Michael's POV:
Honestly, I felt bad for Luke, I really did, but that didn't mean that I could do anything about it. The things people said to him were absolutely disgusting and terrible which is why I tried my hardest to ignore them, but sometimes I joined in. I had to. If people thought I actually liked Luke Hemmings nobody would like me anymore. I would get kicked off of the school football team, and lose my free ride into Uni. I couldn't risk that.
We were working on basketball, everyone dribbling balls around the gym and doing what they were supposed to be doing. I carefully watched Luke, trying to be discreet about my actions so he wouldn't find me creepy.
"Watch out, fag!" one of the guys on my team, James, yelled and pushed Luke down.
Goddamn it, I didn't see why people treated him like shit. I don't remember him doing anything to them, ever. As soon as he fell everyone broke out into laughter, and my eyes went down to his thighs, which were cluttered with scars, old and new.
My eyes went wide and a small gasp escaped my lips. I knew Luke used to hurt himself, but I never knew that it was this bad. I didn't even know he had scars other than the ones on his wrists. This was shocking and so sad. Knowing that the boy I loved more than life itself was hurting himself like this- it hurt me.
"They see no scars, but it's all lies. They only check wrists, not thighs," I heard one guy say to Luke. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs for these idiots to leave Luke alone.
"They'll check your wrists, but not your thighs. They'll check your smile, but not yours eyes," another guy teased. God, why were people so cruel to such an innocent young boy?
It killed me hearing people say things to Luke. No matter what happened, I still loved him. He was still the Luke Hemmings I was in love with and I couldn't just sit here and watch this happen to him. I had to help him. Before I could even think about what I was doing my hand shot down towards him and I smiled small, not allowing the tears to fall from my eyes. "Come on, Luke. It's okay. I promise. Come on."
The look on Luke's face was obvious fear, and it had every right to be there. I would be completely horrified too, if I was in his situation.
Everyone around us went silent when I took Luke's hand and helped him up. Even I didn't know what I was doing at this point. God, everyone was going to hate me now. I would be off the team and my chance at going to Uni and having a real future flew out the window.
"Michael, you're actually helping... Him?" Disgust and confusion filled one boy's voice as he asked this question.
Another boy chimed in with the rude remark of, "why would you help someone like him?"
God, people were disgusting. But I couldn't let this ruin everything for me. I would fix things with Luke later. I would do my best to make things okay later. Right now I had to save my reputation, my future. When I talked to Luke about it he would understand, right? He always understood.
"I'm sorry," was all I could manage to say before pushing Luke onto the gym floor again, and trying my hardest to laugh at him along with the rest of the crowd, but I just couldn't. I simply stayed silent and tried to ignore everyone and everything around me.
He just sat there for five minutes, staring at me most of the time. He took the torment and the ruthless torcher from everyone without a single tear, but even if nobody else saw it, I did. Luke was breaking inside.
Luke tried to leave, but it didn't work. The coach made him go back onto the court and play the game. As soon as he finished talking to coach, he turned around to be greeted by a basketball flying straight towards him, and a quick, "think fast," coming from one of the other boys in the gym.
As soon as the entire group of boys were allowed back into the locker room, I rushed to change. I didn't bother to talk to my friends, I just changed and then rushed outside to wait for Luke. I knew he was still changing in the bathroom stalls, obviously because of the scars that littered his wrists, thighs, and probably other parts of his body as well.
As soon as he walked out of the locker room, I jumped up from where I was leaning against the wall outside of the doorway. "I'm sorry. I had to Luke." The words came out painfully from my lips, and I sighed weakly, knowing it was terrible of me to join onto the teasing that he endured every day. I was supposed to be there to help and support him through all of this and instead I was hurting him. I would never deserve someone as amazing as Luke. Ever.
"Luke, talk to me." I begged him once he didn't say anything in response to my earlier statement. I needed him to say something, anything. I needed to talk to him. I missed hearing his voice.
"Michael, you did not have to do anything. Why didn't you just leave my laying there! What was the point in picking me up just to push me back down again?! It was worse enough, okay Mikey?! I don't need you adding to the torment!" he yelled at me.
The words stung a lot, but I knew I deserved them. He didn't think I understood what he was going through, or what he felt, and I didn't. But it wasn't like I wasn’t going through troubles myself.
"Luke, hear me out, okay? I love you. I have never stopped loving you. You're me entire world. Seeing those scars covering your thighs shattered my heart. I wanted to help you. God, if I could I would have helped you up and kissed every single one of your scars and told you how much I loved you in front of the entire fucking school, but, Luke, I can't. You know that I can’t do that. You're so smart, and you're lucky to be like that. I can barely get 4+4 correct. There is no way I'm getting into Uni on an academic scholarship, and you know how money is in my family... I need this footie scholarship, babe. And if the other players found out I was gay and dating you there's a chance I could get kicked off of the team. Lukey, I love you to death, baby. And trust me, if there was anything I could do to make things better without a chance of losing my spot on the football team, I wouldn't hesitate to do it. Having to choose between you and my future is the hardest decision I've ever had to make, baby... And I still don't know if I chose the right one..." I looked down and sighed. "I know my excuse is complete shit and it doesn't make up for everything that I've said and done to you, and I'm sorry but I don't know what else to tell you... It's the truth."
A/N: Sorry this took so long to update, I was trying to update the other story first but I just have no inspiration to write that one. I have an idea of what I want to write, but I can't put it down in words. Anyways, I just decided to write this one first because I needed to update at least one of them and I already knew what I wanted to write for this one. I have started the update for the other one, so it should be up later tonight or sometime during the day tomorrow. I hope you guys like reading this!
Question of the Chapter: What do you think is going to happen next?
Answer of the Chapter: I truthfully don't know because @YoursAlwaysHaz and I don't talk about what we're putting in the chapters we write, we just put them up. I really want you guys to comment and say what you think because I think it would be fun to read. PS: Anyone who comments something that I find interesting gets a follow and I may check out your stories.
