1983 c.h. (au)

27: calum

Michael swung back the door to Charlie's new apartment carrying a heavy box. It was Ashton and Calum's idea to get her out of her house ASAP. It was a huge gigantic Birthday Gift. Phoenix was distracting her right now as Calum painted the walls light purple. "Did you really need to buy her a flat?" Michael set the big box down in the middle of the floor where a new bed would go.

"Yes I did. And plus she's closer to all of us this time. You and Ash are right next door and I'm down the street. It's the perfect place for her." Calum explained to Michael who was winded. He stopped working out because Luke forced him to.

"That's a win I guess." He opened a bottle of complimentary water from the housing department and drank it. His phone pinged and he squinted to see the text. "Luke's coming up with more paint."

Calum rolled his eyes. It was obvious that the two have hate for each other but they would put it aside for Charlie. "Please tell me it's the same colour."

"Umm,does she like black?"

Calum tried not to hurl the wet paint brush out of the window. He shrugged. "Black and purple go good together I guess." It was imperative that he kept his cool today. It was Charlie's birthday and he wanted to make sure he was calm regardless of the urge he had to smash Luke's face to pieces.

True to Michael's word, Luke was up within the next five minutes and opened the can of paint. "So what am I painting again?" Calum had just finished the last wall in her room and was moving on to the bathroom. Luke busted out the long metal pole and attached the roller on.

"The ceiling." Calum's voice echoed from the mainly empty bathroom. His wet paintbrush rolled on the walls again with the same colour. He wanted it to scream Charlie. It was her own place.

Michael took the other long pole helping Luke cover the ceiling in black paint. The air reeked of it but they tried to ignore the fumes. Calum especially. He wanted to get rid of anything negative. It was Charlie's birthday anyway and he wanted to be content.

Hours later, the walls were semi dry and Michael was helping Calum push the couch in the living room in place. Luke was busy munching away at the coffee table not bothering to life a finger. It was in his nature to do absolutely nothing.

Calum couldn't stop aligning it properly so it was perfectly proportioned with the mounted TV. "I think it's okay Cal." Michael stopped and clapped his friend on the shoulder. The door flung open exposing a slightly sweaty Ashton. He was carrying two big boxes all the way to her new room. He placed them down with a grunt and tore them open needing to get this task done.

They were dark cherry wood nightstands that he had finished building after having a hard time understanding the Japanese directions. He slid them into place surrounding the bed frame. "Ashton. Where the hell have you been?" Calum was practically pulling his hair out from his scalp. He had asked them all to meet him there at practically the crack of dawn so they could get as much done as possible. It was around 2 in the afternoon and her surprise dinner was planned for 6. They still had to furnish it all and put food in the cabinets and set up her TV and Wii. That was a lot to do since the boys were idiots.

"It's kinda hard to assemble something if the directions are Japanese. The pictures didn't help either." He was running back next door to try and haul in more things for Charlie. Michael quickly followed after him knowing he was doing practically nothing.

"Luke,"

"Calum." He narcissistic asshole spoke.

"This is going to be hard to admit. But I really liked when we were friends back in middle school." He shrugged and jammed his hands in his jean pockets. He knew that Luke was capable of being kind of nice. He had experienced it. Then they became assholes and everything was screwed up. "Can we at least try to get along?"

"Sure." Luke shrugged and blinked. He stood up opening another window hoping the paint smell would empty out.

Then Michael and Ashton came back practically dragging a cream vanity wrapped heavily in protective plastic. Luke rushed to help the two idiots. And a smile smeared itself across the beautiful lips of Calum.

(this story is coming to end.xxx.)