THE NEXT DAY they went out again. Calum had his mother's credit card in his pocket, just in case they needed anything. He didn't tell Michael, though, because he saw how uneasy he got when the fact that they were spending all of somebody else's money came up.
They went to Ashton's first, knowing that Luke would be there too. Neither of the couples ever let go of each other, like they'd get hurt if they weren't together. They talked about their situation, and how crazy Calum was. Calum watched Michael ramble about their sort of date the night before in adoration. He loved making people – especially Michael – happy.
"So, you're a thing then?"
The pale and the tanned looked down at their intertwined hands, both smiling at the display of affection while they thought if it meant anything. They looked at each other.
"Yeah."
"Calum," Ashton said, unwrapping his arm from his boyfriend's waist and taking a step forward. "Can I talk to you for a second?" they went into the kitchen and the Kiwi slid himself onto the bench.
"Please don't say it." He sighed, knowing that Ashton was going to pull up the fact that he left his mother cold-heartedly. He saw him wince when he said it.
"You just left your mum like that. I know, I know, she's a bitch and everything, but you can't do that. No matter what people do, they never deserve to be alone."
"She doesn't even like me."
"You know she does, Calum; she'd do anything for you. she also likes perfection. I know, it's twisted to warp your son into something they're not; but she did it because she loves you. Just, go back and talk to her. Nobody wants to be alone."
"Fine, whatever, I'll talk to her."
He walked out, having no intention whatsoever to do that. He went over to Michael, listening to him babble to Luke about what how Calum coming out was insane but cute at the same time. He kissed him on the cheek and patted his head, mumbling that they should go soon.
"Can we bring Lukey and Ash? And Char too?" Michael gave him puppy dog eyes, batting his eyelashes like a lovesick girl.
"Okay, Mikey." He smiled kindly. "Just call her over." He put his leg over the back of the lounge and lifted himself over, diving into Michael's lap. He ended up rested in his chest. "I fucking love you. Are you ready to go and blow my Mum's credit card out of the roof?"
"Hell bloody yes, baby."
***
They start at Ikea. Calum and Ashton are still talking quietly about Mrs Hood and Luke and Michael are chatting about what the best Ninja Turtle is. Feeling like the fifth wheel, Char tagged behind. She was checking out all of the latest Instagram posts, and she saw she gasped.
"Holy fuck!" she shouted, completely forgetting she was in the middle of Ikea. Parents blocked their children's ears and glared, old ladies looked offended. She smiled innocently, taking longer strides and walking up to Calum. She pulled him back, but he just furrowed his eyebrows and started talking to Ashton again. "Excuse me, fuck-face; that was really rude." She pulled him back again. "Your ex is slaying you all over Insta and she posted your nudes everywhere." His eyes widened, blushing a little. "I would like to get her back."
"Um . . ." he took out his phone, looking at Michael over his shoulder, who was giggling along with Luke. "My password's Michael. Her nudes are in my deleted folder. Slay her, love." He gave her a big Calum smile and walked over to his boyfriend.
She unlocked his phone and went into the Instagram app. She logged out and logged into hers. Then, she went into Calum's deleted folder. She found the worst nude of her and smiled brightly. There she was, unshaved and with the caption 'get ready for me'. She almost gagged. She looked back to the thing that she posted about Calum. It didn't even show his face, only his dick and his pants open with a wink as the caption. Not pretty, really. Below the picture, she wrote 'he was such a slut anyway, lol. He sended SO MANY all the time. Narcissistic dickhead.'
She went back and posted the post with no regrets.
'it happens to the best of us, love xx @DaniellaNovella'
She turned the phone off and skipped over to where the group of boys were. "Done?" Calum asked.
She handed it back with a nod, "Done."
"Done what?" Michael raised his eyebrows, but Calum just shook his head, smiling briefly and patting his head.
"Nothing, baby."
They then began to talk about the furniture that they liked. Luke joined in too, but Ashton stayed behind, looking distant. His sleeves were down, and Char had a feeling that it wasn't because it was cold.
She cared about him still. A whole fucking lot. Yeah, she was still in love with him, but she wasn't a complete bitch. She knew that Ashton was so totally head-over-heels for Luke. She would never try to break them up because they were really cute, but she would still help him like she used to.
She walked over to him, pulling on his sleeve. "Can we talk after?" she asked, knowing that neither of them would like to have the conversation with their friends nearby.
"No."
"Ashton," she grumbled like she used to when they were together and he looked at her with that look he always used to, and woah, she was so not getting over him anytime soon.
She adjust her glasses and squinted at him. "Fine," he groaned.
God, she fucking wanted to get over him. She had the will-power to do it, but it wasn't that easy. She was so frustrated because she wanted to do what they used to and talk like they used to, but she knew it was wrong.
She bit her lip. She needed to get high.
She nearly slapped herself, because she was such a fucking hypocrite. All she wanted to do was to tell Ashton to stop doing drugs when she was doing them herself.
Maybe that was it. Maybe that was her new love. She didn't need Ashton. She just needed drugs.
She swallowed, telling herself no. No means no, Charlotte. She told herself gruffly.
Then she realised; there she was, having an argument with herself in the middle of Ikea. She looked up, realising the boys were looking at her expectantly. She cleared her throat, putting on a big smile, walking over to Michael.
"Find anything you like?"
He smiled. "Yeah. I love it all, really."
"That's good, Mike, you deserve whatever Cal can give you." she turned her lips upwards in an attempt to smile. "I'm gonna go out for a bit." He nodded and made her way over to the elevator.
