The Drumsticks

Chapter 5

Isabella and I sprint after them, our combat boots slamming the floor with every step. I kept thinking we were going to loose them, but we kept on path from Rose's playful squeals around the corners. Finally we see them at the end of the hall, bent over catching their breath.

"Jeez! bout time you got here! thought you got lost." Luke says, panting every other word.

"Almost did!" Isabella says, "Except Rose always screams."

"I do not!"

"Do too!" Isabella and I say at the same time. A smile stretches across Luke's face. You can see his lip piercing stretch. It sends shivers down my spine. He opens the door and immediately we hear yelps and outbursts of laughter.

"Calum, put the water fun down!"

"Only if you put yours down, Michael!"

Michael and Calum were running around the room with water guns, holding each other at gun point. They've already gotten each other wet, clearly they prepped. Ashton is on the couch, years filling his eyes. Michael spots us. He changes his aim, claim does the same. I throw my hands up.

"Don't you point that at me!" I exclaim, "It's only fair game if we have water guns too! And by the looks of it, you only have two!"

"You know, she's right, but wrong." Calum says, "It isn't fair, but we have more than two."

Luke jumps away from us and pulls a water gun from behind a cushion on the couch.

"We call this ambush; technically this is fair in our book, but in yours, not so much, but we're playing by our book." Michael says.

"Shit." Isabella says. I drop my hands, we loose.

"Dammit." Rose says.

"I want no part in this." Ashton says. He gets up walks to a door, but turns around, "Hope you guys remember what happened last time." he turns the knob and steps over the threshold.

"Yeah, hope you remember what happened last time." Isabella says.

"Oh we remember what happened very clearly." Calum says.

"But we don't mind the punishment." Michael says.

"It's worth it." Luke says, "And to make it easy for you, we'll count to three so you're prepared. ready boys?"

"One."

"Two."

"Three!"

The water hits us. Isabella and Rose scream and laugh, but cower. I just stand there and laugh. I love water; I practically live in the water. Anyways, a little off topic (warning:that's how my brain works), finally the guns run out of water, the guys drop them beside them and hunch off, laughing their asses off. Ashton opens the door, and ones out of his self-inflicted time out; he balances towels on his arm. He hands Rose one, then Isabella one.

"Thanks!"

"Thank you!"

"Thank-" he walks past, towel in hand. He walks out the door, still holding the towel. Rose and Isabella practically push me out the door. I look to my left, Ashton leans against the wall, the towel being in between the wall and him I lean on the wall opposite him.

"So," I say, "you can either give me that towel or I can go back and get another towel. Either way, I have a towel and you are most likely still pissed."

He chuckles. Boy does he have a great smile.

"Well," he says, "Isn't someone a smart-alack."

Now it's my turn to laugh. I cross my arms over my chest and push off the wall. I'm not dealing with this shit. I will go back to that room and be happy rather than be out here and be sad. He has a fast reaction though. He wraps the towel around my waist and pulls me close. The front of his body was now against the back of mine. I can feel his body move with every breath, every heartbeat.

"I'm sorry." he says, his lips grazing my ear.

"About what?" I just want a good explanation.

"About earlier, about being a jerk."

I don't say anything.

He holds the towel up for me. I turn to face him; I keep my eyes focused on his Nirvana shirt. He drapes the towel over my shoulders, but hangs onto the top corners.

"I know I was being a jerk. I know that I should've acted my age. I know that you deserve a better apology. I officially apologize for being a jackass. I haven't acted this way since - in a while."

I jerk my head upward to look him in the eyes.

"Since what? Since who?"

"No one. The matter is irrelevant as of now and forever." I'll get it out of him soon enough, "What is relevant now is you and me."

"What about you and me?"

He laughs and wraps his arms around my neck, mine around his middle; in a very strong embrace.