“Ashton.”
“Ashton Irwin.”
“Ashton Fletcher Irwin.”
“Bubby.”
“Boyfriend?”
“…Babe?”
They would not stop shaking the life of me. There were earphones plugged tightly in my ears, so whatever they were saying, I could only hear the muffled portions. It was far too hot and far too fucking bright to open my eyes. I didn’t feel like having it today. The person who was trying to wake me up began to poke my cheek repeatedly, and I grumbled, rolling over so that my back would face them.
Suddenly, I felt a huge weight plop on the empty spot next to me. They began to inch closer and closer until our bodies were fully pressed against each other. I felt fingers walk up from my back to my shoulder—and my earphones were pulled out.
“If you don’t wake up in two seconds,” it was a hushed whisper. “I’m going to fucking tickle you to death.”
“Calum don’t you dare,” I murmured against the pillow my face was squished on. Aside from Michael, I had a hunch it’d be Calum. He was probably the only one who knew that I was ticklish.
“Don’t test me,” he warned. His tone of voice shifted to sounding like a whining five year old after hearing no response from me for a few seconds. “C’moooooon! I just want a kiss from you before heading to work, that’s all. You can go back to sleep after you do.”
Work? I rubbed my nose, turning so that I could properly face Calum. Once my eyes slowly fluttered open, they met his along with his bright smile, and I couldn’t help but grin back. He was already in his lifeguard uniform clutching onto his backpack, ready to head out. “Wait—you’re heading to work? I didn’t hear Elvis fish sing this morning.”
He chuckled, sitting up from the bed. “Elvis fish needs a battery change. We need to stop by the market to buy some with a few groceries too. Wait wait wait, and we have Will Jay’s party tonight so we have to get him a present and something nice to wear… And then I still have to…” Calum began to list a few more things to himself, and I only stared, realizing how cute he can get.
“I’ll just get up and go with you to work so that we can directly head to those places after your shift,” I broke his thoughts by talking in order to save time. I slowly sat up and stretched my arms, ruffling Calum’s hair in the process. “Give me like, five minutes to get ready and we can bring the car.”
He lit up in excitement. “Alright, cool,” he hopped off the bed and wore his backpack, frowning from a sudden realization. “Wait—are you doing this so that you wouldn’t have to kiss me?”
“Yes,” I joked with a laugh, shuffling out of the bed as well to leave him behind. He only stood there with a confused look on his face when I turned back, and I kept the smile on my face as I grabbed random clothes from my closet before heading towards the bathroom to take a shower.
Our relationship at the moment has reached its awkward, beginning phase. I’m still unsure on how to act towards him—I didn’t want to push things either. What mattered the most now though, despite everything, was that the confusion has been settled. Last night couldn’t stop replaying over and over inside my head. We were together together.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Somehow, I managed to get ready and eat breakfast quickly enough for Calum to get to work on time. I had to kill a few hours on the beach—and since all my friends were busy doing their own thing, I decided to bring out my little brother’s kindle he left behind and read under the sun. He had a few interesting books in his library (mainly ones about dragons and wizards). So, I sat cross-legged on top of my towel, opened the bag of chips I had on my side and began to read the first chapter of some random dragon one.
Sliding to the next page, I felt my phone vibrate on my lap. It vibrated again and once more when I picked it up to unlock the screen, and there were three unread messages waiting to be opened.
(1) From: Shortstuff lol
i don’t know if calum told you already, but will’s party’s going to be at my backyard so enter through the back c: AND WEAR SOMETHING PRESENTABLE NOT THOSE SHIRTS WITH HOLES IN IT
I chuckled shortly and shook my head at the text, replying after.
To: Shortstuff lol
Not all of my shirts have holes in it y’know !! Cut me some slack man :(
Then, I looked at the rest of my text messages.
(1) From: Luke
Michael getting scolded: a video for blackmailing purposes lol ;-)
When I opened the file that was attached to it, it turned out to be a video. I pressed the ‘play’ button, and it revealed footage of Mau scolding Michael about getting drunk that one day. I laughed at how guilty Michael looked and how he apologized constantly; how Mau didn’t seem convinced with his pleas of forgiveness and promises. I didn’t know Michael and Luke were at Cousin’s either. I thought about visiting them for a second, but I didn’t want to leave Calum behind.
To: Luke
You are a great lad, Luke Hemmings lol
I still had one more message to look at, so I tapped on the final one.
(1) From: Bestfran Cal :D
What’cha reading?
The minute I had read the text, I quickly looked back and up behind me towards Calum’s lifeguard tier. There was hand sticking out (obvious it was Calum’s because of his bracelets and wristbands) waving at my direction. I facepalmed in embarrassment, switching my seating position by having my back facing the tier. I didn’t want him to see me flushed.
