BAD OMENS ✬ luke hemmings

4.8 | set it up

Pre-party.

Michael, Calum, Aria, and Luke are trying to set up the house. The sliding doors from the living room to the backyard are pushed open and every piece of valuable furniture or decor has been locked in another room, the carpets have been rolled up while the couches have been pushed to the walls, opening up a large space.

Outdoor furniture, chairs and sofas have been put on the grass to surround the small fire pit, knowing that all the smokers or social introverts will flee for the night. And, as of now, each person in the group has their designated task.

Michael is busy laying out all the drinks at the bar, numerous bottles that will survive until midnight and hundreds of solo cups that will all end up scattered around the house when the party's over. Calum is currently hauling in boxes of pizzas stacked in his arms, disrupting his vision as he tries not to trip over anything or run into the corners of tables or walls.

Luke is standing on a short stool, reaching up to the ceiling with tape stuck to his fingers and arms while he messily hangs up the fairy lights that Aria and Calum insisted on having. Unfortunately, he got stuck with the job because he's the tallest of the bunch and 'if he gets hurt, no one would care'. Though, he wishes he got stuck with drink duty.

Aria, on the other hand, spent her last five minutes struggling to haul the massive – industrial–sized speaker down the stairs from Calum's bedroom. It's not like the thing has got wheels either, so the girl is quite literally dragging the speaker outside to the nearest outlet. Why couldn't she get put on drink duty? It's her birthday party.

"Mike, help me out will ya?" Calum says, dumping the pizza boxes on a table outside, "I need help getting the ice and shit from the basement. We've also got a couple beers down there, so we gotta bring them up too."

Michael glances over at Aria for the slightest bit of a second, the look behind his eyes asking a question that doesn't even need to be considered: Are you going to be okay with Luke? Sure, things have been relatively calm with those two in the past couple weeks – months even – though that shouldn't completely disregard the big defining trait – they hate each other. Or at least, Michael still believes they do, and the – quite dramatic, and unnecessary – spat the two had in the parking lot earlier today only assured Michael that the silence doesn't mean a change of heart.

The girl doesn't bother to look in his direction as she waves him off, kneeling down to the floor to plug in the speaker, "Go ahead." She mumbles, almost allowing him to go off to help Calum. "Nothing's going to happen." Aria adds, switching on the device and attaching her phone to a connected aux-cord, keeping a disinterested persona to hide the fact she's been waiting for time alone with Luke.

Michael only nods in response before rushing towards Calum's side and quickly disappearing into the house, leaving Aria and Luke outside alone. The absence of their presence immediately feels like a heavy weight being lifted, Michael had been hovering a bit too close and Calum has not been discreet with his insistent staring.

Months ago, if they were to be put in this situation together there wouldn't be any type of silence or odd calmness. In fact, Aria would never be in this particular setting if it were months ago. She would not have been fine or disinterested in being left alone with the blond, let alone been so open to let Calum host her party.

Months ago she hated Calum, she made fun of Calum with Michael. He was another meathead guy who enabled his friends to say and do the dumbest things, he was nothing more than the arrogant ass that carried around a speaker and blasted music in the courtyard during lunch and morning breaks. Aria would have never considered herself in a position where Calum is considered one of her friends despite all the resentment she has bottled towards him for years.