WRONG NUMBER / CH

chptr 52

Ashton and Luke laughed together. "My shift's over," Ashton said, walking around the counter and over to Michael.

Luke followed, nodding to both of his friends. "So. We good to go?"

Without speaking, they knew they were.

Honestly, they didn't know what they would say when they faced Leia later that day. All they knew was that they needed to talk to her, to reach out in Calum's name. Calum never mentioned it, but they all knew he was just dying to see her, to talk to her. But he knew if he went to see Leia, she'd be even more upset. Leia would think he's obsessed. They all considered it might be a little true, but, you know, in a good, romantic way. And as his best friends, they felt like they were being absolutely useless in Calum's worst times, so they decided to take matters in their own hands.

Hopefully, talking to her would make it better.

If not, they're screwed. Big time.

In what seemed like a second they were standing behind Leia's white picket fence, staring at her house. They all shuffled and moved around awkwardly. "So..." Michael said, looking at his friends.

With a brave face Ashton walked up to her door and promptly rang the doorbell. "Just a minute!" someone called out, which they figured was Leia's mom.

They all started freaking out.

"Fuck, fuck, what do we say?" Luke whined, obviously panicking.

"Just stay calm! And don't swear!" Ashton chastised. He whipped his head back to the door just in time for it to swing open and reveal Leia's mom. "Hello, Mrs. Wilson. May we, ah, speak to Leia?" Ashton asked politely, smiling and flashing his blinding dimples to add to his charm.

Mrs. Wilson was definitely under his spell. "Oh my, aren't you a handsome boy. Do you go to her school?"

Shit. "Yes!" Michael piped up finally. Luke and Ashton cut him a glare, but he just shrugged unapologetically.

Mrs. Wilson didn't ask any further questions. "She's in her room, can you boys wait a little while I get her?" She flashed them a smile, which they were more than relieved to see. The door shut quietly in front of them and they simultaneously blew out their breaths.

"Okay, who's gonna talk to Leia?" Ashton asked, turning to face the other boys. He clapped his hands once and promptly declared, "Not me!"

"Not me!" Luke seconded nearly simultaneously, making an X with his arms and backing up defensively.

"Not— aw, dammit," Michael whined, seeing as it was futile to decline. He glared at the other boys with contempt. He crossed his arms like the spoiled boy he was. "Why do I get to talk to Leia? I'm fucking shit at...you know. This."

"You're shit at everything," the curly-haired boy retorted with a smile. When Michael didn't laugh, he continued. "You can do it, Mike. Plus you're the least intimidating out of us."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're as threatening as a kitten," Luke shot back in a dead tone.

Michael's jaw dropped slightly. "Excuse me—"

He didn't get to finish whatever speech he had in his head because the front door swung open again and this time, Leia was standing behind it. Her face was expressionless, but the moment she saw their faces her eyebrows furrowed together and her mouth opened slightly. Before she could even fully swing the door open, she was already moving to shut it.

Luckily Michael, who was nearest, was quick on his feet, blocking the doorframe with his foot and prying it open again. "Leia, wait!" he called out weakly. Leia was putting all her strength into shutting the door, and he was beginning to struggle. "You guys could fucking help," Michael hissed. The other boys scrambled to get a hold of the doorknob and pull it open once more.