To: Bestfran Cal :D
Stop stalking me ya creep :( and go back to work !!
(1) From: Bestfran Cal :D
As a lifeguard, it is my duty to watch over the people of the beach! You are the people of the beach and therefore I must look after you at all times :)
(1) From: Bestfran Cal :D
I don’t make up the rules bubby you can even look at my handbook
To: Bestfran Cal :D
…… But I’m not going to drown or something ! I’m going to go read about dragons now GOODBYE
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Once Calum’s shift came to an end, we made a stop at the neighborhood market to purchase a couple of items for the house. Will Jay’s party was just in a matter of hours—and neither me nor Calum have anything prepared for it. Not even a gift for the birthday celebrant.
“Do you remember if the Elvis fish batteries were Double A, or Triple A?” I questioned, tapping my chin and scanning the different batteries hanging off the shelf.
Calum was standing right beside me, holding a basket filled with snacks and other groceries that are supposed to last us a week or two. He was looking intently at the other batteries as well, attempting to recall what type of batteries the thing needed. He took a certain one. “I think I remember my dad buying this kind of it,” he said, bringing it close to him and reading the details on it.
“Right… but if we don’t buy the correct one, we’d have to go all the way back and it’s a waste of gas,” I pointed out, pouting a bit. “I think we should just get both types of that one to make sure.”
“Okay, whatever you say Mr. I-Know-Everything,” Calum rolled his eyes and laughed.
I laughed along too, draping an arm over his shoulders. He wrapped his around my side and nuzzled on my shoulder—taking a deep breath. “Tired, Cal?” I smiled at the sight.
“A little,” he mumbled against my shirt.
“How about I’ll buy you a Redbull?”
He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t do drinks. Only kisses and snuggles energize me.”
“Yuck. I almost forgot you’re cheesier than cheese itself,” I groaned playfully, followed by a chuckle. “Oh, I know! I got a great idea. I’ll just call your mum over for a visit and she’ll give you loads of kisses and snuggles to keep you hyped up for the entire summer!”
“I don’t like you at all,” Calum huffed. “Oooor, you know I’m just throwing a few other options here, we could save all that time and trouble and just have my boyfriend provide me kisses and cuddles forever?” He lifted his head up to look at me with those brown eyes that could easily mesmerize a person.
It took a few seconds, but I gave in and kissed his forehead quickly. “There. Now you can go on the day without feeling tired.”
“That was a shit kiss!” Calum complained, leaning in closer until our noses brushed past one another. “I want a proper one. The one with the lips.”
“You get what you get, Calum Hood! Take it or leave it.” I did a little eyebrow wiggle before patting his cheek and taking the basket off of his grip. I tried my best to hold my laughter in throughout the entire walk to the cash register—leaving Calum all confused as he caught up to me. I wanted to kiss him, I really did. I just get more of a satisfaction playing around rather than being serious all the time. Calum and I aren’t like that. We’ve never been like that. And I don’t want it to change either.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Our next stop was the plaza. The plaza was basically a large recreational area with different kinds of nice stores lined up together. It’s a place for the tourists—so it could get crowded from time to time. When we came in, there was a live jazz band playing on the small stage by the fountain, and a few people were enjoying their music. There wasn’t much people today unlike before, which was pretty relieving.
Calum took my hand and dragged me to a comic shop that not only sold comics, but action figures, shirts, and random antique items. He figured that Will Jay would enjoy something in there because Michael absolutely is in love with the store, and they have parallel personalities.
Upon arriving, the interior has gotten a lot cooler than when I last stopped by. There were posters of different Marvel and DC heroes pinned on every inch of the wall, hundreds of glass shelves displaying action figures and vintage toys, comic and graphic books stacked pile after pile, and a variety of shirts. It was considered heaven for nerds. My eyes began to glisten in awe.
“Hey, welcome guys!” A worker welcomed with a smile. He stood right next to a box filled with comic books. “Today’s free comic book day, so don’t forget to pick one up on the way out!”
Excitement built within Calum and I when we looked at each other. We were completely oblivious to these ‘free comic book days’, but we were definitely suckers for a good super hero novel. If it was free, even better. Calum and I thanked the worker for the information and walked over to a random aisle that might have something for Will Jay.
“You have no fucking idea how amazing this shit is! It’s like, the absolute—“
I immediately turned to face the familiar voice in the same aisle at us. And to my surprise, it was Michael with Luke on the other end, looking at the Pokémon action figures standing on the shelf. They both had shopping bags from various stores in each of their hands; they must’ve bought a few things already at the other plaza stores. Michael picked one action figure up that looked like a goldfish and began to go on and on about whatever it did in the game.
