We sat on the couch, I devoured half a bag of chips. Calum and Ashton were silently conversing, leaving me watching 'Harry Potter and The Chamber Of Secrets'.
"Dang Zoë! You're really into these movies" Calum laughed.
"Shh it's getting good" I say stuffing my mouth with chips.
"You've watched this about a thousand times, you know what's gonna happen" Ashton laughed.
"Why can't you just let me be happy?" I jokingly whined. They both laugh and continue their conversation. Once the movie ends I flip through the channels. No good Tv shows, or movies were on. I groan and shut the tv off. Focusing my attention to my phone. I scroll through my text messages, then refresh them. No new ones.
"I'm bored" I whined, turning to face Calum and Ashton
"Same" they both say in unison.
"We should rent some movies and watch them in your garage" Calum suggests.
Last summer, Chloe Calum and Ashton came over and we all turned the garage into a hangout place for us. My parents barely used it for anything. We had gotten my old tv fixed, got a couple beanbag chairs, painted the walls and got it carpeted. By the next week it was finished.
I nodded. We hopped into Ashton's car. We rolled down the windows letting the nice breeze blow through our hair.
Calum was going on about how a girl stained the tile in English. The girl had gotten her period as they did an activity. She was wearing white shorts.
"That's so embarrassing" I cried once he finished.
"But it was funny" he laughed.
"You are so mean" I shake my head as I laugh.
We pulled up to the very last 'BlockBuster' in town. It was nearly empty. The three of us headed to the horror movie section. We ended up getting a box of popcorn, some candy, and 2 horror movies.
The sky was setting, making it a perfect time to watch the horror movies. We headed into the garage.
"I'm gonna get the popcorn ready" I yelled as I walk through the laundry room exiting the garage and entering the kitchen.
I turn the kitchen light on and popped the popcorn into the microwave. I lean against the counter.
My phone lights up next to me. I slide my finger to unlock the screen.
From Mommy:
Hey sweetie, me and your father probably won't be coming home tonight. You have to find out what you're gonna eat haha love you xx.
I laugh at my moms words. I place my phone back on the counter after I reply. I look around the kitchen.
I suddenly hear someone walking down the steps.
"Hello?" I call out. No answer. My heart starts beating faster.
I sprint back to the garage to see both Calum and Ashton siting in the beanbag chairs on their phones.
My eyes widen. Who's upstairs?
"Are you ok?" Ashton looks up at me causing Calum to look up.
"You look like you just saw a ghost" he laughs. But I don't.
"Can someone come back with me to the kitchen?" I ask them.
"Sure" Ashton gets up and drops his phone onto the chair letting it bounce a couple times.
I cling onto his arm as we walk in the kitchen. He chuckles at my behavior.
"What happened?" He laughs as we walk into the kitchen. He leans against the sink.
"I just..." I start, the footsteps grew louder, "you hear that?"
We both stayed silent, "who's there?" Ashton asked. He nodded as in saying 'yeah I hear them'.
The footsteps stopped. Ashton peered into the darkness of the dining room. He switched the light on. Empty. I followed closely behind him as he checked every room downstairs closely.
We were both entered the bathroom when we heard the faint footsteps once again.
Once we stepped out of the bathroom they were gone. We went back into the kitchen. The popcorn was finally done. I carefully grabbed it. I placed them on the counter Ashton grabbed the bowl. I turned around to grab it from him. I turned back and the popcorn had fallen off the counter. We both gave each other a quick look. I shrieked, I grabbed the bowl and the popcorn and we both ran out.
We shut the door behind us. My chest rose up and down quickly. My heart was beating rapidly. The noises thumping in my ears.
"What's wrong with you two?" Calum laughed.
"It's these. . . We heard . . ." I tried to speak. Being too shocked and out of breath words could barely come out of my mouth.
"We should just. . . Watch the movie" Ashton motioned me to the chairs, regaining his breath.
As we got settled in, the doorbell rang. I groaned as I got up. I went through the side door. Small droplets of water fell on my body. I was still paranoid, I expected no one to be there. I noticed a familiar car in the driveway.
"Brock?" I called out.
"Zoë?!" He jogged towards me pulling me into a hug. I stood there frozen, I could smell the alcohol on his clothe.
"What do you want?" I asked him after he hugged me.
"I want you" he slurred.
"No you don't" I laughed. His eyes met mine.
"How could you say that?"
"I thought you were someone else, but you're not. You find a time to make fun of my every flaw! You're rude and selfish.." I began.
"I can't help it!" He yelled, but it almost came out it a whisper.
"You can't help what you say?!" I yelled. A few lights turned on across the street.
"Not when you're over here thinking I'm some sort of man-whore that only cares about himself"
"But that is what you are!" I screamed. I saw his hand go up, then a horrible sting on my right cheek.
"Zoë!" I familiar voice screamed. I suddenly zoned everything out.
