The Only Reason

Chapter 8

"Yeah!" I cheered. The van stopped in the parking lot at the mall. It had been forever since I had been in one with Ashton, because he normally had to have security with him everywhere he went. We were lucky today, though. The boys were allowed to, just this once, have only two guards follow us at a distance.

"Where're you going first?" Luke asked me.

"Hot Topic. Duh."

"Food court. Duh."

I giggled and pushed him playfully. Mallory sniffed. She thought that Hot Topic was a store for depressed 'freaks' who had nothing better to do than look at obnoxious clothes and piercings they could never afford. She had told me that herself. She was one of the kinds of girls who only went into girly stores like Victoria's Secret and American Eagle. She often bitched to Ashton that he was famous and that they could afford to go to 'real' stores like Barney's, where everything cost more than two hundred dollars.

"I'm actually going to the food court." Ashton ruffled my hair. "Want to come with us before you disappear into Hot Topic for six hours?"

"Oh, as if you won't go in there with me." I rolled my eyes. "I know all about you, Irwin. You'll be sucked in within a second."

He shrugged, grinning.

"It's the only place to find real band merch." Michael added.

"You guys are in there, too." I pointed out.

Calum grinned. "Only because our fans have horrible taste. We still can't figure out why they like us."

"Because you guys make awesome music!" Mallory chirruped, her voice sweet, like syrup.

I scowled and got out of the car. The boys and Mallory followed us.

Michael, Ashton, Luke, and Cal were all wearing beanies and sunglasses, because security didn't want them to get recognized and get mobbed with only two of them there. Ashton and Mickey had complained at first, but went along with it in the end.

"You never answered my question, sis. Come get something to eat with us?" Ashton poked me in the ribs.

I swatted his hand away. "Fine. Then you come into Hot Topic with me. Deal?"

Ash pretended to be annoyed, but I could see that he was actually excited. "Whatever."

Laughing, we walked into the store. Mallory looked exactly like the mannequins in the store windows, especially with her designer clothes and model-like body. I admit I was jealous of her figure.

She went to Jamba Juice with Ashton first, and then the two of them came back.

"You shouldn't eat that stuff, babe. It's unhealthy for you." Mallory said firmly to my brother as we approached the Bamboo Panda counter.

Ashton looked wistfully at our food but nodded.

That's what I mean when I say that the girl is controlling.

I loaded up with unhealthy food, trying to tempt my brother, if only to make Mallory angry, but he had good resolve and didn't eat anything other than the green smoothie she had recommended for him. We ate quickly. I practically shoved my food into my mouth so we could hurry to Hot Topic.

"Let's go!" I cried, grabbing Calum by the hand and bouncing up and down, whining like a little kid.

"We're waiting for those two to finish up their make-out session." He told me, rolling his eyes.

Sure enough, Mallory and Ashton were absorbed into each others lips. Luke and I exchanged a glace while Michael pretended to barf.

"God, grow up, will you?" Ashton glared at them, standing up.

Mallory shot us a smug look and stood up, brushing herself off as if she had sat on a petri dish of germs. "I guess let's go to your store first, Camden."

Damn right.

I skipped down the hall until I found the familiar sign, marching straight inside. Nickleback was playing, T-shirts, dresses, backpacks, and buttons jumped out at me. The staff all smiled brightly. I went straight to the back of the store, looking through band shirts.

"You should get this one, Cam." Mallory said sweetly. "It suits you."

She held up a Pierce The Veil shirt, making a show of flashing the long sleeves at me. Her eyes were cold.

"I don't know, Mal. It's kind of expensive." I argued, narrowing my eyes.

"Whatever, it's your choice." She shrugged.

I pursed my lips and got three T-shirts, Sleeping With Sirens, Twenty One Pilots, and 5 Seconds of Summer. Ashton was in the corner, grinning at me. He had a shirt folded over his arm.

"Nirvana." He told me.

"You have like, sixty Nirvana shirts." I objected.

"Sixty one, as of today." He grinned at me.

We approached the counter, laughing. The shirt Mallory had shown me hung innocently on it's hanger. It's long sleeves offered a protective promise.

I added it to my stack of clothes.

Mallory smirked at me as we left the store. I carried the bag that had my clothes in it, trying to avoid her looks, but I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. Her comment about the shirt earlier had been a direct attack on my self-harm. She knew it, too.

"What'd you get?" Michael asked me.

"Just some band merch. I got a 5SOS shirt." I told him.

"You only did that because you're with us."

"Shut up, I actually like your guys' music." I rolled my eyes. "Look."

I held up the shirt. Michael laughed when he saw it.

"I remember that photo shoot. Calum was sick and had to pretend for the camera and stuff." He grinned.

Calum threw air at him. "When I was puking all over the place, you were singing a different tune."

"Only because you turn into a baby when you get sick."

"No, Luke is the biggest baby when he gets ill." Ashton grinned. His converse made a soft sound on the tiled floor of the mall. Mallory tossed her hair impatiently.

"I do not." Luke pouted.

I giggled as the boys were all too quick to explain to him exactly how he babyish he was when he got sick. Luke glared at all of them.

"Oh, leave the lad alone." I grinned.

"Thank you. At least I know someone's one my side." Luke said teasingly to the others.

Mallory tugged on Ashton's jacket. "Come with me into Rue 21. I want to try on a few things and you should tell me what you think."

"Sure thing, love." Ashton looked at her with love-filled eyes. She beamed at him, giving him a sugary smile.

"We'll meet you guys in the parking lot in half an hour." Calum said.

There, not for the first time, I felt it. It was Mallory taking my Bro-Bro away from me.

***

In the next chapter, I'm think one of the boys will find out Camden cuts. Which one should it be, besides Ashton, and why? Leave your answers in the comments, and I'll decide based off of who gets the most votes: Calum, Michael, or Luke?