Be Your Everything

e l e v e n

Someone Like You: Live While We're Young

"How was sound check?" I asked when Luke walked into the dressing room. He had only been gone for thirty minutes, and yet he was already sweating. I could only imagine how much the guys stunk after a full show.

"Fine, it's hot out there." Luke crashed down on the couch beside me and peered over at my laptop resting on my thighs. Kat was doing what she called 'PNM research' (whatever that meant) on Facebook in the armchair next to me, while I was editing a video to upload tomorrow. A still shot of me and my friend Meghan doing the 'What's In My Mouth' Challenge filled the screen with an unflattering image of me spitting out mustard, which made Luke snicker at the site.

"That's cute," he mumbled with a half smile. His hands rested in his lap to avoid having to touch me, either out of awkwardness or because he was all sweaty. I elbowed him softly, secretly finding the picture just as amusing as he did.

"That's the idea." I pressed a few different keys to take a screenshot so that I could use the image as a thumbnail later.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked in reference to the countertop in the frame that was covered with jars and containers of random foods.

"We basically took turns blindfolding each other and putting random stuff in the other person's mouth for the to guess what it was."

"Is that a makeup thing?" Luke scratched his stubble in confusion as he processed my explanation.

"No, it's just fun to watch each other make disgusted faces when we force them to eat weird stuff!" I answered him enthusiastically. "Watch this! I made Meghan eat an anchovy." I laughed devilishly as Meghan's suffering was replayed on the screen, causing both of us to cackle just as Ashton walked in.

"What's so funny?" He asked, taking a seat on the other side of me. Ashton looked between me and the screen expectantly, waiting for Luke and me to clear it up for him.

"I made this video with my friend Meghan where we make each other eat gross things. Our reactions are hilarious." I explained, turning the laptop so that he could also see the video. Ashton's lips pressed together while his eyebrows flew upwards in amusement at my reaction to having to each a banana, which happened to be my least favorite food.

"That bitch knows I hate bananas," I scoffed playfully under my breath. Meghan was the kind of friend that you could just joke around with and not worry about her getting offended, but if you needed to have a serious talk, she would be there for you in an instant.

"Woah Lennie, I didn't know you swore." Luke chuckled at his own teasing, but I took a play out of the Luke Hemmings book and just shrugged at him.

"Not often, but Meghan set me up for that one." I narrowed my eyes at my friend on thescreen as she threw her head back in laughter, her ashy blonde hair cascading down her back.

"Remind me not to feed you bananas then." Luke said with another laugh.

"Is that a penis joke?" Michael's voice boomed as he joined us in the dressing room. Ashton and Luke laughed, but I was distracted by the absence of their fourth bandmate. There was still no sign of Calum, but I tried to keep my focus on the three boys in the room.

"You think everything is a penis joke." Kat rolled her eyes at him before turning her attention back to her laptop. Michael walked behind her chair and wrapped his arms around her, making Kat squeal in the process.

"Ew you're all sweaty!" She giggled at him, unenthusiastically trying to swat him away.

"Pay no mind to these children, Elle. They're dirty-minded idiots." Ashton said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel. I nodded at his comment, finding myself increasingly happy in Ashton's presence. He was a funny and smart guy, and I was glad to not be the oldest one in the group.