Always You ( Calum Hood AU)

Part 12- English Love Affair

"I'm glad to have a day with just you Mikey."
He scoffs, "Stop being all soft, it's gross."
"I'm just in a good mood lately."
"That's not my fault."
I roll my eyes, "Never mind, go back to the UK, I've had enough of you."
"Alright alright." He relents
"I love having the boys around, but they're sooo tiring." I complain to Michael.
"You're tiring. I swear every grey hair I have is from you." Michael shoots back.

"Don't act like you weren't trouble. You cut my hair off and dyed  it blue." I argue
Michael laughs, "I don't know how you slept through that."
"You put Night Quill in my drink!"
"Oh yeah." He continues to laugh, "You were supposed to have a date that weekend."
I fake sniffle, "I was heartbroken."
"Oh please, you were 12."

I scoff, "Can you just pick a movie already? I'm growing old over here."
"What about two good trouble?" He suggests, "Y'know with that guy who kinda looks like Calum?"
"Keone Carter?"
"I think so."
"No, I hate him."
"Why?"
"Cos he cheated on me!"
"I thought that was Justin."
"No, Justin was a lovely bloke, just not for me."
"You've had so many boyfriends it's hard to keep up."
I roll my eyes, "You've had far more girlfriends than I've had boyfriends."

He sighs happily, "I'm so lucky I found Crystal."
"You guys are so cute. If you don't make it I'm going to be alone forever."
"You could marry Ashton." He jokingly suggests.
I groan, "You're making it worse."
Michael shrugs, "I'm just saying: he'd definitely agree to a marriage pact with you."
"I know he would. He already has."
Michael's eyebrows shoot up in surprised, "What?"
"I'm just kidding." No not really.
"Oh thank goodness." He laughs, "That's a match made in hell if I've ever heard of one."

2014

Evelyn takes out her earbud and hands it back to me, "Wow, that's really good."
"Most of it at least." While she listened to 18 I took out my earbud. I hate that song.
"It's just so hard to believe that those boys made it out of here and are going to be famous."
"I'm really proud of them."
"Just them? I mean, you helped write some of those songs, didn't you?"
I shrug, "That's nothing."

"You must miss them though, especially your boyfriend." She says sympathetically.
"Boyfriend?"
"Yeah, Ashton is your boyfriend, isn't he?"
My face contorts in disgust, "No, never."
"Oh, I just assumed he was because when I asked him out he said he had plans with you."
That must be because he doesn't like you. Ashton has never blown off a date for me. But obviously I'm not going to tell her that.
"He's just a good mate."

"Are you going to Brooklyn's party tomorrow?" She pivots.
"That's tomorrow?"
"Don't tell me you have other plans." She whines.
"No, I'm just not really in a party mood."
"Since when?"
"Since she has one almost every weekend."
"Brooklyn's gap year is the best thing that happened to this stupid little town in forever."
I shrug and start up my driveway, "I'll think about it."
"I'll see you tomorrow." She insists

When I get inside I discard my backpack next to the door and make my way to the kitchen for a snack, as usual.

"Hello Livie." Mrs. Hemmings greets me sunshinally.
I glance back and forth between her and mum, "hey Mrs. Hemmings."
"Please, just Liz." She insists.
I nod and turn to fill a glass with water.

"Liz came so we could listen to the boys new album together." Mum tells me.
I choke on my water.
"Are you alright?" Mum asks.
"Yeah, just went down the wrong pipe." I turn back to them, "I actually pinky promised Luke that I would wait until he next visited to listen to the album. You guys should wait with me." I lie. I told them I wouldn't cover for them, but I kind of want to see them to deal with the fall out in person.
Mrs. Hemmings smiles, "You two have always been so cute."

Mum furrows her brow, "Didn't you help write the songs?"
I scratch the back of my neck, "Only like 6, and I haven't heard the finished product."
"Just one." My mum begs, "they don't have to know, and we'll pick one of the ones you didn't help write so that they can get your genuine reaction."
"But mine are better." I insist. More appropriate at least.
Mum laughs, "you haven't heard them, you wouldn't know."
"You're right." I concede.

"We'll just listen to the first one.....English Love Affair." Mrs. Hemmings starts happily and finishes dryly.
I sink back onto the counter. Here we go.
The whole song I watch them stand there mouths agape and mimic shock.

As the last cords fade out Mum finally decides to say something, "I can not believe they wrote that, or put it out for that matter."
Mrs. Hemmings shakes her head, "Perverts, all of them."
Just imagine how you would react if you knew what they're up to on tour.
"I can't believe it." I add. I weirdly enjoy English Love Affair, it's catchy.
"Honestly I don't know how you put up with them." Mrs. Hemmings says to me
Mum scoffs, "they never would have written something like that with you around, I have half a mind to send you on tour with them."
"I'm calling Luke." Mrs. Hemmings decides.

After a few rings he picks up, unfortunately for him
"Lucas Robert Hemmings what is wrong with you?" She yells, "I raised you better than this!"
I choke back a laugh.
"Honestly when did you stop respecting women?"
She stays quiet while he answers.
"Olivia Rose is very disappointed in you."
Again, a pause.
"I'll put her on the phone right now."
"No I don't want to-" I start before she shoves the phone to my ear.

"I can't believe you actually didn't cover for us." Luke complains.
I roll my eyes, why is that my job?
"I didn't want to listen. I told them I was waiting for you." I tell him.
It dawns on Mrs. Hemmings that I "promised Luke" I would wait and she offers me a guilty and apologetic look.
I can practically hear Luke smiling over the phone, "So you did try and cover for us?"
"No." I lie, "I genuinely can't believe you've done this."
"18 was a beauty, you can't deny it."
"Keep it up and mum is gonna send me on tour with you to babysit." I kid.
"You say that like it's a punishment."
I hear some chatter in the background.
"If we keep writing songs like this Mrs. Clifford is going to send her on tour with us." Luke reiterates to someone.
I hear more chatter and Luke laughs.
"What?" I ask him impatiently.
"Michael says our music is going to be so clean from you'll think it's gospel music and Calum and Ashton are planning on writing a songs so foul it'll put mum in shock." He explains.
I laugh, "don't forget the goal is to bring me there not bring you home."
"I'll keep 'em in check."
I roll my eyes, "Yeah, ok, we'll see"

"Yeah he does." Luke says to someone.
I hear some chatter.
"Ashton can show you a picture." He continues.
More chatter and Luke grunts.
"She's 17 mate." Luke says.
More chatter.
"What?" I again say impatiently.
"The boys didn't know Michael had a sister so Ashton showed them a picture." He says.
"And?" I ask. I know that's not all.
"Harry said you were hot." He adds with annoyance, "but I told him you were 17."
"He's only 3 years older than me." I argue.

I hear more chatter and can sense Luke death staring someone through the phone.
"What?" I ask again.
"Nothing." Luke grumbles.
I hear a rustle over the phone, "I told him to tell you to give me a ring next year."
I nearly drop the phone but compose myself as Mrs. Hemmings and Mum stare at me curiously.
"I'll keep that in mind." I tell him smoothly.

"Gimme." I hear Luke say over the phone.
"I can't believe I just talked to Harry Styles!" I chirp.
Luke sighs, "Me either."
"I'm just joking mate." I tell him.
"I know, he's not your type anyway."
"Why do you know that?"