piercings and cigarettes | luke hemmings

Chapter Thirty Four

"Happy birthday! Here's twenty dollars," I said and handed the money to Michael as soon as he had opened his apartment door.

"Thanks," Michael said and pulled me in for a hug.

"I would have got you a card but I was too lazy to walk into town to go to the shop," I said walking into the apartment.

"I got you a card," Luke said holding up an envelope "There's no money in it," he said as he handed it to Michael.

"It's the thought that counts," Michael smiled and we walked further into the apartment.

"That's not what you said about me and Calum's card," Ashton said from the couch where he and Calum were sitting.

"You wrote happy birthday Michael on a piece of paper and didn't even spell my name right."

"It's the thought that counts...Michelle?" I said reading the piece of paper that was on the kitchen counter.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Michael asked opening the fridge.

"Do you have beer?" I asked sitting down on the couch beside Ashton.

"Yeah, catch," Michael said throwing a can towards me, it missed my hand by a few inches and hit Ashton in the back of the head.

"Fuck," Ashton said rubbing his head "I don't even know if that was an accident or not," Ashton added and looked back at Michael who just shrugged.

"Luke hand me the can," I said pointing to the spot on the floor where the can landed.

Luke picked it up and proceeded to open it, causing it to explode all over him. The rest of us burst out laughing while Luke groaned and grabbed a tea-towel to dry his t-shirt.

"We're lucky it wasn't Luke that got hit in the head. He doesn't have many brain cells up there already." Calum said mid laughter.

"Shut up," Luke said glaring at Calum.

"Oh please, the four of you share one brain cell." I said getting up off the couch just to get the beer.

Once we were all sufficiently drunk, we starting singing happy birthday to Michael. It took us twenty minutes because we kept forgetting the words and then by the end we were singing our own remix version because we forget the tune of the song. Then Michael decided we were going to play video games.

"I don't like this, it's too intense for me," I said as I panicked and threw the controller at Michael.

"It's literally Minecraft," Michael said killing one of the spiders.

"But it's hard mode and in survival mode. My brain needs at least thirty seconds to process stuff and those mobs are coming out of nowhere every ten seconds."

"It's not that hard," Michael said rolling his eyes.

"This is why I prefer the sims," I mumbled crossing my arms.

As the night went on we had all drank as much alcohol as we could handle. Somehow Michael, Ashton and Calum had all managed to disappear in the tiny apartment. Leaving me and Luke alone on the couch.

"Summer starts in a few weeks, thank fuck," I said making Luke chuckle "Only problem is I'll have to see my parents everyday for a few months."

"I thought they go off to America during the summer."

"Not this year, they want to take a break and spend time with their daughter for once. Save me," I groaned and pouted.

"You can come over to my apartment whenever you want," Luke said putting his arm around me.

"Maybe I should just move in with you," I said resting my head on his shoulder.

"My answer is yes but maybe we should wait until we're sober before you decide to move out."

The next morning or more accurately, afternoon, we found Michael half naked in the bathtub with a box of cereal and a spoon.

I got a taxi home because all the boys were still very hungover. When I got home my parents car was in the driveway and I mentally prepared myself before walking in the door. Surprisingly my dad wasn't waiting for me. I tried to quietly walk upstairs but only got halfway up before my mam appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Where were you?" she asked with crossed arms.

"I was at Michael's, it's not that big of a deal," I said walking past her.

"Were you drinking?" she asked scrunching her nose.

"No," I said with a straight face.

"Don't like to me, I can smell it off you," she said and I rolled my eyes.

"So what if I was?"

"This is what we meant when we said Michael is a bad influence."

"He's not a bad influence, I'd be acting the same way even if Michael was what you think is a good influence."

"You're grounded," she said sternly.

"Oh fuck off."

"Don't speak to your mother like that," dad said walking out of their bedroom.

"Fuck her and fuck you too," I said slowly, drawing out every word.

"You're grounded until the end of summer," dad said getting visibly angry.

"I was looking through you room earlier and found these," mam said and uncrossed her arms to show a pack of cigarettes in her hand.

"Why were you looking through my room?" I asked getting annoyed. I knew I shouldn't of had cigarettes but she had no right to search through my room.

"Care to explain?" dad said his face getting more red by the seconds.

"Oh sure, they're cigarettes, they contain tobacco and people smoke them."

"Why do you have them?" mam asked.

"I don't have them, you do."

"Don't try to be smart."

"I don't try, it comes naturally," I said grinning.

"Go to your room. Now!" dad yelled at me and pushed me into my bedroom. he took the key from the keyhole and locked the door after slamming it behind him. "That's a fire hazard!" I yelled and kicked the door in frustration.

I huffed and lied down on my bed as a few tears from frustration welled in my eyes.

After a few hours I heard the door unlock and my mam walked in.

"Look, I know we were harsh earlier but it's cause we love you." she said and put her hand on mine as if to try to reassure me.

"I'm pretty sure that locking your child in a room without food, water or a toilet counts as child abuse. Actually I think just locking them in a room counts as child abuse," I said pulling my hand away.

"Don't be so dramatic," she said brushing it off.

"Don't be so abusive."

"I know what the problem is," she said softly "We spoilt you and your brother."

"Are you serious?" I let out a dry laugh.

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author's note
Sorry i haven't updated in a while, my family got Disney+ so i've just been watching disney movies all day for the last like three weeks.
Imagine being able to write a decent chapter and not have to include weird drama...don't mind me just calling myself out.
Also just wanted to add that because this is set in Australia their summer starts in December so if your confused why it's November and summer starts in a few weeks, that's why.
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