Swear || a.i [editing in progress]

Five

Ashton

"So guys," Calum caught everyone's attention. Bay trailed behind him. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her. She looked different, yet familiar. That night was a dream. Too good to be true.

"This is Bay and she'll be staying with us for a bit." Huh?

"Wait, what's going on?" Michael chimed in, just as confused as the rest of us. I could not keep my eyes off her. Her eyes were puffy and red. She looked just as beautiful as the night we met. After we passed out in my car, I brought her back to the bar. Our manager had just told us about the new tour and how much work we had ahead of us. I couldn't get into any relationship I knew I couldn't keep. It would only end horribly and she didn't need that in her life. I never expected her to turn up in mine again.

"Bay is a family friend." Calum explained. 

Bay, a friend of Calum's? That's oddly coincidental. 

"A friend? Why didn't you say so earlier?" Luke welcomed her in and gave up his seat on my bed for her.

"I couldn't recognise her a while ago. She changed so much since we last met. She gained a couple of pounds, definitely." Calum teased. 

Maybe it was a good thing that I didn't mention hooking up with Bay to the guys. Calum would have freaked. 

"Well, why is she staying with us?" I blurted out, rather nonchalantly. It sounded almost as if I wanted her gone. Maybe a part of me did but I knew deep down that I was happy to have her around. I remembered the fun we had that night. With her actually being on tour with us, maybe we could have even more beer and laughs. But I guessed I cut my chances of any friendship with her slim when they both seemed slightly offended at my sudden question.

Bay looked at Calum, eyes filled with desperation.

"She is writing a piece on bands on the road." Calum said with a dorky grin on his face. "Like us, aye?" Luke and Michael nodded and exchanged "Ahh"s. Just then Jess made herself comfortable on my lap, her arm wrapped around my neck. 

"How cute, a journalist." She said sarcastically. She did not like Bay one bit. I shifted uncomfortably. 

"Not officially, anyway." Bay added. Her eyes fell on me for a split second before she turned away. Does she remember the night we spent together? I felt scared for a moment that I was just a notch in her belt. She didn't strike me as one of those girls. 

Bay

The boys agreed to let me stay. A part of me felt ecstatic. Even though I couldn't tell Ashton, at least I knew it was possible when I was ready and when the time was right.

But the other side of me wanted to leave because this might be the most awkward journey and the plan might not even work if there was a plan at all.

Calum pulled me aside.

"Where are you staying now?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"At a hotel?" My answer came out sounding more like a question than a reply.

"Maybe you'd like to move your stuff here? Y'know?" Calum suggested.

"Yeah." If this fails, I'm doomed.

"Guys, we have a show in two hours! Hurry your asses up." Michael reminded impatiently.

Calum gave me one last smile before leading us out of the room.

"We told Dave about Bay. He didn't agree to it at first because we already had Jess. But I guess he will warm up to the idea after a while. Besides,  this piece you're writing is only going to be good publicity, am I right?" Luke told us as we were walking down the stairs to get to the bus. He shot me a small smile. I gathered that Dave was their manager. He sounded like a bit of a control freak. The door opened to the van. I have never been in a van this appealing before. I always thought all vans looked like the creepy ones with dirty floors and you're just engulfed in darkness once the doors close. But they turned it into something cool. It radiated boyhood in there. 

I took a deep breath before hopping onto it and took a seat next to Calum. Well, I'd hope he didn't mind.

And Ashton came in and sat right next to me. Cue awkwardness.

"Hi." He muttered.

"Hey," I replied curtly. He never told me why he ditched me that night.

I felt Calum tense up next to me.

Ashton

Bay sat next to Calum in the van, of course. I felt the need to sit next to her, and although I really shouldn't, my feet brought me to her.

"Ashton?" Jess said, confused that I was leaving her alone.

"Just a moment, Jess," I said quickly before making my way to Bay and Calum.

As I sat next to Bay, I felt the hairs on my arm stand on a wave of nostalgia washed over me. This was exactly how it was like when I first met Bay.

"Hi." The word spilled out of my mouth.

"Hey." I could sense the doubt in her voice.

Before I could say anything else, Calum turned to Bay and whispered something like "nausea" "don't look" and "crazy ride."

Nausea? Does Bay get car sick? She wasn't car sick the other day.

Bay nodded before reverting her attention back to her hands.

"Ashton!" Jess called out. I snapped out of my trance and realised that Jess had been trying to get my attention.

"Ashton, cuddle with me," Jess commanded with open arm.

Bay

Just as I got into the car, Calum sat beside me and muttered softly "I hope you don't feel any nausea. Try not to look out the window. This would be a crazy car ride."

I nodded. Okay, don't look. Don't look and you will be fine, Bay.

"Ashton!" Jess screeched, snapping me out of my train of thoughts. Her voice sent goosebumps down my arms, it irked me. 

"Ashton, cuddle with me!" She commanded as she practically engulfed Ashton in her arms.

Well, that was awkward. I averted my gaze and tried to concentrate on my "oh-so-entertaining" hands as the lovebirds smooch it out beside me.

"Bay. You okay?" Calum asked, concerned. 

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm all right."

"Bay, you look sick." Luke piped in. I didn't take into account how green I must be looking right now. I should have gotten a puke bag. 

"No, I'm fine really." I'm not. I wanted and needed to throw up. After the long day, I felt as if I needed to empty my insides.

"Oh, c'mon. Bay's just a scaredy cat. She's probably not used to the car ride." As much as I wanted to punch her in the face, I had to agree with her to keep my secret and not aggravate Ashton to make things easier for myself. And Calum. 

"Yeah. She's probably right." I admitted. 

"Well, living with us now. I guess you'd get used to it." Calum placed a hand on my arm, it was oddly comforting. He offered me a sweet and I gladly popped it into my mouth. 

"Speaking of which, who will you be sharing a room with?" Michael asked.

"Michael, everyone knows you wanna sleep with her."

"Shut up Luke."

"Well, I'm sleeping with Ashton." Jess' high-pitched voice filled the car.

I heard a scoff from somewhere in the car. Michael. It was Michael. I suppressed a laugh.

"I'll share a room with her," Calum suggested. I guess it's better than anything else at this moment

"Luke!" Michael shouted as he raised his arms to hug Luke.

"Get outta here, Michael." Luke joked.