04 | Luke Hemmings

27 | Maddie

"So, are you going to a graduation party tonight?" Maddie asked. We hadn't long got back from school after graduation. We had gone back to mine. We were sat on the sofa, my arm lazily rested on her shoulders and her head rested on my shoulder.

"No, I was thinking that me and my wonderful girlfriend could hang out with some friends instead"

"That sounds perfect" She said, turning to kiss my cheek. "So, where are we going and who are these friends?"

"Calum, Kayli, Michael and Ashton. We're going to Ash's house"

"Ash and Mikey aren't even graduating"

"Like they care"

"Don't get sassy with my, Hemmings"

"How was that sassy?"

"You're constantly sassy"

"Says you" he retorted. "Go get ready, we're going in an hour, I know you need your time" I rolled my eyes and punched his arm before pulling him upstairs. "Oh, I see what you want to do. If you just wanted to stay at home tonight you should've said" I stopped midway up the stairs and turned to him with my eyebrow raised.

"Shut the fuck up, Luke. Are you drunk?"

"No, just happy"

"Damn boy, you're weird sometimes" I said as I finished walking up the stairs with Luke close behind.

*****

"Hey, Maaadsss" Ashton slurred as we walked into his house. His arm immediately wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me into him.

"You guys couldn't even stop Ash from getting drunk already?" Luke said and asked as we went through into the living room where we saw and heard Michael singing to Miley Cyrus. Badly. "And Mike? God Cal"

"They're tipsy not drunk and we've been here like 15 minutes, they were like this when we got here" Kayli said. Luke and I rolled our eyes before following Mikey and Ash who had gone to the back garden. Kayli and Calum trailed behind us where we saw bottles of beer in a cooler and bowls of crisps as well as three pizzas. We sat in the chairs and benches that had been placed in a circle around the small fire that had been started in the pit Ashton's family had.

***

Calum, Kayli, Luke and I had had a couple of beers but nothing much and we're still pretty aware and Mikey and Ash had sobered up to our level.

"I'd like to make a toast" Ashton said, raising his beer bottle slightly and tilting it to face the middle being the fire.

"Here we go" Michael said making us all chuckle. Kayli was sat on Calum's lap with his arms firmly around her waist on a deck chair. Michael was on another one by himself to the left of them and Ashton to the left of him. Luke and I were sat on a small bench to the right of Kayli and Calum. His arm was rested around my shoulders whilst my head lead on his shoulders and he drew small patterns onto my shoulder.

Ashton coughed before restarting. "I'd like to make a toast to our amazing friends for finally graduating and getting accepted into college. To you guys" Ash said and Michael raised his bottle before we all did too.

"Thanks, Ashy" I said. He glared at the nickname and I smirked before taking a sip of my beer.

"So, when do you guys go upstate?" Michael asked.

"We've got a couple of months till then" Kayli replied.

"You know what, Kayls, we haven't known you as long as Mads has but you're pretty cool" Ashton told her.

"I think I'm pretty cool too" She said and Michael through a cushion that was behind him at her. She laughed and snuggled up into Calum more.

****

"Maddie, Mads, come on, babe, wake up" I felt someone shake me and opened my eyes slightly to see Luke. "Hey"

"Hi" I said, rubbing my eyes. Last night ended up with us all drunk and up till 5am. I sat up too quick and my hand flew to my head. "Shit. Luke, can you get my-"

"Glasses? Already done" He said, cutting me off and giving them too me. I put them on and looked to the bedside table to see an aspirin and a glass of water. I picked up my phone and read the time. 2:42 PM. "When you're ready we'll go home" I nodded and got out of the bed that I was in. It was Ashton's spare bedroom. I grabbed a top and a pair of joggers I'd left in the drawers from when I'd stayed here before. There was a collection of all of our clothes at each others houses. I changed and slipped my converse on before going downstairs to meet Luke. I saw Michael asleep on a sofa with a half empty box of pizza on his stomach. Calum was asleep on the sofa opposite Michael and Kayli was sat with Ashton in the kitchen where Luke was stood waiting.

"You ready?" He asked and I nodded. "Thanks, Ash" Luke said before hugging him. I went over to him after Luke and hugged him. His height towered over me like the rest of the boys. He hugged me tight like he always did.

"Thanks, Ashy" I told him as we pulled away from the hug.

"You're welcome, little one. See you guys later" Luke and I nodded. Ashton had always called me little one. I wasn't overly short, I was an average height. He claimed it just fitted me well. We said bye to Kayli before leaving the house. We walked there last night so Luke and I took a leisurely walk back.

"You coming over?" I asked Luke.

"Sure"

"Want to stay the night?"

"Sorry, I can't, I've got work tomorrow"

"Ah, shit, me too. I forgot about work"

"I'll meet you after work and you can come over mine. My brothers are coming over to celebrate me graduating"

"I'll be in the way though"

"No you won't. My mum wants you there anyway, my brothers love you plus I want you to be there"

"OK, I'll be there. I haven't seen Ben or Jack in a while"

"Celeste is gonna be there too, she likes you"

"OK, I look forward to it then" I said as we arrived at my house. "So, how I met your mother marathon?" I asked as we stepped into the house.

"Do you even need to ask?" He responded as he pulled me up the stairs.