Melting His Jet Black Heart [cake au] ✔

8.

Chapter 8

Michael burst out laughing, unable to hold it in, whilst Bryana covered her mouth. Luke and Ashton gasped in harmony and Calum left the room in a rush, breathing heavily and holding back the tears. He was so worthless. He didn't deserve to be with such a happy crowd of people, and now he'd gone and shown them something abominably humiliating; so humiliating that he knew he wouldn't ever be able to face them again.

Hurrying into the toilet, he locked one of the cubicle doors and drew a harsh finger and thumb down his zip, letting his length spring out. He punched it in rage. He then punched the cubicle walls, wincing at the pain of his recent arm wound tearing open. Sure, it had been a week since he'd cut it open, but he'd cut it so deep that it was taking ages to heal. The blood seeped down his arm hastily and he groaned, grabbing the tissue roll and yanking a piece off to catch the leakage.

By then, Luke had found Calum due to the crowd forming outside the boy's toilets, and did the same as he had before; climbing onto the toilet seat of the cubicle adjacent to it and going over. He regretted this because Calum's jeans and boxers were around his ankles. "Oh my God I'm so sorry-"

"Save it," Calum interjected.

Luke hesitated, looking away. "I didn't mean to... I was just worried that you'd..."

As he said this, Calum's eyes widened in surprise. Luke was worried? Why the fuck would he be worried? Forgetting about it temporarily, he pulled up his jeans despite the soreness and throbbing, zipping them back up and looking Luke in the eye. "Sorry that you had to see that. I don't know what came over me."

With a smile, Luke replied, "Don't worry about it, honestly. Michael was just being a douche."

"You don't hate me right?"

"I'd never hate someone because of something as trivial as that. Oh, what happened to your arm?! Did you..."

"No, no the old wound just opened up."

Luke sighed in relief and leant his back against the cubicle wall, sliding down to the floor. "Thank God. I don't know what I'd do if you hurt yourself again."

Calum sat down on the toilet seat. "Why... why do you care so much about me? I don't mind being left alone, you know. I'm not attention seeking, nor do I ask for anything. I didn't come to school to make friends, I came here because I was forced to. Besides, from what you've seen of me so far you must think I'm a total psycho." He began to wrap a longer bit of tissue around his upper arm where the wound was, watching it clot and stop bleeding. Luke on the other hand, looked up at the ceiling light in wonder.

"I care about you because quite frankly, you look like you need to feel some love. From the moment we first met, I knew you weren't another typical transfer student; I could tell. I have the power to do that, and I can read people well. You haven't told me about your past, but even without knowing I can see that it hurts you to this day, whatever happened, and that you've built a high wall around yourself to stop yourself ever getting hurt again; and it's my duty to break it."

Calum was amazed at his perception skills. How had he guessed that within what, two weeks of them meeting? He had no words to say, so he stared into Luke's eyes. "You know so much and I've told you nothing."

"Haha," Luke laughed. "Like I said, I read people well. You've proven to be quite a challenge so far, but bear with me. Hey, if you're free, do you wanna come to mine after school?"

Again, Calum was speechless, unable to comprehend what the blonde boy in front of him was saying. He ended up coughing and letting out a deep exhalation. "I'd love to."

"Great," Luke beamed, standing up and placing a hand in front of Calum for him to hold on to. "Meet me at the school gate after school then! I live real close so we can walk." Luke mentally shot a fist into the air in satisfaction, uncontrollably grinning at what he'd just achieved. He was getting somewhere, finally, and there was absolutely no chance of him quitting now.

He was going to see this through to the end, no matter what.

~

Outside, Michael, Ashton and Bryana were standing against the walls, biting their nails and lips nervously. "Calum!" Michael called. "Calum, I'm really sorry for saying that out loud, please forgive me, I'll do anything you want-"

"Calm down Michael!" Luke hollered, playfully bashing him on the shoulder. Michael pouted and his eyes grew into puppy eyes, pretending to be in pain. "Sorry, sorry... Calum's okay now. It's the end of lunch so we need to go, but Calum, whenever you want to come listen just come along with us. You're always welcome!"

"That's right Cal," Ashton reiterated. Calum let a meagre smile out at his little nickname. "Bryana always comes anyway. You guys can hang out and chat!"

"T-thank you," was all Calum could manage, but it was all they needed to understand how Calum felt. He was genuinely content. He had made a few friends; however, that wasn't the hardest part.

The hardest part was keeping them, and not scaring them away with his past or his scars. That was the only way he could determine between real friends and fake friends, whether they accepted him or not; and Luke had already shown himself to be a real friend. Having not had any proper friends for seven years, he didn't exactly know how to act. His last school had been both deceiving and disgusting, so it was right for Mali to take him out. It wasn't doing him any good.

He liked this fresh start at this new school, and although he hadn't given the perfect first impression, he'd gained one ally so far and he knew from experience that allies would always be more valuable than enemies.

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Kimmy xx