Money, Planes, & Saying Goodbye

Chapter Sixteen

I sat down beside of Ashton on the bench he had saved for our little group. "Are you guys playing?" I asked him as I  sipped on my diet coke.

"Nah, I just like listening to people's attempts at good music," he chuckled to himself. After pausing for a moment his face lit up. "But it's open mike and you could totally sing," he practically jumped with the idea.

I felt my eyes grow bigger. "Absolutely not."

"Absolutely not what?" Michael asked walking up with Luke and Morgan.

"I think that Rose should sing at the karaoke thing," he answered, motioning towards the screen. He smiled brightly at me and batted his long eyelashes.

"No," I stated matter-of-factly. "There is no way I am singing on that stage."

Morgan sat down beside me. "Well none of us have heard her sing," she stated crossing her ankles. "She may very well suck, and you are trying to force her into torturing the whole place." She laughed light and bumped my shoulder. "I'm just kidding, I'm sure your fine."

I shrugged, "You were right though, I do suck. Completely and utterly."

Calum and Haley walked up behind us with a large funnel cake and a giant bear. Calum was smiling so brightly you could practically feel his excitement. "Check it our guys," he stated. I won Haley a bear."

"And it only took him twenty tries," Haley added with a smirk.

Luke reached back and took a piece of funnel cake from Calum's plate and licked his fingers clean. "How much did you end up spending on the game Cal?" He asked laughing.

I was very grateful that the topic has switched from me and I smiled big when Calum mumbled under his breath, "Thirty-five dollars." He smiled big. "But it was worth it," he laughed kissing Haley quickly on the check before stuffing a piece of the oversized funnel cake into his mouth.

"Shhhh," Ashton whispered to the group. "I think the show is starting."

-

We sat for at least thirty minutes listening to dumb songs that I had never heard before. Most of the people here were really bad and everyone ignored the instruments that were set up for the use of anyone who wanted them. After a person butchered 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry I had to get up and stretch my legs or I was going to have a mental break down. The only reason I hadn't already suggested we leave was because Ashton, Calum and Haley seemed to be having a perfect time.

I whispered a quick excuse to Ashton and made my way to the back of the little stage area. As I made my way back I recognized the sign up sheet for the songs and decided it would be fun to look at the song choices.

In all honesty the songs weren't that bad and I was enjoying reading through them. I heard someone singing a terrible version of Bruno Mars 'Count On Me' and that pushed me over the edge. I scrawled out the words to my one of my favorite songs with a name beside it, then I strolled back to my seat.

-

"-everyone knows that," Michael finished as I sat down.

"What are we talking about?" I asked the group, turning so I could see Calum, Haley and Michael who were sitting behind us.

"What movie is better?" Luke asked. "The Breakfast Bunch or the Lego Movie?"

I scratched at the back of my neck as I told the truth to my amazing and new Australian friends.  "Well, I uh, haven't actually, uh, seen either of those movies."

Every single person looked at me and all I could do was look down at me feet. I suddenly found the stings on my shoes very interesting.

"You what?" Ashton asked urgently from my left.

"Well, I never really did things like watch movies back at home," I stuttered.

"This is crazy," Michael muttered under his breath.

"Alright here's what's gonna happen," Luke began. "Band practice for tomorrow has been cancelled, and we are all going to hang out watching movies."

"We can watch them at my house," I said. "Madison and my dad are going out for the weekend so Heather is staying at some friends house."

"That sounds perfect!" Haley said from where she was sitting with Cal.

We all got quiet as the announcer said the next person who would be performing.

"Let's give a round of applause to Samantha Turner," the dark haired lady said from the middle of the stage. "And next up will be 5 seconds of summer singing American Idiot."

Everyone in our little group looked around confused except for me. I smiled and nudged Ashton. "You had better get up there," I whispered.

"You put our names on the list?" He asked.

I smirked. "Well I was tired of listening to people who can't play the instruments and are even worse of singers."

The boys stood and walked up to the stage. I watched Luke very awkwardly tune the guitar and Ashton picked up the drumsticks off of the seat that had been provided. The entire crowd got very quiet and I could tell they didn't think the bad would be very good.

I listened to Ashton count off and the music began to start as I thought 'Prove them all wrong boys.'