Static Sound (Muke)

twenty nine

// twenty nine // michael //

Within the next few months, 5 Seconds Of Summer began skyrocketing. Some guy in our area found us on YouTube and called us in to play at the local Pizzeria every week night. After playing there for awhile, we set up a gig in a small abandoned arena across the streets of Melbourne. There were no more than 20 people who showed up, but those 20 fans coming just to see us lit up our entire world, it meant a whole lot to us.

We'd released an EP on iTunes called 'Somewhere New', including the songs 'Out Of My Limit', 'Unpredictable', a new one called 'Gotta Get Out' and one that Luke wrote all himself while he was away called 'Beside You'. It was a great life, we all got on with each other and had the time of our lives playing our hearts out for the world to hear.

After Luke, Calum, and I finished Year 11, we spent the summer at the beach surfing and were surprised by few young girls running up to us and asking for photos and autographs. It was an incredible feeling, meeting the individuals that know the lyrics to your songs and support you in every way.

The fans began to multiply and the four of us eventually were able to fill an arena in Sydney with around 500 people in it, and every single one of them was happy to be hearing our music and singing along to the words we'd written. What an amazing feeling.

During Year 12, we put out yet another EP called 'Unplugged' featuring a new version of 'Gotta Get Out', along with a new song called 'Too Late' that reminded me of Luke and I every time I heard it, plus a Blink-182 cover and Jasey Rae cover.

It went all too fast, sort of scary as we all grew up quick. Me and Luke continued seeing each other most nights, sneaking around to either my bedroom or his in the middle of the night, although we weren't to secretive about it because we weren't afraid of anyone figuring us out. He would also meet me at my house on Friday's were we would write songs together at my kitchen table after school.

My favourite song ever written was one that I'd started when Luke was gone but finally finished with him one night and we called it 'Lost Boy'.

"I'm coming because I need to find you, is anybody there who can rescue somebody like me?

Cos I'm just waiting for somebody like you, somebody like you..

Without you I'm a lost boy."

We didn't rehearse as much as we did when we kept up on YouTube videos, because now we were caught up in finding places to play at for the fans or whatever. I'd continued dying my hair, loving the new look every single time and becoming more and more obsessed. At the moment, it was a cool little purple-blue-black whatever colour that the boys described as a galaxy.

A few days after Calum, Luke, and I graduated high school, I said 'goodbye' to Mother and moved far across the world to London to live with the boys and continue our career. She was sad that I'd be leaving, but I promised her I'd visit and that I'd call her every night. She fully supported everything I was doing and was very proud of me and the band.

The house we chose was bought with all of Ashton's savings, plus a little of the rest of us contributing to it. It a pretty nice place, not too big but felt quite cozy and even had a pool off the balcony. It had four bedrooms, one was a master that Ashton called first and the other ended up belonging to Calum, Luke, and I.

Being able to lift the weight of school and education off my shoulders so I could put my all into the music was outstanding. I couldn't be more thankful for the boys and everything we'd done together.

***

"Hey, mates, look what I've brought.." Ash said, stomping into the house and kicking the door closed with his foot and throwing his keys down on the table. He held up a twelve-pack of beer cans, waving it around and laughing.

The three of us were still only 16, but being alone with only us I figured underage drinking wouldn't be too bad. I sat with Calum on the couch playing Xbox, which had gotten really intense within the past few minutes. I took a second to look away from the screen to see Luke running over to Ashton, taking the beer from him and getting all excited. "Yess.."

I laughed.

Luke stopped a second, raising his eyebrow to Ash and asking, "Wait, this is for all of us right and you're not getting into your habits again.."

Ashton looked offended. "No, no, just I wanted to celebrate this fine evening- We have all officially moved into our own house, with a bright future ahead of us filled with music and anything we could ever want!" He took a can from the package and raised it in the air, Cal and I shut off the games and grabbed a beer as well and held it up, Luke too. "Cheers!"

We all put our cans in and cheered, then taking it down and opening it up, hearing the sizzle of the liquid inside. I took a huge swig of the beer, not realising that it tasted like shit and was an awful idea. The other boys seemed to be enjoying themselves so I pretended that I liked it.

In no time, I had drank two (and nearly three) beers and felt as light headed as ever. I wobbled when I stepped and nothing seemed real. Luke, Calum, and Ashton had drank the same amount as I had, Luke and Cal were ditsy although Ashton remained stable because his body was used to it.

"Hey man, don't fucking let your cat around me, that's gross.." Calum remarked, his voice lazy as he spoke slow with no control to Luke.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't even realise that I had a cat.." Luke replied, seeming confused about what was going on but tried keeping his cool. "Leave, you fucking useless cat!" He shooed at the air. Ashton could not stop laughing, as he was still sober and loosing it over our reactions.

Ash pulled out a camera to record us, thinking it was simply the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

I set my beer can down on the island, then used one of the stools to help me crawl up on top of it. I stood up tall, looking down to the floor which had to be a mile away. Why, I'd gotten so much taller. It felt great to be way up here above all them.

"Hey, hey, Michael, get down, mate, you're gonna hurt yourself.." Luke said, swaying his arms around to get me down.

I was never gonna come down. "No, I'm never coming down! Tonight, I'm a superhero! Watch me fly!" I was a fucking superhero, and as I jumped to prove myself I'd lost my shit and nearly broke something, but ended up perfectly fine, uncontrollably giggling on the floor.

"Fuck, no, no, no, fuck.." Calum said, looking as if he's about to cry. "Mikey's hurt, someone called 9-1-1, he's gonnA FUCKING DIE SOMEONE CALLED NINE ONE FUCKING ONE!"

Luke put his arm on his shoulder and pointed down to me, slurring his words. "No, it's all good man, it's gooOooOoOOdd.."

"I wanna do it again!" I said, trying to stand up again. "I'm about to loose my halo, shit heads!" I shrieked, throwing both my hands up in the air excitedly.

They all laughed, Ash did so hard he almost dropped the camera. "You guys are so stupid," He shook his head.

"Shh.. Shhh.." Luke said, putting his hands on Ashton's face to shut him up. "Don't do that, that with your face.."

Ignoring everyone else, I got up on the counter again and started singing my heart out for all to hear.

"TONIGHT I'M A SUPERHERO, WATCH ME FLY I'LL NEVER GET LOW, AND I WON'T COME DOWN AGAIN!"

"Dude, shut up," Calum says, having trouble to even keep his eyes open.

"I SAID TONIGHT I'M A SUPERHERO AND I'M ABOUT TO LOOSE MY HALO, I WANNA DO IT AGAIN!"

"Uhhgg!" Calum groans, plugging his ears and falling backwards so he's laying flat on the floor. I laugh, jumping off the counter once again and taking another sip of my beer. Ashton shut the camera off, then came over to the three of us and took the cans from us, chuckling as he said that we'd had enough. Luke begged for his back and nearly threw a tantrum.

I was having too much fun, I didn't even give two shits about what was going on. I went over to Luke, who through my eyes at the moment looked like someone completely different. I grabbed his jaw with my hands and turned his head so his eyes were directly staring into mine. "Hey, you're kinda cute.." I slur.

He smiles messily. I give him a big sloppy kiss right on the lips. "Shh," I say right after I pull away. "Don't tell my boyfriend.."

"Okay," He nods, zipping his lips. "I promise."