echo // hemmings [completed]

seventeen | worries

—September 15th—

"Are you really letting this happen?" Calum asked. "Are you really solving this problem with a paycheck and a couple of prayers?"

"Do you want to hear the answer you want or the answer you don't want?" Michael replied. The glares between the two boys could cut steel. Michael had explained what was happening two days ago, yet two days later they were still bickering. Ashton's opinion at this point had become irrelevant, as this conversation was a fight reserved for only Calum and Michael. 

"Guys, we said our decision would be made today," Ashton said, getting in the middle of their talk.

"We're getting there Ashton," Calum snapped at the curly-headed blonde. Ashton let out a deep sigh as Calum's attention returned to Michael. "I want the answer with the truth."

Michael scoffed, knowing Calum was anything but ready for the truth. But still, he gave it to him. "Then yes, I am letting this happen."

"You're fucking psychotic. Did you know that?" Calum shot at him, his voice filled of disgust.

"And you're a fucking pain in the ass. Were you aware of that?" Michael retorted, his voice even with Calum's. The dark haired boy gave him a dirty look, but Calum was committed to not letting Michael get to him.

"Fine, but if we're doing this, we're doing this perfectly. If she even laughs differently than Riley, Luke will pick up on it in no time. This girl needs to walk the same, dress the same, talk the same, hell she even needs to sneeze the same," Calum said. "You think she can do all that?

"Not without help," Michael answers calmly, as if this was a simple task. "We'd have to teach her."

"You think me and Ashton have time to do that?" Calum said sarcastically.

"Ashton's still on leave," Michael said.

"It's true, thanks for checking in on me first," Ashton joined in the conversation. Bitter from his lack of recognition in this decisive moment. The two other boys ignored his tone and went back to their prolonged argument.

"And what about my job at the record store?" Calum questioned. Michael rolled his eyes and took out his phone. After a few taps on the bright screen, he looked back to Calum.

"I just purchased half of your fucking store," Michael stated as he showed Calum his phone.

"What the hell." Calum grumbled, snatching Michael's phone away and staring at the screen. "Fucking rich people."

And this was no exaggeration, Michael's family was indeed rich. Wealthy enough that making a purchase like this was a small dent in his allowance. Michael wasn't an excessive spender, but at times like these he needed to do what he could to prove a point. Especially in arguments with Calum. And Calum didn't trust anything without a definite.

"Does this clean up your worries? Your store should be fine for a while," Michael explained. "Making you and Ashton both free in the mean time." This is what Calum and even Ashton sometimes detested about Michael, his smugness. Yes, he was right a lot, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was his confident way of talking and the smug face he made when he was right. Some people found it charming and some people found his confidence refreshing, but to some people; it was plain irritating.

Even more than irritating, was the fact his smugness was highly unnecessary in the current conversation. But not unneeded as it did give Calum and Ashton a bit of reassurance.

"When do we start?" Calum said, his voice showing resignation. Ashton nodded in silent agreement.

"Call her," Michael told them.

"Why don't you? You have her number," Ashton reasoned.

"You'll need her number anyways, might as well get it now," Michael answered, displaying Rowan's contact information to the other two. "And I can't be the only one talking to her. We need to be 'friends' got it?"

"Whatever," Calum and Ashton said in unison. They both looked revolted at how in sync they were.

"I'll call her," Ashton volunteered. He whipped out his phone and everyone was silent as Ashton's long fingers tapped away. He put the phone to his ear and waited. It rang once, twice, five times, nine times, and then the answering machine. Ashton sighed and looked at the group. "She's not picking up."

"Call again," Ashton suggested.

Ashton nodded and redialed Rowan's number. It rang four times before she picked up. It was lively and loud on her side of the phone. And Ashton heard multiple voices, as if she was submerged in a crowd. He had to cover one of his ears with his hand to pick up her voice.

"Hello?" A soft female voice greeted Ashton. And Ashton couldn't reply immediately as nostalgia came over him after hearing her voice. No matter how many times he heard it, he still couldn't believe it. 

"Hey, this is Ashton," he said, trying to muster up some courage. "Is this Rowan?"

"Yeah." And just like that, her chirpy tone was gone. It was like Ashton was talking to a completely different person.

"We made up our mind and we need you to come over," Ashton said. "Are you ready?"

Rowan said nothing as she stood there frozen. For the last two days she had been doing everything that made her feel like herself. She snuck into a The Killers concert, she won at blackjack, she made herself burnt crepes, she did whatever she could to remember who she was. Everything that would keep her feet on the ground so she wouldn't drift off into a space where no one could reach her.

Because right now, as she stood in the middle of her favorite park; she was going to give up everything and put on a new face. A face that didn't love Drew and didn't cry every time she remembered him. Rowan was going to be Riley, and Riley was going to come back to life. She didn't know for how long, and she didn't know how she was going to pull this off. But she knew it her last minute as Rowan Evergreen.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "Yeah Ashton, I'm ready."

-

a/n: hope everyone had a merry christmas !

i encourage comments and shares and votes btw

just saying x