Calum must’ve seen me turning, because when he had seen Michael too, he said something. “Mikey, just shut up. You’re killing poor Luke with your nonsense.”
The two whipped their heads right after hearing him to face us. We both waved at them at the exact same time with a chuckle, and they joined in the laughter as well. “Do you see this, Calum?” Michael responded in a fake sweet tone, sticking up his middle finger at Calum. “It’s especially for you!”
“I actually find all this nonsense kind of interesting,” Luke admitted, shrugging a bit.
“You don’t have to lie to yourself, mate,” I laughed. Calum and I walked over to where they were standing to talk to them more. “So are you guys here to buy Will Jay a gift too?”
“We actually bought it already,” Luke replied with a smile. He held up a bag from the exact store we were in at the moment. “Michael just wanted to stay in longer because he saw some workers put up the newest Pokémon action figures on the shelves.”
“To my defense—they’re like, golden limited edition though!” Michael interrupted. “I’ve always wanted to see one in person, okay. Don’t judge.” But he earned judging stares from the three of us, and groaned. “Whatever. Fuck you guys. By the way, guess who I saw at the store today Calum?”
I looked over at Calum in slight confusion. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, who?”
“Guess,” Michael urged. “Think of the girl you’ve ditched all your fucking friends for that one year so that you’d have all the time to suck faces off each other.”
When Calum must’ve taken the hint, his eyes grew wide. “You mean…” he trailed off.
“That’s the one,” Michael nodded, clicking his tongue. “God, she’s looking sluttier every year if you ask me. She was asking for you too. I think she wanted to ‘catch up’ if you know what I’m saying.”
“Shit, you mean she’s actually staying in the area?”
I wasn’t sure if I should be concerned or not. I knew exactly who Michael was talking about—she was the one who Calum got with six days later after meeting her. The one he ditched our movie day for. The reason why we stopped hanging out for that one period of time. Though Michael and I supported whatever they had, we didn’t like her at all. She influenced Calum into things that were most definitely out of his comfort zone. And when Calum broke it off with her, she went on this rampage and blamed Michael and I (mainly me though) for it. “Wait, Callie right?” I brought up.
I could sense Calum tense up when I had mentioned her name. “Yeah,” Michael said, scratching his cheek.
“Who’s Callie?” Luke wondered aloud. He looked bewildered from being the new addition, and probably needed to be informed with what was going on.
“Oh ho ho ho,” Michael chortled as he placed his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “Let me enlighten you with the story through iced coffee and sandwiches. It’s a wonderful story, mate.”
Luke agreed to the offer, and the two left Calum and I behind at the store. I coughed and looked over at Calum who was looking back at me with an apologetic look. I tried to smile and reassure him that it didn’t bother me—but it seemed like he didn’t buy it.
“I bet we won’t even run into her,” Calum let out a forced laugh.
“If you think it bothers me, it doesn’t,” I told him just to clear the air, sweeping his bangs off of his face with a grin. “I’m not going to be like that.”
He only grinned back widely and walked behind me so that he could wrap his arms around my waist from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder after. We stayed like that for a few minutes as we decided on what to buy for Will Jay—and I wasn’t complaining at all.
We ended up purchasing Will Jay a little Pikachu coin bank that made noise every time a coin is put in. We even picked up a new Batman and Captain America comic from the ‘free comic book day’ box before exiting the store and going to another one. Because we needed to buy presentable clothes for the party tonight (which, I still don’t understand what the absolute fuck is wrong with my holey shirts, I bought most of them that way) we stopped by a couple of clothing stores.
To our satisfaction, we actually found something we liked. Calum ended up buying a short-sleeved polo with small sharks printed on them, and I bought a black and red flannel.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By the time we arrived back at the house, we had about an hour left before the party began. Calum and I quickly sprinted our separate ways when coming in to immediately take a shower. It felt like we were pressed for time; we honestly didn’t mind being late a few minutes, but Jacey would literally murder us if we arrived even just a second later.
I came out of the bathroom with nothing but my boxers on after my shower, rubbing my wet hair with a towel. It felt good after spending an entire day in the heat. As I passed down the hall and back to my bedroom to change while humming a small tune, I saw Calum in his underwear sitting on top of his bed and struggling to wrap Will Jay’s present. He had droplets of water stuck on his upper body from his shower, and they were falling right on the wrapping, practically ruining it at once.
“Need help?” I slung my towel over my shoulder and poked my head inside his room.
He chuckled once our gazes met, nodding. “Please. Pretty sure I’m not made for wrapping.”
I laughed, walking inside and setting my towel aside on his desk. I sat on the edge of his bed and took the half-wrapped gift box to examine it closely. “Hey, it’s actually pretty good,” I commented approvingly, taking the roll of wrapping paper. “But we need to redo it because you kind of got it wet.”
