Submissive • 5sos

Chapter 8

"Wonder what that was." Michael sighs, walking towards the kitchen, I obediently follow, I'm curious.
"Shit shit shit oh god!" I hear Calum say, I smell burnt food.
"What are you doing?" Michael asked him as we walk into the kitchen.
"I tried to cook." Calum said embarrassed, Michael chuckles while he just flushes red, I laugh a little as well.
"I can cook." I say, I am quite a good cook, my mum taught me because she was a traditionalist; she had the belief that the man goes out to work while the women takes care of the house. I, on the other hand, fiercely disagree with my mothers beliefs, but I shouldn't waste my abilities.
"Okay! Can you make pancakes?" Calum asks excitedly, I smile and nod timidly.
"Can I help?" He grins at me,
"Of course," I laugh, I list the ingredients we need and he rushes round the kitchen getting them.
When they're all gathered I make the pancake batter, making it perfectly like my mother taught me. Remembering her saddens me, I wonder how she's doing.
I pour the mixture onto a frying pan and wait for the bottom layer to cook, when it's perfect I tell Calum it's time to flip, at this he comes running. Michael sits amused at the breakfast counter.
"Please be careful." I say, laughing. I always remember as a child it was the best part to flip the pancake.
He does flip it, not greatly but it does get over to the other side.
Once the other side is done, I put it on a plate, and hand it to Michael, Calum pouts at this,
"Why aren't I allowed it?" He frowns,
"Because otherwise you won't help me with this one." I say, giggling when he smiles widely.
I repeat the process, but this time I flip the pancake, with a quick flick of my wrist I make the pancake do two 360's, and Calum looks at me in awe. I smile shyly and put the pancake on a plate for him.
"What's going on in here?" Ashton's voice booms, he analyses the mess on the counter, Michael halfway through a pancake and Calum holding a plate guiltily,
"We're making pancakes." Calum says, shuffling his feet on the floor, Michael continues eating but fails to meet Ashton's gaze.
"Clean it up." Ashton says, staring at me. I immediately put the ingredients away, hoping I've put them in the right places. I put the utensils in the dishwasher and grab a cloth to clean the sides.
"We don't eat pancakes for breakfast? We are a gang, not a group of Middle aged men who go to the office everyday. Or do I need to remind you that?" Ashton says coherently, but menacingly, Michael nods his head and Calum stays looking down. I distract myself by continuing to clean the sides, even when it's spotless.
"We're going now." Ashton tells me, I just nod, not quite meeting his eyes, I feel like I've just made it 10x more awkward between all of us. It's my fault, I offered to cook. 'It's always your fault.' The voice in my head tells me, I just grit my teeth in an effort to get it to be quiet. As they all leave, Luke smiles at me, Michael and Calum look guilty,, while Ashton looks dead-panned serious. When the elevator door closes, I sigh with relief, I can finally explore this place on my own accord, I'll look for my phone, I decide.
The first place I look is Ashton's room, his desk draws contain papers and contracts that bore me after the first word. I open his wardrobe and instantly see a box at the bottom, I drag this out and sit with my legs crossed opening it. Inside is photos and letters and old memorabilia. I pick up the first photo and see a baby with a pretty women, on the back, written in cursive writing, it says 'Ash aged 2 with Mommy'. All the photos continue like this, but one photo stands out, not the photo, but what's written on the back- 'Ashton's last picture with Mommy, aged 8.' Is his mum dead? Underneath is a death certificate reading the words - Miss A Irwin. His mum is dead, when he was eight? How sad. I suddenly feel bad for snooping and put the box back where I found it, in the exact same position.
I tip-toe out of his room, closing the door carefully. I check the other boys room but don't find my phone of anything interesting else, apart from in Luke's there's a picture of him and a girl, it could be a year old. He and she looks happy and they look in love. I don't recognise the girl at all, but for some odd reason I feel a stab of jealousy looking at his hand in hers, remembering him holding mine the night before. I flush at the memory and quickly leave the room.
Stalking into the living room I see the 'forbidden corridor'. I already know Ashton's study and some other rooms are in there. I slowly walk down the corridor but notice every door is locked, what are they hiding? I shrug off the feeling of worry and head to the sofas where I watch TV for half an hour. I watch keeping up with the Kardashians but my mind keeps wondering to the photo of Ashton and his mum. It was a normal photograph, his mum had her arm around Ashton and he appeared happy, but his eyes weren't quite looking at the camera, he was looking at the person taking the picture, he looked scared. I recall the death certificate, the cause of death was just injury. It was so vague. What had happened?
I walk around the living room in boredom, I'd only killed 1 hour. I realise I forgot to ask how long they'd be gone for, and mentally kick myself. I could spend the whole of Saturday cooped up in this apartment!
I venture back into the kitchen but shudder at the memory of Ashton telling us off, I look in the fridge for anything to eat, and see some strawberries. I grab them and slump back into the sofa, the TV is playing to itself as I'm too busy in my thoughts and slowly eating the strawberries - I still don't understand what me witnessing a crime has to do with me staying here, they're are about 5 murders in London a day, why was this one so special. It was two members of opposing gangs but they get in fights all the time and usually end up in hospital or worse. Why is Ashton so....cold? Towards me, I kind of understand; I'm a stranger? But towards his fellow gang members, his friends as Luke called them when we were in the elevator. None of this makes sense.
My thoughts are rudely interrupted by a knock on the elevator door, I realise that I need a passcode to open the door, and they've locked it, so whoever wants to get in, can't because they don't have the passcode. I suddenly feel scared, I'm alone in an unfamiliar apartment, with someone eerily knocking at the door. I leave the tv on, and slowly get up, tiptoeing towards the elevator, I recall all of the martial arts lessons I had when I was 12. I didn't want to go, but my mother made me.
"Hello?" A strange, raspy voice calls through the door. I still at this unfamiliar voice.
"Hi?" I say as confidentially as I can, which isn't very.
"I need your help, Ashton? Is that you? They're coming for you Ash! They know you have her! The witness, I need to go. They might have seen me come in her, don't draw attention to yourself for the while, I'll sort this out." The man on the other-side babbles, I attempt to interrupt but he's talking too loudly and fast. Fear rips through me after he finishes and the elevator starts back up again. Who are they? And am I the witness he's talking about?