Beating Heart// Lashton

Chapter 5

Don't need no parachute

You don't even gotta catch my fall

Or slow me down

Cause I just wanna hit the ground

And smash into you

When I jump, I wanna do it so recklessly

And when I take my aim

Yeah, you're gonna know my name

When I smash into you

-Smash Into You By Hey Violet

Michael's POV

We were in my garage like we usually are for band practice. Luke was playing his guitar as Calum sang, while I was just on the couch scrolling through instagram. This happens a lot, where they're productive and I'm just sitting off to the side.

I landed on a post from this girl that I may or may not be a little into. It was a drum cover and it was absolutely sick. 

"Guys, come look at this drum cover from Nia in my english class," I called them over. Luke put down his guitar and checked out the video with Calum.

"Ah, that's sick," Calum said.

"Exactly what I said."

"She's crazy good," Luke commented.

I nodded. The video started over and I only noticed that Luke and Calum had walked away by the fourth loop of the video. I'm just obsessed with this cover. 

"Mate, you good?" Calum broke me from concentration. 

"Yeah she's just, she's so talented, and beautiful, and smart, and funny, and badass and I just-"

"Love her?"

I threw a pillow at Calum. "No, she's just really cool."

"Why haven't you asked her out yet?" Luke asked.

"Because I'm a lone wolf," I said with confidence that I truly believed I didn't want a girlfriend, but I knew that was bullshit. I just know she'd never go for me.

They laughed.

"I love her as a drummer, I think we should ask her to audition for the band," I explained. That's the whole reason I showed them the video.

"Mate, if you need an excuse to text her and meet up out of school, go for it," Calum gave permission.

"Luke?"

"Sure, she can audition."

"Hell Yes!" And I immediately slid into her DMs.

Nia's POV

I screamed. 

Michael fucking Clifford DM'd me. If that wasn't exciting enough, the content of the DM was an invite to audition for their band, five seconds of summer. 

One problem, I swore to my sister that we will start a band together, I can't join another band and abandon her. 

One solution to that problem though is that I know another little drummer that could use a band.

There's no way I'm passing up this opportunity to see Michael outside of class, and no way I'm passing up the chance to set Ashton up with his dream.

I set up and finalized the plans for the auditions. I did leave out the fact that I won't be joining no matter how it goes, but I did tell them about Ash. I just may have forgotten to tell Ashton about the audition.

Luke's POV

"We're seeing two drummer auditions tomorrow," Michael informed us.

"Who's the other?" Calum asked.

Michael looked at me. I was confused at first but then he gave me a hint, "Think about someone else that drums who also happens to be best friends with Nia." 

I thought about it for a second, and it hit me.

"Ashton, like the Ashton I'm thinking about?"

Michael nodded. My eyes went wide.

"Dude oh my god."

Calum chuckled, "So we're doing two auditions. One is Nia, who Michael is secretly in love with. And the other is Ashton, the guy that Luke is not so secretly in love with."

"Hey, it's just a crush," I defended.

"Yeah but you're obsessed with him. Even Jack and Ben know about this crush," Calum pointed out.

I looked down at my video game controller. 

~~~1 Year Ago~~~

I was in the kitchen making a turkey sandwich, while my brothers were at the table, eating the Maccers they got, in which they intentionally did not get anything for me.

"You really think Nia and Ash are together?" Ben asked Jack.

"I don't know. It sounds fake as fuck, why would anyone date Ashton?"

"Because he's amazing," I couldn't stop myself. It just came out. And my eyes went huge.

Jack and Ben know I'm gay, but they're not happy about it. That's a big reason for the bullying. They found out a long time ago when they caught me kissing this boy I liked in sixth grade. Since then, they've used it against me. I don't know why they're so homophobic, but that's just one layer of their asshole-identity. I don't hide that I'm gay. And because of that, and for other reasons including that I'm a "loser," they make sure to not advertise they have a gay brother, so most people don't know we're related.

"Wait, Luke, do you actually think he's amazing?" Jack asked me.

"Yeah," I answered honestly.

"Do you like him?" Ben asked.

I could easily lie, but I couldn't get myself to verbalize any type of lie, so I stayed silent and they knew.

"That's disgusting, Luke," Jack said with the upmost seriousness.

"It's not! He's an amazing guy. Handsome, funny, caring, smart. He is the furthest thing from disgusting," I couldn't hold my tongue any longer and I started raising my voice, "You guys have fucking tore him down to nothing. Do you not see him? See what you're doing to another human being? You attack him day in day out. He must constantly have bruises from you guys. He looks so sad when he's walking the halls alone. You've broken him down and you are the disgusting ones."

It was silent for a few moments and I thought that I may have brought them to a realization.

"Fucking Fag," Ben spit. Then they were chasing me into the living room and I got a special beating. Honestly I didn't care, I just wish that beating me was enough, that they could just leave Ashton alone.