Michael Clifford's Secret Brother

Chapter Nine

"Maxy?" I heard Calum ask and I hummed as I pulled the sleeves of Michael's blue idiot flannel down my fists and then turned around, previously just buttoning the shirt up.

"Yes?"

"You wanna come with Nia, Ashton, and I?" He asked me and I thought about it. "We're gonna go to a museum, then going for a walk down the boardwalk."

"Yeah, I'll go." I told him and he told me to go put my shoes on. I nodded and then picked up my all black combat boots.

I quickly laced them on and then shoved a black beanie over my messy hair, not bothering to fix it up too much. I smiled and then put my phone in my back pocket, following him off of the bus.

"You steal your brothers clothes a lot." He commented and I nodded as Ashton stepped out of their bus. He had on some long black coat, a grey button up, and his usual black jeans and boots.

"Yeah, basically what he doesn't wear anymore, I do. I'm still going through my wannabe emo and punk phase of flannels and combat boots." I admitted and he laughed. "Where's Nia?" I asked and he said she was still getting dressed.

"Yeah, her band stays on the bus behind your's. The last few are for crew members and stuff, tech and all." He explained and I nodded as Ashton smiled at me. "You look clean man, are you going to church today?" Calum asked him and Ashton's cheeks turned red.

"No, but you should one day." He retorted and I laughed as the two shared some kind of inside joke. Something must have happened on their bus earlier, or last night even.

I kicked at the floor and I heard a door close, causing me to look up. "Sorry, I couldn't find any clean clothes. I had to steal from Rena." I heard Nia's semi-familiar voice.

She walked up to us, dressed in ripped black shorts and a cropped sweater, glasses perched on her nose and her phone in her hand. It looks like she didn't have an ounce of makeup on either, and she really did look beautiful without it. I was almost envious.

I smiled and she did the same, slipping her phone in her back pocket. "I'm ready. Let's go." She told us and Calum nodded, reaching a hand towards her.

She held it tightly and I rose my eyebrows in surprise, looking at Ashton, who just shook his head and laughed. "There's a lot you don't know Maxy, come on. We'll tell you soon." He told me and I nodded, running up to him the other two talked quietly.

"I wasn't expecting that." I said and he chuckled as I yawned slightly. "Calum and Nia?"

"I don't think any of us were expecting it." He told me and I nodded. "Neither was Calum or Nia. You'll know soon though, just not quite yet." He promised and I shrugged as I pressed my fingers against my collarbones, something I did when I got cold.

"They're cute." I said, fighting the urge to turn around and look at the couple, who were laughing over something. I didn't want to intrude, so I stayed out of it.

"You think every couple is cute." He scoffed and I nodded as he unlocked the Range Rover.

"You know who the cutest couple would be?" I asked and he nodded as I got in the passenger seat.

"Who?"

"You and Nina." I hummed nonchantly and his cheeks went red as he told me to be quiet. "If you like her, then just ask her out! She likes you, and I know she jokes about liking Luke, but you know it's just a joke.:

"Maybe I will ask her out sometime.." He told me and I cheered, causing him to cover my mouth. I scrunched my nose up and then shoved his hand away from my face. "What?"

"Your hands smell weird." I said and Calum was dying of laughter in the back seat. "I-I don't wanna know." I said, using the sleeve of my flannel to cover my mouth.

"It's just my hair gel!"

"Mhm." Calum hummed and I giggled az Ashton rolled his eyes.

-

I walked beside Ashton the entire time we were at the museum since it was that or third wheel the couple. I didn't want that, and besides, Ashton didn't dare to let me wander behind, in fear I'd get lost in the huge building. I probably would have gotten lost too - I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached to my shoulders.

"That's so pretty." I told him, staring at a oil based painting. "I wish I could paint like that. I can't even draw a straight line."

"You gotta be straight to draw a straight line." Ashton commented and I hit his arm, causing him to laugh and hold his bicep. "Ouch Max." He pouted and I crossed my arms.

"I am straight." I muttered and he rolled his eyes. "I've only ever dated girls, and I'm attracted to only girls. That's it, I swear. Unless you're a celebrity like Shawn Mendes or Machine Gun Kelly, Harry Styles too... possibly James McVey... or even-"

"Kelly? Um no." He said and I laughed as we walked away from the painting. "He's all kinds of trouble."

"So am I."

"Not even, you're a ball of sunshine. If anything, you'd date someone just as preppy and outgoing as you." He poked at my sides and I giggled, holding his hands against his body so he didn't continue his assault. "You're too innocent to be around people like MGK." He told me and I shrugged.

"Then guess I can't go to school anymore. I have more friends than just Nina, and those friends are worse than him." I said and he shook his head as we walked around the museum, the couple trailing behind us.

"Okay, maybe I'm crazy, but does that look like Nina?" He asked and pointed to a girl by a sculpture. She was sitting in front of it, sketching inside of a book. Her hair was drawn in a messy ponytail and she had a family hoodie on - my grey hoodie with a tiny embroidered heart on the sleeve.

"Nina doesn't draw?" I asked quietly, looking closer at the girl. Maybe it's a coincidence? I doubt it. "Let's investigate. She wasn't in the bus while I was getting dressed, so maybe it could be." I told him and grabbed his hand, forcing him to follow me.

We walked around the art pieces around her before finally stopping at the sculpture. "Beautiful huh?" I asked and the girl looked up, large glasses resting on her nose.

"Yeah, it is-Oh my god, what are you doing here?" She asked and then looked at Ashton as she stood up. "What are you both doing here?"

"Busted." I told her and she held the notebook to her chest. "We've been friends for years! Why didn't you tell me you like art and stuff?"

"It's nerdy. I'm already miss straight A's." She complained and I rolled my eyes, looking at Ashton. He copied my actions, our arms crossed. "What are you doing here?"

"Calum and I are art nerds." Ashton scoffed and she apologized. "We heard of a museum and we decided to come. He's off with Nia somewhere, so lil' Maxy is with me."

"Now I'm about to third wheel." I muttered and they laughed, telling me to be quiet as Nina showed us her drawing. "That's cute."

"It's not very good."

"Hey, you can only get better from here." Ashton told her and she shrugged as she closed the journal.

We went walking around and I went ahead of them since they were talking. They were the two friends everyone wanted together and kept pushing them to date since everyone knew they liked each other. It was frustrating.

Just fucking kiss already, god dammit.