Cassie Lavera
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Michael Clifford is an idiot.
"Maybe her dad sent them?"
I send him a glare, watching as the boy raises his arms in surrender, eyes widened as he refuses to make eye contact with me. He looks similar to that of a scolded child, which is good, considering that's what I'd been aiming for.
"Maybe it was Luke?"
Ashton Irwin is also an idiot, apparently.
I turn away from Michael - and I swear I see him let out a breath of relief at the loss of attention - to look at the shaggy haired boy with narrowed eyes. He has a noticeable wince on his face, eyes shifting every which way.
"You fuckwits, it was him. For sure."
Calum Hood, in a strange turn of events, is not an idiot.
I look away from the wonder twins to glance back at Calum, about ready to praise the boy for having more than 2 brain cells.
His brows are furrowed and he looks angry, too. He's a little bit confused, but mostly frustrated. I should've expected it, because out of everyone, Calum has the absolute least trust in the boy of question. He doesn't bother with second chances and benefit of the doubt; not when the first offense is so severe.
And I have to say, in this moment, Calum is looking like Albert fucking Einstein compared to Dumb and Dumber on the other side of the room.
But I'm also a bit angry, and I tend to let my anger do most of the talking.
"Thank you!" It's all sarcasm as my arms flail in the air for a moment before I snap them back against my sides. "I'm glad someone here is thinking logically."
"But we don't really know for sure-"
"Mate."
I've never been more grateful for Calum, in this moment, because if he hadn't stopped Michael with his words I might've had to stop him with my hand.
"Look," I start, irritated and directing it all at Ashton and Michael. "It's from him. No doubt about it. I know you both can't be that fucking stupid."
"But why?" Michael looks at me, shaking his head like it just isn't quite adding up. "He's never done it like this."
"Because he's an ass-"
"I still think it was Luke."
It's like they want me to yell at them.
"Ashton?"
"Yeah?"
"You're a fucking dumbass."
He rolls his eyes and I sit with my arms crossed as he clears his throat, looking like he's about to start explaining himself. I can only just hold my tongue and let him, because Ash has always been the type to say what's on his mind.
"Hear me out, okay?" I blink at him, waiting impatiently for him to explain his nonsense. "Think about it, she probably never told Luke about Cade's little birthday tradition-"
"Wrong. I called him up when she got upset about it."
Ashton looks at me in exasperation, likely irritated that I couldn't go 30 seconds without interrupting his ramblings, despite how wrong I thought them to be.
"Hush, I know that. She probably told him about her birthday, but I hardly picture her going into detail."
"Honestly, me either." Michael pipes up, hesitantly. "They probably got too handsy before she could get to that."
"Ew."
I roll my eyes. "Get to the point, Ash."
"Okay, okay," he nods. "All I'm saying is that it's not an uncommon way to surprise a girlfriend for her birthday. It's possible he was just trying to be cute, or whatever."
I take in his words, knowing that it's obviously a possibility, but the uncanny similarities to Cade's tradition is too much to look past. I know it, deep down in my gut, that this was not from Hemmings.
I'm surprised to hear Calum scoff, breaking his silence for the past couple minutes, looking far too angry and just about ready to blow.
"Seriously, Ash?"
He clenches his jaw in a way that only Calum Hood can do, looking awfully intimidating, despite the fact that I could never be afraid of that boy. "Why can't you just admit that it was him?"
"Cal-"
"No," he shakes his head. "Don't 'Cal' me. This is fucking bullshit. Every fucking year he does this shit, and every fucking year you both pretend it wasn't him." He spits, looking angry at everything but nothing in particular. "I'm sick of it."
He's right, and he even gets me to shut up.
Michael looks shocked, like he wants to cower in a corner, though I know he'd never do that. I want to say something but I'm shocked, too, at Calum's outburst. We shouldn't be, though, because his anger was years in the making. And I know he's not really angry at Ashton, or any of us for that matter, but at the situation.
Ashton sighs, almost like he expected this. "I know, Cal. I know it's him."
