Runaway - Ashton Irwin

Chapter 5

   Monday morning rolled around quickly, leaving me tired and groggy. I showered and straightened my hair, doing minimal make up. I wanted to look like I'd actually made an effort on my first day of work. I pulled on a pencil skirt with a baggy shirt and low heeled ankle boots and made my way to the front door. I locked the door behind me, trying not to drop the piece of toast hanging out of my mouth. I smiled when i heard the sound of Calum's guitar coming from his open garage. I ran over quickly to say Hi before work.

   "Sounding good, Hood." I said, leaning against the wall. He stopped playing and smirked, moving the hair out of his eyes.

   "Looking good, Maywell." I laughed and twirled. "First day of work?"

   "Yep," I popped the P, looking unimpressed.

   "Ah, you're gonna be great. I'll pop in if i have time." I nodded and turned towards my rental car, frowning.

   "Know anyone who's selling a car?" I asked hopefully. He scratched his head with a thoughtful look on his face.

   "Maybe. I'll ask around." I smiled and took a sip of his orange juice.

   "Thanks, Calum. See you later."

   "Good luck!"

   The book store that had hired me was half Cafe, half book store. The manager Zoe told me i would be working in the cafe half for my first day, which if im being honest, sounded terrible. The whole first half of the day was a disaster, I aquired many burns to my hands and lower arms and honestly thought about just going home.

   "How's it going, Addie?" Zoe asked, pristine and perfect, late 30's with auburn hair. I would hate her if she wasnt so damn nice.

   "Not so great, really." I smiled tightly. She touched my arm comfortingly and led me away from the coffee machines.

   "It gets easier after a few days. I've still got burn scars from my first day working in a place like this." She laughed.

   "I'll get the hang of it."

   "Just call if you need anything." She walked away and I sighed, exhausted.

   "As if my favourite British American is working in my favourite Cafe Book Store." I looked over to the counter to see huge blonde curls and black glasses smiling widely at me.

   "Ashton Irwin." I said, his smile was contagious. We'd spent a bit of time together with the rest of the boys since i got here, i could see us becoming really good friends. "What can i get for you?"

   "When's your lunch?" I looked up at the clock behind me.

   "15 minutes." He frowned and craned his neck, looking for something.

   "Hey, Zoe!" He shouted, waving with both hands.

   "What are you doing? Dont be stupid, its my first day!" I complained but couldnt help laughing at how rediculous he looked waving like that. Zoe came over, already lookin totally done with Ashton's shit.

   "What do you want, Irwin?"

   "Can Adelaide take her break 15 minutes early? I want to take her to lunch." Zoe frowned and rolled her eyes.

   "Only if you take her to one of my places." He smirked and bowed to her.

   "Of course, where else is there to go around here?" I set about taking off my apron and hair net.

   "You want to watch yourself with this one Adelaide, he'll drive you insane." I laughed and grabbed my jacket.

   "I think it will probably be the other way around." I joked, letting Ashton help me put on my jacket.

   "I doubt it. You have an hour for lunch, please be on time." I opened my mouth to answer but Ashton grabbed my shoulders, leading me out of the Cafe door.

   "She will be, I'll make sure."

   "How do you know Zoe so well?" I ask Ashton as we walk down the highstreet to the restraunt where the other boys are waiting for us.

   "I work in the record store next door, and she owns it. She actually owns most of the modern stores around here." The sun beat down on us and i started fanning myself with a hand.

   "She doesn't seem very impressed with you." He giggled and held open the door to a very modern looking restraunt.

   "We joke around a lot. Well, i joke around and she gets annoyed." I spot the rest of the guys in a booth at the back of the restraunt and walk over to them. "We usually go to Mickey's Diner, but Michael loves it here and he's had a hard time recently so we let him pick today."

   "Hey guys." I say as me and Ashton shuffle into the booth next to Luke.

   "How's your first day?" He asked. I turn to Luke with a dismayed look. "That good, huh?"

   "Me and hot liquids don't mix, guys." I raised my sleeves to show them the red splotches from my morning shift. If anyone noticed the scars littering my arms and the anfry red ones crossing my wrists, they didnt show it. My scars were a part of me, so i refused to be ashamed of them.

   "You'll get better at it, I used to work in a cafe but it got shut down." Michael told me.

   "It got shut down because Michael never got better at it." Calum joked, making everyone laugh and Michael punch his arm.

   "I love your hair, Michael. Will you dye mine for me?" His face lit up like a christmas tree at my request.

   "We'd have to go shopping for dye."

   "I finish work at 6, meet me at Calum's?" He nodded just as the waitress came to take our orders. Ashton had this infectious giggle so everytime he found something funny, i ended up laughing too. By the end of my dinner hour, my spirits were much higher and i was ready to go back to the Cafe and tackle the coffee machines again. As we were walking back, Ashton filled me in on how long he'd been working next door to the book store.

   "I cant believe you've been next door all day and i didnt even know!" I laughed.

   "I was going to text you but i thought i'd rather surprise you." We stopped outside of the record store. "Thanks for what you said to Michael. He needs a distraction, and he loves dyeing hair, as you can tell."

   "What's going on with him?" I didn't mean to pry but i needed to know incase i accidently said the wrong thing.

   "Well, the Cafe shut down so he lost his job, his Dad left so he and his Mom dont have much money anyway, and she's taking it all out on him, like its purely his fault. It's just getting a bit too much for him." I nodded, thinking.

   "Why doesnt he move out?"

   "Well, he's staying with Calum for now, but he wont leave his Mom for good, he cares about her too much." He lifted up his arm, checking his watch. "Time to go. Think of me while you're making coffee for stuck up business men." He smirked, dissapearing into the record store. I shook my head with a smile and walked next door to the Cafe half of the book store. My afternoon will go better. It had to.