BAD OMENS ✬ luke hemmings

1.3 | confrontation

"I can see the way, see the way you look at me!" Aria sings, staring at the TV screen displaying the lyrics to the song.

The group has moved inside the house to the upstairs living room for a routine karaoke act. It's tradition. Everytime Aria hosts the group sleepovers, they set up the living room with thin mattress covers, stock it with blankets and pillows then indulge in friendly karaoke – or if they're in the mood, some Just Dance.

Once the group returned to Aria's house in the evening – after their afternoon spent in the city – they all brought back new material additions; Aria bought a new disposable camera and flooded the film with photos, she also carried copies of photo strips from the arcade photo booth. Sade held a paper bag filled with three bottles of strong liquor, along with a new blue hoodie. Michael bought three different pairs of cheap heart shaped sunglasses, while Jonah carried in a big teddy bear he won.

Meanwhile Calum's cheeks hurt from all the laughing, while he carried in the boxes of pizza and a takeaway bag filled with two extra large cheese fries from a quaint little diner on high street. He had no idea what to expect from the night, nor the details or antics the group got up to on the weekends.

Either way, it has been a fun day, with only a few jabs from the group about him and his friends.

And now, after a couple of drinks, and a few shared joints the living room has been transformed to a sleepover with Aria and Sade singing Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne. Aria skipped out on the joints to drink, whereas the boys – other than Jonah – decided to light up.

Ashton dropped by in the midst of it, smiling brightly at a tipsy Aria who held a tall glass of some concoction that she sipped on. He was surprised to see Calum Hood sitting out in the backyard having a conversation with Michael, though has come to warm up to the guy throughout the night.

"Hey, hey! You, you! I don't like your girlfriend!" Sade yells, holding up the remote as a makeshift microphone, out of breath from all the jumping and physical activity from performing with Aria.

"You know it's not a secret!" Aria shouts, taking Sade's hand and spinning her around. The two are probably the closest, no offense to Michael. It's simply that the bond between Sade and Aria is stronger simply because they're two girls.

Yes, Michael and Aria are the ultimate ride or die. But there are things Aria can't talk to her faded green haired friend about, like boys, and general emotional comfort. And the thing is, there are different types of friendships, yes, Michael is her best friend, but Sade her closest friend.

Michael knows everything. Sade knows the secrets that Aria can't tell Michael.

It's a confusing, and incredibly overlapping grouping, but it makes sense to the girl. Besides, she's always had a stronger pull and connection with her female friendships. Though that doesn't mean, she loves Michael any less.

"Do they do this all the time?" Calum leans over to Ashton, who sips on a beer, he never thought Aria would be the type to indulge in dramatic karaoke performances.

"All the time." Ashton nods, "One time, Lucy and Thando were over, we sat here listening to the four of them go back to back for thirty-minutes." He explains, recalling the memory of when it was a girl's night in – Aria called it the coven of public enemies – which Ashton and Michael sat off to the side feeling like sore thumbs.

"Lucy and Thando?" Calum questions, "I didn't know they were close."

"Well, Lucy got kicked from her friend group, and Thando had rumors spreading about how she's a controlling girlfriend." Ashton replies, "So, Aria planned a sleepover for them. It was really sweet actually, she got these face masks, and they all discussed the drama until three am."