Katelyn's point of view

"Hi Calum." I said as I gave him a hug. Luke and Michael left, the door closing behind them.

"Hey munchkin." He said and I laughed. "Ashton is downstairs drumming a bit, if you want to say hi or something." He told me and I nodded.

"I will." I said and walked into their house some more. "Oh wait where's the basement and how do I get there?" I asked him and he laughed.

"Follow me." He said and I did. He opened a door that was behind their spiral staircase and then we walked down.

I saw Ashton sitting on his drum stool as he read some notebook. "Hi Ashton." I said loudly and he jumped.

"Fuck don't do that." He said and laughed. "Hey Kate, what's up?" He asked as I walked over to him.

"Nothing, just irritated that Michael keep playing with me. He's nice one day then he won't even look at me the next and it's whatever." I said and shrugged. "Oh hey I play this is music class."

"Drums?"

"This thing." I said as I tapped the golden plate. "It's a, a um, cymbals. They're cymbals! I just like clash them together because I can't play anything else." I said and he nodded.

"I have to use the bathroom. Ash, she's okay down here with you?" Calum asked and he nodded. "Okay, bye."

"How do you play this thing?" I asked him as I saw all the different drums and paddles and stuff. "It looks hard."

"It takes time to learn." He told me and I nodded. "I can show you if you want me to?" He asked me and I nodded.

"Please?" I asked and he stood up. I took his spot on the stool and he handed me his drumsticks. He took the notebook off the stool beside me and then took that spot. "I messed up your practicing, sorry."

"It's okay, I can practice later on." He said and I nodded. "Hit this one," he said and pointed to one. I did and then laughed as I blushed. "The drum darling, not my hand."

"Sorry, I got excited. I like banging things together and hitting things." I told him and he nodded. "It helps me keep my energy down because I'm very energetic and stuff."

"Same." He said and chuckled. "Hit this one -wait for my hand to move- and then his this one, at the same time though." He said and I did.

"Tap your foot on the pedal." He said and I did as he said. Once I did, I stopped because my arms just couldn't seem to remember the beat. "Multi-tasking is hard isn't ot?"

"How do you do this?" I asked and then tried again, but my foot did a different rhythm than my arms. "Oh my god." I said while laughing at how terrible I was doing.

"Like this." He said and kicked my stool, causing me to roll away since there were wheels on the bottom. I pouted and he grabbed his own drumsticks before he bag playing.

"Hey, not fair, I'm supposed to be learning." I said and kicked his stool away. He laughed and I took his spot behind the kit.

I began playing what he taught me and then stuck my tongue out as as I looked at him. He smiled brightly and then laughed as he tapped his foot to the beat.

He sat beside me and then began playing on some of the other parts. I think it was called the high tom drum and ride cymbal but I'm not sure.

"Keep that beat going." He said and and I nodded, hitting the snare, kick, and the hi-hat of the drum. He hummed and then I laughed as he bobbed his head, doing the same because I'm actually playing and it doesn't suck.

He did some solo on the free parts of the drum and we both laughed a bit. "You got the hang of it pretty fast."

"It's the drums, it's just a little bang bang stomp stomp." I said and he rolled his eyes. "Seriously." I said because my leg and my hands were moving at the same time.

"Do you want to learn?" He asked me and I nodded as I stopped playing. "I'll teach you if you want to learn."

"That'd be nice." I said and then poked his dimple with his drum sticks. "I'd love to learn how to play drums from my favorite drummer."

"I'd better be your favorite drummer." He told me and I giggled. "You hungry? I'm feeling hungry myself."

"Yes." I said and stood up. "I am very hungry. I'm so hungry I can eat an elephant." I told him and he laughed.

"Come on, let's go eat and bother Cal."

"I am so down for that."

-

"Ashton?" I asked quietly as I went downstairs. He had taken me hope after the clock hit ten at night and he stayed. "Are you awake?"

"Course." His voice rang out and I looked at him. He was laying on the couch with a blanket thrown over his body as a pillow on the arm rest. "What's wrong? You should be sleeping."

"I had a nightmare." I said, sounding and feeling as if I was four years old.

"About what love?"

"About Michael and Luke." I said and he sat up, motioning me to come to him. I sat down by him and he wrapped an arm around me.

"What happened in it darling?" He asked me softily as he muted the television. "You can tell me, I promise that I won't tell them."

