Petunia [Luke Hemmings]

03: awkward conversations

I follow Madi, unsure to where this would lead. She stops in front of the two musicians, her plate with her food still in her hands.

"You must be Ashton." She states, eyeing him up and down.. I step next to her and bump her with my shoulder.

Ash clears his throat and politely holds a hand out for her to take. Madi takes it and gives him a big smile. "Ashton Irwin, in the flesh." He replies.

"I am Florence's friend Madison, but you can call me Madi." She introduces herself.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Madison." He teases and she rolls her eyes playfully.

"Anyways" I interrupt them. "Welcome to the Avery mansion." I joke and before I could react he pulls me into a hug. Gladly I am carrying my plate in only one hand and it isn't too full so there is no food falling to the floor.

We both pull away again after the hug is finished and he smiles big. "You gotta hang out with us boys more often, Florence. The boys and I already missed making jokes about you."

"Oh, fuck off, Irwin." I say and shake my head amused.

"They really did annoy me, asking if I could bring you to hang out another time." Luke speaks up.

"Aww, that's so cute." I sarcastically say and fake pout.

"Don't get sassy now." Ashton warns. I feel Madi's elbow nudge me from the side, reminding me what the actual plan was.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that. Madi and I wanted to ask you two if you wanted to eat with us, rather than eat with these..."

"Boring ladies and gentlemen that will probably be really snobby and drunk at any minute." Madi finishes my sentence sassily.

"You are very welcome to sit with us and have a talk or stuff." I offer. Luke's smile widens and Ash nods at my offer.

"I am glad that you didn't consider us two as old people as well." Luke jokes and I chuckle. That wasn't even a good one but I can't resist letting out that embarrassing sound.

"You're not old, Luke." Madi comments. "You're just Daddy." She winks, referring to before, when I called Luke that.

Ashton tries to hold back a laugh but fails, while Luke succeeds, probably being not wanting embarrass me even more by laughing at Madi's joke. I step on Madi's foot on purpose, making her wince. I am sure my cheeks turned crimson by now.

"I like you, Madi. I can imagine us becoming friends." Says Ash, as he lays an arm around Madi's shoulders in a buddy-ish way and walks to the way too fancy version of a picnic table, which is a few feet next to the loungers and the pool, leaving Luke and I alone. My family and I sit there, whenever we feel like eating outside. It's far enough away to have a little privacy from all the guests.

"You wanna get food too before we go there?" I ask him.

"Yeah sure. Imma get some for Ashton too." He tells me.

"I'll wait here for you." He smiles, turns around and then stands in line to get himself and Ashton food. While I wait I look into Madi and Ash's direction, to see what they are doing.

They sit at the table, opposite of each other, engaged in a funny conversation, considering to the fact that they are laughing their asses off. I smile at my friends getting along and my attention goes to a big, white, moving thing I can see in the corner of my eye. I focus on that and recognise Petunia once again. She is now chasing butterflies, which is pretty damn cute.

I watch her for a while, until I feel someone's presence right behind me. "Cute, isn't it?" I hear Luke's voice right next to my ear. He is probably looking over my shoulder to see his dog, but I don't mind that.