BROKEN HOME :: OT4

que faisons-nous maintenant?

Chapter Seven :: que faisons-nous maintenant?

Neither one of the boys is speaking to each other on their way to Tyler's office; and neither one breaks the silence as they take a seat on the opposite sides of the room. Michael is too angry to even talk to the stupid boy; he can not believe that he has to tell his friend not to go to jail under his behalf because, well, how stupid is that?

Calum is too stubborn to admit the defeat; he feels as if he has failed his mission as a friend. He is failing every single class he attends and has nothing to look forward to besides a few parties he gets occassionally invited to. This favour would have been an escape for him.

"Okay, well since neither of you want to say it, I will.." pauses Ashley, taking a good look at the boys before sighing, "you are both stupid."

"Stupid? How the hell am I stupid? He is the one who is willing to go to jail for me." argues Michael, crossing his hands on his chest like Calum is doing as he sits back. The brunette has a simple grin on his face, and Michael wants to wipe it off. However, Calum doesn't defend himself; he just keeps on smiling at the boy.

"What the hell are you smiling at? Happy that they are going to look for more evidence to find out whether you are guilty or not? Where even were you that night?" Calum is glad his friend is finally willing to talk to him but he doesn't say anything back. His plan is working, and so he simply takes an apple and brings it to his mouth.

"Hello? Are you not listening to me? Stop eating and answer me; Where were you that night?" Michael is practically shouting, and when the boy doesn't abide, he snatches the apple from him and holds it in one hand; his companion is still not speaking to him, causing him to bite on the apple part that haven't been bitten yet.

"Will you both stop acting like children? Michael, the boy is deciding to go to jail for you. It is his decision and you should respect it the way he respects you-" Ashley is interrupted by Michael standing up and arguing, once again.

"But he is not even respecting MY decision to take the blame. Why do you even want to go to jail, where you can get raped and abused, for a person who doesn't give a small damn about you?" Michael covers his mouth with his hands, and yeah he definitely crossed a line then because Calum's grin is wiped off.

The brunette storms out of the room and shuts the door behind him, while Michael follows behind like a puppy because he didn't mean it. He doesn't mean it. He is just very angry and frustrated  at the boy who seems to act like a child, as if prison doesn't actually mean anything.

"Calum, hey Calum!" whispers Michael, deep down a little happy the boy is not looking at him and giving him his back because he doesn't know what to say to him. No words in his limited vocabulary can describe how angry he was as he spat out the words.

"Calum hold up..." he is almost chasing the boy upstairs by then, and Officer Hemmings who has been standing by the door this whole time is confused. His confusion, however, doesn't last long as he over hears the two boys arguing on the stairs.

"What!? What can you possibly say to make me forget what you just said? You think I am doing this because I am some selfish bastards who likes to be the hero; I am not. I am a son, and I am a friend, and I am a brother. Did you think I forgot that? I am making up for all the times I chose to shut my mouth and admire the so called beauty your father painted your body. I was supposed to say something, not as a friend, but as a human being- and I failed."

It almost feels as if he said it all in one breathe because after that, he feels as if oxygen is his best friend who moved houses away from him. He stares at Michael deep in the eyes and makes the matter harder for the boy with green eyes.

"I was just angry." is all Michael can spit it out and the words sound so ridiculous to Calum's ears that he actually chuckles at them.

"My mother once told me, listen to people when they are angry : because that is when the truth comes out."

The deafening silence then follows his sentence, both the blonde officer and Michael looking down at their hands, reflecting on the scenes that have taken place in their lives. And Calum waited, and waited, and waited- but no form of apology or excuse came his way.

"That's what I thought."