|edited|

···

Rocky sent his middle brother a questioning gaze. He usually knew Colt to be quite the sarcastic jitter bug. "Colt, what's got you so quiet?"

Colt had been staring out the window of the classroom. He didn't know his older brother would share the same class of science. He was certain that the older students didn't share classes with younger students. He had been glaring at a skinny oak tree of brown, green and the occasional glower of the sun. His eyes snapped to Rocky.

"I'm in deep thought," Colt muttered to his brother.

"You can talk to me about anything." Rocky announced in a low hiss.

Colt turned his cold glare to Rocky. "When did you turn into dad?"

Rocky was taken back by the accusation. "I'm not-"

"No, you're simply acting like I'm not my usual self. I can handle my problems, Rock. You might want to stick to yours." Colt coldly snapped, cutting his brother off. He didn't know why he was so asinine, but he couldn't help it.

Miss Barkley walked into the class, clearing her throat to capture their attention. She was a short, stout woman of warmth and, radiated a motherly vibe. Her eyes were grey, and her hair was a light strawberry color.

Rocky kept his lips pursed, wanting to shoot Colt a remark while the desire to be respectful in class trumped all. He clasped his hands together, eyeing the teacher as were other students.

Colt scowled like a puppy forbidden from being on furniture. He held bitter thoughts while partially paying the teacher a lick of attention.

"I have an exciting announcement before class begins. The school is holding a writing contest. You have to write a short story in order to hang with 5 Seconds of Summer for an entire week. Your story could possibly be turned into a song." Miss Barkley excitedly chirped. She had grandkids who favored the band.

Rocky elbowed Colt who already got the message. "You know who would love that?" He asked his middle brother in a light whisper.

Colt immediately thought of his favorite person. A smile sparked in his eyes. "Mak would."

Rocky visibily pouted. He knew a few people aside from himself. He had deep, dark secrets of his own much like the rest of the world. His guilty pleasure would be listening to said band, but it's not some thing anyone knew about him. He eagerly nodded to feign that's who he meant. "Yes, definitiely. You going to enter?"

Colt bore a chesire grin. "Yup!"

Rocky smiled. "Me too."

Colt sent him a funny look to which his brother turned pink.

Rocky played it off, shrugging. "What? I know girls."

Colt knew his statement to be true. He watched tons of girls throw themselves at Rocky to which his older brother liked to play dumb. He never saw Rocky talk to many of the girls-the only one he did was the same girl they had in common, but he knew Rocky didn't fancy her like all that. "Sure, ya do."

For some reason, Colt couldn't buy his logic this time. He decided to let it go.

···

Sighing, Lilly ran a hand through her mess of wavy hair. She blew a raspberry while eagerly writing a way her heart and soul. She had too many harsh classes on her first day, so at lunch she opted to sit outside under a shady oak tree. She sat on the bench writing her short story for the contest to which she was satisfied. She usually scored good grades in her classes so her homework later would be a piece of pie.

A voice startled Lilly from her writing as he plopped down next to her. A tinge of a smile in his accented tone. "I see you've taken my advice, Makayla."

Lilly quickly slammed her notebook shut. She dropped her pencil onto the purple as her eyes came into contact with light hazel green eyes. A smile tugging at her lips while her stomach held butterflies. "Um, yeah."

"I wanted to get away from the crowd. I need a break from the band as well. May I join you in silence?" Ashton asked, smiling.

Lilly choked down her excitement. She playfully mulled it over for a moment. "You think you can handle sitting with a ninja?"

Ashton arched an eyebrow at her in curiosity. "I didn't think ninjas were real."

"Very much," Lilly happily chirped, stuffing her notebook into her soft blue backpack. She recieved a green granny Smith apple, taking a bite of it. She continued, "we lurk in the shadows so you won't see us coming."

Ashton grinned, slightly turning red. He already took a liking to the female. "Very cool. I'm a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, myself."

Lilly nodded, processing the information. "You seem like the nerd type to me. You'd get along with Rocky."

