Archive of Our Own

I.

Luke had left him. Calum and Luke had gone to the bar, and Luke had left him. It’s not like Luke was Calum’s exclusively, but Calum had just grown to expect Luke waiting for him, smiling, and driving him home like the best friend he was. What he definitely did not expect was Luke clamoring off about some girl with blonde hair, and then leaving Calum all alone and sober. The bar reeked of sweat and alcohol, and was filled with so many people that Calum thought the darkened building might burst. He sighed, sliding onto one of the barstools. He waved a hand, trying to signal over the bartender. She walked over to Calum to take his order.

“And what can I get for you, sir?” The woman asked, smiling politely.
“I dunno, something strong.” Calum muttered bitterly. Had Luke forgotten the reason they went to the grimy bar in the first place? Calum had literally just gotten out of a two year relationship, and Luke had promised to take him out. Maybe next time I’ll ask Michael, Calum thought, as the woman placed a cup of brown liquid in front of him. Calum placed down a ten dollar bill, taking a reluctant sip of the drink. “Keep the change.” He said, loud enough for her to hear.
“Is there anything else you want?” she asked, and Calum shook his head.
“Nah, I’m good.”
“Okay, well. Let me know if you need anything.” The woman said, rushing off to take another order. Calum sighed, staring at the drink. He knew that welling in self-pity wasn’t going to help, but Calum had always been bad with breakups. He took another hesitant sip, wrinkling his face at the taste. It tasted absolutely gross.

“Well. Aren’t you attractive.” A voice called, and Calum turned his head. There stood a girl with bleach blonde hair and red lipstick smeared sloppily across her face, puffing out her chest dramatically. She looked at least twice Calum’s age.

“Uhm, thank you?” Calum asked, cocking an eyebrow. He really wasn’t sure where she was going with that.
“What? I’m just acknowledging your beauty.” She said.

Calum felt himself growing uncomfortable.

“Please go away.” He said, turning back around. He felt her hand on his shoulder, turning him back around. Calum bit his lip, trying to find an escape route. She apparently found the lip bite attractive, judging by what she said next.
“Aww, why don’t you smile, handsome? I bet you’d look real smoking.” She said, her hand sliding onto Calum’s chest.
“I’m not really comfortable with this, um-”
“I bet you’d be comfortable between the sheets.” She said, her hand shifting lower. Calum took a deep breath, panic arising in his chest.

Another foreign hand slipped over Calum’s shoulder, this one softer to the touch. “Oh, hey, babe. Is this woman bothering you?” came a distinctly male voice.
“Uh.” Calum stuttered out, looking up to see a boy about his age, with dirty blonde hair tied up in a bandana. The woman scowled, rolling her eyes.
“I was simply flirting, can’t a woman do as she pleases in the twenty-first century?” The woman asked, and the boy nodded.
“Yeah, she can. But flirting with taken guys isn’t exactly polite.” he said, and she scowled, looking at them.
“Neither is being a dick.” The woman said, stomping off. A moment passed as both boys watched her fade into the crowd.

The hand was removed from his shoulder, and the boy looked over at Calum. The confidence in his voice drained.
“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” He asked. Calum wiped at the spot where the woman’s hand had rested.
“Feeling a little violated, if I’m honest.” Calum said, and the boy nodded, frowning.
“I know. And sorry for swooping in like that, I don’t know what came over me.” The boy said, and Calum smiled.

“No, thanks for that, actually. She was starting to really freak me out.”
“Okay.” The boy said, smiling. The only thing Calum could think to say back was ‘okay,’ but he got the feeling that that was pushing the line into John Green territory. “See you around, then.” The boy said.
“See you around.” Calum said back. The boy disappeared back into the crowd of people, and Calum smiled. He wasn’t quite sure why he smiled, but he just… did.

II.

Calum fiddled with the tuner, stretching and loosening the strings of his bass guitar to match the quiet pitch. Next to him, Michael and Luke were tuning their guitars, gossiping about the show they were about put on. 5 Seconds of Summer, the small town band he and the lads had decided to form, hadn’t had much success, so this gig, even if it was only in Luke’s favorite pub, was a pretty big improvement. The G tune finally made the correct pitch, and Calum strummed the G chord effortlessly. No one had shown up yet, as per custom, and the band had at least five minutes before the show had to run. Calum strapped the bass over his shoulder, turning to see what Luke and Michael were going on about.

“So yeah, you get the point. We need a drummer, Mike.” Luke said, his eyes glued to the guitar, still strumming in pattern. A grey beanie rested on his head, and his distressed skinny jeans were falling down slightly. Calum’s eyes lingered, before darting back to Michael.
“Drummers are for wimps. We sound awesome on our own.” Michael protested, crossing his arms. His own guitar was hung upside-down over his back, and he stared at Luke defiantly. Michael’s fringe was the longest it had been so far, and he was wearing a t-shirt describing some band that Calum had never heard of.
“Then why are we working pub gigs, again, Michael?” Calum butted in, and Michael rolled his eyes.
“I’m just saying. I think it might help our ‘rock’ sound, or whatever you like to call it.” Luke said, finally glancing up at Michael.
“It’s punk rock, you moron.” Michael said.

