Wildflower [c.h.]

5

Dad got home around eight and by then, we were all surrounded by empty pizza boxes and soda cans. We had spent the afternoon playing games on the XBox and talking. It was the most fun I had in a while.

"Your friends are lovely," dad said as we threw away the mess, "lovely, but loud."

I laughed. "Yeah, they're real rowdy." Earlier when Luke beat Michael in a round of Mario Cart, Michael almost punched him, wrestling on the floor while we all watched. Eventually Ashton had enough and had every intention of stopping them, but he got dragged into it.

It ended with Luke sitting on the couch with a smug look on his face, Michael huffing and cursing under his breath, and Ashton crying into Calum's shoulder. It was very dramatic, to say the least.

Dad walked into the living room and put his coat over the recliner. The noise didn't stop until Luke lost the game he was playing against Michael.

"In your face!" Michael screamed at him, pulling a wide eyed look when he noticed the adult in the room. "Oh hi, Mr. Miller. How's it going?"

"You're Michael, right?" The red haired boy nodded. "Call me Joseph." He nodded again. "Now, what are we playing?"

We spent the rest of the night playing games against dad, Michael winning a lot of them. Ashton refused to play anymore, claiming he was tired. He got very cranky and snappy with everyone. He eventually made me and Calum sit at the ends of the couch, laying his head on my lap, and his feet on Calum's.

"I think I'm going to go home, Jo," Katie said, yawning.

He put the controller down. "You're more than welcome to stay here, you know. All of you can, in a matter of fact."

"Sweet," Luke whispered. I chuckled quietly, playing with Ashton's hair.

"No, my parents actually expect me to be home tonight. Apparently we have to see my grandma tomorrow." Her grandma was the only person in her family that she could stand. I couldn't blame her.

"Alright, do you have a ride home?"

"I'll walk."

"Nonsense, I'll drive you. Anybody else need a lift or are you staying?"

Michael was the only person who stood up, claiming he was tired too. Calum, Ashton, Luke, and I stayed in the same positions when they left.

"You don't need to do that anymore, he's fast asleep," Calum said, nodding to my hand that was still running through Ashton's curly hair.

"No, it feels good," Ash whispered and opened an eye, peeking at Luke. "You should get over here, we all can cuddle."

"I'm not doing that," Luke laughed.

He ended up doing it after whines came from Ashton nonstop. He sat on the middle cushion, squashed on the small couch and being crushed by Ash.

"Where's the bathroom," Calum asked. "I forgot."

Luke nudged me. "Why don't you show him, then when you leave, Ash can get up." He'd been waiting for a moment like this, I could tell.

"Okay. Follow me, Cal." We walked down the hallway and I pointed to the door. I then went upstairs and into my room, grabbing a movie I wanted to watch that I knew I'd have to do some serious begging for.

By the time I came back downstairs, Calum sat in the loveseat, the furthest spot away from a sleeping Ashton and an angry Luke.

"He abandoned us," Luke pouted. For someone who didn't want to sit with everyone, he was really upset that he moved.