chemical kiss | ashton irwin

Chapter Twenty Four

July 20

"That was so fun," Michael said, reminiscing the day after Ashton's twentieth birthday. It was hard to believe he was twenty already, and I still had a few months till I hit eighteen. Luke was now eighteen, he went on a date with Delia for his birthday and spent a day with his brothers, and then we all went out to dinner.

"Yeah. You're lucky you were drunk, you're the only one who got some sleep that night," Calum said, then smirked at Ash and me.

"Yeah, anyway. I wish I'd had another beer," Luke laughed. "Damn, you guys are loud."

"Would you shut up? You've said that every day since July eighth, Luke," I blushed. He wouldn't shut up about Ashton and me, it was starting to get old. Luke was naturally an annoying person, but he claimed it was a good thing.

"Well it's true!" Calum defended. "We spent like, four hours laughing out heads off that night. Quietly, though. Wouldn't want to disturb you lovebirds."

"It's not my fault," Ash spoke.

"Actually, it sorta was because you threw me in the lake," I shrugged, and Ash rolled his eyes jokingly. Everyone chuckled, and Luke paid the bill for us and we left the restaurant.

We had all had lunch together with Delia (who was sitting next to Luke with the most confused expression ever on her face since she did not go camping with us) at Red Robin. I wasn't a huge fan of the place, but everyone else went mad over it-- so I couldn't let them down.

Delia and I drive home in her jeep, the boys in Luke's porsche.

"So. What were you guys talking about back there? Something about being really loud?" Delia asked, stopping right behind Luke's car at a red light.

"Oh, nothing," I quickly withdrew, my face glowed a bright scarlet color. Delia glanced over for a second, and sighed.

"If you say so," she said. "Anyway, how have you and Janie been lately? She seems to be ignoring me or something. I mean, I moved closer to you guys, so I thought she would've been more local with me, not so absent. You know?"

"Janie? Um, I haven't spoken to her in a while either. Maybe we should head over later? To explain some things, yeah?" I suggested.

Delia nodded. "Okay. How about when we get back we tell the boys we'll be gone and I'll drive us on over? We can surprise her."

I nodded back, drew in a deep breath.

At length, after some endless and boring trafficky roads, Delia parked in front of Michael's house. We went inside since we saw Luke's car there already, which by the way had tire replacements and were now mint green, so we knew they were here already.

I went inside while Delia sat in the car and I informed the lot that we'd not be there for a bit. Delia drove us to Janie's house after pondering about where she lived since it'd been a while since we last saw her, and it appeared she was home because her bedroom light was on and her car was in the drive.

"What will we say?" I asked.

"What do you mean? We'll just say hi and tell her why we've been so distant."

I didn't think it was that simple, or that it could possibly ever be simple. But I nodded and climbed out of the white jeep. Delia and I pranced up to the front door, and she rang the doorbell without hesitation. How was she so confident? Was it because she didn't know Janie like I did, and didn't know that she got very emotionally hurt?

Janie's mother opened the door, and she scowled at us, but surprisingly she let us inside. I thanked her and went up to Janie's bedroom, the door was wide open. Delia rapped on the threshold with her knuckle and caught Janie's attention.

"Hey," she said dryly. Almost bitterly. What was wrong? Was it me?

"Hi," Delia said, but I just waved. Janie was sitting on her bed and reading the book Blackout by Mira Grant. I paced forward a few steps and sat on the edge of her bed, which cued her to place her holographic bookmark in the page she was on and close the book.

"What do you two want?" Janie asked. Some thing in her brown eyes worried me, I had my finger on it but I just couldn't place it.

"We have some explaining to do," Delia said.

"Yeah, you do. How come you ignored my texts and calls for more than a month now? And why do you hang out with each other and exclude me? Why have I vanished from your minds?" Janie snapped. She placed her book on the pillow of her bed and frowned at Delia and I.

"Janie, it's not like that. We've been really busy," Delia started, and I nodded the whole time, but Janie cut her off.

"Oh, sure. You've been busy with your boyfriends and colleges and having fun every single day and even though you live nearby you totally ignore me now. I see how it is, yeah. You know what I've been going through? No, because you didn't care to listen."

"Chill out, yeah? I haven't texted or called anybody lately," I said. "I've just been hanging out with my friends, that's all. I would have contacted you but I don't know what drew me away from that idea. I didn't try it, and I'm sure Delia didn't either," I said to Janie, worried.

"I love how you say you've been hanging out with your friends. I understand, I'm not one of those idiots anymore. You're different, you know? You're not you anymore, Thalia. What happened?" Janie asked. She glanced at Delia, who got the hint and left us alone.

I sighed. "Nothing happened."

"That's believable."

"I'm serious! All I have been doing is spending some time with the members of 5 Seconds Of Summer. That's it," I persuaded.

"That's it? You went skinny dipping with Ashton for his birthday!" Janie mused sarcastically.

"How do you know about that?" I asked, giving her a dirty look. "And actually it was the day after his birthday," I muttered under my breath.

"Calum posted it on Twitter. No pictures, just words, but it all means the same thing. When we were still in school, you would have told me that they were bothering you and cringed at the idea of skinny dipping. But then you go do it with four guys and no girls? All alone? What the hell, Thalia! I'm getting the feeling this is all under the influence of Ashton!" Janie roared, her voice rising with each sentence.

"Ash has no influence on me! Just 'cause he's got tattoos and a bunch of dork friends doesn't mean he's horrible!" I shouted. "What's the matter with you? Why do you hate me all of a sudden?!"

"I don't hate you, I really hate you! You abandoned me and went for a punk who I hate more than I hate you!"

"It's not up to you who I date! I don't care if you hate him! He changed for me, Janie! Can't you understand that? He's not the same person he used to be, he's amazing. He's just who I was looking for, and he's different, he's not who you think he is anymore and I doubt he will be that guy again. Really, he changed. There's no reason for you to tell me I can't or shouldn't be with him because you disapprove of him, gosh, you're like my father! Stupid, arrogant, and despicable!"

"You know what? Fuck you, asshole!"