A loud thud was heard from across the bar, and a relatively short boy with dirty blonde hair stood in the doorway. All three bandmembers turned and stared at him, and he tentatively took a step back. “Am I too early?” He asked, and Michael shrugged. Where have I seen him before? Calum thought.
“Nah, come meet the band. We could really use a fan.” Luke called, grinning. The boy stepped forwards, glancing at their instruments.
“Is that one a Fender Mustang?” He asked, gesturing to the bass Calum still held.
“Yeah. ‘s the school’s, though. Main reason I haven’t dropped out already, she is.” Calum said, strumming a basic three-chord progression. The boy smiled.

More people began to file into the pub, whether they were frequent bar-goers of there to see his band perform, Calum wasn’t sure. “Hello, Sydney!” Michael cheered into the microphone. A few voiced whooped and hollered, but most remained quiet. Calum sighed. Luke was right- maybe a drummer would step up their game.

“We’re 5 Seconds of Summer, and this is Blink-182’s I Miss You.” Luke said into his microphone, adjusting his beanie. Calum strummed a few chords, signaling the intro, and mostly let his hands do the work from memory. The band had done the song countless times, it being one of Luke’s favorites and all.

“Hello there, the angel from my nightmare.
The shadow in the background of the morgue,
The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley.
We can live like Jack and Sally if we want.
Where you can always find me,
We'll have Halloween on Christmas,
And in the night we'll wish this never ends.
We'll wish this never ends.” Calum sang, and listened as Luke took over.

He continued to play his bass, looking through the crowd for familiar faces. A classmate here and there had decided to show up, as well as some of his mom’s friend’s kids. Mostly, the bar was filled with strangers. Then, Calum saw her. It was the woman from the other week, the one who had been making him really uncomfortable. Calum looked away as fast as he could, but he knew he had caught the woman’s eye. He didn’t want to, like, provoke her or anything, so he thought it best to just turn his head.

“I miss you, I miss you.” Calum sang, heaving a sigh. Maybe if I pretend I didn’t see her, she won’t try to talk to me after, he thought, training his eyes on his bass. “I miss you, I miss you.”

The rest of the concert went on like that- Calum avoiding eye contact with any of the concert-goers, mostly looking at his bandmates and his guitar. They sang through All Time Low, Mayday Parade, and Ed Sheeran covers before ending with a final riff. “Thank you, Sydney. Goodnight!” Michael screamed into the microphone. Calum had always thought the practice overdramatic, seeing as no one really cheered for them, anyways. A few people left the bar, but most loitered around after closing. Calum took the bass strap off his shoulder, and slid the case out from under the bar’s stage, which was only about two feet above the ground.

“Wait, hold on.” A voice called behind Calum, and he turned to see the boy from earlier, hopping up on the stage next to him. “Would it be alright if I strummed a few chords, tried her out for size? I’ve been looking for an instrument to play for a while, and my mom says I’d have to rent if I played bass. I mean, I sometimes drum, but, you know.” He explained, and Calum shrugged.
“Sure, why not? We’ve got some time, don’t we, lads?” Calum called, and Michael grunted something in response, fixated on changing a string that must of broken at the end of the gig.

Calum offered up the bass to the boy, who held it gingerly. He placed his right hand on the fretboard, his left hesitantly above the bridge. “You a leftie?” Calum asked, and the boy shook his head.
“Nah, ‘m right handed.”
“Then you might wanna switch it, like this…” Calum said, spinning the guitar in the boy’s hands. His left hand now rested on the fretboard, his right above the bridge. The boy looked carefully down at the bass guitar, smiling softly. Calum couldn’t help but notice that he smelled like vanilla and honey.
“Now the simplest chord would be the E minor chord, which is sorta like this.” Calum said, gently placing the boy’s fingers across the first and second strings of the second fret. “Now give it a strum, see how that sounds.”

The boy strummed the chord, and the minor chord rung out full power in the still plugged in amp. Faces looked up in surprise at the sudden sound, and Calum laughed nervously. “Maybe I should turn that down.”
“Nah, it’s okay. I better get home soon, anyways. I’ve gotta cook tonight, mom has to work the long shift. It was a pleasure playing with ya! And your band sounds great, by the way.” The boy said, a grin sliding over his face. He gently passed the bass back to Calum, and smiled. “See you later.” he said. Wait, shit, Calum thought, realising. He was the guy from the bar last time, wasn’t he?

“Yeah, see you later.” Calum said, watching as the boy waved, then dashed out the bar onto the sidewalk, untethering a bike from the street post. Calum put his bass back into the case, glancing over at his other bandmates. He secretly hoped he’d hear more from the boy with the dirty blonde hair.

III.

Calum and Michael stood outside of the dingy pub, staring at the intimidating entrance. “Promise you’ll stick with me?” Calum asked nervously, and Michael shrugged.
“No promises.” He said, and Calum groaned.
“But you said-”
“Well, I lied. We’re getting famous, Cal! Babes all want a piece of this.” Michael said, gesturing to himself. Calum scrunched up his face.
“You keep telling yourself that, mate.” Calum said, pushing past Michael to the door to the bar.

