Beginnings • c.h

Chapter Three

Chapter 3 - Annika POV     *edited*

"Hey, Ashton, you still into drumming?"

"Yeah, why?" his voice crackled, echoing slightly throught the phone. I let out an exhausted sigh, walking into Luke's kitchen. Ashton always exhausted me, I don't know what I had ever seen in him...

"You know my best friend Luke, right? Well, he is starting up a band and they sound pretty good, but they need a drummer and your the only person I could think of who played drums, was close to their age and had hair as big as theirs, so you in?" I asked rather quickly, wanting to get this call over with as soon as possible.

"Umm, sure why not. Give 'em my number and we'll work out when to meet up and stuff." His voice had risen slightly in pitch, I was either guessing excitement or someone had hit him where it counts. I was hoping for the latter.

"Okay, text me when you guys are gonna meet up and I'll introduce you guys. Bye, Ash"

"Hey wait-" Ash intoned before I could hang up, "It-it was nice to hear from you again, Anni." Then a beep sounded and he was gone.

"Wish I could say the same to you, Ashton." I spat into the phone, but it didn't matter, he couldn't hear me anyway. The nerve he had to say that to me, who does he think he is? 

I trudged back down the stairs, attempting to pull what would seem like a genuine smile on my face.

"He said he'd do it, guys! I think you've got yourselves a drummer!" I called, walking down the stairs; only to see what looked like a tense stand-off happening from their seated positions on the couches. Shrugging it off as a testosterone-fueled thing I let it go. Luke was first to response, breaking off from his glare at the two other boys.

"That's great, Anni. Who is it, anyway?"

I looked at my feet shuffling on the ground, shrugging my shoulders I mumbled lowly, "Ashton Irwin..."

 Luke's reaction was instantaneous and predictable. Without a word he jumped to his feet, grabbed my arm and dragged me up the stairs I had just descended. Once out of ear-shot of the other boys he let out a huge bellow, "No way in hell, Anni! I'm not having him anywhere near my house or you ever again!"

"Luke, I swear its fine. He would never try anything again; he knows I would never forgive him for what he did to me..." I rebuffed instantly. I wasn't going to let Luke destroy his chances of being in a half-decent band because of his overprotectiveness of me. Despite my assurances, Luke's face still remained uncertain as he slowly sank into the sofa of the upstairs living room.

"Okay. Fine. But if he tries anything  I swear I will kill him, got it?"

"Luke-"

"Got it, Anni?"

Sighing I replied, "Yes Luke."

I swear that boy was more protective of me than my own parents...

---

"You've got to be shitting me, Anni?" Megan shouted at me from my bed, an expression of disbelief coating her face. My other best friend sat at the end of my bed as I stood in front of the mirror, twisting and turning to see whether this was the outfit I would wear.

It was two days since I last saw Luke and the whole band and today was the day Ashton was joining band practice as well. As I put a final coat of mascara on I reply back as calmly as possible.

"No I'm not shitting you. Ashton is joining Luke's new band and I was the one who asked him to, after all, he owes me-big time."

From my peripheral vision, I see my best girl friend shaking her head a scowl on her face as her nut brown hair flew in all directions. "I still don't like it..."