Waking Up

Chapter 1

"Clifford, I don't have time for this shit. We have to go in twenty minutes!" I pout.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asks, lifting his hand up to his ear, as though he couldn't hear me, clearly amused with himself.

What. A. Dick.

I curse under my breath and say Michael is the hottest, funniest, sexiest guy in the entire universe."

He gives me a a peck on the cheek and a wide grin,recognizably pleased with my response. Michael reluctantly gives me back my shoes, which I hastily put on.

"Jackass," I mumble quietly before leaving my room to go to the kitchen. I know he heard me because I can hear booming laughter as I stumble downstairs.

~

<Katherine's POV>

Calum and Ashton are waiting in the living room to go to NCLU, but I' m starving and have just enough time to make myself a bowl of cereal, which is basically all I eat to be honest.

I had gotten into Newcastle on a music scholarship and the boys got accepted because of their surprisingly good grades and musical and athletic ability. They had to pay more than I did, but their families were wealthy enough to pay for college, unlike mine.

Ashton waltzes into the kitchen and starts eating cereal out of the box.

"What took you so long, Woody? We've been waiting for ages!" he complains.

"Michael acting like a cock," I tell him, as I eat a huge spoonful of my favourite, Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

" Of course. What else would it be?" Ash says, giving me a small dimpled smile. He grabs more of my cereal and snatch the box out of his large hands.

"MINE," I warn him. I am not the person to share food.

Ashton laughs and runs his hands through his curly hair. His expression suddenly hardens.

"Angela broke up with me last night. Officially," he sighs and looks at me.

"That whore- I mean , Ash, I'm so sorry. I kinda figured she would. But I know you are going find someone that will make feel a million times happier than she ever did. I promise," I say, standing up and giving him a bear hug.

"Yeah, I hope so," he sniffles, trying not to cry. He hates it when he cries and so do I.

Ashton has been dating Angela since freshman year, and they've been through a lot together. He loved her, until he found out she cheated on him just a couple months ago. Ash tried to forgive her, but he couldn't look at her the same. I guess Angela just stopped caring, but Ashton never did. She started sleeping around with several guys, even though her and Ashton didn't break up yet. When i told him I got the scholarship to Newcastle, he didn't hesitate to come with Michael, Calum, and I, away from his bitch of a girlfriend.

"Now finish your cereal, you eat like a slug," Ashton smiles, trying to lighten the mood.

"Slugs don't eat cereal," I say to him.

"That's something a slug would say," he replies, raising an eyebrow.

"Dammit! You caught me. It was supposed to be a secret," I pout.

We both laugh at our immaturity and I shove another spoonful in my mouth. I finish my breakfast and walk into the living room with Ash to find a Calum on the couch.

"What up home skillet?" he asks, trying their best to look cool. I giggle and respond to his ridiculous greeting.

"You're so weird, Cal," I say, still laughing.

"You know you love me," he grins.

I stick my tongue out at him and check the time on my phone. Perfect. Now Michael just needs to get down here before someone whoops his ass.

"I guess it's time," he sighs, picking up his own suitcase.

Calum always hated school. He was actually really smart, he just thinks that it's pointless to learn math and science when he wants nothing to do with any of that. His whole world revolved around music. All four of us are music geeks, always have been.

Michael finally comes into the living room, carrying his own bags and eating a banana.

"Took you long enough, Mikey," Ash murmurs.

I gather the rest of my things and head outside, where I throw the luggage in the trunk. We pile into the car, suddenly full of energy, and I put in a Queen CD on full blast. I honestly don't know what I would do without music.

Bohemian Rhapsody starts blaring throughout the car. I love this song; we all did. The boys scream out the lyrics at the top of their lungs, and I join them, singing the entire way there.