Secrets || Mashton

2:The Clock Is Ticking

*Michael's Point Of View*

"Ashton." Ashton's mum called out from downstairs.

Ashton immediately pulled away and ran down the stairs. I waited a moment, then slowly walked down the stairs. I stopped at the bottom of the staircase.

"I'm happy for you, Ashton. You've always seemed to like Michael, and now you two are together." Ashton's mum said to him, smiling.

As soon as she said that, I had a weird feeling. There was something about the word 'together' that made me have a weird feeling, a feeling as if this is just one huge mistake.

It is a huge mistake, though. I shouldn't be feeling this way. I shouldn't feel electricity crackle when I touch my best friend's hand, I shouldn't have strong urges to kiss my best friend. I shouldn't feel this way. This isn't right.

Ashton glanced back as soon as she said that. I stood there for only a moment, then rushed out the door, slamming it behind me. I quickly went to my house and went inside, and went to my room.

"This isn't real." I tried to convince myself. "This is just a dream."

I repeated those words over and over, but the more I said it, the more the memories of what happened today rushed through my head.

The incident in the cab, the hands touching, the staring into each other's eyes, the kissing. I couldn't get it out of my head.

"Come on, Michael. Get it together." I muttered to myself.

I heard a soft knock on my window, and I automatically knew that it was Ashton. We live next door to each other, and very often Ashton would knock on my window and come in that way instead of coming through the door.

I looked at the window, not looking at Ashton. I remembered that I always leave it open just a little bit so that he could come in.

I sighed and quickly pulled it down and switched the small lock at the bottom, so that he couldn't get in. I saw the look on Ashton's face, and I knew that he was hurt by the fact that I was shutting him out.

He walked around the house and knocked on my door. I walked to the door and opened it just a little.

"I need some time to myself." I then shut the door and locked it before he could try to get in.

I went back to my bedroom and sat on my bed. I heard another soft knock on my window. I looked up at it. Ashton was there, holding a piece of paper against the window.

The paper said "I love you, and I'm sorry about mum."

I sighed and closed my curtains.

I wiped away a few tears that somehow escaped from my eyes. I stared at my closet for a moment, then finally made a decision.

I grabbed my backpack out of my closet, stuffed a few things in it, and set it on the bed. I grabbed my notebook and wrote a note for Ashton.

I knew he had given up by now and went into his room, and I know him well enough to know that he would come back in a few hours and try again.

I tore the note out of the notebook, and set it where I knew he would find it, opened my curtains and opened the window just a little so that he could get in next time he tried.

I sighed and grabbed my backpack and walked out of the house, called a cab and told the driver where to take me.

"Umm.. And can you go as fast as you can? I need to catch the soonest flight. I'm pretty sure that it's in ten minutes." I said. "The clock is ticking, and I'm out of time."