Keeping Real - Ashton Irwin

Chapter 20

We arrived at my house shortly after everyone else, and we hurried inside. My mom had bought all kinds of snacks and soft drinks, then excused herself saying that she had work to do upstairs, Just like usual. I was just hoping for a fun night. I had even invited Michael, the boy who had stood up for me at the student trial, because he and I had been texting and he truly was a sweet guy.

So I introduced all the boys to each other. Calum and Ashton had never formally met and they hit it off easily. Michael didn't know any of my friends except Luke but he fit in fine once the four of them realized they were all wearing black skinny jeans.

The conversation went up and down, from swim to video games to drinking games to teenage mutant ninja turtles. We all sat in the living room, learning about each other and I was glad that I was friends with the morons.

I sat cuddled up next to Ashton on the couch and occasionally we'd share small moments when the rest of the group was deep in conversation. He sat with his arm around me, tracing small circles on my back. I wanted to stay like that forever.

"I love you," I whispered quietly as I settled my arm around his waist. I was scared that I loved him because that meant that I could get hurt far more easily but I knew in that moment and all the moments after, that I was in love with him.

He didn't reply at first and I almost hoped he hadn't heard me because he probably didn't love me back. I had never been in love with someone, I didn't know what it felt like to have someone love me back.

Ashton bowed his head closer to mine, kissed my cheek, and whispered back to me, "I love you."

I snuggled closer to him, happier than I had been when Crestwood won the meet and I was approached by the reps.

I looked up, hoping no one had seen our little interaction-they hadn't, conversation continued as normal. I noticed that Calum and Leilani were cuddling too, and I was happily surprised by it. There had been many nights when Leilani and I had stayed up late texting about how much she liked him. It would've taken an idiot not to notice the chemistry that they had but I always thought that Calum was that idiot.

The conversation began to turn towards music. With Calum's obsession with his bass and Ashton's love of drums it was miracle they had stayed off the topic for so long. Luke instantly loved the conversation, and starting discussing how amazing he was at guitar. My brother isn't really the modest type. Michael actually played guitar too so they four of them were deep into conversation about bands, songs, and their inspirations. 

After they had been through all of their favorites from Green Day, Nirvana, Boys like Girls, Mayday Parade, and All Time Low we started joking about them forming a band together. They would be an idiotic group, for sure. I grinned at the thought.

"You guys could call yourselves 'Bromance' or something," I said in a fit of giggles, and soon the boys joined in.

"What about the 'Powerpuff Blokes?'" Michael joked, referring to their earlier conversation about their obsession with the small superheroes. That got all of us laughing hysterically. 

"Hey why don't we jam together sometime?" Luke asked, this time serious. I raised my eyebrows, curious to hear them play, wondering if they could be coordinated enough to play a song together. 

"Hey why don't you guys play together now?" I inquired. We had a cajon upstairs, the percussion box that you could sit on and play. Ashton told me that he knew how to play it. 

The boys seemed willing enough and Luke went to grab his guitar and the cajon. I was excited. It had been so busy recently with all the preparation for the swim meet that hadn't heard Ashton play the drums yet. 

Luke ambled downstairs, awkwardly carrying the guitar and the percussion box. He sat them both down in the middle of the living room and motioned the other guys forward. Michael picked up the guitar and started strumming some All Time Low song and Ashton went and sat on the box, and started a beat.

I scooted over to where Leilani sat on the couch and we watched them 'jam' out.

"What songs do you guys know?" Ashton asked. They began to throw out Green Day, Mayday Parade, and even some One Direction songs. They finally decided on Teenage Dirtbag. I laughed at their choice, I had always thought that song was interesting.

Ashton laid down the beat and Michael started the chords but they couldn't quite put them together right at first. The beat was off and Michael was slowton the chords. Then Calum forgot some of the lyrics and Leilani and I sat on the couch and giggled at their attempt at music.

"Hey, hey, don't laugh. We could be famous one day," joked Michael and the boys all grinned at the thought. They tried again to get the music right.

When it all came together right I was impressed. Ashton was brilliant at keeping a beat, and Luke's voice impressed me. I had heard him sing before but only quietly. This time he was loud, fiery. That's the only way I can explain his voice.

All of the boys were so different. I had no idea how they fit together so perfectly. That's the thing about music, though. It expresses what can't be explained. And seeing the boys grin at one another after the song was over I knew that they could express something together.

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That was short. Sorry. I couldn't find the right words at the end there to explain how much the band means to me. How they've changed my life and so many other's lives too.  Thanks for reading.

Madinfanfiction