Calum wasn’t quite sure why he decided to come, actually. Luke had stayed back at his apartment, complaining of a ‘massive headache.’ Both Michael and Calum knew it was bullshit; that Luke just wanted to avoid Bo, an ex-girlfriend of his, who had invited all three of the boys out for a drink. Michael trailed Calum inside, glancing around the crowd of people. Bo was nowhere to be seen.
“She ditched us.” Michael said, warily.
“Sounds just like her.” Calum said.
“No, it really doesn’t.” Michael said, cocking an eyebrow.
“Whatever. You’re probably gonna get smashed, anyway, leaving me alone, as usual.” Calum muttered.
“Hell yeah, I’m gonna be smashed.” Michael said, grinning.

While he meant well, Michael always seemed a little too convinced that alcohol could heal any wound. Michael sauntered over to the dancefloor, grinning at the immediate attention he received. He smirked at Calum, as if to say I told you so. Calum shrugged, walking over to join the crowd, all dancing to the karaoke singer on stage. The boy on stage was singing a cover of The Anthem by Good Charlotte. This time, Calum recognised the boy straight away. It was the boy who saved him from the woman. The boy who Calum taught how to hold a bass. The boy with the dirty blonde hair.

“Go to college, a university,
Get a real job, that's what they said to me.
But I could never live the way they want.” He sang, his voice loud and clear. It was obvious that he was a little tipsy. A little? Calum thought, staring up at the boy. Quite more than a little.

“I'm gonna get by and just do my time,
Out of step, while they all get in line.
I'm just a minor threat, so pay no mind.” He practically shouted into the microphone, walking around aimlessly. The music continued playing, but he stopped singing.

“Oh, hey! Bass boy! Hi.” He called into the crowd, looking straight at Calum. Calum felt his face flush red. “Come on up here, you can sing!” He shouted happily. Calum bit his lip, pausing. He then shook his head slowly. “Please? For me?” He asked, and Calum sighed. He really didn’t want to.

“Yeah, Bass Boy.” Michael jeered, elbowing him playfully.
“No.” Calum said, not loud enough for the boy to hear him, but loud enough that Mikey could.
“I’ll pay ya twenty bucks to go sing with him. C’mon, Cal. Live a little.” Michael said, and Calum sighed.
“Make it forty.”
“Deal.”

That’s how Calum found himself standing in front of a crowd of drunk people, next to a very drunk boy whose name still was lost to him, in front of one of his sort of drunk best mates. Michael whooped, and Calum looked awkwardly over the lyrics on the screen.

“I don't ever wanna be you,
Don't wanna be just like you.
What I'm sayin' is, this is the anthem,
Throw all your hands up,
You, don't wanna be you.” Calum sang weakly, back straight. He was making a fool of himself, and he knew it.

“Chill out, man, you sound great.” The boy said, pulling Calum into a side hug. Calum smiled halfheartedly, and the boy grabbed the microphone back. “Yeah! Who thinks he’s fantastic? I know I do. Let’s hear it for the magnificent Bass Boy.” the boy called, and Calum tapped him twice on the shoulder.
“Hey, um, we should probably get off stage now.” Calum said quietly.
“But the audience-”
“Will have to live without us. I think you need to go home.” Cal said. He began practically dragging the boy off the stage.

Michael stood in the audience basically laughing his ass off. “Oh shut up, Clifford.” Calum said grumpily, once he reached Michael. “Now pay up.”
“I was just joking, Cal. I’m far too broke to have twenty, nevermind forty.” Michael said. The girls and women surrounding him broke out in giggles. Calum scowled.

“Whatever. ‘m taking him home.” Calum grumbled, gesturing to the boy who’d been on stage moments earlier. He was trying to talk to the guy tending the bar, who was completely ignoring him.
“Where, exactly, are you taking him? You don’t know his address- Calum, do you even know his name?” Michael asked, tilting his head towards Calum. “You can’t take him to your place, Joy would freak.” Mikey said, and Calum sighed.
“Good point, but I raise a counter point. If he stays here, he’s definitely going to end up in a hospital, whether from alcohol poisoning or being beat up by a gang, I’m not sure yet.” Calum said, looking worriedly in the boy’s direction.

“Ah, mate. You’re smitten, aren’t you?” Michael said, smirking.
“Wh- No! Michael, I’m not even gay, I mean, I just got out of a two year relationship, and I think that’s plenty proof.” Calum said defensively, and Michael laughed.
“Please. I’ve seen you check out Luke’s ass enough times to know you aren’t exactly straight.” Michael said.
“I do not fancy Luke.” Calum said defensively.
“Never said you did. Although, I do think you fancy Mr. Karaoke over there. “ Michael said, pointing to the boy.
“Whatever. I’m taking him home.” Calum said, walking off to find the strange boy dancing alone dizzily to the current song playing, Say Anything (Else) by Chroma.

