"Stuck In The Friend-Zone Again and Again"

"Singing So Loud"

(This first bit is in 3rd Person)

After they finished laughing about the misconceptions of the band, they decided to play something by All Time Low.
Michael suggested Time Bomb, but Paris interjected that she liked Therapy, to which Luke and Calum agreed.
Michael gave in immediately, and Ashton didn't really care to begin with.

Paris decided to play piano for that song, so she set the guitar she had been using against the wall and sat down at the piano.

She wiggled her fingers, preparing to play, and waited for Ashton's count.

She Luke and Calum were unspokenly named the vocalists for the song, and took turns singing.

On the last chorus, Luke and Paris duetted.

And the thought that crossed both of their minds, in different forms but with the same general idea, was: "I'm a walking travesty, but I'm smiling at everything? Sounds about right."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Paris's P.O.V.

We played until lunchtime, whereupon we went upstairs to make something to eat.

"Do you guys have Nutella?" I asked Luke desperately.
Luke nodded, pulling out some Nutella from the cabinet.
"Vegemite," Ashton said happily, grabbing a jar of the stuff from the open cabinet.
"I've never tried Vegemite," I admitted. "I've done some research on the taste, though."
"Oh you've got to try it!" Ashton giggled, opening the jar.

Luke put some toast in the toaster ("Only lightly!" I called. "I don't like dark toast!"), and when it was done, Ashton spread a thin layer of Vegemite on top.
He handed the toast to me, leaving me to gingerly examine it.
I smelled it, then took a hesitant bite, all four boys looking at me expectantly.

I had read that it tasted salty and meaty, and disgusting.

It wasn't that bad.
I mean, it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad either.

I shrugged, sitting the toast on the marble counter.
"It's not as bad as I was expecting," I told them. "I wouldn't eat it by choice but I could eat it if necessary."

They all looked at me wide eyed.
"I can't believe it," Michael breathed.
"A ruddy Canadian doesn't hate Vegemite," Ashton grinned.
I shrugged. "I'm from the English colonies at heart."
Luke raised his eyebrows.
"Australia, England, Ireland, the works," I told him.
"We'll be visiting your home countries then," Calum laughed.
"Yes!" I grinned. "And the places where Dan and Phil, and Zoe, and Joe, and Alfie, and Niall, and Caspar live!"
"Like Caspar Lee?" Ashton asked curiously.
"Hell yeah," I replied. "I've been wanting to meet him for ages. You're friends with him, aren't you?"
Ashton nodded, smiling. "Yeah me and Caspar are mates. And I'm sure he'd love to meet you."
I gasped, my face erupting in a grin. "SERIOUSLY?!?!?!"
"Um, yeah?" Ashton giggled.
I did a little dance. "Oh my god yes this is amazing!!!"
I stopped, my eyes going wide. "I forgot. TROYE LIVES IN AUSTRALIA!"
"Troye like Troye Sivan?" Luke asked.
I nodded. "Yeah he lives in Perth."
"We should visit him!" Ashton exclaimed.
"Yeah but that's over a-" Luke started.
"4 day drive," I finished.
"How do you know so much about Australian geography?" Michael laughed. "You knew it was only 34 minutes to Ashton's house from the airport, and 45 to Luke's."
"And she knew that it was a 25 mile drive from here to Ashton's," Luke interjected.
"I also know that it's 202 miles from Manchester to London, so if Dan Howell was to want to visit his mum and dad, he could catch one of the trains that run every 20 minutes for a 2 hour and 10 minute journey, he would have a long trip ahead," I retorted. "Fangirl personality type paired with a brain like mine, you'd be surprised what I know." I sauntered over to the toaster, popping in more bread for toast.
"Wow," Luke laughed, smiling at me.
I shrugged. "My brain has a knack for absorbing facts."
"Name 5 cities in Australia," Calum challenged.
"Canberra, Adelaide, Darwin, Coober Pedy, Sydney," I rattled off easily, raising my eyebrows. "Melbourne, Perth, need I go on?"
"How do you even know all this?" Calm laughed. "This is your first time in Australia, yeah?"
I nodded. "Obviously."
"How is it obvious?" Michael laughed. "You know all this shit about a place you've just arrived in yesterday!"
"Well, I read about Adelaide and Coober Pedy and Darwin and Canberra. And of course everyone knows Sydney, the opera house and whatnot. I've known since I was 5. Troye lives in Perth and the Janoskians live in Melbourne but I knew about those places beforehand anyhow. Any more questions?" I said professionally.
"How did you know that the opera house was in Sydney when you were 5?" Luke chuckled.
"I watched The Little Einsteins. Splendid compositions and musical history," I shrugged.
"You're the most interesting 16 year old I've ever met," Ashton chuckled.

-------------

We ate lunch and chatted, then went into the living room to watch a movie on Netflix.

Michael picked Pitch Perfect, but the humour of the movie was dulled by a memory.

It was a windy June day, and I was at Jake's.
We sat on the couch watching a movie, Pitch Perfect, and it was almost over.
"They're going to kiss!" I squealed, getting excited even though I had seen the movie a million times.
Jake just laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
Beca and Jesse finally kissed, and I sighed happily. "They're adorable."
Jake kissed the side of my head. "I think we're cuter."
I wrinkled my nose. "I don't know," I teased.
Jake peppered kisses playfully all over my face and head in response, tickling me.
"Stop! Stop!" I screeched through my laughs.
"Say we're cuter!" Jake laughed.
"Fine! Fine! We're cuter! We're cuter!" I cried, tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.
He finally stopped tickling me, and I flopped my head in his lap.
"Be my Jesse," I sighed dramatically.
"Only if you'll be my Beca," he grinned.
"We even work in a record shop together," I laughed.
"I guess we do," he agreed with a smile.

So as the movie played, at every comedic part, my smile was just a little less bright, and my laugh a little less cheerful.

I didn't quote along with the movie, and I rarely sang along, and when I did my voice was quiet.

None of the boys noticed any change in my except for Luke, and when he asked my if I was okay I told him I was just tired.

He was going to find out eventually, but I wanted to delay that for as long as possible.