pretty face | malum

part 6

"Did you know that Norway made a penguin a knight?" Luke asked as he looked up at Michael.

"You must be so proud of your cousin." Michael said. Distracting himself by the Mortal Kombat app on his phone. Although Michael could feel the pout that was on Luke's face. The blond had never been found of always being compared to a baby duck or penguin. That was how Michael rolled though and the bleached blond was stubborn about the comparison.

Luke went back to his own phone after that, scrolling through the page of random facts. Monday was turning out to be a boring day for the both of them. Michael was both surprised and sad at the fact that Calum wasn't at their table in the cafeteria. From where Michael was sitting he could see the tanned boy hanging out at the popular table, but every time Calum turned and almost made eye contact, Michael would go back to tapping on the game.

He refused to let himself be upset over this, but he kind of was. Lunch was a bit more interesting with the boy, but Michael was never going to say it out loud or let anyone know about it. Not at all.

"Dude, why are you staring at Calum?"

Okay, maybe he wasn't as subtle as he thought in his staring if Luke picked up on it. Michael shrugged and went back to the game mumbling a "'M not staring." Michael could tell the blond was rolling his eyes, but he was going to let it slide for once.

"Why don't you go over and just talk to him?"

"Not everything is rainbows and Ashton." Michael mumbled, glancing up as he heard Calum's laugh from across the room. He hated the way he got a butterfly feeling from the sound and just wanted to hear it more often.

"Dude, the guy got you Mortal Kombat! Go talk to him."

"No. I'm pulling a Luke."

"So you do like him!" Luke yelled and Michael immediately slouched down in his seat. He noticed Calum turning around to look at their table and Michael looked down at his game and acted like he was fighting someone when really he was just going between two character screens.

Michael saw Luke staring at him curiously. Opening his mouth to say something before closing it a couple seconds later.

The bell rung a couple moments later and Michael dashed out of the cafeteria with a mumbled "Bye" to Luke.

-

At the end of school, Michael was shoving his books and homework into his backpack. Luke had ditched him to go hang out with Ashton. Michael acted like he was fine with that, but in reality he was clingy and Luke was his only friend, unless Calum counted and the boy wasn't sure if he counted just yet.

Tightening the straps of his backpack as he started walking out of the school with the crowd that was leaving as well. Michael did faintly heard his name being called, but he ignored it as there was two other Michael's in his school although they were both in lower years.

Stopping on the sidewalk once he was far enough away from the school, Michael pulled out his phone as it buzzed with a notification.

From: Australian Shepard
MICKY
WAIT THE FUCK UP

Suddenly there was a Calum next to him. "I tried calling for you, but you seem to be deaf. Want to hang out today?"

Michael looked at Calum in shock and nodded before he knew what he was doing. A bright smile crossed the pretty boy's face.

"I was going to dye my hair, but I can do that later." Michael commented with a shrug, but the boy shook his head.

"Nah, you can dye your hair. I'll help!" Calum looked so much like an excited puppy that Michael didn't have it in him to decline.