“Hey, um, mate? I think we should probably leave. You’re, like, starting to worry me a bit.” Calum shouted over the music to the boy, who stopped dancing at the sound of Calum’s voice.
“You wanna take me home? Thought you’d never ask, Bass Boy.” The boy said, holding his arms out for Calum to take. Calum took a step back.
“No, not like that, I-” Calum started, before realising his efforts were useless. He gestured for the boy to follow him, and he stumbled behind recklessly.

Calum, who had only just gotten to the bar, hadn’t had a single drink, and knew himself fine to drive. He slid into the driver’s seat, opening the passenger door for the boy to get in. “Such a gentleman.” the boy claimed, clamoring into the seat. Despite the copious amounts of alcohol the boy had obviously drank, he still managed to smell of honey and vanilla. Calum shook his head, focusing on the road ahead of him. “Can I turn on the radio? Or do you have CDs? You seem like the type of person to carry CDs.” the boy said, his words slurred. Calum shrugged, only half listening.
“Uh, thanks.”

“Can I pop one in?” the boy said.
“Sure.” Calum said, and the boy faltered.
“I, uh, don’t know where they are.”
“Listen, we’re almost there. Just be patient.” Calum said, almost regretting taking the boy home. Afterall, he was a stranger.

“But do you have a CD player at your home? I wanna listen to CDs! Like, Led Zeppelin, and blink-182, and Nirvana, and All Time Low, and Mayday Parade, and just music! I love music.” The boy said, drawing on. The boy had good music taste, Calum had to give him that. Calum pulled his car into the family driveway, turning around to face the boy.
“Okay, listen up. I need you to pull your hood up or something and pretend to be Michael. Do not, under any circumstances, say a word, okay? Great.” Calum instructed, unlocking the car doors and unbuckling his seat belt. The boy followed suit, and the two slipped into the back door of the house.

Unfortunately, they weren’t in the clear yet. “Calum, Michael. How lovely to see you. And what time do you call this?” Calum’s mom was standing in the kitchen, glaring at the two boys.
“‘m sorry, Mom. Traffic.” Calum lied awkwardly, and his mom narrowed her eyes.
“There’s no traffic at one in the morning, Cal. I wasn’t born yesterday.” She said, shaking her head.
“Listen, Mom. I’m sorry, I really am, but now I’d like to go to sleep. And after all of that band...ing, I think Mikey here might have laryngitis. Isn’t that right, Michael?” Calum asked loudly, jabbing the boy in the ribs. He gave a convincing cough, and Calum’s mother sighed.
“Fine. But you do realise you’ll be in trouble for this come morning.” she explained.
“Yes, mom.” Calum said reluctantly, dragging the nameless boy upstairs by the wrist.

The two of them stood, looking at Calum’s queen sized bed. “You can sleep here, I think I have a sleeping bag somewhere.” Calum said, cautiously opening his closet. One glimpse let him know that the whole thing was a wreck. He heard a thump behind him, and turned to see the boy had sprawled himself across the bed, and was already falling asleep. “Take your shoes off, you moron.” Calum said, laughing. The boy tossed his shoes on the floor, scooching over to the far side of the bed.

“There’s no need to sleep on the floor, there’s room over here.” The boy called, gesturing to the empty space. Calum was tired, and in no mood to complain. The floor wasn’t very comfortable, anyways. He slid off his Vans, crawling in bed next to the boy without a name and dirty blonde hair.

Calum awoke the next morning to find that the boy was gone. He sighed, rubbing the early morning sleep out of his eyes. He spotted a note scrawled on loose leaf paper laying on his bedside table, and he grabbed it sluggishly. “Cal,” the letter read, “Sorry for earlier. Hope this makes up for it. XX”. Attached to the letter was forty dollars- the exact amount of money that Michael said he’d pay Calum to go on stage and sing with the boy. Calum smiled, his stomach tying up in a knot.

“Calum, wake up, ya lazy bastard.” came a voice from the door. Mali-Koa stood there, holding up a book in her right hand. “Catch.” She said, tossing the book at Calum, and he caught it reluctantly. Upon seeing the cover, he groaned.
“Seriously?” He asked, his sister, who smirked. The book was titled “Safe Sex,” and the author was named Harvey Fierstein. The book looked as if it was decades old.

“That boy who was here this morning, he was nice. Introduced himself formally and everything.” Mali-Koa said, and Calum groaned once again, running his hand down his face.
“It’s not like that, we didn’t-” Calum denied, and Mali-Koa shook her head.
“Whatever, Cal. What you do is up to you. But uh, what was his name, again?” She asked, and Calum frowned.
“I don’t… I don’t actually know.”

IV.

November was hot. It was nothing compared to December, or January especially, but in Australia, it was really hot. Calum was standing on a makeshift stage at an unknown club, his bandmates next to him. The group was finally getting fans, mostly through facebook. Their gigs got nearly 100 people each time, and Calum just knew that his future was looking up.