"Who's he?" Ashton curiously asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Your boyfriend?"

Lilly scoffed, rolling her eyes. Of course, he'd think that. She shook her head. "No, he's like my big brother."

Ashton nodded in understanding.

···

The two talked for a good ten minutes during lunch break.

"Yeah, but WHAT about Delena?" Ashton sassily asked, pursing his lips into a thin line.

Lilly waved the idea away. "They have nothing on Destiel."

"Hmph." Ashton crossed his arms in thought. He then uncrossed them to start tapping his fingers on the bench. "I prefer Sastiel."

Lilly softly laughed. "Sastiel is not canon. They aren't even worth shipping together."

Ashton seemed to disagree. "Which makes them all the more ship worthy like your precious Destiel."

Lilly giggled. She had been smiling, and laughing more around her new friend since a few days before. She went to argue when three people appeared in their former bubble of two people conversing.

Colt bore an annoyed expression.

Rocky bit his lip to calm his inner fanboy whereas John outright gawked at the aussie.

"Lils, why are you conversing with him?" John cautiously asked, becoming overprotective. He strode over to the two. His eyes giving Ashton the glare down like he was her father instead of her idiot older brother.

Ashton casually held a hand for John to shake. He raked over the skinny, masucline boy; noting he played football. "So you play? The Panthers. Got a nice ring to it."

John became a beet red. He grew flustered at how nice the boy was. "I'm John Braxton. Older brother of Makayla."

Ashton smiled, nodding to show he was comfortable with the brother. "I'm Ashton Irwin-"

"Drummer of 5 Seconds of Summer. Yeah, we know all about you." Rocky gushed, turning red when curious glances were sent his way.

Colt scoffed, shaking his head. "Rock, you can't possibly like their music."

Lilly took note of her best friend ignoring her, which meant she'd have to make time to privately speak with him. She could tell Rocky was a fan even when he profusely began to deny it.

"I am not!" Rocky half shouted, earning glares from other students; passing by. He turned a new shade of scarlett; realizing the wrong words he chose to argue with. He tried correcting himself, "I don't listen to their music."

Ashton pursed his lips, thinking his denial was funny to watch. He said nothing, silently laughing. He decided to say something. "And, I suppose you're a Destiel shipper too."

Rocky eyed the drummer like he'd gone insane. "I like the Sas."

Smirking to himself, Ashton nodded. "You're right. I do like him, Lilly."

Eyebrows rose at his words.

"How did you know his name?" Lilly wondered, knowing she hadn't introduced them yet.

"Your friend said Rock so I guessed." Ashton softly smiled, gaining a nod from her.

"My best ninja friend is Colt." Lilly happily mused, sending her friend a warm glance.

Colt decided on avoiding her gaze. He had some feelings stirring of his own, but he didn't quite realize it so soon. He sighed, eyeing the ground like his puppy had died.

"We were searching for Jack." John spoke up, trying to cut the tension.

"Do you know where he is?" Colt asked, glad for a change of subject. His eyes not really drinking in the drummer.

Ashton shrugged. He seemed to have been thinking it over. "I haven't seen him. The name rings a bell."

Rocky sighed, raking a hand through his sandy blonde hair. "It's alright. We should run into him."

"Why are you looking for Jack?" Lilly curiously asked.

The three boys exchanged a look of agreement like they held a silent conversation with their eyes.

A lie escaped from John. "Uh, we need him for a project. Dissecting frogs."

Shuddering, Lilly opted away from whatever they were really up to. "Haven't seen Jackie."

"Come on!" Rocky eagerly, gestured for the other two to leave. He waved to Ashton and Lilly. "See ya around!"

Lilly narrowed her eyes. Her mischievous side wanted to know what was up while her inner voice instructed her to stay put. She followed her gut instinct just this once. She knew it was best to let her brothers bond with the Douglas boys without her always tagging along so she sat chatting away with Ashton until lunch was over.