Eighteen // 5SOS

Chapter 11

None of the gang had moved from their earlier positions after Luke and Calum had collapsed on the floor of the bus and broken out into childish giggles. Now that the stress of getting Luke out was over, the new challenge was to get back in time. The journey from Manchester to Edinburgh, they had discovered, was about four hours long. Until the start of the show, they had three. Although this urgency was not reflected in the faces of anyone there, as they were all slumped exhaustedly against various walls or seats.

"I'm pretty sure this has been the longest day of my life and it's not even over yet." Ashton said, then pointed at Luke: "Never get arrested again."

Luke stretched his arms out and grinned. "I'll try,"

"I can't believe your eighteenth went so wrong," Luc said, shaking her head.

Luke laughed. "And it's not even my birthday for another month. But thanks guys, it's been great,"

Ashton smiled then too. He was glad Luke could see the funnier side of the day, and was not dwelling too much on what had happened.

"Wait," Becky said suddenly, and everyone turned to face her. "What do we do if the police try and get you?"

"Our management guys will take care of it," Luke said, then laughed at himself, gazing at the wall. "Ah, management guys. They're gonna kill us. Wouldn't it be funny if we finished our set, said goodnight and then walked off into a police van?"

"Funny for us, not you," Calum said.

"It was you guys that busted me out, we're all in this together, I'm afriad,"

The room grimaced.

Ashton, wearing a pathetic smile, looked over towards the front, where Steph was still driving, "Hey Steph, you never told us you could drive,"

"Oh, I can't really," said a voice from the front.

Ashton's eyes widened and he leapt to his feet, "WHAT?" he shouted, running to the front.

"I'M TAKING OVER THIS BUS," he yelled, though pushed her aside gently to take over. When he was seated, and staring straight ahead at the road, he muttered, "After all this, we literally could have died on the way out of Manchester." he glanced over at Steph, his expression one of confusion. "How the hell did you get this far in a bus when you've never driven before?"

Steph shrugged, looking at her feet and standing awkwardly. "I play a lot of mario kart."

-

Following that minor incident, and with Ashton now as the designated driver, they made their way out of England and into Scotland, with the view around them displaying nothing but green country and fields. It must have looked strange, for something so associated with the city as a black party bus to be travelling the empty country roads. Ashton had also decided that, as the roads were deserted, it would not matter if he went over the speed limit: no one was watching after all.

Meanwhile, in the back of the bus, the atmosphere was relaxed and chatty as Luke was informing the group about what he recalled of the previous night.

"I remember a lot of it." he said, smirking at the group. His eyes landed on Caits and she looked away.

Oh god, he thought, Caits.

That night, in his drunken state, he had looked at her in the light, and he had adored her. Shorter than the rest, he had the sudden impulse to twirl and joke around with her, before it felt right in the moment to kiss her. Under the stars in the early hours of the morning, everything was numb and everything was perfect. But had she remembered? Did it mean anything to her? By the way she looked down to avoid his gaze, maybe she remembered too. He just wanted to speak to her again. This feeling was the curse of remembering everything, and Luke remembered everything.

Caits was sat next to Lemon, who had Calum's arm draped lazily around her shoulders as he talked to Iggy about music. Lemon nudged Caits in the shoulder, who was looking at the floor, trying to avoid looking at Luke.

"I would ask if you're okay, but you're not," Lemon whispered to her. "What happened?"

Caits shook her head. "It's stupid," she said.

"It's not, just tell me,"

"I just... Don't really know where things are with me and..." Caits nudged her head in Luke's direction.

"Ah," Lemon said, and smiled sadly. "I don't think you need to worry there, that boy's barely stopped looking at you since we got in, and we're in a party bus. There's lots to look at, and he's looking at you,"

"No he hasn't," Caits said, though she swallowed nervously. Had he?

"He kindof definitely has, he's staring at you now," Lemon said, and playfully hit Caits on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it,"

As Caits looked up, her and Luke met eyes. It was the sound of Lemon loudly clearing her throat beside her, and the shock of Luke's blue eyes on hers that gave her the courage to smile at him. Surprised, there was a sudden glint in his eyes as he smiled back.

- - -

Thirty thousand feet above the earth was a jet plane flying to Edinburgh, and among those aboard were Michael, Kakkii and Megs. However Michael was not happy about the situation.

"Michael I swear to God if you pee in a bottle instead of just going to the toilet I'm pushing you and your pee bottle out of this plane." Kakkii said.

"I hate airplane toilets Kakkii!" Michael whined. "Don't tell me how to live my life,"

"Why don't you just go? Or wait until we land?" Megs said.

"I don't want to,"

"Why?"

Michael sighed, running hands through his hair. "Okay, FINE, I'll tell you," he said. "So we were flying to Melbourne from Sydney, it was my first time on a plane ever. I needed the toilet, and Luke thought it'd be the best idea ever to stand against the door so I couldn't get out. I banged on the doors and everything, it was so horrible. I vowed then and there to never pee on a plane again."

"Oh, okay that's understandable," Megs said, nodding, looking out the window. "Still, please don't pee in a bottle."

However Kakkii grinned, lifting Michael's hand up, "But I thought you... Loved Luke?" she said, reading the tattoo.

"Only when I'm really drunk," Michael smiled, but kept his hand in Kakkii's. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

And there they all sat for a moment, Megs looking at the world before them out the window, while Kakkii and Michael sat together. Michael thought then, when would the next time this would happen be? In fact, when would there be any other scenario when this situation with these people could possibly occur again? It was the worst luck turned into the best, and was one of the greatest days of his life, if he really thought about it. He felt Kakkii breathe slowly as she rested on him, and it felt like they belonged. Like she was a part of him that he had not realised was missing until they met. It felt right, and it was these thoughts floating through his mind as he spoke.

"Kakkii?" Michael spoke into Kakkii's hair.

"Mm?"

"Do you think we'll ever see each other again?"

Kakkii lifted her head from his shoulder, but still held his hand. And she looked at him, she really looked at him. She viewed how his eyes were framed with the dark circles that indicated tiredness, yet his eyes looked so undeniably bright, alive. She looked at his hair sticking out in different directions and finally his mouth, open slightly and licking his lips, awaiting her answer.

"Yes," she said simply, before falling back into her earlier position.

In her mind it was that simple, she squeezed his hand and closed her eyes. The world stood still as they flew above it, nothing else mattered. It felt like the beginning of something; set up very much like a goodbye.