Gotta Get Out (a five seconds of summer story)

Chapter 4

They greet a few other people I don’t know as we walk down the hall and soon we arrive at the cafeteria. Michael and Calum take their seats on one side of the table and I sit across from Michael and Luke takes the seat next to me. “So what electives do you take?” Luke asks me when I return from getting my lunch. The line was surprisingly shorter than I expected. “Home Economics and Study Hall” I say off the top of my head. “Calum thought about taking that to meet girls” Michael says as he stuffs a sandwich into his mouth. “Then I convinced him that girls don’t find it very impressive when boys can’t even bake homemade cookies.” Luke says before he takes a sip of his chocolate milk. I have to admit he looks pretty adorable drinking his chocolate milk. We all laugh and Calum blushes like crazy. “I can make the kind where you stick the cookie dough on the sheets and bake them” Calum says defending himself. “Very impressive” I say sarcastically. “And that is why we decided to stick with something safe like graphic arts. Well except for Luke.” Calum says as he pops a few grapes into his mouth. “What are you taking Luke?” I ask as I turn my head to face him. “Chorus” he says quietly. The other guys snicker a little and Luke turns bright red. “Wow, now a man who can sing, that really impresses the ladies.” I say honestly. Luke looks up at me and gives me a slight smile. “You know I sing too” Calum says hoping to get approval. “But how in the world will the ladies know that?” I say as my attention focuses on him. “Well actually we kind of do this thing after school” Calum starts to say but he is cut off by the looks the other two are giving him. “What it’s not like it’s a secret” he says defensively. “Is that what y’all were talking about in Spanish class?” I ask. They chuckle a little and I smile like I’m not getting the joke. “You just said y’all” Luke says cluing me in. “Oh shut up and grow up. Y’all better get used to it because sometimes the southerner in me really shows” I say a little bitterly. “Sorry it’s just that we didn’t think people actually said it” Michael says over Calum who is still cracking up. “Well now that I have officially embarrassed myself I might as well ask the burning question.” I say as an introduction to my nosiness. They all kind of look up at me a bit curiously. “What are y’all doing after school that is so secretive? Ah fiddlesticks I just said y’all again!” I say as I throw my hands up to my face in frustration. They all kind of smile at me and look around the table at each other. Luke nods at them and they nod back. “We have decided to swear you in to secrecy.” Michael says trying to keep his face straight. I raise my eyebrows and he continues “Do you promise to be loyal and trustworthy to your new best friends?” “I do” I respond putting one over my heart and the other in the air. “And do you promise to maintain the confidentiality of whatever happens beyond this point?” “I do” “And do you promise to behave according to the friend code at all times?” “What’s the friend code?” I ask. “Do you promise?” Michael asks offering no explanation. “I do. I do” I say quickly. “Welcome to the family!” they all cheer in unison. “So what’s the big secret?” I ask hoping to finally know. Michael motions to Luke and he straightens up. “We have a band and we do covers on YouTube” Luke explains simply. “You are kidding me? That’s the big secret?” I say choking back a laugh. Of all things! I thought they were part of some creepy cult or something. “Yeah we work on it after school” Calum explains as they all finish up their lunches. “So do y’all have a band name?” I ask as I slurp the last bit of apple juice out of my juice box. “Five Seconds of Summer” Luke says. “5SOS for short” Michael chimes in. “So what’s the next cover?” I ask casually. “Next to You” Luke replies. “So is there a process to this whole cover thing?” I ask as I compile my trash together. “We work on learning the song Monday and Tuesday. We record on Wednesday. We edit and post on Thursday. On Friday we decide what our next cover will be.” Luke explains. “Sometimes we work on weekends too if we have nothing better to do.” Michael adds. “I would ask if you wanted to come over with us but you would probably be bored out of your mind seeing that it would be just a learning day.” Luke says as he gathers up all of our trash. “Yeah and I have my class at the gym today anyways” I reply without really thinking. “Oh a gym class, I didn’t know you were a fitness freak.” Michael says as he reaches over to feel my nonexistent muscle. “Yeah because one yoga class every week makes me fitness freak” I say sarcastically. “Oh yoga fancy” Calum says as he strikes a wannabe yoga pose. Michael joins him and makes some strange pose too. “You guys are such dorks” I say as we all laugh. Lunch ends and Luke throws all our trash away for us and the rest of the school day drags on.