The Deal || Luke Hemmings

Deal, Discovered

Luke

   Unfortunately for me, he just had to be the first one to arrive.

Nevertheless, I got a chair and sat down on it.

Not like I had a choice anyway.

The only consolation I found was in Cara being here to take me away from all the pressure.

"Hi!" Cara peered through the door so only her head and her mid length dark blonde tresses were in view. "I have to go get something upstairs and I might take a long time," she added after and I almost pulled out my hair in frustration. "'You guys can talk in the meantime."

I didn't respond and I didn't hear Ashton either, so I guessed he nodded like I did. Cara slowly closed the door, making sure to peep at the two quiet boys before she left.

"So Ashton," I taunted when she left. "How've you been?"

"I've been doing great lately, you?" he replied without showing any menace towards me, which was unusual, but I continued anyway despite the fact that the last time we talked, it ended up with him, sending cryptic messages about me and Michael, which resulted with me giving him a bloody nose.

"How's your nose?" I kept going in the same gibing tone. "Looks better."

"It is," he replied calmly. "How's your deal? Don't think it's any better."

My lips parted as I didn't move or even reply right away.

"Deal?" I felt a drop of sweat trickling down my neck.

It was impossible. How did he find out? There was only one explanation for it. Did Cara tell him? I thought we were on good terms already.

Apparently not.

"The one you made with Cara," he replied cunningly. "You know, five favors and all."

"How did you know?" I chuckled, trying to hide that I was apprehensive. "Well, someone was bound to find out anyway."

"Someone was bound to find out what?" another voice boomed in all of a sudden.

"Calum!" said Ashton deviously.

"Calum?" I almost choked out his name.

"What's up with you two?" He glanced from me to Ashton repeatedly.

"Luke here," said Ashton. "was just asking me about my nose, right?"

"R-right," I stammered. What he said wasn't a lie. I did ask him about his weak nose after all.

"Uh, okay then?" Calum looked at me like he was thinking why I'd have a sudden obsession for noses.

"Well, someone was just bound to find out about my once bloody nose," Ashton laughed, while Calum stared at him.

Calum furrowed his brows, taking a seat next to me while Ashton put on the headphones he was holding and plugged it into his phone as he began to listen to something.

"You were right," Calum finally whispered. "He's gotten cuckoo lately."

Thankful that Cal was naive for now, I only had to wait for Cara to come and save me from Ashton, who'd she'd rather side with.

"Aw shoot," Calum fidgeted in his chair after a few minutes. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Can I come?" I asked, desperately wanting to stay as far as possible from Ashton.

"What?" Calum stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Only girls accompany their friends to the washroom. Gross."

"On the scale of gross to Ashton, how disgusting did I sound? Ashton, being the grossest," I said, hoping he would stay for a few more minutes so I wouldn't be alone with Ashton again. Who knows? He might start talking about the deal again, and I definitely wouldn't want that.