"That they're going to give me back because they didn't love or want me." I said and he tensed. "It scares me Ashton because they're nineteen and almost twenty. No one really wants kids at that age, why do they? I knew kids who were adopted because of some drunk dare or lost bet. Ash-"

"That's not the case love. I promise. They love you a lot and they adopted you because they've been wanting a little girl ever since they spoke about kids one day. Also, if they came out to the public, it's your fault because you make them confident in themselves." He told me and I nodded.

"I guess." I sighed and sniffled. "I'm just scared Ash. Michael is all hot and cold with me and they're always faking smiles. I don't want to be a dare or a bet. I finally found people who wanted to adopt me, who didn't find me annoying or clingy. This is a big thing and I just can't help but feel like it's too good to be true."

"I promise that you're not a dare or bet to them." He told me and smiled at me. "They love you and adopted you at their own free will, not because of some stupid dare and because someone made them." He said and I nodded.

"Thanks Ash, I needed that reassuring." I said and leaned my head on his shoulder. "If they did though, I can always come to you and Calum, right?"

"Of course. We'll be there with Disney movies, sad one direction songs, and ice cream. Promise." He told me and I nodded, already feeling better.

"I don't know if I can go to sleep again." I told him and sighed. "I'm not tired anymore."

"Then how about we talk until we get tired?" He asked and I nodded. "How's school going?" He asked me.

"Some girls hate me and I made a friend named Jacob and I'm failing PE." I said and he looked at me.

"You're failing already?"

"I'm not a sporty person okay?" I said and sighed. "It's hard. I'm not the slightest bit interested on flag football and I hate the uniform." I told him and he chuckled.

"I don't miss that." He told me and I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, Jacob, does Michael and Luke know about him?"

"I said he's the brother of a friend that I made up." I told him and he nodded. "Please don't tell them. Jacob is a good guy, despite how he looks and comes off as. They'll flip for no reason."

"He's in your grade?" He asked me and I nodded. "He can't look that intimidating then."

"He was held back a year because he was absent a lot and failed his classes though." I said and his eyes widened. "Sorry, shouldn't have said that. He's a good guy."

"How can you be a good guy if you got helped back a grade for being absent and failing?" He asked me. "How old is he?"

"You can stop a fourteen year old girl from getting cat called, there's a start." I said and he nodded. "Then you can help her in her English class work and homework. Then you can stand up for her when she's getting called a bitch. Then you can be her first friend in a brand new school that she knows absolutely nothing about."

"Why did he get held back? Like why was he absent and stuff?" He asked and I shrugged. "How old is he?" He repeated.

"He's sixteen. His birthday is in February so yeah." I said and he nodded. "He didn't understand what they were teaching so he failed his classes. He never told me why he was absent, but it probably had to do with his job at his aunts diner."

"He has a job?" I nodded and he nodded aswell. "I see. Well, I won't tell you to stay away from him, just be careful." He told me and I nodded.

"Okay." I said and then yawned. "He's really sweet and is often misunderstood and judged off his looks. It's upsetting." I told him and he nodded.

The front door opened and then it slammed shut. Ashton sighed and rubbed my back. "Let's get you to your room. You're probably tired now." He said and I nodded.

I stood up and then the light turned on. Michael and Luke stumbled into the room, smelling like beer. "What are you doing awake?" Michael asked me loudly, causing me to flinch.

"I'm sorry."

"Michael, lower your voice. You're yelling and it's scaring her." Ashton said softly, but Michael was still glaring at me.

"You should be asleep! That's why me and Luke planned to come home so late!" He said angrily, throwing his hands up to his hair.

My eyes filled with tears since he and Luke were glaring at me and Ashton gave me a hug. "Go to bed!" Michael said as if I should have known that by now.

"Yes Michael." I said quickly and then ran upstairs. I went up to my room, afraid that he'd yell at me again, and then jumped into my bed.

I yanked the blanket over my head and then sniffled because Michael has never yelled as me or seemed so angry with me. It scared me because people get angry at me so easily and when they're angry, then they end up yelling mean things at me and sometimes give me a smack on the cheek.

"Katelyn? Darling, pack a quick bag okay? You're staying with me and Calum for a night or two." Ashton's voice rang out and he pulled the blanket off of me. "Also, go put some pants on."

"O-Okay."

-

Question of the chapter:

-Do you think Michael was being a dick?

Author's answer:

-He's the king of dicks (hehehe)

Reader's answer:

-