haze / afi

part 29. avoidance

"so, michael's birthday is when?"

violet asks, glancing over to luke who's sitting to the left of her on his sofa.

"next week." he answers.

"good job i already bought a gift then," she shakes her head. "you guys have been talking about it for weeks, but didn't think to tell me the exact date until now?"

"no one told you the date?" he asks. she shakes her head again. "well it's next sunday."

violet nods, happy to finally know the day.

currently, violet and luke are sitting in his living room, both their gifts and wrapping paper in front of them on the table, ready to be wrapped up for michael's birthday next week.

"cal should be here soon," luke looks down at his phone, placing it in his pocket after.

"ashton isn't coming is he?" violet snaps her head towards luke.

"he's not, but why don't you want him here?" luke furrows his eyebrows.

"i don't know," she looks down in her lap. "haven't mentally prepared myself to see him again since i admitted to myself that i have actual feelings for him."

"do i need to remind you that you went camping with him not long ago?"

"that's before i realised i like him."

"right."

hearing a knock on the door, luke jumps up, letting calum inside. he smiles over at violet. upon seeing he's holding coffee, she goes to take them from him.

"back one's yours." he tells her.

she heads to the sofa, placing the coffee's down, waiting as calum slips his shoes off before walking over to where she is.

"it's good to see you," calum pulls violet in for a gentle hug. smiling over at luke at the same time. "ash is keeping mike occupied so i don't think they'll be coming over today."

"perfect," luke nods. "let's get started."

all three go to sit down, until calum hesitates, "i left my phone in my car, hang on."

as they're waiting for calum, violet feels her phone vibrating in her pocket. grabbing it out, seeing three texts from ashton. one saying hi, one asking if she's doing okay and another checking that they're good.

she hasn't been answering his texts.

"you're seriously not gonna reply?" luke glances over her shoulder. easily seeing as they're sitting beside each other. "why aren't you replying."

"i don't know."

"you know, when i started liking sierra, it made me wanna see her more," luke pauses, picking up his drink from the table. "you're being the complete opposite. why is that?"

before violet can answer, she copies luke. taking her drink, sipping it. she turns around, checking to see where calum is, still outside.

"i don't like feeling feelings," she frowns.

"you're just gonna make things worse by not texting him."

"you think i don't already know that?"

violet forces a smile onto her face once she hears the door close. calum sitting down next to her on the couch. luke sighs, wanting to talk more about the fact that she's ignoring ashton. she's gonna have to talk to him at some point.

"so, i heard camping went well," calum sparks up a conversation, knowing he needs to talk to her more. "also heard you're a great cuddler."

"did he tell everyone that we slept together?" she chuckles. widening her eyes at her choice of words. "no! sorry, i meant like sleeping together as in sleeping close not actually sleeping together because we definitely didn't sleep together."