’ll realized what you actually lost. Don’t do that to yourself.” I finish. He nods, and a tear falls across his cheek.
“You have it al figure out, don’t you?” He says, and smiles, although I know he really doesn’t mean that smile.
“I have” I say “I’ve seen my mom go through this my entire existence” I say. I don’t know why I said it, like, I don’t need to explain myself to him. In that moment, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I don’t reach for it, I keep Calum’s gaze.
“Well” he says “thanks for the water and the life lesson” He says, and backs away. My phone vibrates again. He glances at my pocket “You should get that. Mikey is probably worried about you” And with that, he leaves.
I watch him go to his own house. After he disappears, I close my door and lock it. I get in my pajamas, and settle in my bed. I take out my phone. One text is from my mom. She is asking me about a name of one of my teachers at school. The other text is from Mikey. ‘Did u get hom safeee?’
Mikey is probably worried about you. Calum’s words ring in my head.

Notes

Hello yes me again. Another update. Kinda owe you for not updating in 8 months.
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