troubled (m.c.) REVAMPED

Ten

I woke up to the sound of my ringtone blaring throughout my room.

"Urgh," I groaned.

I picked the phone up and read the name.

I chuckled lightly and answered, "Hello?"

"Good morning, Miss Woods," said a voice over the phone, "How are you doing on this fine morning?"

"Luke, you woke me up," I complained but laughed.

"I can tell," Luke laughed.

"You sound like a man!" Calum yelled in the background.

"Fuck off," I groaned.

"Sorry about waking you, Sleeping Beauty," Luke said, "But you're gonna have to get up and get ready."

I groaned, "Okay."

"Me and Calum will come and pick you up in like an hour or something," Luke said.

"Yeah!" Calum yelled in the background.

I chuckled, "Alright, I'll get in the shower."

I said goodbye and got out of bed.

After a few stretches and a few more groans I got a towel and went for a shower.

An hour later

Soon after I finished putting my makeup on, my doorbell rang.

I jogged over to the door and opened it, only to be tackled onto the floor and tickled by two tall people.

"Hi Alisha!" Calum yelled.

"Yeah, hi Alisha!" Luke echoed.

"Hi Alisha," said an unfamiliar voice.

Luke and Calum stopped tickling me and I sat up to see who the voice came from.

"Alisha, this is Ashton," Luke said.

"Nice to meet you, short girl," Ashton laughed

"I'm not short! I'm 5'8 and a half!" I giggled, "Nice to meet you too, tall boy."

"Are we ready to go then?" Calum asked.

"I think so, yeah," I nodded, "I just have to tell Michael I'm going out in case he wonders where I am," I said as I looked over to Luke briefly who had his jaw clenched, and then back to Calum.

Calum nodded his head, "Alright."

I smiled and jogged out to my hideout.

I brought my ear up to the door to listen in and I heard loud pop punk music being played inside.

"Michael?" I banged on the door.

The door was unlocked a few seconds later.

I opened it and saw Michael slouching back down on the sofa with his laptop on his lap.

"Erm, I'm going out for a little while in case you wondered where I was," I said.

"Okay."

"Are you okay? You know, from yesterday?" I asked awkwardly.

He looked up at me and I gasped.

"Michael, you didn't clean the blood off your face," I said.

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt," he said, stone-faced.

"I know, but you got blood on the sofa," I sighed as I pointed to the cushions.

"I'll get the blood out of it," he said.

"Use the bathroom in my room to clean yourself up and shower and stuff, okay?" I suggested, "Be gentle on the bruises and cuts and stuff."

"You have an en suite bathroom?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Holy shit, I'm definitely staying in your room tonight," he said with wide eyes.

I chuckled, "Okay, I'm going out now but I'll be back a little later."

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm, er, I'm not sure yet," I stuttered.

For fuck's sake, what I am supposed to say if he asks who I'm going with? I can't just say 'Hey Michael I'm going out with the guys you fucked up yesterday. See you later, dude.'

"Okay," Michael looked at me suspiciously.

Here comes the question.

"Have fun," he shrugged.

Or not.

"Thanks," I sighed out of relief.

I left the hideout and went back into the house.

"Guys? I'm ready," I yelled.

"In here," Luke replied.

I traced his voice and found all three of them slouched on the sofa watching football.

"Come on, for fuck's sake!" I laughed.

"Hold on! I just wanna watch the goals!" Calum said with his index finger pointing up at me as if to signal me to shush.

"No, fuck the goals! I wanna watch the highlights!" Ashton said as he changed the TV channel.

"Can you please turn that back over? I wanna watch the goals," Calum whined.

"But I wanna watch the highlights," Ashton mocked.

"I'm gonna beat the shit out of you," Calum laughed as he went over to Ashton and began wrestling him.

"Don't you two start! We had enough of that yesterday," I chuckled.

After a few more seconds of them wrestling, Luke hesitantly lumbered himself up and pulled them apart.

"Come on guys, let's just go," he laughed.

I switched the television off and got my phone and jacket.

"Alisha you forgot your ke— what the fuck," Michael said as he glared at the boys, "Why are they here?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I'm, erm, I'm going out with them today," I bit my lip awkwardly.

Michael's eyes narrowed at me, "What?"

"I'm going out with them today," I said confidently.

What made Michael think he had control over who I hung out with? Just because they used to be his friends?

Michael's jaw clenched, "Okay."

He stomped back out into the hideout.

"So," Ashton sighed, attempting to make light of the situation, "Are we ready?"

"Yeah," we all said.