I've Got This Friend ( c.h )

Chapter 1

"You can't freak out around the One Direction boys when you meet them for the first time. They get enough of that from everyone else and we don't need them to experience it backstage. "

"I know Ash."

"We're going to be busy a lot but Molly's here so you guys can hang out all the time. There's always a driver around here somewhere if you want to go out."

"I know Ash."

"We always switch roommates for the nights at the hotels but you and Molly will probably be staying together for the whole time. I don't know. Michael might want her with him for a few nights. We'll have to see how that goes."

"I know Ash."

"Make sure you don't wander the venues because it's-"

"really easy to get lost. I get it Ash." I loved Ashton to death, but he was treating me like I was four years old instead of sixteen, almost seventeen. I swear I had heard his advice and rules talk more than fifteen times before I even arrived in Miami this morning.

"Sorry. I just talk a lot when I'm excited." And when you're nervous.

"It's alright."

"Are you ready to live the life of a punk rock musician?"

"Punk Rock?" I eyed him up and down. "5 Seconds of Summer are like babies in leather jackets; you're trying to be punk rock but you're too cute and you're failing."

"Wow, thanks for finally admitting that I was cute." I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Cal!"

"Pey!" I let go of my luggage and ran towards my best friend as I jumped into his arms for a hug.

"Ugh, you're so fat." Calum huffed out as he 'struggled' to hold me up.

"Hey!" I slapped his chest.

"Just kidding, just kidding. You look fit as ever."

"Thank you." I said as he slowly let go of me and let my feet hit the ground so I could stand on my own. "You don't look too shabby yourself."

"Why thank you my lady."

Ashton picked up my luggage and walked towards Calum and me. "Stay out of Peyton's pants, will ya Cal?"

"No promises." Calum always did this to Ash because it was the one thing that made him angry. I don't know why anyone would want to make Ash angry, but he found amusement in it.

"Ashton!" We heard a scream come from someone around the corner.

"One second!" He cried back to the random voice. "Cal, can you help Pey get her stuff on the bus and just make sure that she doesn't get into any trouble?"

"Yeah, leaving me with Cal will keep me out of trouble." I sarcastically told Ashton because we all knew well enough that when one of us got in trouble, the other was usually involved with it.

"Don't worry about it Ash. I'll make sure she's good." Cal took my luggage from Ashton's hands as he walked me around the venue to the area where the buses were parked.

"I mean it." He warned.

"So, how has your gap year been? What have you been up to?" Calum sparked a conversation.

"Busy. I've just been hanging out with friends back home, learning how to surf a bit, working to save up for college; the normal things. How has touring been? I wish I could've gone on tour with you guys in Europe too, but I needed to work." Anna had already opened her house to me and I didn't want her worrying about a college fund for me. I worked hard at school to make sure that I got good grades, but I knew they still weren't good enough to get me a full scholarship.

"Yeah, we missed you too." Calum sighed. "But touring has been better than I ever could've imagined. Sure, sometimes it sucks when you don't get enough sleep because girls are outside your hotel screaming your name, or having to wake up early to keep to a tight schedule, but it's worth it. Plus, the One Direction boys are chill. You'll like them."

"Ashton thinks that I'm going to freak when I meet them." I informed Calum.

"You probably will." My jaw dropped as I playfully hit Calum's arm that was exposed due to his lack of sleeve. "Ouch man. What was that for?"

"I can be calm around celebrities. I promise that I wouldn't freak out."

"You want to bet on that?" Calum raised an eye brow at me.

"I would love to, but I'm saving up for college and I'm trying not to spend too much money while I'm traveling around with you guys." When I was working, I made sure that I split my savings; ¾ into the college fund and ¼ into the traveling fund.

"You're only saying that because you know you're going to lose." As my best friend, Calum knew my weaknesses and he knew that if he taunted me, he was going to get what he wanted.

I clenched my fists and sighed, signally Calum that I was about to give in. "Can we bet something other than money?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Nothing weird though." I advised him.

"How about," he paused to think, "if I win then you have to give me back that sweater that you stole from me months ago?"

He was referring to the black sweater that he had been wearing when I first met him. He knew that I was in love with it and he left it at the house one day after band practice and the next time he came over I was wearing it. He said that I could keep it, but we all knew that he wanted it back more than anything.

"What sweater?"

"Don't play dumb. I know you probably have it in this heavy bag of yours." He was right.

"Fine. But if I win," I paused, thinking of something really good, "then I get to keep the sweater and you have to let me borrow your clothes whenever I want while I'm on tour with you guys."

Calum tilted his head to the side, thinking it through. "I didn't bring much that would fit you, but deal." We shook hands on it. "I can't wait until I get my sweater back."

"I can't wait until my wardrobe doubles."