Vanessa's point of view

"Sharp words like knives they were cutting her down, shattered glass like the past it's a memory now." I sang, Michael helping me play the keyboard as I did so.

"Holding on to a dream while she watches these walls fall down," we sang and I smiled a bit, getting teary eyed because this song was just too real right now.

"Hey mom, hey dad, when did this end? When did you lose your happiness?" I continued softly as I played the keys he showed me earlier. "I'm here alone inside of this broken home..."

"Who right who's wrong who really cares? The fault, the blame, the pain's still there, I'm here alone inside of this broken home..." Michael finished and I sang the next verse.

We sang the chorus together and by the time he was singing the bridge, I had tears falling. "You've gotta let it go, you're losing all your hope, nothing left to hold, locked out in the cold," he sang and I looked at him since he took over the keyboard now.

"Your painted memories, then washed out the scenes, I'm stuck in between, a nightmare and lost dreams..." He finished and looked at me expectingly.

"Hey mom, hey dad, when did this end? When did you lose your happiness? I'm here alone inside of this broken home." I sang, a little too quiet because I was too emotional.

"I'm actually crying." I said and sniffled. "Fuck Mikey." I said and he wrapped an arm around me.

"Shh, it's okay, I know I'm amazing." He said and I laughed as he hummed. "It's gonna get better, I promise you. Luke always acts like a little bitch and then he just does a complete one-eighty." He told me and I nodded.

"Do I need to tell Calum to come by again?" He asked and I shook my head. "Bryana? Arzaylea? Miranda?" Again, I shook my head.

"No." I said and leaned my head on his shoulder. He played the keyboard absentmindedly and even though I didn't know the song, it was very pretty sounding.

"I'm so tired of being here," he said softly, quietly, as if I was sleeping and he didn't want to wake me. "Surpressed by all of my childish fears..."

I listened to him quietly as he played the instrument, as he sang the lyrics as if they came right from his heart.

"These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real, there's just too much that time cannot erase..." I sniffled quietly and he bit his bottom lip as he played.

The chorus, I'm assuming, made his eyes glossy and cheeks red, and that made me want to cry. He smiled when he saw me looking and then nudged me, shaking his head as a tear fell down his cheek.

Do you hear that?

Yeah, that sound in the distance?

That's my heart breaking in two, shattering into millions of pieces, and then falling to the bottom of my stomach.

When he finished, I pulled my sleeve over my hands and wiped his tear. "I'm not crying, pfft, what is crying?" He said, his voice scratchy.

"Yes you are." I said and giggled as I showed him my damp sleeve. "Tears." I said and he licked it. "Ew!" I yelled and wiped it on his sweats.

"What tears? That's saliva." He said and I rolled my eyes. "I'm not crying, I'm just high as hell." He told me as he wiped his eyes.

"You're a shit liar." I said and he laughed as he shook his head. "I'm sleepy." I said and scooted down, leaning my head on the pillow behind is.

"Take a nap then, I'm just going to practice this." He said and made the ugliest noise ever as he smashed random keys. "I'll put headphones on."

"It's fine." I said and he nodded as I yawned, closing my eyes. "Night Mikey."

"Night Vanessa."

-

"Michael?"

"Yes Ashton?"

"Why is Vanessa asleep on your lap?"

"Because she is?"

"Don't tell me-"

"Yeah, no. She fell asleep and then in her sleep she shifted on to my lap. Chill out."

"Why is she here?"

"Because she found out about Luke being a big-headed, self-absorbed, hamster looking, over-"

"Michael."

"Fine, thousands of insults that are very true later, she found out why Luke and Arz adopted her."

"How did that happen? Luke said he wasn't going to let that happen?"

"Luke's stupid. We told him it was gonna happen no? You can't just hide something like this from someone."

"Has either of them stopped by?"

"Arz did when she was at school to make sure she's okay. She told me to just watch her for a bit since she probably hates their guts and doesn't want to see them."

"Oh, that's... sweet?"

"She said she'd apologize, but it'd probably mean nothing right now since the wound is still fresh. She told me that she'll be by maybe next week to see if an apology could maybe work, but that's after I told her sooner is better than later."

"Luke really doesn't care does he?"

"Not at all."

"I'm awake you know." I said as Michael ran his hands through my hair. Michael apologized for waking me and I shook my head as I kept my eyes closed.

"So... you and Calum?"

"Butt out Ashton."

"I agree, come on man. Leave them alone." Michael said and Ashton gave an irritated sigh. "You're all overreacting. Okay she's a minor, okay he's twenty, but you're treating it as if she's twelve. She's not twelve."

"Have you read news articles and magazines? They're calling him a pedophile and they're calling this pedophila." He said and Michael hummed.

"Let's look at this SugarScape article, shall we? Author of the famous turtle poem, Calum Hood seen with bandmate, Luke Hemmings' adopted daughter, Vanessa." He read and I laughed.

Turtle poem.

That was legendary.

"The assumed couple is caught kissing and holding hands, what every teenager is out doing nowadays right? It's just, those teena don't seem to be smiling that big. Someone get me sunglasses because those pearly whites are blinding." He continued and I rolled my eyes.