“Michael, you’re going to die. Have you ever heard of Heatstroke? Because you’ll get it, and then you’ll die.” Luke said, glaring the other boy down. Michael was wearing tight black skinny jeans with a nice leather jacket. He just smirked, keeping to tuning his guitar.
“Chill out, Hemmo. I feel fine.” Michael pestered.
“Well you better, because we took a taxi here and I couldn’t drive you to the hospital.” Luke said, running a hand through his hair. “Please just take off the jacket?”
“Luke, calm down. I’ll be fine. See? I’m not even sweating.” Michael claimed, lifting his collar to prove himself. Luke rolled his eyes.

Calum had already tuned up, but he, too, was worried kinda about Mikey’s health. Calum was wearing a Santa Cruz singlet and shorts, and he already felt like he was roasting. It was November 21, and about 30 degrees outside. Add that to the fact that they were in a dingy bar with a clearly broken AC, and things didn’t sound so good.

“And you still didn’t contact that drummer guy. Michael, we should really get a drummer.” Luke pestered, and Michael rolled his eyes.
“Then why don’t you contact him? You’re the one who wants the guy so bad.” Michael said.
“C’mon, guys, stop fighting. Let’s just play, and get the fuck outta here.” Calum said, strumming his bass.
“Good day, Richmond! Thank you all for coming out in this heat, it’s really awesome. Alright, let’s go!” Luke called into the microphone, and Calum began playing the bass to a song by All Time Low.

“She works for the weekend, mixtape of her favorite bands,
Tearin' up the radio lost in the stereo sound.” Calum sang, glancing around the audience. One face caught his eye. A boy with dirty blonde hair and a smile the size of the sun. It was the boy who stood up for him, the boy Calum taught to hold a bass, the boy who payed him forty dollars for driving him home. That boy. Calum smiled, a blush reluctantly filling his cheeks.

“She's trouble in a tank top pretty little time bomb,
Blowing up I'll take you down.
Living in the radio lost in the stereo sound.” Calum sang, grinning. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was glad to see the boy again. Beyond glad. Giddy, almost.

Luke sang the chorus, Michael added harmony, and Calum kept playing his bass guitar, thinking of the boy. Michael staggered slightly, nearly falling off the stage. He made a point of laughing at himself, and Calum smiled. Good old Michael.

“She's dancing alone, I'm ready to go but she's so,
Lost in stereo, lost in stereo.
She's out of control, so beautiful.
Lost in stereo, lost in stereo.
And I've been waiting for so long but she'll never know,
I'm losing hope 'cause she's so
Lost in stereo, lost in stereo.” Luke sang, winking at a girl in the front of the bar. She scowled at him, and Luke took a step back nervously.

“Shake down on a Saturday,
Sit back gotta catch my breath,
'Cause everytime I see her I know she's gonna take it back somehow.” Michael sang, narrowing his brows. Something was wrong, and Calum could tell. Luke seemed to notice as well, as he stepped back again, looking over at Michael.

“Tattoos and a switchblade attitude,
Snakebite heart with a bubblegum smile,
Sex in stereo don't turn the radio- shit.” Michael stopped singing, and put his head in his hands.

“I told you, dammit.” Luke cursed, putting down his guitar.
“‘m sorry. Uh, Sex in stereo, don’t turn the radio down.” Michael sang softly, still clutching his head.
“You can’t just keep singing, you ass!” Luke said.
“I’m just tired, Luke. Stop pestering.” Michael said, before shutting his eyes, rubbing his temples. Before Calum could even get a word in, Michael’s knees buckled, and he collapsed over the stage.

Calum heard Luke scream, and he jumped back suddenly. “Someone call an ambulance!” Calum shouted into the crowd, running over to help his friend. Michael had fallen sideways on the stage, with his guitar underneath him. Luke pulled at the jacket on Michael’s torso, finally ripping it off and tossing it to the side. Calum leaned down and held a hand over Michael’s nose. “He’s breathing. It’s shallow, but, like, still breathing.” Calum said. Worry drenched his voice, and he looked over at Luke with wide eyes. “Fuck, what are we gonna do?” He asked.

“I don’t- I don’t know.” Luke murmured, taking a shaky breath. “No. We need to cool him down. Ice packs, fans, water, whatever.” Luke said, batting at his eyes angrily.
“Are you crying?” Calum said carefully.
“Yes I’m god damned crying, get me some ice.” Luke nearly screamed, and began using his hands to try to fan Michael. Calum stood, glancing around the bar. He hopped off the stage and rushed to the bartender.
“Give me all your ice.” Calum said quickly, before adding a quick “Please.”

The woman returned with a small bag of ice. “That’ll be $4.00, kid.”
“My best friend’s dying, I don’t have any money.” He said rudely, snatching the ice. He knew it was a slight exaggeration, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. She scowled, but Calum had already rushed up the steps of the small stage, ice in hand. He threw it to Luke, who caught it feverishly.
“Is this all they’ve got?” He asked, already pulling ice out of the bag.
“Yeah, sorry.” Calum said, running a hand through his hair. He sat down next to Luke, sighing heavily. He just hoped Michael would be okay.

