Batman [A/I]

7

"Ashton…" I said softly as I stood in the door way. He stood up straight away, pushing his hair away from his face. "Imogen, there you are!" He smiled. "You alright?" "Of course!" He said before kissing my forehead and walking past me. I didn't believe him one bit. I went through to the back room where the boys were discussing stuff. "Imogen, how does a day at the beach with 5SOS sound?" Calum declared as I walked through the door. "Sounds good!" I smiled. The doorbell rung, "Oh that would be Sara!" Michael said before running out to get the door. "Sara is Michaels girl…" Ashton said in response to my confused face. Within seconds Michael came back with his arm around a girl who was slightly shorter than him with dark brown hair. "Imogen this is Sara, Sara this is Imogen she's Ashtons… friend! And now ours too!" Michael smiled. "Hey!" I said to Sara as we shook hands. "We're gonna go to my room and play the xbox!" Michael said. "Yeah, ok mate!" The boys said winking at Michael before he left. "So this day at the beach…"  I said sitting down next to Calum. "Yes!" Ashton said. "I'll pick you up with the rest of the lads, and then we'll head to the beach!" "What day?" Luke asked. "Tomorrow?" Calum suggested. We all nodded in agreement. Then I realised the bandages, my arms, I would have to be in the sea. "Your burns would have healed by now wouldn't they?" Ashton said, catching me looking down at my arms. I nodded nervously. Ashton insisted on giving me a lift home, and the question I had been dreading arose. "So, who are the songs about?" He asked. There was a short space of silence before I responded. "Someone who used to abuse me, make me feel like shit. The reason I've lived alone for a couple of years." "A boyfriend?" Ashton asked. "No…" I said, looking down at my arms once again. "My dad" I said looking up at Ashton. He just stared at me as I felt on the edge of tears. "And there's something else" I said, as I started tugging at my bandages. Once they were on my lap, I stretched my arms out in front of Ashton who looked upset. He gently brushed his fingers over the numerous scratches up and down each arm. "You're beautiful" He said. I felt my heart drop slightly, I had never heard anything like it. "You don't hate me?" "What? Why would I hate you? I hate the fact that you have felt so low to do this to yourself, but it doesn't change how I see you." "You're too kind to me!" I smiled. The rest of the car journey to mine was silent, but not an awkward silence. Ashton parked outside the door. "Thank you, I mean it!" I said before leaning forward to climb out the door. Ashton grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. "Imogen…" He took a deep breath. That's when my phone started ringing, it was Lauren. "I'm so sorry, I've got to take this, tell me tomorrow!" I smiled, before kissing him on the cheek and getting out of the car. I stood on the top of the steps, as Ashton drove off down the road. "Did you tell him?" Lauren asked enthusiastically at the other end of the phone. "No…" I sighed. The next morning couldn't have come around quicker, I was in the car with the boys with 'Everybody Talks - Neon Trees' on full blast. I was sat next to Luke, with Michael on the other side of him and Calum with Ashton in the front. I wasn't wearing my bandages, somehow Ashton's reaction had given me some sort of confidence to not hide them anymore. However, at one point I was staring out of the window, but glancing at the corner of my eye at Luke as I sensed he was looking at me. Suddenly, he placed his hand on top of mine. I jumped slightly, and raised my eyebrows at him. He pointed his head towards my arms and smiled. I smiled back, and as i was turning my head back to the window, I caught Ashton glaring at me in the rearview mirror. "We should cover this song!" Michael declared, which made Luke remove his hand and fix his hair. "That'd be awesome!" Cal said. I watched Ashton's hands as they tightened their grip on the steering wheel. And that's when I remembered that he was going to tell me something the night before. As soon as we arrived at the beach, Calum and Luke jumped out of the car and ran down to the sea. Ashton was still in the car and Michael and I were standing watching the others. "Sara not joining us today? She's incredibly pretty by the way!" I said. Michael smiled into the distance. "She is, isn't she! But no, uh she couldn't come today!" He ruffled his hair before running to join the others. I watched the three of them being complete idiots, splashing water all over the place. I felt the support of Ashton's arm on my shoulders. "You alright buddy?" He asked. "Yeah, are you?" I asked, looking up at him. He smiled. Within a second, Ashton lifted me in his arms and placed me over his shoulder. "What on earth are you doing?" I squealed as he starting walking fast down the beach. "You'll soon find out!" He laughed. I could  hear the splashes of sea getting louder, and before I knew it the sharp coldness of the sea hit me all over. I shot back up, to find all of them laughing. I scowled, and put my arms around Ashton's neck pulling him down with me, the sea just below our shoulders. Our faces were really close, and the urge was strong. But we just looked at each other, right into the depths of our eyes. That's when several handfuls of the sea hammered down on us both. "Ashton, did you bring any food?" Michael whined. Ashton stood up, helping me up and keeping his hand on my waist. "Of course I did, but you can't be hungry already!" Michael shrugged before running up the beach, followed by Luke and Calum who skipped together, their arms intertwined. Ashton and I smiled at each other before we walked together. Michael had got everything out of the car, setting out the rugs and stuff but dived right into the food box. "You bought frozen pizza, you blessed child!" He praised. I laughed to myself as I knelt down on the rug beside Calum. "I hope you bought spare clothes!" He said between mouthfuls of a sandwich. "Of course I did!" I said. "Good, wouldn't want you to be intimidated by my fine physique!" I raised my eyebrows at him. "I mean, check out my rack!" He said, holding his hands to his chest. Calum tried his best not to laugh, but gave in easily. "Michael, slow down man!" Luke said, causing me to watch Michael shove everything in his mouth. "Sssh! You're still growing little boy, you don't understand!" He mumbled with his mouth full. Calum grabbed my arm and examined the scars. "They're like our logo thing, with the tally." He smiled. I nudged my head into his shoulder. I never expecting anyone to react to them in the way that the boys were, it was strange, but nice. "Right, who's ready for a  match of derpball?" Ashton said standing up. The boys all cheered. "Derpball?" I said. "Only the best game ever invented." Cal said as he helped me up. "How are we gonna do it though, there's 5 of us!" Luke said. "Hmmm…" "We'll take the girl!" Michael said, pulling me to his side with Luke. "Ok then! Cal and I vs Imogen, Michael and Luke. Bring it on!" Ashton said. "But you're gonna have to teach me how to play!" I muttered to Michael as we walked further down the beach. "Well by the  looks of it, you're a warrior already so you'll be pretty good at it!" He said, ruffling my hair with his hand. I smiled knowing what he meant.