Idiot Chat ➳ m.c

Rejects

»Ashlee«

"Back at school they all thought I was an outcast." 

I stared at the doors of the cafeteria, hoping that every time someone walked through it, it was Michael and Ashton. Ashton had gone after Michael as he hadn't come back from the bathroom, it was twenty minutes into lunch and I was starting to get worried.

I would've gone myself, I had no problem with walking into the boy's bathroom. Ashton had stopped me and said he'd go instead. I wondered if Michael was alright, he'd been gone a long time and I was missing him terribly. I don't know how it had become this way, I used to be fine going a day at school without him and now I couldn't even go ten minutes without Michael.

I had never relied on his presence so much, except when Aaron and I broke up. Michael had always been there, it was only now that did I realize how much I need him. Looking up I saw Ashton walking in with Michael, they approached our table quickly but it didn't take me long to realize. Michael's eyes were swollen and crimson rimmed.

His hand was covered in the trademark cheap school paper towel. Blood was seeping through the white paper, we could all see it despite how he tried to hide it. "Ashlee, you and Michael are staying at my house for the night." It was meant to sound commanding and in that usual strong manner that Ashton always had, but it came out soft and a little shaken. 

I nodded, I didn't want to fight with my brother or even ask why. I just accepted that he had his reasons. Ashton looked worriedly down at Michael's hand, the blood had soaked through the paper towel and it was beginning to drip onto the floor.  "I've got to get Michael home, do you want to come now or later?" Ashton asked a little more smoothly, his eyes glinted with a hint of amber to them, he looked stressed and for once it wasn't my doing.

I looked between the two girls, Calum and the two boys standing. I was really worried about a certain one. I didn't want to keep them waiting, every ten seconds another drop of blood would fall from Michael. "Sure," I  agreed hoping to get to Ashton's house and stop Michael's hand from bleeding.

Calum slung his arms around both Blay and Beth. "I'll just be here then, chillin' with my besties."

Ashton thought for a moment, running over to Blay and placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Don't steal my bestie," he warned Calum in a joking manner — grinning whilst at it.

I smiled sadly up at Michael, he just kept his head to the floor and avoided eye contact with anyone as we left.

x x x

Sitting in Ashton's bathroom bandaging up Michael's hand was not how I imagined my day to go. Ash had hovered for a moment before deciding to go order pizza. The silence between us was uncomfortable, but I held his hand in mine as I carefully wrapped the bandage around his broken skin.

He shifted slightly on the edge of the bathtub — causing me to adjust my position also. When I'd finished bandaging his hand I pulled away, we just sat in silence, not making eye contact as it would surely make this more uncomfortable.

Michael was the first one to move — using his good hand to brush a strand of hair from my face. "Thanks." His voice was soft and slightly cracked, something had happened.

"What happened?" I asked, knowing him all too well.

He gave a small shake of his head. "Luke wanted to meet at lunch, I thought he wanted to talk."

"Why didn't you ask me to come with you?"

Michael let out a sigh, running his hand up and down my thigh. "I thought with you there I wouldn't get straight answers out of him. I did get straight answers but not the ones I wanted to hear."