American Love Affair (5 Seconds of Summer fan fiction)

Chapter 49

I'm wearing gold patterned shorts, a strappy black top, and white wedges and Calum hates my oufit.  

"Do you think it's...too sexy?"  He asks, biting his lip. 

He's wearing almost exactly what he wore earlier, but I'm not complaining.  He always looks sharp. 

"No...I mean,  I'm not a nun or anything."  I say smoothing down my shorts and smacking my lips together to make sure the dark red hue is spread evenly.  

He hesitates a moment, looking me over again. 

"You're right.  Let's just go.  The band is waiting outside the dorm." 

"Okay.  I just need to text Emily."  I say, walking comfortably in the high shoes to my desk where my phone is. 

It's around 10 o'clock so the dorm is pretty empty. I hear the gentle white noise from a movie playing in the common room, but it's not as wild as I imagine the sorority and fraternity houses are.  When my message sends, I stuff my phone and fake ID in my clutch leading Calum outside.  It's warm outside, not windy thankfully, so the air is not blowing uncomfortably on my bare limbs.  I glance around outside searching for Emily and the boys.  Instantly I see the band.  They look out of place in their flannels, dark pants, Vans, and lyrical tee shirts when most boys here are too busy with their khakis, Sperry's, polos, and muscle tanks.  

Ashton and Luke look like they could belong here with their sunkissed skin and light messy locks.  They could definitely pass for the surfer guys here that head down to the beach every weekend.  Michael doesn't fit into the California guy mold as well, with his paler skin and unnaturally colored hair.    

When the group sees me they stop talking to each other and start toward me.  They haven't changed that much, they just look a little older.  Ashton has let his hair both on his head and his chin grow out giving him a 'dad' type of vibe.  Luke is clean shaven, hair trimmed nicely, hands jammed in his pocket.  Michael has dyed his hair a light purple.  He turns away from Emily for a second and pulls me into his arms.  Ashton whisks me off the ground and Luke just holds me tight for a moment. 

"I missed you guys," I say simply, running my hand through my hair. 

"We missed you more."  Ashton smiles.  "So much has happened...not so much...well, a lot of little things." 

"I see you guys have met Emily."  I say, giving her a quick look out of the corner of my eye.

"Yeah, she's great too."  Ashton says, speaking easily despite the months apart.  

Emily leads the way as we start the walk toward the club.  We walk down Greek row, which for some reason makes me feel nervous.  There are a couple parties happening, loud music blaring out of speaker systems, red Solo cups littering the lawn, and inebriated girls and boys of course trying to find an easy one night stand.  A guy doing a keg stand chugs bravely while his fraternity brother cheer enthusiastically, sloshing their own drinks.  Since the weather is warmer than it has been, most parties are outside, rather than inside like they were in the winter.  A girl rushes past a group of people, her face contorting into a twisted grimace as she tries to hold in the bile churning in her stomach.  She doubles over, vomiting all over the sidewalk, sweat dripping from her hair.  I turn away. 

"You two can hold your liquor, right?"  Michael asks, nudging Emily in the shoulder.

"Of course I can."  She says, flipping her hair over her shoulder. 

"You sure?  You're pretty small."

He has a point, she's under 5' 4," and small for her height.  But at the same time, I feel like she holds her alcohol well, whenever she calls me after 'a long night of stress drinking' she sounds fine.