she's all that -- ashton irwin

iv.

"mia, there's someone here for you," the girl's father poked his head in her doorway. she scrunched her eyebrows together, slowly setting down her guitar and standing up. calum is out with his family today, she thought. who could it be? she followed him to the top of the staircase, where the all too familiar voice was mixing with her younger brother's. 

"where did you learn to play this?"

the younger boy giggled. "calum taught me. he's actually really good at fifa."

"i've never been beaten by anyone, not even luke. and now an eleven year old beats me. you're not bad, kid."

"what the hell are you doing here?" mia calls from the staircase.

ashton looked back up at her and smiled his bright smile, his dimples flashing. "your brother; he's pretty rad. we're playing fifa."

"sebastian, what are you doing with him?"

"he just told you, mimi. we're playing fifa. and i won!"

mia shook her head. "no, no. ashton you need to leave."

ashton clicked the home button on his phone, looking at the time. "you're right. we have a beach party to go to."

"we?"

"yep, we. luke asked me to bring a date. and i thought, who better to bring than the prettiest girl i know?"

mia rolled her eyes. "i'm not going with you."

"fine," ashton shrugged. "then i can just stay here with sebastian. you're welcome to join us, if you'd like."

the girl sighed. "are you ever going to give up, ashton?"

"nope, not at all." ashton beamed.

"come on, mimi. just go with him." sebastian wailed, causing his sister to giggle.

"yeah, mimi." ashton chuckled.

mia glanced over at ashton before groaning. "fine. i'll go with you. but, i'm only doing this to get you off my back."

ashton smiled brightly. "i'll be in the car."

***

"hey, ash!" a tall, dark-haired boy called as ashton and mia stepped out of his jeep. ashton was clad in a grey tank-top with black trunks, while mia had a huge white tank top draped over her body, which was covered in a black one-piece swimsuit. "who's this?" the boy questioned.

"hey, dean. this is mia copeland. mia, this is my friend, dean."

dean smiled and pushed out his palm. "pleasure."

mia nodded and shook his hand, staying silent. as she pulled away, she crossed her arms across her chest and held them tightly against her.

"come on, mia, let's go down here. there's luke, and carrie, and adrienne. and a bunch of the guys."

ashton placed an arm lightly on mia's shoulder and led her down to a volleyball net. she decided to spread out her beach towel next to the two girls, who were seemingly tanning, and read a book she had brought along. it's kind of a funny story, by ned vizzini. it'd been one of her favorites for ages.

"are you seriously reading?" one of the girls, who had bleached blonde hair asked.

"i am. is that a problem?" mia pushed her glasses up slightly.

"you're at the fucking beach, and you're reading. are you stupid?"

mia laughed. "why don't you consider the situation and then ask me again. who's stupid, the one frying her skin, or the one reading?"

ashton glanced over his shoulder, giggling, as he heard mia's remark. the girl, adrienne, huffed and turned away, not having a comeback.

the five boys gathered around the volleyball net all turned toward the girls. 

"any of you wanna play? we need one more!" dean called.

"why would we do that? then we'd sweat." the girl named carrie explained as if it were obvious.

mia rolled her eyes. "i'll play." she said, standing up.

ashton raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"hell yeah, mia! you're on ashton and steven's team, and i have dean and scott. first to 15 wins."

***

mia was under ashton's arm, laughing along with him, dean, and luke, as all of them headed back up to their cars.

"so, mia," luke began, "are you coming to the party tonight?"

mia shrugged. "i don't know."

ashton looked down at her and smiled a real smile. he was really starting to dig her, not just because of the bet. she was different. she didn't care what anyone thought of her. she was real, and that fascinated ashton. "you really should come."

"i don't really.. fit in, exactly."

dean turned to her. "ah, shit, mia. you're the coolest girl here today. you have to come."

"yeah, mia." luke nodded.

"please?" ashton asked, pulling her a little closer.

mia hesitated, but then nodded. "i guess so.."

***

ok ok ok yeah