"Fans have met the couple while they hung out since they were usually out doing normal stuff, shopping at Hot Topic, eating burritos, laughing at bad jokes. They claim Vanessa is just as down to Earth as Calum, you go girl... or not, you're like in the Earth's crust by now, hope you're okay." He said and laughed himself.

"Calessa, our ship name for them, we call copyright on it, seem to be what's hot right now. As they say, love can't be defined by numbers... unless you're three and he's sixty but hey, that's not the case here. Both still teens, poor Cal's barely hanging on there, twenty isn't an adult yet honey; maybe they'll last? Just don't sent her any Snapchats Cal, we know what you send." He said and Ashton cut him off.

"This doesn't-"

"What do you think Luke has to say about this? What do you say about it? We think this couple is hot, work off those who try to drag you down. If you don't get that refrence please excuse yourself from the article." He finished and I smiled.

"Really? The last video I watched on them, Clevver TV, they called it pedophila." He said and I looked at him.

"Here's Rolling Stone's outtake on it." Michael said and I looked at his phone as he looked at it. "They called it cute and again, stated bunches of resources." He said and I smiled.

"Here's a fan's outtake, a Calum girl's outtake." He added and cleared his throat, ready to slay Ashton. "Vanessa was born January fifth, Calum was born January twenty-fifth, not even a month apart. I think it's fine so long as nothing sexual occurs, which would be illegal. To just hold hands and kiss and maybe cuddle isn't that bad."

"Your birthday is January fifth?" Ashton asked and I nodded. "Continue Michael."

"Calum looks happy, she looks happy, and she looks so nice. I don't have a problem with it. I ship it." He finished and turned his phone off. "Have you changed your mind yet?"

"No, I still think it's wrong." He said and I rolled my eyes. "You're still a kid-"

"That's you're excuse Ashton? I'm still a kid? I'm fifteen. Quince. When a girl turns fifteen, she is now a lady, in Mexican tradition. Guess what pendejo, I'm Mexican." I said and he rolled his eyes.

"Can't argue with facts. Quinceañeras are a thing." Michael said and I smirked as Ashton sighed. "In fact, that was added in another tweet that I retweeted."

"You retweeted those tweets?" Ashton asked loudly and Michael nodded. "Dumbass! We're supposed to deny the Calessa rumors on Friday!" He said and groaned.

"Maybe it shouldn't be denied because happiness. You know, the thing that matters most? If they're happy what's so bad?" He asked. "I changed my mind, I think they should come out."

"Luke is what's bad. You seem to forget that Luke adopted her, that's actually what's worse here. That's Luke the bro-code, kind of, I don't know, it's just wrong." He said and Michael nodded.

"I disagree because it's not like Luke's the real dad. As Maury says, he... is not the father." He said and and I laughed.

"Can I have the test results back, I need to show Luke too." I said and he chuckled as Ashton sighed.

"Michael you're supposed to be on our side." Ashton said and Michael shook his head.

"I'm not taking a side. All I'm saying is to try to just think about it. You can't be the iceberg to their titanic. If they're happy being together, let them be together." He said and I just had to butt in.

"Why are all your refrences Titanic related?" I asked him and he shushed me, putting a hand over my mouth.

"Yes I know but key factors Michael, minor, daughter, and bandmate." Ashton said and I groaned.

"Can we stop? Either you're going to get my hopes up or you're going to make me cry." I said and looked at them. "I don't need to cry twice in a day."

"Twice?"

"Not important." Michael said and Ashton just shook his head as he sighed. "We all have opinions, though your's is wrong, but that's okay. Just keep your opinions away from my opinions because they're not friends."

"Hello?" Michael said as he answered a phone a little after the conversation. "I'm not Vanessa no, I'm Michael. She is currently staying with me, why?"

"Give me my phone." I said and he pushed me away. "Michael! Give me the phone!"

"Uncle Steven? I never heard of this uncle Steven." Michael said and I widened my eyes. "No sir I don't believe you."

"Tell him to give me my phone back uncle Steve!" I said and Michael glared at me. "My uncle, get your own." I said as I took the phone from him.

"Vanessa? You okay over there?" He asked and I laughed. "I stopped by today but no one was home. I leave tomorrow night."

"Come by this new address in the morning then, please!" I begged and he chuckled. "They currently all hate each other but... but I owe it to them because it's my fault. I'll text it to you after you hang up."

"I doubt it's your fault love." He said and laughed. "I'll stop by tomorrow around noon, promise. My flight leaves at eight so we have plenty of time."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. How about I talk to you tomorrow yeah? Today was rough, three live acoustic shows, all the same songs. I'm not young anymore." He said and I smiled.

"Sounds rough. I'll talk to you tomorrow uncle Steve. Bye." I said and he told me to send him the address. "I will, I promise. Goodnight."

"Goodnight baby bear." He said and then hung up. I texted him Michael's address and then smiled at the two who eyed me cautiously.

"Think one of you could trick Luke and Cal into being in the same room for like six hours?"