Armored

5

Izzy:

The four tall guys awkwardly stood there after Martha left the room with my beloved phone and earbuds.

"You know you can sit right?" I spoke in a 'duh' tone.

"Yeah," they all mumbled and took a seat.

"So, y'all got names, or should I just call ya curly (Luke), blondie (Michael), country boy (Ashton), and Asian guy (Calum)?"

"For the last time, I'm not Asian," the boy exclaimed, clearly exasperated.

"Yeah okay, whatever," I rolled my eyes before continuing, "so, you got names or what?"

"Yeah. Ashton."

"Michael."

"Calum."

"Luke," each guy introduced themselves.

"So, you all live together?"

"Yup," country boy- I mean Ashton answered.

"So are you gay or have some kinda weird thing or something....?"

"No no no. Absolutely not. We are all straight and 2 out of four of us have girlfriends. We just live together because it's easier for us since we're in a band," not Asian- I mean Calum explained.

I nodded my head in acknowledgment and let them talk to Rosie for a while. I thought about all the homes we were placed in in the past and how they would always pretend and be nice to us until they get us, just to use us for whatever the hell they wanted to do, only to be thrown away like a piece of trash and returned. We were like that one thing you buy at the store only to realize you don't need it and return it. It's like we were viewed as disposable, and once you're treated a certain way for long enough, you begin to believe it yourself.

I was soon snapped out of my thoughts by repeated poking on my shoulder by none other than my dearest little sister.

"What do you want bug?"

"They wanna talk to you nowww."

"Okay. What do you want?" I asked them.

"We wanted to talk to you about some things alone if that's okay?" Ashton asked.

"Yeah sure. Rosie, go up and hang out with Kevin for a while okay?"

"Okie," she responded before happily skipping back up the stairs to go bug him.

"Okay, so what do you want to know?" I asked.

"Right. So, what's your favorite color?" Michael, I think it was, asked.

"Really? That's your big 'Rosie can't be around to hear this' question?" I bluntly asked.

"No, we're just trying to ease our way into the things we want to hear from you rather than your files."

"Why? I'm sure we're just some kind of charity case for you guys."

"What? No. What makes you think that?"

"Oh puh-lease. You guys in a freaking band, and based on the fact that you have your own place and aren't living in your parents' basement, something tells me that money's not exactly an issue for y'all. I appreciate you guys trying to be nice, but Rosie and I don't need your pity. Trust me, we've had enough of that to last a lifetime."

"Izzy, we don't pity either of you, we just want to give you girls the life you deserve to have," Ashton spoke softly.