“Hey, Calum!” A voice called. It was the boy. He had moved to the front of the crowd, and was waving his cell phone back and forth. “The paramedics will be here in five. Is he alright?” The boy said. He was holding unwavering eye contact with Calum, which would have thrown Calum off in any other situation.
“No.” Luke snapped in response, and the boy’s eyes darted to Luke. “I told him, I fucking told him.” Luke said, pressing ice randomly to Michael’s shoulders.
“Hey, try putting the ice over his neck, lower back, armpits, and crotch area.” The boy said to Luke, who glared at him.
“Why?” Luke said.
“They’re all rich in blood vessels. I, uh, used to date a nurse.” The boy said, and Luke nodded.

Luke pressed the ice to Michael’s back, and Calum grabbed a handful of ice as well, pressing it to Michael’s neck and armpits. “This better work.” Luke growled, pressing ice to Michael’s crotch.
“It doesn’t take immediate effect, but it cools down the blood, which chills the internal core temperature.” The boy said seriously.
“How do you know all this?” Luke asked, sounding suspicious.
“He did just say he dated a nurse.” Calum said, defending the stranger.
“Yeah. And to be honest, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen Michael have a heat stroke. We were playing Lazer Tag one time, and he was out like a light. It must be genetics or something. Or maybe the obscene amount of clothing he wears.” The boy said, trying to make a joke. But Calum caught only one thing- that the boy knew Michael.
“Wait, you know him?” Calum said, but his voice was drowned out by the sirens of the ambulance, which had finally arrived. The boy smiled sadly, and disappeared once again into the crowd of panicked people in the bar.

“What the fuck?” Calum said under his breath, watching as the paramedics entered the building.

V.

Needless to say, 5 Seconds of Summer didn’t want to do many pub gigs for a while. However, Michael only had to stay a day in the hospital, and claimed to be feeling fine. He deemed it well enough to perform in another show that Saturday, December 3. However, Luke was still following Michael around, insisting that he drink enough water to fill a swimming pool. Luke and Michael finally made compromise, though, one day when the three of them were lounging around Michael’s place.

“You really need to stop.” It was Michael that finally told Luke, pissed with his antics.
“But you literally passed out on stage, and came that close -that close- to dying! Had it not been for some advice from a stranger about where to press ice, you could very well still be in hospital.” Luke said defensively, and pulled something out of his backpack, tossing it at Michael. “Now put on some sunscreen, those windows are really bright.”

“He is kinda right, Luke, you are mother-henning a little bit.” Calum said, trying not to laugh at Michael’s expression towards the sunscreen.
“We’re indoors. I’m fine.” Michael said, tossing the lotion back to Luke.
“That’s what you said last time.” Luke grumbled, stuffing the sunscreen back into his bag.

“How about I make you a deal. I’ll promise to take care of myself, and I’ll contact the drummer you’ve wanted so badly. You, though, have to stop… whatever this is you’re doing.” Michael said, gesturing to what Luke was doing. Luke had pulled another water bottle out of his bookbag.
“Deal.” Luke said grudgingly. He put the water bottle back, zipping the bag.

That’s how the band found themselves curled around Michael’s computer, Michael sitting as Luke and Calum stood, while Michael messaged someone named ‘Ashton Irwin’ on facebook. Ashton’s profile picture was a picture of a drum kit, set up in what looked a little like a garage.

Michael Clifford: dude so you know how you drum and i play guitar, right? well ive got this band and we need a drummer and were gonna do this gig soon and 200 people already said theyre coming. you should totally perform and shit

Calum stared at the computer screen, awaiting a reply. While he did think his band sounded great, a drummer would definitely help to add a nice rhythmic asset to the sound.

Ashton Irwin: Wait, seriously? Michael, that’d be awesome. I’ll do it. Though, when is the gig, and do you have the next practice scheduled?

“Practice?” Michael asked. “We never practice.”
“Tell him the practice is tomorrow, and the gig is Saturday. And where the hell did you get the 200 people from?” Luke said, and Michael shrugged.
“He’s more likely to come that way.” Michael said.
“I have no idea how I deal with you two.” Calum said jokingly.
“Well, ask him already.” Luke said in response, and Michael rolled his eyes.

Michael Clifford: the gigs on sat. and practice is tomorrow. bring your kit

“Michael, that sounds rude.” Luke said.
“Well, no turning back now.” Michael said back.
“Wait, shit. I have a dentist’s appointment tomorrow.” Calum said suddenly.
“Just ditch.” Michael said, smiling. “You know I would.”
“I can’t, it’s important..” Calum said. Michael scoffed overdramatically, rolling his eyes.
“Goodie two shoes.” Michael said, turning to write back to the drummer.

Michael Clifford: our bassist cant make it, but yeah

Ashton Irwin: Cool beans. What time tomorrow?

“Say noon.” Luke said, gaze unwavering from the screen.
“No, you dork. I’m still asleep at noon. I’m saying six.” Michael said.
“That’s literally when I have the appointment.” Calum said.
“Yeah, get over it.” Michael said back.

