northstar - cashton

Chapter 8

"Hey Mike, do you think I can stay the night again, I won't break down tonight. Y'all helped me through that stage of the break up." I asked looking at my phone, remembering my mom won't be home until tomorrow afternoon.

"Dude, yeah, why what's up?" he asked after chuckling at my remark, looking away from the screen that was playing Supernatural.

"My mom won't be home until tomorrow and my siblings live with my dad. I just don't want to go home alone," I told him looking back at the show seeing Sam with Jessica since it was the first season, the first episode to be exact.

"I get it. You can just stay in the same room you were in last night." he told me.

"Okay," I don't like sleeping alone but it'll be fine. "I want to know more about you guys other than the stuff I know from school."

"Okay so my name is Michael Gordon Clifford, I am 17 years old, born in November, you guys are my best friends. I love playing the guitar and singing. I love playing video games, I can't draw, and I love pizza." He smiled at me.

"My name is Luke Robert Hemmings. I'm 17, born in July. Mike is my very best friend. I'm a good singer and guitarist, I want to learn to play the piano. I am gay as fuck and yeah." He finished smiling fondly at Michael. Something tells me they're more than best friends.

We all just sat in silence, I noticed that I was waiting for Calum to talk but I knew he wouldn't. Michael just played the show again. Even though I love Supernatural, I couldn't focus on it. I wanted to know everything about Calum. I wanted to know why he didn't talk, how he learned to play the bass, how he met the boys. I want to know about his childhood, if he's close to his mom or if he has any siblings.

"Who wants pizza?" Michael asked, pausing the TV.

"Is that even a question?" I joked, grabbing my phone to order some, "What do you guys want, I know the best pizza place here but we have to pick it up, I'll go because I like driving. I'll also eat anything." I finished, smiling at the boys.

"Just two large pepperonis should be fine." Luke said, nodding his head at me.

"Cool." I got up from my spot to go order the pizza. I walked into the kitchen and jumped up to sit on the counter. Swaying my legs, I ordered the pizzas and they told me it would be about 30 minutes. It usually takes me 20 minutes to get there so I'd leave in 5.

"Hey! Who wants to go with me? You can choose the music!" I yelled to them.

"I CALL DIBS!" Michael yelled, running to the front door to put on his shoes.

"Let's go then," I laughed at him falling over as he tried to put Lukes shoes on instead of his own, "Michael, those aren't even yours!" I laughed harder when he just flipped me off and ripped Lukes shoes off and put on his, "BYE LUKE! BYE CAL! DON'T MISS US TOO MUCH!" I yelled, pulling Michael outside and shutting the door behind me.

"Mate, they're just going to enjoy the silence." he laughed at his own joke, I laughed along.

"You're not wrong." We climbed into my car, this time the music wasn't blasting when I started it.

Michael chose some really good music to play and we just mutually jammed, not needing to talk. Almost like Calum but not at all because I needed to talk to Calum but I knew he wouldn't actually respond. If I asked Michael literally anything he'd answer it.

Once we got to Tony's Pizzeria, we were kinda burnt out rockin 'to the music. We went a little too hard. I walked into the shop, greeting the owner, paying for the pizza and going back to the car with two large pizzas in hand.

"You are a lifesaver, you know that?" Mike said, taking the pizza from my hands and into his lap.

"Because I got pizza?" I chuckled, putting on my seatbelt and pulling out of the pizzeria.

"Yes because you got pizza." he laughed with me.

After a few minutes of silence Michael decided to speak up, "So how long have you lived in Ohio?" he asked me.

"All my life, I've lived in the same house since I was born." I told him.

"Wow, that's insane. We moved here because our parents wanted us to get what they'd call 'Real life experience'. Bullshit if you ask me but here we are. I still don't know why we chose this city but I'm glad we did or else we wouldn't have met you and found this amazing pizza oh my god it smells so good." Michael smelled the pizza through the box.

"Your parents trust you that much? Just to fly you across the world and say 'Live?'. That is insane Mike." I told him, turning onto the street.

"Yeah, they knew we'd have to move if we wanted this band thing to work out and my parents wanted me to actually go to school and Australian schools suck dude. I think the whole school hated me and wanted me to suffer. But I'm happier now and my teachers here actually want me to succeed. But Luke and Cals parents wanted them out, they were never really supportive of our band but they knew we needed change so they gave us money and sent us here. Luke's parents are loaded, they own a famous brand in Australia called Hemm. Clothing. So they fund this whole excursion until we start making enough money to support ourselves." he finished explaining as we pulled into the driveway.

"Makes sense, but it's still insane to think about. But I'm glad you guys are here, who knows what could've happened if you weren't." I joked.

"I'm glad we're here too," he smiled at me then got out of the car with the two pizzas in hand.

I turned off the car and walked in the house behind him. Taking off my shoes and putting my keys down on the counter Luke yelled at us asking why it took so long. I just laughed and grabbed paper plates from under the island. I hadn't really looked at my phone since I deleted those pictures but even then I didn't read my notifications. I swiped down to see a text from Ellie saying that she's proud of me, one from mom saying she loves me, 5 from Justin back after the party that I deleted without reading, and lastly one from my dad. I didn't want to open it, I haven't talked to him in almost 3 years and I wasn't planning on it. I replied to Ellie and mom.

"Michael can you do me a favor?" I asked looking at the boy devouring a slice of pizza.

"Depends on what it is." he said after swallowing his food.

"Can you open this message and see what it says?" I put my phone down in front of him.

"Sure, who's it from?" He leaned over looking at my open phone.
"My lame excuse of a father." I said rolling my eyes even though I was anxious as to what he said.

This grabbed both Luke and Calum's attention, they came running in with pizza in their hands as well.

"It just says, 'Hi, Lauren, Harry, and I miss you.'" he shrugged, not seeing it as a big deal.

"Bullshit, they don't miss me." I took my phone back quickly, reading the message with my own eyes. Michael was right, it said that they missed me.

"Why wouldn't they miss you?" Luke asked innocently.

"Because they haven't even tried to talk to me for 3 years, why after all this time would they miss me?" I asked, grabbing my first slice of pizza.

"Because you're family." Luke responded rather quickly.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, "Once again, bullshit."

"Fine, fine, wanna watch Supernatural to take your mind off it?" Michael asked, smiling.

"Is that even a question? Of course I do." I laughed, still thinking about my dad.