"Hold it like this." Ashton said, guiding my hands into the correct position on the gun. "Now put your finger here, and pull the trigger- no, use both hands or you'll fall right on your cute little bum."
I glanced around at the open field in front of me, taking a deep breath and pulling the trigger. The loud, reverberating sound of the gunshot made me flinch, but I kept my ground until I opened my eyes and smiled widely. I tugged on the sleeves of Ashton's oversized army jacket, the slightly cold breeze ruffling my hair, but not touching my skin in the warmth of the jacket. I almost felt bad taking it from him after I realised how cold it was.
"Good gob, princess." Calum called from the bed of our truck, also smiling at my accomplishment.
"My turn, you shit head." Michael said, taking his gun from the glove compartment and walking over to where I had stood. "Luke, get over here a sec."
I curiously walked over to where Michael stood, a gun in one of his hands and an empty beer can in the other. "Go sit over there and balance this on your head." He said, pointing to a fallen log.
I sat down on the log, the can balanced on my head and my back stiff and straight as to not hurt myself. We've played this game many times, the latest incident involving Calum getting a chip out of his left ear and having to go to the emergency room under a false name. 'What's life without a few battle scars?' he had said.
"Ready?" Michael asked. I gave him a thumbs up before I could hear the unmistakable click of the hammer. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for an impact of a bullet, but that never came. All I heard was the sound of the fun going off and the sound of the can being knocked off my head.
The four of us yelled with whoops and hollers under the setting sun before Ashton pulled some sticks and logs from the field and lit a fire with his cigarette lighter and a can of gasoline from the bed of the truck.
Somehow, Calum found a piece of wire from the truck, bending it into shapes and putting it in the fire, watching it glow with different colors. Michael nudged him and took the glowing metal from his hand, turning over his wrist and pressing it to his outer forearm, wincing just slightly as he moved it in the shape of a crudely drawn pair of wings on his forearm. Ashton took the wire from his hands, putting it back in the fire and drawing the same thing on Calum's lower bicep in an empty place that wasn't already covered in tattoos. Calum returned the favor for Ashton and drew the picture on Ashton's left collarbone, then placed a quick kiss over the red skin.
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Calum said, glancing between me and the wire.
"I want to." I said, taking the wire from him and setting it in the fire. Michael retrieved it and took my arm. He glanced at me quickly before pressing it slowly to my inner forearm. I winced and yelped, a few tears springing at my eyes at the pain in my arm. Michael continued drawing on my skin despite the tears, and once he was done he retrieved a bottle of cold water from his bag and poured it over our wounds.
"What's life without a few battle scars?"
