To love you | Malum

Ch. 6 - Splattered Paint + Squeals

Michael + Ch. 6 - Splattered Paint + Squeals

I suppose what happened at the Pool Party could have been avoided. The hickies on Calum's neck were quite visible, and it was obvious that he didn't bother with covering it up with his mothers "LANCÔME EFFACERNES Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer" from Sephora. I only knew the label because the bottle slipped out of his backpack at one point during gym class, and I still have it lingering inside of my own bag because he didn't realize it rested near the corner of the locker room showers. I'm not sure if I plan on giving it back.

Calum was smiling, his hands restlessly planted against his thighs as he gazed at the basketball in Ashton's hands, the miraculous colors of brown and red distracting him from the beauty of the outer world. He had a different perspective of seeing things than I did, of course, but I wanted to avoid being the castaway in this sort of situation. He was contemplating on grabbing it, passing it to the opposing player, or running around to shoot a hoop. Luke was somewhere on the other side of the room, talking to none other than Keaton, who oddly enough, looked as though he could be twins with the blue eyed boy.

I peered my eyes away from the tanned boy, focusing my attention on the two blonde boys who were laughing at something on Luke's phone that looked to be a picture, but was most likely just a video of a penguin falling in love with a turtle. I've seen his Instagram feed before, and for someone who acts tough, he's not. He's just Luke Hemmings - one of the biggest jocks in school, known for hooking up with nearly everyone before he began dating Calum, and known for making others feel bad about themselves. How he was friends with someone as nice as Keaton made me wonder how manipulating that boy could be, but he was the least of my worries.

"Michael Clifford!"

I diverted my attention away from the blondes to see my gym teacher storming over to me, a notebook in his hands that had rolled edges, stain filled pages and a broken spine, just like me. It looked like my private journal, but I wasn't sure how it could have possibly landed in Pleine High School. I haven't brought it here once.

"Yes?"

"You know I don't appreciate funny business."

"I haven't done anything," I sighed, putting my wheelchair in park and putting the papers away that I was drawing on. He caught me not writing another essay that I owed him, and the truth is, I was beginning to completely run out of word choice as to why I couldn't participate under harsh conditions.

"I found this journal here in locker 27, with your name on it. Take it home and don't bring it back." I suppose I could have been angry with the teacher for snooping through my things, but he was practically saving my life here. Anybody could have seen it, especially Calum. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if the brunette knew how I felt.

"T-Thanks," I muttered, my small, pale hands reaching out to grab the burnt journal that I purposely ruined a while back when I was all up in my emotions. He handed me the notebook, and my first response was to immediately grab it and place it in my draw-string backpack where nobody could find it.

"Hurry up with that essay of yours, I don't have all day." All I could reply with was yes sir, but even I knew I wasn't going to write 500 words, explaining the same exact thing I have been for the past week. I watched the teacher walk away in satisfaction before bumping into Luke and congratulating him on being promoted in the team. He was the third best player, Calum being first, Ashton second and him last. I guess you could say it agitated the blonde beyond measures.