Exchange | Malum

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Michael rummaged through the school hallways, making a rather large attempt to ignore the world around him, along with the way he was feeling about certain situations. Most included him thinking about how his mother wasn't guaranteed tomorrow because she was on a damn life support machine that  they could turn off at any moment, and it's terrifying.

He was so abstracted from his limits that he didn't realize he had implanted himself underneath a tree, the droplets of rain falling from the sky and melting into the soil, making it as damp as his cheeks. And he was alone for a while, the only sounds he could hear were oceans spreading through the wires of his headphones, making a barrier for himself around everything else that mattered aside from making money. There were plenty of ways to make a couple of dollar bills, yet he somehow continued to go to the solution of becoming a prostitute or a stripper. People pay a lot for males. But there's also the point that he doesn't have a toned chest or ass, and he doesn't find himself as attractive as he could, which is why he continued to ponder about whether he could do something that extreme or not.

The rain stopped pouring as soon as Calum mistakenly sat down next to Michael, pulling him down like an anchor with a forced smile on his lips, the waves of the world helping him hide his emotions better under the surface, and the brunette just wasn't helping it. "You know, it's a proven fact that having sex helps with depression."

"Who said I was depressed?" Michael asked, stating what was obvious and repeating it multiple times inside of his head, but never actually following through with that conclusion because he wanted to be happy. "They also say exercising helps with it, and that hasn't done shit for me, because it always ends with a bad outcome."

"What do you mean?" Calum retraced, watching as Michael began to dig his nails into his pale skin and peel some of it, making him feel nausea and relatively disgusted, but he kept it to himself for the sake of not losing their deal.

"I know most people think these sort of situations only apply to girls, but it's terrifying to go out into the world for a stroll, when you're paranoid that somebody will try to kill you or touch you in places you don't want to be touched."

"I'm sorry," Calum frowned, the crinkles in his forehead becoming visible as he leaned his back against the tree, "I know you think that the only thing guys like me care about is sex, but you're wrong. I have a heart."

"Then why did you make that deal with me if you have a heart, Calum?" Michael shook his head, feeling pain bubbling up inside of his system. "Don't you see how fucked up it is that I'm actually dealing with losing my mother, and you only care about sucking me off or getting laid? It hurts."

"Michael, I-"

"Don't worry about it," Michael laughed before standing up and brushing the damp, mushy soil off of his jeans, "I'll see you tonight and we can start selling some more cookies, okay?"

"Yeah, alright," Calum muttered under his breath, it being too silent for the boy to catch onto, but ignoring it nonetheless, "I'm sorry."

But Michael never heard his apology.

-

It was after school when Michael and Calum met up again, sprinkles of garden water staining the pale boys cheeks, him being bundled up in two ripped jackets that clearly weren't keeping him warm, but were better than nothing.

"Why are you late?"

"I brought a couple of things from my house to help you out," Calum answered with a shrug of the shoulders before pulling out a large blue tub that seemed heavy for him to carry, "I know it isn't much, but it'll have to do for now."

"Clothes?"

"I brought a couple of clothes for you to wear, since they don't fit me anymore. And I hate seeing that you're always freezing to death, so half of these can be your new wardrobe for now so you're not living off of two shirts and a pair of jeans."

"I - I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Calum smiled warmly, "I also brought a couple of toys I used to play with when I was little, and I noticed that there's a lot of newborns around here."

"Yeah, so?"

"We sell them, like - have a small garage sale or whatever, and price them based off of their abilities and charm, I guess."

"What's a garage sale?"

Calum really felt bad for Michael. "It's um, it's basically where you place items that you don't want anymore out on your yard, and you sell them to people who drive by or stop to look at your things."

"Oh, that's pretty cool. I didn't have a lot of stuff growing up, so there wasn't much to sell, you know? Like I'd sell my legs if I could."

"That's gross," Calum laughed as he sat on the table Michael was setting up, "I don't think we should sell lemonade this time. Nobody wants it."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Today, Michael, we are going to walk your neighbors dogs."

Michael has never done that before.

He's never had a pet before.

"We can do that?"

"You have a lot to learn, my friend," Calum chuckled, before holding his hand out for Michael to grab, "I need you to trust me today, alright?"

"I don't trust anybody but my mother."

"Including yourself?"

"Definitely not myself," Michael replied, knowing that it was saddening how he was petrified of himself, but in a way, everybody was. "I have a lot of demons."

"Well today, we're going to forget about those demons and make some money."

And that really did help Michael a lot. But he couldn't tell Calum that because he knew he was just in it for the exchange. And that's what hurt the most.

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A/N; thoughts?

I haven't updated bc I've been looking way too into this Marina Joyce situation