Clean Slate » a.i. au

Fifteen

         "Just don't let Ashton near the wine."

         "Em-"

         "Or anything strong."

         "Emma..."

         "You know what was made for you?" My sister's head pops up in the front of the car, staring at the side of Ashton's head while our three friends from college are left giggling in the backseat. "Cider. Or spritzer. Or anything that has less alcohol than beer."

         Meanwhile I'm in the passenger's seat, holding my head in second-hand embarrassment, hoping this car ride will be over as soon as possible. And also hoping Ashton doesn't crash into anything from my twin distracting him, we don't need that happening again.

         "Okay, if you're gonna make jokes, start from yourself," He tells her- thank God he's laughing at her insults, I wouldn't want him to be in a bad mood for this. "You don't have a great history with alcohol either."

         "Fair enough, but my history with four beers is just fine." She slumps back onto her seat, "Unlike some people."

         I snort quietly at her words, placing my hand over my mouth as I note Ashton briefly glance at me from the corner of my eye, shaking his head right after. "I'm starting to think this was a bad idea."

         "Relax, I'm only giving you a hard time 'cause I haven't seen you in a long time," She sighs from the back seat, "Hopefully you won't mistake me for Lu and snog me-"

         "Emma-"

         "-again."

         Even I have to admit I've missed her cruel sense of humor. "You're saying that like it happened every time we got together!" Ashton replies, loudly and desperately- he's the only one of us in the car that isn't laughing his ass off.

         "Well, no, but do you want me to tell you why it happened at all? Alcohol, Ashton, alcohol."

         "...Fuck you, Emilia."

         "Yeah, you probably would've tried that too if it hadn't been for my conscience-"

         "We're here!" I yelp, opening the car door even before Ashton's stopped it- good thing I have my seat belt on. I might be a party pooper, but I kinda really don't want to listen about my sister and boyfriend hooking up because he's alcohol-intolerant and she looks exactly like me.

         "Whoa, slow down, at least let me park," Ashton mumbles, to which I only raise my brows and nod my head curtly; I can already see the other guys gathering wood by the beach and- I think the two guys hitting each other with thin but long branches are Calum and Michael, but I'm not sure.

         As soon as Ash parks his old Mitsubishi behind a jeep, I unbuckle my seat belt, rushing down the path and almost tripping on my way to his band mates, and another few guys that tagged along. I can't believe the numbnuts actually managed to organize something that isn't a gig for their band – a bonfire party, with their friends. Here I thought the four of them were each other's only friends.

         "Hey, hey." I wince when I feel a hand on my upper arm, pulling me closer to my sister, who's apparently been running in order to reach me. "Is everything okay?"

         "Uh, yeah?"

         "You sure?"

         Except for my boyfriend having snogged you on multiple occasions? "...Yeah?"