tattoos || luke af

IMPORTANT CHAPTER

the title, aw shit

//*//*//*//

michael and aubree sat in the pizza parlour alone, michael cussing at his decisions, and aubree feeling anxious.

luke had taken aubree on her date the night before, and it was "perfect" in aubree's words, but from what michael could make out of it, well, it was a mess.

"so he was thirty minutes late?" michael questioned, and aubree nodded. "and he made you pay?"

she nodded again.

"jesus christ, audrey," michael frowned. "the kids a tool, you don't take a girl out on a date and then make her pay it."

"it's fine michael," aubree rested her hand on top of his, on his lap. "i swear, i don't mind, it was only like twenty-"

"twenty too much," michael removed one of his hand from under hers and ran it through his lilac hair. "you know i'd never do that."

aubree's eyes widened as she looked at michael. she got the feeling that he was trying to hint at something, but she wasn't entirely sure what.

"just saying," michael shrugged, and aubree copied him, dropping the subject. "where is this damn boy?" michael let out a low growl, hating luke more than ever.

"he's just texted me," aubree removed her hands from michael's, checking her phone. "he's now in the car park."

"about time," michael grumbled under his breath. him and aubree had been sat there for almost an hour, just waiting on luke, who apparently had better things to do then attend the plans he'd initiated.

the bell above the door dinged, signalling an entrance, and michael couldn't help but roll his eyes when aubree let out an excited squeal.

she jumped out of her booth and ran towards luke, placing a kiss on his lips, which she then did again, and again, and again. michael looked away.

"hey man," someone slid into the booth next to michael, and he sighed.

"hi," he turned to face this guy, seeing a familiar face. ashton, the guy who worked at the downtown music store. he was constantly tapping on everything, and creating new beats with his hands. the drummer, for sure.

"michael, right?" ashton smiled widely, and michael returned the gesture. "i'm ashton, the drummer."

michael nodded, looking over at aubree and luke. they were still kissing. "yeah, i'm michael," he smiled timidly. "you work at that music store downtown, don't you?"

"yeah, that's me," he grinned wildly. "although my boss is borderline firing me for all the tapping."

michael laughed quietly, noticing how another boy had slid into the booth, sitting across from them.

"ash, you know if you get fired, kfc are hiring," he smiled cheekily, turning to michael. "calum hood, bassist."

michael nodded at the boy. "michael clifford, newbie."

"hey mike," he picked up a menu, looking at all the fast foods available. "you seem like the type of guy who likes pizza, what's good here?"

"everything," michael laughed, although his heart fluttered at the nickname. aubree called him mike. "but the double cheese pepperoni is my favourite."

"you're a good man," calum nodded, and ashton copied him.

luke and aubree finally slipped into the booth, calum becoming a little squished, not that he was complaining - michael could already tell that he was too polite.

"we spoke to the staff, a waitress should be over soon," aubree smiled at everyone in turn, her eyes lingering [HAHAGA I ACCIDENTALLY WROTE LINGERIE INSTEAD OF LINGERING LAUGH WITH ME] on michael for the longest.

"remember when two of your girlfriends worked here? and you went on a date with some girl?" ashton let out a small laugh, looking at luke.

"they both poured food in your hair," calum laughed loudly, slamming his hand down on the table. "but at least the chick you was on a date with gave you head on the way back."

michael shifted uncomfortably in the booth. he knew who that girl was -- it was his ex-girlfriend, who was coincidentally cheating on him. with luke.

"guys," luke sounded embarrassed, and when michael looked up, his face was red. "shut the fück up."

michael stopped looking at luke, and instead looked at aubree. she looked as uncomfortable as michael felt.

"fuçk this," michael slid out of his booth. "nice meeting you, calum and ashton. see you later audrey."

and with that, michael walked out of his favorite pizza parlour, his stomach rumbling the entire walk home.

// * // * // * //

"why'd you leave?" aubree questioned michael later that evening. they were talking on the phone, and aubree wouldn't shut up about luke.

"because he's a total loser, aud," michael let out a sigh. "i wish you'd realize that. this was cute at first, but you heard what ash and cal said -- he was dating three girls at once! you don't need that. you don't need him."

"that was in the past," aubree's tone was sharp, and michael knew he'd crossed a line, but he didn't care. "you need to get over it."

"how am i supposed to get over it when the chick," he imitated calum's accent to a t. "that gave him head was my fuckîng girlfriend."

"she was a sucky girlfriend anyway," aubree let out a small laugh. "i warned you about her."

"well, this is me warning you about luke," michael rolled onto his stomach, trying to silence the angry growling coming from it. he'd left his appetite in the pizza parlour.

"michael--" aubree started talking, but michael cut her off.

"when you change your mind," he rolled back onto his side, rubbing his grumbling stomach. "i'll be waiting, cause i'm better than him."

"what the fu--"

"just saying."

and for the first time in his life, michael hung up on aubree.