Calum huffs, taking a seat on my bed with his head in his hands. "Then why do you always take so long to say it?" He grumbles.
Ashton purses his lips as he makes his way over the the same bed, plopping himself on the spot right next to Calum. Michael and I exchange a look - of what, exactly, I'm not sure - when he wraps a friendly arm around the boy's hunched shoulders.
"Cause' it's fucked up, mate," he lets out a sad laugh as he nudges Cal. "It's fucked up, and I hate thinking we were ever friends with the douche."
I watch in both amazement and slight amusement as Calum puffs his cheeks out, almost seeming to give up on his anger as he begrudgingly wraps a tanned arm back around Ashton, shaking his head with a breathy laugh.
"Fuckin' hell, I hate that kid."
Michael laughs. "Yeah, don't we all."
I think back to when I woke up this morning, alone, unsurprisingly, since my best friend and roommate spent the night in our professor's bed. Not that I mind, of course, because you couldn't find a bigger fan of the two. I all but let out a tear of joy when she told me, and the girl had to literally make me promise not to write a script dedicated to a movie of their relationship.
I, personally, would watch the fuck out of that.
But I couldn't even revel in Elise's beautifully sinful romance, because there were 2 envelopes stuffed underneath the door of our room, and my heart sank.
Every year, without fail.
I don't know know why he does it, and I don't know why he chose to send multiple this time, but I knew exactly what to expect when I opened the door.
Roses, it was always roses. Which is stupid, honestly, because Elise doesn't even like roses. Irises have always been her favorite, but I guess only her true friends would know that. And Cade has never really taken into account what Elise wants, anyways.
The letters were always shitty, just poorly written reminders of the memories they shared. He wrote them for us, being me and the boys, too, in an effort to mock the way we all foolishly fell for his act. He would ask us all how we were doing, and what we were up to, before diving in to how great his life is going, as if we cared in the slightest.
We would glance at it, before throwing it directly away like all the other trash, but it got to Elise. She was sensitive, and she blamed herself for what happened, and that made Calum mad. He blamed himself, too, claiming he should've seen it coming and upset that he'd ever let himself think of the boy as one of his best friends.
I just wanted to kick his ass, honestly, but I'd kept Calum from doing it all these years, so I couldn't let that fantasy of mine slip.
"Why the hell hasn't she answered?" Calum grumbles, hanging up at the voicemail tone of Elise's number for what might be the 15th time.
"My guess goes for Hem Hem." Michael shrugs and everyone turns to him.
"Hem Hem?" Ashton laughs. "That's the worst one yet, mate."
"Luke Hem Hem," I mutter, shaking my head at the boy who can't help but grin at himself. "Sounds like Ham, you idiot. Too close."
"I like it," he states proudly and I roll my eyes. "I think it's my new favorite."
"God, I wonder how many names we can come up with before Lisi literally kills us from her own embarrassment." Ashton shakes his head.
"Lisi couldn't kill a toothpick."
The two of them laugh, and even I join in because it's true, Lisi doesn't have a violent bone in her body.
Unless you count slapping Sidney, but that was only because of Luke, and the bitch deserved whatever sting Lisi gave her.
Calum isn't laughing though, and when I look at him he looks thoughtful, a touch of concern on his features. "She really likes him, doesn't she?"
I purse my lips, pausing. "I think she does. A lot."
"You don't think-" He gulps and I frown. "-You don't think he would hurt her, right? Not like..." he trails off because we all know who he's talking about.
I think for a moment, about my best friend, and about what she went through the first time she really let herself like a guy. She was younger then, sure, but she was also much more naive. And I know she doesn't think we noticed, but it was clear how uncertain she was of herself when we started high school.
And as much as I tease the girl, or say things deliberately to be crude, she's my best friend, and I'd never let anything happen to her like that again. The boys, too, and I know that's why Calum voices his concerns, because trust has become a bit of an issue for our group.