Michael Clifford: six

Ashton Irwin: Sounds good. See ya then, Mike. It’ll be fun meeting your band :)

“What time is your appointment over? I wanna have a party after.” Michael said, spinning around in the desk chair.
“C’mon. Parties are-” Luke started, but the death glare Michael sent him cut him off.
“I’m off at seven thirty.” Calum muttered, a little upset that he couldn’t meet the drummer. And all for a stupid tooth checkup.
“Great. We’ll meet up around ten-ish then.” Michael said.
“I get off at seven. Why don't’ we just go at seven?” Calum said.
“Well, do you really wanna be partying at seven PM? I don’t think so. Plus, you need some time to get ready, I know you. Just meet Luke, Ash, and I at World Bar.”
“We don’t have IDs.” Luke said bitterly.
“Oh, you have a fake one, don’t deny it. It hasn’t stopped us before.” Michael said, winking sarcastically.
“I’ll come. Just don’t wander off again, yeah?” Calum asked.

Of course, they all wandered off. After the dentist’s appointment, followed by a few hours of nothing to do, Calum was alone at the bar. Once again. People lined every wall, and a DJ booth was set up. The air stunk of alcohol and cigarette smoke, and the AC in the back corner almost made the room chilly. The most recent music pounded through the speakers. Calum was currently sat in a booth with a drink in hand, looking around lazily for his bandmates and their new drummer. Not that he knew what the boy looked like, of course, but it was worth a shot. Hell, Calum couldn’t even remember the guy’s name.

“Hey, Cal.” A voice called, and a boy with dirty blonde hair slid into the booth next to Calum. It was the boy. From the multiple times earlier. Calum felt his heart flutter lightly in his chest, as tacky as that sounds. He was just… happy to see a face he knew. Right?
“Do you literally hang around bars all the time, or what?” Calum joked, secretly glad to see him. The only places he’d seen the boy so far were bars, clubs, and pubs, and he wasn’t surprised in the least to see him here.
“I could be asking you the same thing.” the boy said, chuckling. Calum shrugged. He had a point. “So who are you here with?” he asked.
“Ya know, some buddies from school. You?” Calum said.
“A friend and his friend. ‘s a little awkward- They know each other so well, and I sort of feel like I’m just third wheeling.” The boy said.
“I know the feeling.” Calum said, smiling back. Okay, so maybe he was just excited to see the boy. Maybe Calum did like him like that, as Michael had earlier accused. It was no big deal. It’s not like Calum hadn’t had crushes before.

“Here, I’m gonna buy us a second round of drinks. What’s your order?” The boy asked, and Calum smiled.
“Anything, really. Surprise me.” Calum said.
“I certainly plan on it.” The boy said, sauntering off towards the bar. If Calum watched his ass as he walked away- well, that was Calum’s business.

The boy came back moments later holding two glasses, filled slightly more than halfway up. “Real brandy-soaked cherry, no maraschino BS.” The boy said, passing a glass to Calum. Calum shrugged, taking a sip. The concoction sounded a bit intimidating.
“Wow. That’s actually pretty good.” Calum said, holding the drink out in amusement. He had never asked to be surprised and actually gotten a drink that suited his tastes at all.
“Why do ya think I’m always in bars? ‘m a bartender at the The Anchor, I’m scoping out competition.” The boy said, smiling weakly. Calum’s eyebrows knitted together.

“Do you not like it or something?” Calum asked, taking another sip of his drink.
“I really like music. I play a few instruments- drums, saxaphone, and a few others. I dunno, mixing drinks isn’t my life goal.” The boy said, taking a sip of his own drink. “What’s your job? I mean, if you’ve got one.” The boy said.
“I’m in a band.” Calum said. He almost felt bad that the boy didn’t have a career he enjoyed, but Calum did.
“Right, sorry. Bass boy and stuff. Yeah.” The boy said, laughing.

“So do you want to go to my place after? I’m sure your friends wouldn’t mind.” The boy said, smirking. Calum was taken slightly aback.
“Wait- you mean, like…” Calum trailed off.
“Yes, I mean like. Sex and white lies.” The boy said, moving closer to Calum. Cal took a deep breath. The thought surprised him, but he knew one thing for sure. He wanted that. He wanted that very much.
“I don’t even know your name.” Calum said, eyeing the little distance between him and the boy. He fucking wanted to close it.
“Really? Well. Some say it’s trouble.” The boy said, and Calum couldn’t take it. He crashed his lips against the boy’s, sending shivers down his spine. The music pounded, the air was thick, and Calum loved it. He sloppily moved his hand into the boy’s hair, pulling slightly. The boy groaned in response, and Calum jerked away.

“Let’s get outta here, yeah?” Calum asked, the butterflies in his stomach raving.
“Uh, yeah. Definitely.” The boy said, grabbing Calum’s hand.

+++

Calum awoke the next morning stark naked in a bed with a boy whose name he still, oddly enough, didn’t know. The dimly lit room smelled of honey and vanilla, and Calum felt his heart skip a beat. The previous night’s events swam into his mind. The boy was curled in his arms, breathing steadily. Calum didn’t want to wake him, but he had a gig that night, and he didn’t want to have to show up late and without dignity. He was meeting their new drummer that day, afterall. He tried to gently remove himself from the bedsheets, but he accidentally pressed his ankle to the boy’s knee. The boy groaned, holding onto Calum.

