Strawberries and Cigarettes (A Calum Hood AU)

5. Golden Days

"Forever younger growing older just the same
All the mem'ries that we make will never change
We'll stay drunk, we'll stay tan, let the love remain
And I swear that I'll always paint you" -Panic! at the Disco (Golden Days)

Waking up has always been a difficult task for me. I keep my room cool but I make sure I have tons of blankets to cuddle in to keep me warm. Who would want to leave such a soft bed?

Waking up is even more difficult when you have your two best friends and old dog cuddled with you. I didn't mind the boys whispering quietly amongst each other as I slept, but I knew my sleep had to officially end when Ash wouldn't stop giggling at Calum and Michael. I felt bad because they had to sleep on the air mattress, but they didn't seem to mind.

"Ashton, you are the most annoying person I have ever met in my entire life," I groaned while turning my body the other way and digging my face in Luke's shoulder. "What does a girl need to do to get some sleep around here?"

"I told you! I knew you were going to wake her up," Luke scolded.

"Sorry," he giggled sheepishly. "I can't help it."

I rolled my eyes and let myself stretch before sitting up and crossing my legs. I looked at Ashton with an annoyed expression but gave in when he started to fix my messy bed-head. "I hate you."

Before anything else was said, there was a knock at my door. "Are you guys awake?" My mom's soft voice entered the room as she creaked the door open. She looked around and gave the five of us a smile. "I made breakfast. Eggs, bacon, and pancakes." She and Anne walked in and began handing everyone plates and forks.

Calum and Michael seemed shocked at the kind gesture, their faces lit up with excitement, but it was quite normal for Luke, Ash, and I. My mom and Anne are always doing things like this for us.

"Thanks, mom." I take the plate from her hand in my sleepy haze. She kissed my head and followed Anne out of the room.

"Seriously, your mom is the best," Michael spoke before digging into the pancakes.

After sleepily eating our breakfast in a comfortably silent room and getting ready for the day, we decided we should probably do something with ourselves.

"Isn't there another party tonight?" Cal asked Michael.

"No offense, but the party last weekend sucked," Luke reminded everyone.

"This is different. It's on the beach. There's going to be a bonfire and a whole different group of people. They go to a different school than ours, and some of them are graduates" Mikey explained.

"It's a very hard area to find, too, so it's safe," Calum adds.

"How have I gone seventeen years of my life without going to a party on the beach?" I wonder out loud.

"It's a lot more fun than a house party," Calum tells me.

Although it was only three in the afternoon by the time we had all finished getting ready, we all decided to pile into Ashton's car and head to the beach. The party doesn't start for a few hours, but we wanted to hang out at the small shops. Our first stop was obviously the bakery.

We sat at our usual table, just with two new members, while eating strawberries and marmalade and arguing over what childhood show was the best. Leah and David joined us, as well.

I made sure to take a pink lemonade with me when we left to go to the music store. Luke had always wanted to get a job there, but they don't hire until eighteen. Ashton almost left the bakery to work at the music store, but I wouldn't let that happen. I love Leah and David, but Ashton will always be my partner in crime.