But then I think about Luke, and their kinky, slightly scandalous relationship, and I just can't find a single worry in me. He's been different from the start, and I have faith in him that I never thought I'd have again. Because Elise comes home from being with him looking like a god damn princess, and I don't think Cade ever held a candle to that.
So I just grin as I look at Calum, feeling confident in my thoughts and my words. "No," I shake my head. "I don't think he even has it in him to hurt her."
Michael nods. "Yeah, honestly, it's gross. Have you seen the way he looks at her when she does, like, literally anything? There's so much intensity I feel like I'm intruding." He shudders and I laugh.
"He's a soft boy."
"What the hell is a soft boy?"
Sometimes I forget my friends aren't as well versed in internet lingo as I am, and it makes me laugh every time at their cluelessness.
"You're all soft boys." I grin at them and they each narrow their eyes at me.
"I thought we were fuckboys?" Calum raises an eyebrow.
"You can be both," I sigh. "Trust me on that."
Calum just shakes his head, letting out a breathy sigh. "Fine, I can live with that. As long as it means you're sure we're not in for a repeat with Lucas."
I shake my head. "Nope, he's too soft for that."
"Is that like, a dick reference?"
I scoff. "Oh, please, as if he's anything but hard around-"
Calum cuts me off. "Okay, okay," He waves his hand. "Man, I'm just pissed that we even have to be skeptical of him. This is so fucked up."
Michael huffs. "I know, Barton really is a fucking dick."
"Deserves a good kick to the dick, if you ask me." I mutter, more so to myself.
But it doesn't go unnoticed, because at this, Calum snaps his head up, looking as if his mind is running wild with ideas.
Oh no.
"Wait, Cal, no-"
"I'm gonna beat his ass." He's got a glint in his eye that I'd been dreading, avoiding what I just said for this particular reason.
He stands up and I panic. "Hold on there, Cal pal, let's think rationally for a second-"
He pauses for a moment, hand to his chin in pensiveness. "Done." He smiles and heads for the door. "Thought about it, and he needs his ass beat."
"Okay, look, I agree. But-" I start as Calum swings the door open, revealing two people of equal shock on the other side.
I almost grin as I see Lisi standing next to Luke, who's got a hand out as if he was just about to turn the knob himself, but I stop as I remember the situation at hand and the boy currently on his way to a revenge mission.
"You called?" Lisi's voice is quiet as Luke retracts his hand, instead moving it to wrap around her waist.
They're so adorable I could cry. Or die.
"Yeah-"
"Lisi, you're gonna hate me for this, but I gotta go find Barton."
Elise stills, mouth slightly parted as she gapes at Calum in confusion. Luke, on the other hand, blinks slowly in realization before clenching his jaw, grip tightening possessively on Lisi.
"Cal-" I start to scold, until I see Elise's eyes scan the room in front of her, likely spotting the group of roses next to 2 white envelopes that sit on the floor.
"Did he..." She gulps as she trails off and I wince.
"He did, Lisi, but-but we're gonna throw them away, like now-"
I don't finish because Luke is suddenly walking briskly in the room, leaving Elise at the door as he walks straight over the flowers, reaching down to pick up the letters, gripping them tightly in his fist as he examines them. He huffs as he lets them fall to the floor, looking back to the lot of us, standing frozen, with burning eyes.
"Why are you looking for him, exactly?" He grits, focusing on Calum.
"Luke-" Lisi takes a step forward, but Calum speaks smoothly before she can calm him.
"To kick his ass."
Luke looks from Calum, to Lisi, and back to Calum with angry eyes, and I have no idea what the fuck to do at this point, because Michael, Ashton, and I have yet to find the right words.
"Well let's go fucking find him, then."
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OOF IDK, lots happenin' rn.
Cassie's pov??? HOW DO WE FEEL?
So yeah Calum is angry anD NOW LUKE IS ANGRY AND CADE IS A POS SO...
We shall see, I guess!
heY also this has 10k reads and that's so cool?? What the hell??
LOVE Y'ALL
-tay ♡