Photos [Luke Hemmings]

Chapter 2 - Second Encounters

Chapter 2 – Second Encounters

{ l u k e }

          “So she just ran away?”

          “Yeah, it was the weirdest thing! She got all embarrassed, I guess, so she took off as soon as her friend got there.”

          Michael let out a loud guffaw as I finished off my story, Ashton and Calum joining in as I merely chuckled. I was currently sat on the couch in my living room, tossing a small, colorful ball I used to play hacky sack in the air before catching it and repeating the process. After returning from the mall, I had inviting the guys over to tell them about the weird event that had taken place there, and they were currently laughing as I told them the tale of the girl who took a picture of me while accidentally leaving the flash on.

          Her reaction, though, was the best part. When I had looked at her as soon as the flash went off, her face had literally paled and she her eyes – later that I had noticed were a pretty shade of light brown – had widened like freaking saucers. Mortification was plastered all over her face, and her pale cheeks had turned incredibly red as well. She was beautiful, honestly, but I was too busy basking in amusement of the whole situation to actually tell her that.

          “I wonder why she wanted to take a picture of you in the first place,” Ashton spoke up, his laughter dissolving into chuckles.

          “Because I’m so hot.”

          “Shut the fuck up,” Michael laughed, grabbing a small cushion from the couch he sat on and throwing it at me, although I had caught it in my hand before it could even hit me.

“What?” I laughed as I put the cushion next to me, “It’s a possibility.”

“Yeah,” Calum snorts, “or maybe she was taking a picture of you ‘cause you’re so fucking ugly.”

I pouted as I looked over at Calum, who was sitting right next to me as he let out a laugh. “You really don’t think that, Cal,” I grinned, scooting as close to him as I could get, and watching in amusement as he got increasingly uncomfortable. “You really actually love me.”

Calum stared at me in bemusement. “Uh, no I don’t,” he replied, pushing me away as I laughed. “I have a girlfriend that I love more, thanks.”

“Ah, yes, Erica,” Ashton sighed dreamily, pretending to think about Calum’s girlfriend of three years as the tanned boy flipped him off. “How is she, anyway? Haven’t seen her around in a while.”

Calum shrugged, his eyes returning to the TV that was playing a football game while I returned to tossing my hacky sack ball and catching it. “She’s good,” he replied, “she’s spending most of her time planning her eighteenth birthday party with her mum, so that’s kind of keeping her busy.”

“Aw,” Michael spoke up loudly, causing all of us to look at him to where he sat on the recliner, pouting his lips as he leaned forward. “Is little CalPal feeling rejected by his girly friend?” he questioned teasingly in a mock baby voice.

“Fuck you,” Calum laughed, leaning back in his seat once more. “You’d be the same way if you had a girlfriend you haven’t seen in a while.”

I chuckled, throwing the ball in the air and catching it in my left hand as Michael said, “I don’t do girlfriends – you know that.”

“That’s kind of sad,” Ashton said, his eyes on the television. “I can’t wait for you to find that one girl that’s gonna make you settle down.”