“I’m sorry, Cal, please don’t go.” He said quietly, his morning voice husky. Probably from all that screaming last night, Calum added in his head cheekily.
“Don’t be sorry, goofball. I’ve just got a gig today, that’s all.” Calum smiled, running a hand through the blonde boy’s hair. “A gig that I might need clothes for.”
“Ah, those are the worst kind.” The boy joked, and Calum laughed softly. He pulled his boxers off the floor, sliding them over his ankles.

“Yikes. I never knew someone could make putting on clothing look sexy.” The boy said, and Calum laughed.
“Shut up, you.” Calum said jokingly, pulling his pants over his boxers. He slipped the shirt over his head, and grabbed his phone off the bedside table. “Now put your number in my phone, I want to keep contact.” Calum said. He also wanted to find out the boy’s name, but he didn’t say that out loud. Calum unlocked his phone, handing it to the boy. He grabbed it, typing for a minute or so. He passed it back to Calum, smirking.
“See you around, then.” The boy said, and Calum thought back to their first encounter.
“Yeah. See you around.”

+ I.

Calum shut the door to the boy’s house, sliding into his car. He looked both ways before unlocking his phone excitedly. Calum was about to find out the boy with the dirty blonde hair’s name. Calum opened contacts, searching for a name he didn’t recognise. One pulled up, and Calum’s face fell at the lettering.

Trouble :P

The boy had plugged his name in as trouble. Calum knew he should feel bad for not knowing the boy’s name even now, but he couldn’t help it - he laughed out loud. He should have known it wouldn’t be that easy; it hadn’t been easy this far. Calum clicked his phone off, sliding it into the back pocket of his jeans. He jammed the key into the ignition, and pulled the car into drive.

Calum slid his car into the driveway, his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled out the keys, sticking them in his pocket, and took out his phone. It was a text from Luke.

Luke Hemmings: Hey, Cal. The drummer’s at my place. meet us there in 20

Calum smiled, anxious to meet the drummer guy. He got out of the car, shutting the door behind him without looking up from his phone.

Calum Hood: yup I’ll be there.

Calum walked indoors, grinning. He wasn’t sure why he was smiling exactly, he just was. Mali-Koa was in the kitchen, Calum’s mom at her side. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”
“Why don’t you tell us? You didn’t go home with either Michael or Luke last night, and Luke even said he didn’t see you at all.” His mom said. Calum sighed, biting his lip. He had forgotten to call home, or even make up a lie to tell Luke and Michael. He was busted.
“Well, you see, I-” Calum started, and his mum frowned.
“Don’t even try. You could have been hurt, sweetheart.” She said.
“But I wasn’t. See? I’m fine.” Calum said.
“And you will continue to be. No car for a week.” His mom said.
“A week? Mum, I have a gig tonight I promised the boys I’d drive them to. Can’t we just make the week start tomorrow or something?” Calum asked.

“Yeah, he has been talking about this gig for a while now. I don’t know, I say you let him off the hook.” Mali-Koa chimed in. Calum was glad she was siding with him on this one.
“There is no way he is getting off that easy. Starting tomorrow, no car. For a month.” His mom said, exiting the room in a huff. Calum knew she cared for his safety, but he really was safe. Sort of.

Mali-Koa snickered next to him, and he sighed. “What.” he said more so than asked. She pulled a book from behind her back, the same one she had tossed at him earlier. ‘Safe Sex’ by Harvey Fierstein. She waved it with jollity, setting it on the countertop. Calum scoffed, heading upstairs to get changed. He had a practice to go to.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled his car into the driveway in front of Michael’s place. He walked in without knocking, knowing fully well he was already expected, anyways. Calum opened the door to see Luke and Michael sprawled out on the couch, each with a controller in hand. “You can’t just- oh, come on.” Luke jeered at the screen, and Michael raised his eyebrows, smirking.
“I told you I always win.” Michael said. Luke rolled his eyes.

“Hey, guys. You playin’ FIFA?” Calum questioned. He would have sat down next to Michael on the couch, but Luke was sprawled across in a seemingly comfortable position.
“Yeah. Ashton’s in the kitchen, ‘cause he hates FIFA, go say hi. He’s hard to miss, and wearing a very ugly purple shirt.” Michael said, and Luke shrugged.

“It is kind of ugly.” he said. Calum smiled, kicking his shoes off. He walked towards the kitchen, excitement filling his mind. Would the drummer be the strong silent type, or wild and zany? Would he be covered in tattoos, or be a total flower child? What if he didn’t like the same kind of music as the boys, and they didn’t get along? Unanswered questions buzzed through Calum’s head, and he took a deep breath. It’s going to be okay, he told himself, and he’ll be cool as hell.

The first thing Calum noticed when he walked into the kitchen was the overpowering smell of honey and vanilla.

“Well, Bass Boy. Seems like I can’t shake you off.” Ashton said, and Calum broke into a grin.
“And I you. Ashton.” Calum said, loving the way the boy’s name rolled off his tongue.

Calum smiled then. He wasn’t quite sure why he smiled, but he just… did.