calum --
he left this morning. luke texted me and told me he and allison were going to the saint patricks day fair, and that i should come. i never really understood why we had a fair for an irish holiday, considering this was australia, but i agreed since i had nothing better to do.
my mom came into my room while i was getting dressed, scaring the living shit out of me. i could see her holding back laughter at my shock, but i ignored it and continued getting dress. she asked me where i was going, and when i told her she ripped the red and black t-shirt from my head and rummaged through my closet.
just when i thought today couldn't get any worse, my mother pulled out a snot-green t-shirt from the dark recesses of my wardrobe. i was never one for fashion, but i did have boundaries, and this god-awful shirt was definitely pushing the limit. "mom," i signed, "no."
"but calum, it's so adorable!" she pleaded. "please?"
i sighed and gave into her whim, tugging the shirt over my head. it was tight and ill-fitting, but my mom obviously didn't care, since her face held a joyous smile.
a half hour after luke texted me, he was on my doorstep. according to my mother he was "obnoxiously ringing the doorbell like a child," which evidently pissed her off. i hit luke over the head with my backpack on the way out, walking down the cobblestone pathway in the middle of my yard to his car, old and rusty, parked on the street. i noticed allison in the passenger seat and sighed a little, climbing into the backseat.
she turned around as luke started the engine, waving and smiling at me. "hi, calum," i read her lips, and i waved in reply, bitch-facing her as jealousy seeped into my heart. how could luke give her the front seat? it's always been mine, and now this girl comes along and just takes it. what a bitch.
they're both wearing green, i notice, which normally i would gag at the matchy-matchy couple thing, but i understand. sorta. it's not even saint patricks day.
luke pulled up at a house i don't recognize, and hit his fist against the center part of the steering wheel a few times, as if that would make whoever we're picking up come out. i leaned forward to see a boy, probably around my age, walk out the front door (and leave it open) to luke's oldsmobile. as he nears the car i notice his glasses and unruly curls, and a dark green shirt. great, more green.
the boy climbed into the car, sitting next to me. i looked him over, noting the holes in his jeans and his dirty combat boots that didn't even go with his outfit. he turned to me and started talking, his lips too unfamiliar and moving too fast for me to read. just as i was about to begin my pointing and shrugging routine for the thousandth time, luke turned to the boy and told him of my disability.
curly's lips made an 'o' shape. he held out his hand, speaking slowly. "ashton."
i tapped luke and signed the letters of ashton's name, just to be sure, before looking back at the hazel-eyed teenager and smiling. i just assumed someone had told ashton my name, since i couldn't unless he knew sign language. which, obviously, he didn't.
every year the fair was the same: kiddie rides, concessions and games that were only useful for guys trying to impress their female company. it was honestly pathetic compared to other fairs, like the australia day fair in january. i climbed out after ashton when we parked, gazing enviously at the shorter boy as his head bobbed to whatever song was on. luke gave me a thumbs up and i gave him a sharp glare in return, narrowing my eyes at him.
"you owe me," i signed to him, and returned my gaze to a wildly dancing ashton. he grinned at me before realizing the situation, falling completely still with a pitying look at me. i just shook my head a little and began walking to the booth marked 'TICKETS & WRISTBANDS', pulling out my wallet in the process. i'd never been one for rides, but i figured i could sit in the ferris wheel while luke, allison and ashton rode whatever lame rides the parking-lot fair possessed.
