Got Enough Balls?

Twenty-Four

Alison

"Okay, so what is up with you and Ash, KayKay? You two have been stuck in the hotel rooms and away from us even on the cramped bus. We are curious how things are playing out with your massive fights!" Sierra pushes as the four of us girls sit around the green room.

We decided to order some food and have a little girl time instead of watch the show tonight. Always wanting to support, but also needing a night off from the noise of the crowds.

"I think we are good finally." KayKay sighs, "Like really good again. And I am so relieved, I was done, if we didn't figure it out this time I was going to walk away, no matter how badly it hurt to do so."

"But you figured it out?" Crystal grins.

"Ya, and we have been doing a lot of talking about how to not let it get like this again. And making up for lost time too..." She blushes.

"That makes two of you." Crystal turns to eye me, "I haven't seen Ali without a new hickey in over a week. And I think Calum was sporting one this morning too."

My face instantly turns bright red, "Um, we are good." I choke out.

"Ya, we can tell. Aren't you so glad you gave him a chance?" Sierra laughs.

"Mostly. I mean it's definitely been good. But I still haven't actually told hardly anyone outside the tour that I have." I swallow, letting the honest truth out.

"What? Why?" KayKay frowns, "Calum is amazing, what are you worried about?"

"You missed all their shit while dealing with your own." Sierra laughs, "Calum used to bully Ali."

"What!?" Kay spins on me.

"He had a crush on my best friend. He thought comparing us was a good way to make Claire like him..."

"Was he twelve?" She laughs.

"Um, January 2009 is when we met, and I left Sydney in December 2011. So like thirteen to fifteen." I shrug.

"You lived in Sydney for three years? I know nothing." She falls back in her chair, her voice exasperated.

"I did. Went to school with the three of them and played soccer at the same complex as Calum. So we had some issues when I found out it was their tour I was joining. You know being twelve, placed in the custody of your dads best friend on the other side of the world from home with only half truth explanations of why, and then being bullied by the local soccer star. It was a good few years." I sigh, "So I gave Calum some hell and sort of hated him for a while when I got here."

"What changed that? Like you were so annoyed with him, and then in New York something happened that made you end up in his room. But then you full on avoided him, left for school, came back, fought, and left again. And then in Orlando it was like everything had done a 180. Suddenly it was fine to smile and flirt, and cuddle into him on the bus, it just seemed a little weird." Crystal turns to me.

"My parents have a very complex relationship, and my mom sort of bullied and used my dad for like twelve years and he let her. So I had, and maybe still have, this irrational fear that Calum would maybe bully me again if I let him in. Since that's always what happened when my dad would forgive my mom and let her back into our lives..." I trail off, looking down at my hands, the fears Brit had helped calm suddenly feeling very real again.

"Oh, Ali!" Sierra sounds slightly upset, "Calum would never ever hurt you again. He likes you so much. We have all known him for years, and there has never been someone who changed him so much so quickly. No one has ever made him look inside and want to be better, or challenged his very sad beliefs about love and relationships without even trying. He's so invested in what you two could have. He would never treat you like anything but a queen."

"I just want to make sure I know that, fully, before I start letting other people know what's going on." I shrug.

"Take your time, but just remember, we all know it already. He's head over heals for you." Crystal smiles.

"Thanks." I nod.

Calum

"Good show, guys." Luke comments as we head from stage, "Well played."

"Quite, too bad the ladies decided this was the show to skip, it could have been our best." Ashton adds.

"Their loss. Though they may not agree with that. They have all seen quiet a few of our shows." Mike chuckles.

"Can you believe there are four women waiting in our dressing room for us? Like we all have someone here for us. How cool is that." Luke grins.

"It's sort of weird though, we've never all had someone. I like it though." I nod, scratching at the back of my neck. I still feel like Ali might suddenly flip, she might go back to hating me and not letting me be around her. And the closer I get to her, the more fun we have together, the more I worry about that.

"I think we all like it." Ashton nods, leading us through the door.

"Hey!" the four girls turn, all of them spread around the furniture.

"How was the show?" Crystal asks quickly.

"Great. You girls skipped the best yet." Luke smirks.

"Eh, we've had a good night without the show. We'll live." Ali laughs.

"Oh ya? Better than seeing the show again?" I smirk.

"For one night, yes. I enjoyed getting to know these ladies better without all the commentary from you four." She sasses right back.

"Well maybe you'd like sleeping on the crew bus again then wouldn't ya." I fire back jokingly.

"Oh fuck, please no. Marty will be up my ass about the hickey's the whole night. And I am so over that conversation." She groans.

"He is annoyed you and Cal are hooking up?" Ashton laughs.

"He literally told me not to touch her day one. You think he is okay with it now?" I remind him, "But Ali told him to leave me the hell alone about it and accept the choice she made to let me in, since we are all adults. But he took that to mean annoy her about it and not me. And she won't let me interfere."

"It will make it worse if you do, I promise you that." Ali sighs.

"Why?" Luke asks as he comes out from changing in the other part of the room.

"It's complected. My whole family life is, and well he seems to think I have little to no good judgement on who I should date. And in this case he thinks Calum is definitely a bad choice, because Calum doesn't believe in love or any of that marriage shit." She uses air quotes around the part that I'm assuming were his exact words.

"Well he can think what he wants. And ya, I have said things along those lines before, but it doesn't mean I can't have my mind changed. Sometimes something special comes along and you have to question your beliefs, and maybe change them. My beliefs have definitely been challenged as of late, it's to be determined if they will be changed completely." I smile, falling into the space beside her, watching the blood rush up her neck and to her cheeks.

"No pressure." She mumbles.

"You were challenging my beliefs while you still hated my guts. Now that you actually like me, it shouldn't be too hard to keep that up." I chuckle, "Don't pressure yourself love." I add quietly, kissing her cheek.

"I'm more worried about my own inner issues are going to hurt you and ruin it..." she whispers quietly.

"I won't let them." I frown, "Just don't walk away from this without talking to me, okay? We can figure out whatever insecurities your family left you with together."

"Thank you." She smiles softly, gently dragging my cheek down until our lips meet softly.

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Bleh! This took me all day to write. Sorry if it's shitty.

Next few will be better.

I love you guys!!

~M =)