Awkward (Cashton)

Chapter 18 An Invite

Ashton POV

I'm half awake when I hear a knock on my door. " Luke go away," I mumble. " It's not Luke it's me." I sit up hearing my sisters voice.  Confused and concerned I shove my glasses on my face and drag myself out of bed and stumble over to the door. "Katelyn, why are you here?"  I blinked trying to wake myself up. "So I have some things to tell you." 

"Ok.. can it wait till um twelve?" 

"Ashton it is twelve." " Well...."  She sighs and sits at the desk. I close the door and plop down on my bed and lean against the wall and stretch my back. " Ok, so what's up?" 

"Graduation is  next Friday and your coming."  

"I said I'd think about it." I reply as she hands me two tickets. "Katelyn I don't want to see our family."  I protest glancing down at the tickets. "Just for graduation and dinner, Ash please."  She begs. "Have you talked to dad more about... well me?"

"He said you can't come home which I assume you don't want to do considering his views on..

"Considering he's homophobic yes I'm aware."

"So I'm living with Luke permanently until I can afford a place?" I ask. 

"Until you go to college at least, dad said he'd register you for  school and stuff but not much else." 

"What an ass," I say my teeth gritted. "Ceremony starts at six." "What if I don't come?"  Katelyn gets up and crosses her arms. "You know our family dynamic, they hate me I don't like them  I'm not putting up with it."  I gave you two tickets so Luke can go with you, please for me?" Her eyes look sad and she's begging me. " I'll try."  She smiles a little. " Thanks." She hugs me tightly before leaving. 

"What was that about?" Luke asks standing in the doorway of his room. " We're going to graduation Friday and will be with my dad and aunt."  

"How do you feel about this?" 

" Like I'm being forced, I love my  sister just not the rest of our family." I sigh and sit on the couch in the loft and look up at the ceiling. "On the bright side, you can stay here as long as you want I guess your dad talked to my mom about it or something." 

"I just mentioned it to Katelyn guess I'm staying here till I graduate."

"Which is totally fine." Luke says glancing over at me. 

"Thanks again for letting me stay  because if I go home  I'm dead."  Luke frowns and sits next to me. "You're safe here."  " Thanks again for taking me in I don't know where I would have gone otherwise."  "Of course!  Now we should go find something to wear for graduation you want to go to the mall?" " I guess, let me call Cal and see if he wants to go."  I  smile a little and disappear into my room to get ready to go.

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"Where did you say Michael would meet us?" I ask looking around the crowded mall. "Food court, you can't miss him his hair is literally bright pink," Luke says looking around.  "He's at that table right there," Calum says nodding in front of us. 

"Hey." He looks up from his phone and half-heartedly waves. "You okay? You seem down."  Luke comments. "I'm just tired, you want to go walk around?" He asks getting up quickly.  Luke and I exchange a concerned glance. "So how was your date?" I ask. He pauses before speaking. "She canceled on me after you guys left," Michael says slurping his drink. 

"That sucks, who was it?"

"The girl from my math class who I thought of taking to Lukes stupid dance." 

 "Hey," Luke says. 

"Sorry school spirit and all that crap." He mumbles. 

"Should I dress fancy for graduation?"

"I mean a button up shirt and some nice jeans would be fine honestly," Michael says sounding bored.  "Are you upset about your date still? It wasn't your fault." Luke  replies."Of course, it is, I'm undateable, Luke face it." He snaps and angrily tosses his milkshake in the nearby trashcan. "I didn't mean it that way I meant..." 

"Is something going on? You seem really upset about something." I say gently.  He sighs his shoulders falling. "Just haven't been getting any sleep, I'm going to head home, see you guys later."  He says and leaves the store."Mike wait!" Luke says and follows after him. "Yikes," Calum whispers. "Let's find something for me to wear to this graduation and then we can leave."  

"What about this shirt?" I hold up a white button up.

"Very simple, I like it." He says as Luke tromps back into the store. "Is Michael alright?"

"He's upset about something but won't tell me what."  He pouts and sits on the ground by a mirror. "I'm sure he'll tell you when he feels like it,"  I say. Calum nods in agreement. "So this shirt?" Luke glances over at me. "Yeah, looks good."  He mumbles. "You want to go to the movies, maybe it will take your mind off things." Calum suggests looking at Luke and I. "That sounds fun."   I go get in line and meet Luke and Calum outside the store none of us say much as we walk to the theater. We see a superhero movie and the tension from earlier ebbs away by the time we head home. "I'm going to text Michael, ill be upstairs," Luke says and disappears into his room.