"WE ARE FIVE HUNDRED YEARS OF WINTER!"
"Luke!" Michael snapped.
"Whoops, sorry I knew it was the other one!" Luke giggled sheepishly before clearing his throat and beginning again.
"Just stop," Michael spat, "Ashton you do it."
My palms slick with sweat I swallowed as I looked out the fourteen people who were watching us with boredom.
"Ashton!" Michael hissed
Closing my eyes I stood up and leaned forward towards my mic.
"We are FiVE SECONDS OF SUMMER!"
Immediately Michael began playing the song we had ran several times during our twenty minute rehearsal while the small group of girls who had come to watch us, a far cry from two hundred looked on with boredom.
After several seconds Luke shuffled up to the mic after tripping and narrowly avoiding falling off the small stage before beginning to sing.
"Back in high school..."
However promptly stopped as Michael kicked him in the shin and nodded in Calum's direction. Frowning at Luke whilst looking about ready to puke with nerves Calum walked up to the mike and took over earning giggles from a few of the girls.
"...... We used to take is slow. Red lipstick on and high heel stilettos. Had a job downtown working the servo...."
My stomach churning and my face the color of a tomato I began to drum, softly at first, however as bridge began I picked up the pace a little, banging the drums harder and harder until at one point I very nearly sent my drumstick flying.
".....and it's almost over..let's start over...."
As the final notes of the song played Michael ran around the stage like some kind of rock god while the girls in the audience, eleven of them now, watched on looking utterly unimpressed.
"THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" Michael roared as the song concluded as if he wear addressing an arena opposed to a small bar. In the back two woman who looked to be Calum and Luke's Mom's clapped excitedly.
"Goodnight!!" Michael shouted.
"What the hell you're only doing one song? A thin brunette girl demanded.
"Uh... Yeah," Calum answered sheepishly, "that's all we've got."
"That was five minutes I'll never get back," another girl snarled, storming outside.
"That was great baby!" Luke's mom shouted.
"Mom!" Luke cried in embarrassment.
"Thank you Mrs. Hemmings!" Calum called as the rest of the girls filed out, leaving Erin sat alone at a table looking half asleep.
Jumping from the stage Michael ran over to her and slid into the booth next to her leaving Calum, Luke and I to squeeze in on the other side.
"So?" Luke asked, "how did we do?"
"You played one song," Erin said slowly.
"Yeah, one really good song," Michael laughed taking one of the fries from the basket on the center of the table.
"You guys are so derpy," she laughed, taking a fry.
"Not all of us," Luke huffed.
"Yeah," she giggled, "Ashton's okay."
Michael let out a harsh laugh.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded.
"Nothing," Michael chuckled.
"If you have something to say Michael just say it?"
Michael raised his eyebrows in response and shoved several more fries into his mouth.
"I thought you were on a diet," Luke muttered.
"It's not a diet you half wit, and fries are carbs, so I can eat them!"
"Luke honey I'm going to wait in the car okay?" His Mom called across the empty restaurant.
"Yes!" Luke huffed, "Jesus."
"Aww is someone embarrassed?" Erin laughed.
"Kid can't even wipe his own ass," Michael said leaning back.
"I can too!" Luke cried.
"Relax," Erin laughed I was kidding, "I think it's cute."
Luke shot her a grateful smile.
"So Ashton," Erin said turning to me, "Michael told me what you said?"
"H-he did?" I questioned glancing over at a smirking Michael.
"Yeah," she laughed, "I didn't know how you felt I would have said something sooner."
"Oh well that's ok," I mumbled awkwardly.
"I'll totally tell my step brother about you when I get home."
"Uh... Okay.?" I replied.
"I think he'll love you."
"That's good?"
"Yeah he's been looking for a boyfriend."
"I'm sorry this may sound stupid," I said, "But why would I affect you're brother or step brother or whatever you just said... What do I have to do with his love life exactly?"
"We'll I'll set you up silly," she answered matter of factly.
"What?" I cried.
"Michael told me you liked him," she said slowly.
Rounding on Michael I watched as he took a sip of water, smirking at me through the glass.
"I don't like your brother." I snapped.
"Oh, but Michael said...."
"Michael lied," I interrupted, "You're brother sounds great however I'm not gay, I'm like straight, as an arrow, I'm like a parallel line with no perpendicular interruptions, like a ruler..... I'm very straight, I like girls, I like boobs and stuff, and their smell, you're smell, and you're face... It's nice... I like...."
Suddenly I felt someone kick me so hard under the table I interrupted myself with a grunt, my eyes welling with tears.
"Are you okay Ashton?" Erin asked.
"I'm peachy," I replied through gritted teeth, forcing a grimace like smile.
"Hey Erin," Michael said, shooting me a smirk.
"Yeah?" She asked.
"You have something on your face," he replied.
"Oh my gosh where?" She cried, covering her mouth area with her hand.
"Here let me get it," Michael chuckled, then tilting her chin up gently he pressed his plump pink lips to her read ones.
My heart feeling like it was about to shatter in my chest I rose to my feet and griping my glass of water prepared to dump it over his head, when a loud gasp behind me caught my attention.
"Ashton Fletcher Irwin!"
Stiffening, I cringed as I recognized the all too familiar voice.
"What are you doing here I thought you were sick?"
Groaning I turned around to find the last person I wanted to see, my Mom.
"Busted," Michael laughed, "You are so dead," and based on the daggers my mom was sending my way, I was.
