Sell Me Out (a 5SOS Fanfic)

18: Cheaters and Lemonade

ZOE'S POV
After Jade told Bree and I what happened between her and Luke, everything sort of fit together like a perfectly, messed up, stupid, confusing puzzle.
Yes, it is possible for one situation to harbour that many qualities.
Of course my mum was still oblivious to the fact that I had stayed at Calum's place a few days ago.
Since Bree and I found out about all of the drama, we spent the rest of Thursday and all of Friday, trying to convince Jade to talk to Luke like a normal person.
But, no.
She just had to threaten him with those bloody concert tickets and basically shatter our connection to the boys.
I've only spoken to Cal when we have class together, because he's been spending his afternoons with the boys, obviously.
And honestly, it's tearing me apart!
Oh yeah, to top it off, I haven't even heard from my dad since I overheard him and mum fighting.
So for an easy way to explain my life right now, you could say I've been thrown in the shit house.

"Mum I'm home!" I yell as I walk in the door on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
I'd at Bree's place since lunch, because even though we are having some minor issues in our group, we still have homework that needs to be done.
"I'm in the kitchen sweetie!" I hear her voice ring through the otherwise silent house.
I walk into the kitchen to see my mum standing in her pyjamas, making chicken noodle soup.
"Sick again?" I laugh softly, dropping my bag onto one of the stools at the bench.
"Just a little head cold, nothing I can't handle." She smiles warmly at me. "How was Bree?" She asks, sounding a bit sniffly and sick now.
I stick my head in the fridge and grab out some leftover pizza, "She's good, said she saw you at the shops yesterday." I mumble through a mouthful of cheese pizza.
Mum looks at me a bit startled, "Oh she did see me! I wasn't sure if she did, she seemed quite busy talking to that Calum boy."
Choking and spluttering on my pizza, I manage to cough out, "Calum? As in, Calum Hood?"
She nods, sure of what she saw.
"I'll be right back mum." And I grab my phone and dash up the stairs two at a time.

*****

"Hey Bree."
"Hey Zoe, what's up? Did you leave something at my place?" She asks through the phone.
"Uh no, I just wanted to know when you last saw Calum?" I nervously ask, chewing on my bottom lip.
There's a pause, followed by "Hmmm, whenever you did, so Thursday or Friday?"
My hair falls into my teary eyes as I lower my head.
"Yeah cool, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Zoe are you-"
But I'd hung up.
As I walked past the kitchen I shouted to my mum, "I'll be back later, I left something at Bree's."
I received an "Okay sweetie," and I was out the door and walking, but not to Bree's.

***

"Zoe. Hey. What are you doing here at 4pm on a Sunday?" Ashton asks, welcoming me inside.
I scratch the back of my neck trying to think of a way to say this that won't make me sound like a possessive bitch.
"I think that Bree and Calum have a thing." I sigh, sitting down at his kitchen bench.
He gets a jug of lemonade out of his fridge and sets it down alongside two cups.
"What do you mean 'a thing'? Like, a couple thing?" He looks at me shocked, and slightly sympathetic.
I nod, pouring some lemonade into a cup and taking a sip.
"Because my mum saw them together yesterday and Bree told me she hadn't seen him since Friday." I ramble, tracing flowers in the condensation on my cup.
"She lied to me. Straight up, no hesitation. My best friend." I sigh again, tired of all this stupid drama.
"Well she might think it's better to tell you face to face." He decides, after taking a huge gulp of lemonade.
I find myself nodding again.
"Tell you what, I'm going to make us some toasted sandwiches, and we are going to talk everything out, and try and fix this goddamn group of ours."

***

"Hahahahaha! No way!" I snort, probably looking like a donkey.
"Seriously, he just walks in, announces 'I NEED A TAMPON!' and walks out. He remembered nothing the next day, idiot, getting drunk at 15." Ash shook his head smiling to himself.
"Ugh I feel like shit. My best friend, and the guy I thought liked me. Plot twist much?" I fall back into a pile of pillows stacked up on the floor at the foot of Ashton's bed.
"He really does like you. Doesn't shut up about you actually. It's quite annoying really." He sighs, falling back next to me.
The ceiling fan clicks every 2 seconds, but it's a small price to pay for the constant cool breeze keeping me from melting into a puddle of goop right here on the blue grey carpet.
"Yeah he made it seem like that didn't he?" I mutter, closing my eyes.
I feel Ash sit up beside me so I reopen my tired, droopy eyes.
"Zoe. I'm telling you the truth, I don't think anything is going on with Bree and Calum."
I roll my eyes before he continues.
"But if something was, just know that I'm always here to talk okay?"
I smile, nodding my head and sitting up with him.
"I just don't understand why they wouldn't tell me if they were I mean she's my best friend and he's gotta know he can trust me like does he not know or is he just stupid I'm just so confused and I-"
Ashton's mouth pressed onto mine and I didn't know what to do.
Do I kiss him? Do I push him away?
"Ash wait." I interject, pulling away, pursing my lips together.
"Oh my god Zoe I'm so sorry, I didn't think I just, did it." He drops his head into his hands.
"Look, it's fine. We just forget it happened ok?" I sigh, running my shaky hands through my hair.
"Shit! It's almost 7, I gotta get back home, mum will kill me. I'll see you at school ok?"
"Yeah sweet, bye Zoe."
And I left.