white noise || malum

four.

Second chances are a beautiful thing. A lucky, unexpected, beautiful thing. Calum was incredibly grateful for his second chance. A second chance that was the greatest of them all:

A chance to be reunited with his lost best friend.

That day, Ashton walked home with Calum, and they talked. Calum filled him on what he had missed, which was not very pleasant considering Ashton was gone. Ashton frowned when he heard that Calum had stopped showing up to football practice, and his face fell when he found out his group of friends really had fallen apart.

"You haven't even tried to talk to Luke?" Ashton asked as they passed Luke's house, which was only a couple houses down from Calum's.

Calum just shrugged his shoulders. "I tried Michael and he ignored me. He probably told Luke to do the same, so I never tried. You know Luke. He always does what Michael says."

Ashton shook his head at Calum's reply, sighing softly. "That boy needs to learn he can make his own decisions."

The duo finally reached Calum's house, and they made their way up the front lawn through the door. "Hi, honey!" Calum's mom called from the living room where she was watching one of her boring soap operas.

"Hi Mom," Calum replied with a smile, a smile her son hadn't made in quite a while.

"Hi Mrs. Hood," Ashton said with one of his signature grins, but she didn't hear or acknowledge him at all. Ashton's heart sank when he remembered. He wouldn't have the chance to live a normal life ever again.

Calum glanced at Ashton with a frown, causing his mother to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. "Is everything okay sweetie?"

Calum nodded. "Yeah it's just...yeah. I'm okay."

She didn't believe him, but she gave him another tiny smile and told him that she loved him as he and Ashton made their way up to his room.

Calum tossed his backpack to the floor and sat on his bed, Ashton taking the chair in front of his desk. "Man, you have to clean this place up."

Calum rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I haven't really had the motivation."

A faint blush rose on Ashton's cheeks as he giggled nervously. "Good point."

Calum crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the headboard of his bed, and looked over at his best friend. He still didn't quite understand how Ashton was here and why no one else could see him, but he figured it was best to accept it and not ask any questions.

Ashton looked exactly the same as he had the night of the crash. His newly cut curly dirty blonde hair askew, black skinny jeans with holes at the knees, and his ripped gray sleeveless shirt. He didn't fit what Calum would label as a ghost, he looked exactly like, well, Ashton.

Ashton noticed the electric fan by Calum's bed. "Isn't that my fan?" he asked with a chuckle.

Calum nodded and shrugged. "The white noise helps, remember?"

Ashton laughed in response, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms over his chest to copy Calum. "Of course."

After a moment of awkward silence, Ashton spoke up, his eyes becoming bright. "So you're going to talk to Michael tomorrow, right?"

Calum scoffed and glanced at the photo on his nightstand of the four of them. Ashton was grinning and had his arm around Luke, who was making a face at Michael. Michael's hair was red at the time, and he had his tongue sticking out and his arm around Luke and Calum, who had a big smile on his face and his head turned to face Michael.

Ashton noticed where Calum was looking and smiled softly. "I remember that day. I miss those losers."

"Me too," Calum repeated the second time that day. Even if Ashton was somehow back, Michael still couldn't see him and probably wouldn't forgive Calum for what he had done. He didn't understand how Ashton could be so forgiving when he was the one who died himself. Michael acted like Calum had done it on purpose.

Ashton cleared his throat at the tension in the room and joined Calum on his bed. "When do you see them at school?"

"I have algebra first period with Luke, and biology fifth period with Michael."

"Perfect!" Ashton grinned at his friend, placing his hand on his shoulder lightly. "Then you can get Luke alone and talk to Michael after."

Calum wearily looked down at his lap. "I don't know."

Ashton rolled his eyes. "Could you do it for me?"

Calum jerked his head back up and looked back at his friend, who was looking back at him with pleading eyes. 3 months of grieving and guilt and he was lucky enough to get a second chance. Michael wished that is was him who died instead, and Luke probably never would forgive him, but he had to try for Ashton.

It all would be for Ashton.