Love Sucks || Vampire Ashton Irwin AU.

24.

"So you definitely filled up the petrol?" Michael was asking Ashton when I walked into the lounge the next morning.

"100%," Ashton replied, putting food into a strange basket.

"And we're going to get there this time?"

"I hope so," Ash grinned but Mikey just scowled at him. Typical.

There were mixed emotions about coming on the trip. Calum wasn't quite as overjoyed as we had expected, but still agreed to coming, whereas Alexis exclaimed that she wasn't feeling too good. Perhaps she had some kind of hangover that lasts a few days.

Michael and Luke happily agreed and Scarlett brought Milly along again. We hadn't invited Peter, but Jordan explained how he 'wouldn't miss it for the world'.

It was already dark out, which made the air slightly cool. It was a nice type of breezy weather. We were all wearing t-shirts and skirts/shorts. I had on some knee-length jean shorts and a red plaid shirt that can have the sleeves rolled up. There were Alexis' sunglasses resting on my head although there was no sun out and I put in a turquoise lip ring that Luke gave me since he'd never worn it before and never thought he would.

We arrived at the beach sooner than anticipated, but that was probably just because of the music I was listening to and the arm resting around my shoulders. The thoughts swimming through my head contributed too.

"Calum's acting strange," Milly states, as we're clambering out of the minibus. It may have not even been directed towards me but I answered anyway.

"I noticed." All of these small 'Calum things' were suddenly not occurring and it made me wonder if something happened at home and he's distressed about it. For instance, he wasn't yelling 'BEACH! BEACH!' at any point throughout the ride and he wasn't teasing Ashton and I. Weird.

"I would talk to him but we don't talk that much anyway, it would be like a cricket explaining his problems to a grasshopper," Milly chuckles quietly, enjoying her joke but knowing it might not be time for it.

"Don't worry about it," I tell her, then walk off to join Ashton down by the water. As I'm walking, the soft sand squishes between my toes and it's a weird feeling; one I haven't experienced before.

The sea starts off quite pale and gets darker as it becomes further away. It reminds me of a drawing that I once saw at a museum with my Uncle. It was a mixture of blacks and blues and greens. People could make comments about it 'being done by a five year old' but I thought it was great, like a drawing of a paint pallet itself. Almost like Ashton's eyes.

The eyes I was looking into right now.

"Your eyes look gorgeous," I tell him, then immediately regret it afterwards. I don't regret what I said, because it's true, but I just told him and that could be weird.

"Aren't I supposed to tell you that?" He smirks. He has nice teeth too. It's funny how you notice the beauties of a person only when you see it up close but from afar you only point out flaws.

"Maybe," I shrug.

He beams while exclaiming, "you have gorgeous eyes."

Then it's my turn to beam. And blush - mainly just blushing.

"Thank you," I say. Our hands are entwined as I break our stare and instead look over towards the ocean, almost reflecting the full moon.

"The wolves are out," Ashton says, chuckling at the end. He goes into an explanation afterwards, "it's a full moon."

I hum in understanding. Of course, Michael had to interrupt us by yelling for us to join them all sat on the sand. We oblige, wandering over towards them and sitting down. I sit beside Luke with Ash on my right.

"Do you think the water is very cold?" Jordan asks, playing with some sand and building a tiny sandcastle that just looks like a pile of wet mud.

"Yes," Scarlett answers, putting her headphones into her ears. I see her turn down the volume so she can contribute to the conversation. I wonder what she's listening to.

"Cal, I dare you to jump in," Jordan says, chuckling. Cal doesn't look pleased, he just stares at his feet, looking up once and then looking straight back down.

"No, Jordan," I defend him. I think we're all too tired for a game of dares.

"It's just a bit of fun," he shrugs. Turning back to the dark-haired boy. "Go on, Cal."

"Stop it," Milly says to him. She's resting on the palm of her hands.

"Why?"

"Because," Milly pauses as if she's thinking about her answer thoroughly. Then she makes the wrong decision. "Alexis wouldn't want him to."

I mentally face palm seeing the frown on Calum's face extend. He stands up and walks away towards the rock pools, passing a happy couple who are walking off the beach. He glares at them from afar. Alexis is a touchy subject for him, but I don't understand why.

Milly has a very apologetic look on her face as she says, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for him to react that way."

No one says anything, and it stays like that for a what feels like half an hour but was probably only sixty seconds. Everyone just awkwardly makes eye contact occasionally until Luke speaks up.

"Did you know that human's thigh bones are proven to be stronger than concrete?" He explains and yet again, I restrain myself from face palming. He still carries on, "and bluebirds can't see the colour blue."

Jordan and Luke get into an argument about who's right about his status. Meanwhile, I turn towards Ashton and ask if he could go check on Calum.

"Why?"

"Why'd you think? He's acting really distant and you're his best friend," I encourage. "Go talk to him."

He nods, standing up and begins walking over. Somehow, I end up joining the conversation about all these crazy facts that Luke knows.

"Are you sure?" I ask him when he explains another fact.

"Yeah, they can see other colours but not the colour blue."

"And these a bluebirds?" Scarlett furrows her eyebrows.

"Yep," he nods, proud at his statement.

Just then, Ashton comes back and sits beside me, looking quiet. Calum is still by the rock pools, now throwing pebbles at anything.

"Well?" I ask. Ashton doesn't reply and just stares off into space. "Ashton?"

He hums, eventually meeting my gaze.

"What happened?"

"Oh, um," he thinks about it for a moment. "I think you should speak to Alexis about it."

I scrunch up my nose for no real reason. "I can't talk to her now."

"Really, I think you should talk to her," he nods along as he speaks. "She might need someone to talk to."

"Okay," I agree. "I'll go now."

"How're you going to get there?"

"I'll run," I explain. "It'll take me a little amount of time then."

He nods once standing up too, "I'll explain to the others." He gestures to the group of idiots who are laughing at something stupid. "Be safe."

"Will do."

When am I ever unsafe?