She went out, opened the car that was foolishly unlocked and grabbed a joint. Luckily, it looked like she was just taking a cigarette. With Nirvana's Where Did You Sleep Last Night? stuck in her head, she tried to calm herself down a little. She felt better, but not as good as she used to. The affects were wearing off.
"Do you mind if I . . ."
She was sure she wasn't spaced out long enough to not notice Ashton. He took the joint out of her lips and put it to his.
"So, this is what you were going to talk to me about?"
"Yeah," she said, dazed.
"How'd we get so screwed, Char?" he asked, taking a long drag. "I mean, it all spiralled ever since I killed my family."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You did not kill them. It wasn't even your fault." She took the joint and put it out. "Anyway, what I was going to say was that you should try and stop getting high and shit."
He snorted. "Well-spoken, love. Besides, I barely do anymore."
"Yeah, whatever. I know your arms have holes the size of needles in them, don't even lie, and they're pretty recent too. I know you've still got a collection of joints, because I found them in the glove-box in your wallet." He rolled his eyes, waving a hand at her, trying to shut her up. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Ash. You have so many people that care about you. You have Luke, you have Calum, you have Michael, you have everyone who's ever fallen in love with you, and that's a lot of people." She insisted, using hand gestures.
"And you think nobody would miss you if you went?" he asked, his eyes shooting to the needle-sized scars on her arms.
"All I am is an ex to you. All I am to Luke is someone to be scared about because I went out with you. All I am to Calum is someone to hate for the exact same reason. All I am Michael is nothing. If I die, who's going to cry, huh?" Ashton felt sick.
"I-I am," She looked at him unsurely. "I am!" he said more defiantly. He walked over to her and pulled her into a tight hug, whispering into her hair, "I am," over and over, his voice cracking each time. He pulled away, looking dead into her brown eyes with his glassy ones.
"We'll – We'll stop together." He said. "If you relapse on anything – drugs, smokes, whatever – I will too."
"But – But it could kill you."
"That's exactly how I feel whenever I see you doing it." He said. "Do we have a deal?"
She pulled two cigarettes out of her pocket, smiling crookedly, "One last round?"
Ashton watched his boyfriend and his ex lift all of the new furniture into Michael's house, both laughing and paying each-other out at how weak they were. He smiled, liking the fact that they were getting along. Once he put down a box in the middle of Michael's kitchen, he wiped sweat off of his brow.
Calum and Michael were in the corner, constructing a cupboard. Luke and Char were using all of their strength to get something through the door. The eldest one watching huffed, putting his hands on his hips. They had a lot more to go.
He got his phone out, dialling a number. "Hey, Alex." He said, putting his stoner voice on, because that was just how he talked to him.
"Hey, what's up?" he returned.
"I need you to bring everybody down to 72 Maryland Lane, and help us out with one of my mates moving in."
"Okay, be there in ten, bro."
A van-full of people came ten minutes later, yelling like they had a murderer running behind them. Alex hopped onto the top of cardboard boxes, putting his fist up in the air to four guys and one girl. He yelled, "We shall help these people! They may have tiny limbs and lazy asses, but we will still assist! If you fall over, you must get back up. If you start to sweat, you must get deodorant. We will fight, for the greater good!"
"For the greater good!" the group of people echoed.
"Holy shit." Ashton laughed, looking through the blinds. "I can't tell if they're high or drunk."
"Probably both." Luke commented.
The five guys plus a girl started to pick up things and put them inside. Alex dropped his straight in the middle of the room and walked over to Ashton. He patted his back harshly, laughing a little as he did it. "Hey, man."
"Alex!" Ashton reached up to ruffle the guy's dark brown hair. "You going to help me build all of this shit?"
He nodded, walking over to Luke and squeezing his cheeks. "Is this your little boyfriend? Aw, he's so cute. Where do you find one?"
"Alex, leave the poor kid alone!" the girl said, giving him a bright smile.
"Yes, love." He rolled his eyes, starting to do some work.
They worked in teams. Ashton, Alex and Calum were the carriers. The rest of them were movers and builders. Of course, nobody told the movers and builders that it was going to be way harder than it looked.
There was a car beeping out the front. Calum looked out the window, seeing it was a big Ikea van. Ashton went to go and talk to the guy while the carriers got the lounge out of the van. They left it outside on the front lawn because they knew there was no room for it inside with all of the cardboard and plastic.
Roughly three hours later, all of the building was done, there was just a hell of a lot of rubbish around. Alex and Ashton and Alex's supposed girlfriend picked up all of the rubbish and tossed it into the neighbour's rubbish bins because they didn't want Michael's full. Everybody else was moving stuff into rooms, except for Michael and Calum.
They were standing outside, hugging each other under the millions of stars. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it. I can't believe it." He mumbled, over and over, his voice cracking even more each time. He was trying really hard not to cry, because he was in public and it was so not manly.
"You deserve this, sweetheart." Calum said, kissing him on the forehead.
"Without you, none of this would've happened, you know." Michael said, his ribcage shaking. "I would still be working shitty shifts – holy fuck, I haven't even quit from that job. Oh well. Anyway," he sniffed. "Without you I'd still be working the midnight shift at a shitty twenty-four-hour store." He tried to say more, but he didn't bother in the end.
In the house, Char smiled widely once they finished. She looked over to her ex and bit her lip. She started to walk over to him, and nearly stopped herself. This is stupid. She shook those thoughts away, pulling on his shirt.
"We . . . We need to talk."
sorry this is all over the place. it's really hard to write this now.