Push Her Again, I Dare You

Chapter 4

The next day, Calum and the boys were scheduled to meet with some producers and figure out where to go next with their new band. Calum had told me that they would mostly be discussing a new and improved EP and, of course, getting a name for the band. The boys had been discussing a couple names but none of them seemed to fit the personality of the band. None of the names fit their sound. I really hoped that they would get a good deal with the producers and something would come of their hard work.

"Baby," Calum called,"I gotta go!" I rushed down the stairs, gave him a hug and kiss, whispering a soft 'good luck' before practically shoving him out the door. I had a lot to do before he got back. I busied myself with cleaning the house, which took about two hours, and then I headed out to the market. Once I got there, I picked up some of Calum's favorite foods and picked up a few other things to make my famous pasta for the boys once they inevitably came over. I rushed home and began making the pasta, stirring a pot of noodles and a separate pot of pasta at the same time when the doorbell rang. I lowered the heat and prayed that nothing would bubble over while I answered the door. I wiped my hands on an old dish towel and scurried over to the front door.

"Surprise!" Michael's girlfriend, Stefany, greeted me.

"Stefy!" I squealed, throwing my arms around her. "I thought you were still studying abroad in Africa."

"Well, I was but the program ended last week. Plus, Mikey told me the news about the record label so I had to fly back anyway! Perfect timing, right?" Stefany gushed. I giggled and nodded. Suddenly, she sniffed the air. "Is something burning?"

"My pasta!" I screeched, turning and running into the kitchen to discover a boiling pot of pasta sauce. It didn't look too burnt, so I calmed down and attempted to save it from the trash can. Stefy quickly grabbed an apron from a drawer and got to work on the noodles. I had taught her the secret to my pasta long ago, and now she was the only one I trusted to help me make it. Once the pasta sauce had settled and didn't look burnt at all, I relaxed a little bit more. "So, how was Africa? Tell me everything," I ordered of her. She chuckled and began to tell me absolutely everything about her trip, just as I had asked. She told me about the beautifully designed outfits all the women wore and how jealous she was until she bought about fifty of them herself. Stefy had always been interested in African culture, and was always trying to get us as interested in it as she was.

"Oh!" She said. "I got you something!" I shook my head and said the old 'you didn't have to do that' line before she shushed me and handed me an ornate piece of woodwork that she said was hand-carved. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. "I thought you'd like it to hang on your wall or something. I know you have an appreciation for the more beautiful things this world has to offer." She smiled at me and I got up to hug her. I then told her I would hang it right above the stove, since that's the place at which I spend the most time.

"This way, I'll get to look at it all day, every day!" I said, hugging her once more. Stefy agreed that it was the perfect spot and added smugly that it was the most beautiful thing in the room besides herself. I gave her a playful sock in the shoulder before returning to the pasta. We spent a few more hours chatting away and making meatballs for the pasta, while the noodles and sauce were kept warm on the stove. After our meatballs had finished cooking, we heard a car pull up in the drive way and a smile immediately popped onto Stefy's face when she heard Michael's voice along with the voices of the other boys. The front door opened and I rushed over to ask how the meeting had gone, when Stefy shoved past me and crashed into Michael, peppering his face with kisses before hugging him so tightly I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. A few minutes were spent in the living room as the boys all took their turn welcoming Stefy home, before I finally blurted that dinner was waiting. I really did think that Stefy deserved a proper welcome home, but I was way more excited to hear about the boys' meeting.

I herded everyone into the kitchen and sat them down. Serving everyone my pasta, before passing around the meatballs. Once the bowl of meatballs reached Stefy however she simply raised her hands, indicating that she did not want any. "Stefy, what the heck? I thought you loved my meatballs," I said, feeling kind of hurt that she had rejected the amazing meatballs that we had spent all afternoon making.

"Oh, gosh," she began. "It's not that I don't like them, doll, I really do, it's just that...Well, while I was in Africa I sort of had a revelation. I was destined to be a vegetarian! So, now I am." Everyone at the table shook their heads in disbelief at the girl who had always loved meatballs and could wolf down a cheeseburger within five minutes. "I know, I know," she said,"big adjustment. However, I stand by my decision and I am prepared to face the mega temptation. Like the temptation happening right now. My mouth cries whenever I look at those meatballs." We all laughed.

"I think you're actually drooling a bit there, babe," Michael teased. Wiping at a nonexistent line of spit on her chin. We all chuckled and I gently grabbed Calum's hand under the table. We looked at each other and smiled.

I looked away and finally asked the burning question. "So, is anyone gonna fucking tell me what the hell happened at the meeting?!" I shouted. They all laughed and Stefy told me to watch my language. The boys shared knowing looks before Calum looked at me. "Well?" I asked, squeezing his hand beneath the table.

He looked at the boys again before saying,"Ladies, you are now looking at the newest band...5 Seconds of Summer!" Stefy squealed and clapped her hands and I expressed my love for their new names through a series of squeaks and chirps, flapping my hands like a fool.

They all laughed at me and I pouted. "I made you fools dinner. Don't laugh at me." Calum chuckled and kissed me on the cheek and I saw Stefy winking at me. I winked back and we both giggled. Calum then revealed that they would be considered to open for One Direction's upcoming tour.

Stefy shot up from her seat. "ARE YOU FORREAL?!" She screeched. The one thing she loved more than studying abroad is One Direction. Once she received nods of confirmation from each of the boys, she proceeded to run laps around my kitchen with her hands in the air, screeching absolute gibberish before I finally got up and dragged her back to her seat, pinning her in place with two firm hands on her shoulders. "OMIGOD," she squealed, before she started to hyperventilate. I walked over to a cabinet and grabbed a paper bag, giggling the whole way. Michael actually looked concerned when I returned with the bag.

"Relax, Stefany," Calum said. "We probably won't even get it."

"NOT WITH THAT ATTITUDE!" She shouted, crumpling up the paper bag and tossing it at Calum's head. He chuckled and threw it back at her. She caught it and held it out for me to take.

"Well, I don't want it," I stated, pushing her hand back towards her.

"But I don't either," she whined. The two of us bickered back and forth before she finally got me to throw the bag away. I reached to throw it in the trash can before she stopped me. "Hey, hey, hey!" She gasped. "What the hell are you doing, that can be recycled, ya know." So, Stefy got up, marched towards me, ripped the bag from my hands, and tossed it into the recycling bin, mumbling about how she had to do everything herself. We all chuckled at her antics before sitting down and chattering excitedly about the idea that the boys could be touring with One Direction. "Don't forget us when you're famous," Stefy said to them. She made it sound like a joke, but I knew that there was a lot of seriousness behind that statement. Michael quickly reassured her that he could never forget about her, even if he tried, and everyone at the table groaned at his mushiness. We spent the rest of the day like that. Talking and laughing in my kitchen. I had never been so excited and scared at the same time.

(hope you guys like it! Please vote if you do! Love y'all!)