“How about… I just let you do it?” he suggested as he nudged me on the side. He scooted himself off the bed and made his way towards his closet. “I’ll just get ready while you’re at it.”
Wasn’t surprised because I usually did the work anyway. While I continued on with wrapping the box, Calum changed into his outfit for the evening. I cut, I fold, I tape, and I even wrote on the birthday card for the both of us. Calum only needed to sign below my name so that Will Jay would think he helped out in everything. Which was partly true. Kind of.
“So, how do I look bubby? And be honest.”
When I peered over to judge on Calum’s attire, my lips immediately curled into a smile. He had on his short-sleeved shark polo unbuttoned with a white tank top underneath. He was also wearing blank skinny jeans along with black and white tennis shoes. Calum looked good. Really good. “Snazzy,” I replied, holding a thumbs up. “That outfit looks really good on you to be honest.”
“I’m just that handsome, right?” he shot me a wink. “Aren’t you lucky to have such an attractive boyfriend?”
I pretended to gag in response and we ended up laughing at our stupid conversation together.
Calum followed me to my room with Will Jay’s gift after. Once we were inside, he occupied himself with the iPod dock on my dresser while I got dressed. I quickly slipped on black jeans and buttoned up my red flannel I had recently purchased, throwing on my favorite black hat after for a final touch. I then retrieved my plain black tennis shoes from the closet as well and put them on.
Justin Timberlake’s ‘Sexy Back’ began to play through the speakers. I glanced back at Calum wildly at his decision to play a song I used to listen to all the time. He began to mouth the lyrics inaudibly as he put on my glasses. I burst into laughter when started to dance, and it felt like my stomach was about to explode from watching him make a fool out of himself.
“Oh god Calum, you’re so embarrassing,” I covered my eyes with my hands, peeking through my fingers.
“Dance with me! C’mon,” Calum offered, removing my hands from my face. He was still mouthing to the lyrics with sunglasses on, shaking his hips from time to time. “This was your jam years ago. You can’t just abandon it like that—it’s too catchy!”
I had nothing to lose anyway. So, I began to mouth the lyrics along with him, dancing awkwardly to the music. We spent a good amount of time just singing and dancing to throwback songs on my iPod like idiots, but it was fun.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The sun was down once we arrived at Jacey’s house. There were small lanterns that lit up towards the entrance to her backyard, upbeat pop music playing in the background. Over the fence, there were multi-colored balloons tied onto something that floated. Calum and I hopped off the car and looked at the pathway towards the entrance. Because we were exactly a three minutes early, no one was there yet.
“You guys actually came in early!” I heard a voice pipe in a few seconds later. It was Jacey, exiting the backyard to come and meet us. She was wearing a really nice dress with her hair done. Rarely do I ever see her like that, because she usually wasn’t into the whole ‘dressy’ deal. “Come in!”
We followed her inside, and the backyard looked amazing. She set it up well. There were tables lined with food on one side, tables spread for people to sit down, a DJ in the corner that was playing pretty decent music, a wooden dance floor placed in the center, and a large banner that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL with Pokémon on it. There were posts entangled in lights to illuminate the space. Jacey did a successful job in adding small Pokémon themed decorations as well.
“I think Will Jay’s going to like this, shortstuff,” I admitted, patting her on the back.
“Really? He better—I spent my entire day decorating this!” she laughed. “But Will’s cousin helped me out in planning stuff too, you should meet her! She’s super nice. Cal-Cal! Come meet my idiots!”
“Coming!” I heard a voice call out from inside the house. Once the sliding door opened, a girl stepped out to stand beside Jacey and in front of us. “Hi! I’m—“ Her voice faltered the minute she made eye contact with Calum. He had his eyes opened wide, realizing that she was definitely a familiar face. I suddenly felt a wave of nostalgic memories flash before me, and I froze. We haven’t seen her since the break up.
“…Callie,” Calum finished her sentence.
This was going to be one interesting night.
● ● ●
[ A/N: guess who's tRYING TO MAKE THIS MORE SPICY?? FEEL FREE TO PUNCH ME PLS tbh i wrote a bunch of potential future plots for this story on a sheet of paper and i'm trying to decide what to use and what not to use
SCHOOL ENDED SUMMER'S HERE YAAAAS I CAN FINALLY FULLY FOCUS ON WRITING /AND HOPEFULLY FINISHING/ THIS more frequent updates will be coming your way~ thank you for being such amazing readers!! can't tell y'all enough how much i appreciate each and everyone of you :--') remember to vote/comment!!
how about that drawing of cashton's party outfits tho - i'm not the best artist ok i just wanted to give you guys a lil visual of what they're wearing ok bye ilysm stay fab ]