•ASHTON'S POV•
"What do you think is going on out there?" Calum asked, while keeping his eyes on the screen.
He was in the middle of playing one of the few video games Zoë owned.
"I'll go ask her what she wants to watch" I laughed getting up.
"You're fucking nosy" Calum laughed.
"Nah, something happened with Brock earlier.." I said before exiting.
"Hey Zoë-"
Zoë was holding her cheek, Brock's face red, his emotions were hard to read.
Before my brain could catch up with my actions, I was running towards Brock. We both started throwing punches. He threw me against his car. I grabbed his collar and threw him down to the driveway. Punching him numerous times.
"No! Stop!" Zoë screamed. She tried pulling me back. From where I could see, tears were streaming down her face. Brock pushed Zoë back. Her body roughly hit the garage door. Leaving it rattling.
I started hitting him harder. Zoë groaned as her body slid to the floor. Brock pushed me back as I landed on the floor.
"So you rather have him them me?!" Brock screamed. His words confused both me and Zoë.
"What?" Her voice barely heard.
"You're always hanging out with him"
"He-he's my friend" she closed her eyes. Ouch.
He slammed his car door, and drove away. I stumbled over to Zoë's frozen body. It started to rain hard.
"Are you ok?" A tear rolled down her cheek.
"A little" she answered, "you?"
She grabbed my hand, when she noticed the little cuts on my knuckles she looked up at me.
She rubbed her thumb over the cuts, "lets not tell anyone about this" she whispered.
I nodded, I pulled her into a hug. She was still in pain, more tears started falling from her eyes. She rested her head on my chest. After a couple minutes, when she was almost calm she pulled me up with her.
It started raining, I saw Calum standing near the path that led you to the side sold of the garage.
"Let's go watch a movie" she grabbed my hand.
"What happened to you guys?!" Calum looked back at us. Me and Zoë looked at each other. Neither of us answered.
"You know what?! It's not fair both of you get all the action in one night"
We both walked over to the chairs and sat. Calum had already placed the movie he wanted to watch.
"Who's there?" The voice on the Tv called.
Zoë had managed to get her beanbag chair closer to mine. Her head rested on my shoulder and we were both wrapped in a warm blanket. Each time something was about to happened she shrieked and covered her face, but peaked just a little. Calum would laugh everything time it happened.
Once the movie was over, Calum popped the next one. Giving us time to chat.
"So what are we doing tomorrow?" Calum asked during the previews. Zoë shrugged. Together we talked about possible things we could do.
The rain had come down harder. A flash of lightning had filled the room with light.
"Oh my god!" Zoë screamed as someone slit someone's throat. She buried her head into my shoulder.
A flash of lighting filled the room once again, thunder shook the windows. The tv suddenly turned off. Zoë grabbed my hand.
"Fuck" Calum whispered.
I felt Zoë get up.
"Ow... Shit...owww!" She muttered as she bumped against the furniture.
"Where are you going?" I laughed.
Calum turned his flash on his phone. Zoë was standing by the door.
"I was gonna get a flashlight but.. I guess not" she laughed.
"Just come back" I signaled her to sit back next to me.
She turned her flash on as Calum turned his off. My phone blinked next to me.
From Calum:
Since when are you two so....cozy? :p
Zoë seemed to be zoned off somewhere else when I looked at her before answering Calum.
To Calum:
Define 'cozy'
A knock came from the laundry room door. Zoë's eyes darted from the black screen of the Tv to the door. She turned her phone towards the door, and walked to get up.
Calum noticed what was happening, "I'll go see Zoë you, you stay" he stuttered.
"I'll go too you've had enough for one night, stay...stay here"
I got up and followed Calum inside.
"Cozy meaning; you guys were holding hands and hugging and all that stuff" he finally said when we were far away.
"I don't know, she started it and it felt nice"
"So that means maybe..." I knew what he was gonna say.
"Nah, she called me her friend-"
"Who?" A voice came from behind us. Sending chills down my spine and making me jump.
"Zoë I thought I told you to stay" I said.
"And since when do you control me" she laughed, "I just got scared in there all alone"
"What happened?" Calum asked, referring to all the events that occurred without him all night.
We sat at the kitchen table and Zoë started to explain. She told him about Brock and he promised not to tell anyone. She also told him about the footsteps.
After we did a thorough check around the house we went back to the garage.
The power was still off and it was still thundering out. We all huddled together terrified.
"So you might have a ghost'' Calum laughed.
"I might" I nodded. The three of us sat our phones together on the floor with the flash on so they illuminated the room.
We spent the night telling ghost stories like campers around a fire. Me and Calum both noticed how close Zoë kept getting towards me. I didn't worry much about it. But it felt nice and familiar. I didn't want to think that she actually liked me like that. But it was so hard not to it felt so real and I knew it wasn't gonna last.