Dare (Lashton)

7

The next couple of days were a little awkward. Calum and Michael talked about their mutual feelings, though Michael was still in an unsatisfying relationship with Allyson. He planned to break up with her on Monday, today.

Luke grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest for a hug, pressing a kiss to my forehead. His lips lingered on my forehead for a little bit and I smiled, my insides practically exploding.

"You look great today." He told me.

"Thanks." I beamed.

"You don't look too bad yourself." I added. He smiled.

"Michael's talking to Ally right now." Calum suddenly appeared, and I jumped.

"That's good." Luke and I stated in sync. Calum smiled at us and nodded. Luke squeezed my hand a little bit as Calum babbled on about what Michael was planning on telling Allyson as I focused on the way Luke played with his lip ring.

"What's gonna happen after that?" Luke questioned.

"Well, I hope we'll get together somehow." He shrugged.

"You guys would be super cute." I commented. Calum grinned at my statement and thanked me, squealing like a little girl. I smiled.

"You guys are pretty adorable, too." Calum stated as Luke tightened his grip around me.

Both of us smiled at his comment. Michael walked over to us and glanced at Luke and I before looking at Calum.

"Guys, do you mind if I talk to Calum, alone?" He questioned.

"Of course not." I responded, and we started to walk away.

"This way, Ash." Luke said, lightly squeezing my hand and leading me into the parking lot.

He led me to his car, and quickly unlocked it.

"Get in." He told me, and I climbed into the passenger seat as he got into the driver's side.

"What are we doing?" I wondered as he stuck his key into the ignition.

"Leaving." He carelessly shrugged.

"Like, ditching?"

"Yeah. Where do you wanna go?" He questioned, joining the leaving line of cars, full of parents and others who had just dropped off their children.

"I don't care." I replied.

He nodded and turned left, and we were officially off campus. Honestly, I was a little bit nervous. However, I'd rather be in Luke's car, with snow falling from the pretty bluish-grey, patched with clouds, than in a dull classroom listening to a teacher lecture monotonously to a bunch of seemingly lifeless students.

"How does the mall sound?" He asked me.

"Great." I answered, and he nodded.

"Wanna stop somewhere for food first?" The mall doesn't open for another hour." He suggested.

"Sure." I agreed. We needed to kill time, so we might as well.

"Where?" He wondered.

"Panda Express?"

"Okay."

My phone began vibrating with a call, and I answered it as fast as possible when I realized that it was Calum.

"Calum?"

"A- Ash?" He was crying.

"Calum, what's wrong?" I asked.

He sniffled.

"He said he- he doesn't want to leave Allyson. Sh- she's pregnant with his baby." His quiet sniffles quickly turned to sobs, and I frowned.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

"Calum, where are you?" I wondered.

"In the bathroom." He choked.

"I'll see if Luke can pick you up and you can come with us, if you want?" I offered.

"Where are you guys?" He questioned.

"On our way to get food." I said.

Luke was already turning the car around and heading back to the school.

"We're on our way. Stay in the bathroom or in front of the school, okay?" I requested.

"Okay. Thanks." He sniffles and hung up.

"What's wrong?" Luke repeated.

"I guess Ally is pregnant with Michael's baby, so he didn't leave her and he said he doesn't want to." I summarized from what I understood.

"Bet she's lying."

I shrugged.

"She's done it before. In freshman year, she lied about being pregnant with this one dude's baby so he didn't leave her. And again in junior year." He explained.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. The guy in freshman year believed her and stayed with her for like six months." He shrugged.

"What about junior year?" I wondered.

"He took her to the doctor for a pregnancy test, and found out she was lying. And then he left her." He informed me.

"That's what Michael should do." I stated.

He nodded.

It was silent for a moment as he drove to the school.

"Is Calum waiting outside or in the bathroom?" He questioned as we pulled up.

"The bathroom I think." I answered.

"Tell him we're here."

I called Cal and informed him that we were waiting for him outside.

He was out within a minute and he quickly got in the car.

"So, are we going to be returning?" Calum questioned.

"Nope. Not today." Luke stated.

"Thank god. Thanks so much for picking me up, I owe you." Calum replied.

"What exactly happened with Mike?" Luke wondered.

"He talked to Ally. Then he like told me he didn't want to leave her. He said that he wanted to try and fix things with her and keep a strong relationship." Calum explained.

"And the pregnancy?" Luke asked.

"I heard that from one of her friends." He explained.

"Cal, remember freshman year and last year when she was apparently pregnant?" Luke asked.

"Yeah..."

"We need to talk to Mike about getting a pregnancy test. I'd bet you anything that's the reason he said he wants to fix things. I've seen how he looks at you and talks about you. He loves you, Calum." Luke stated.

"It's true." I added.

"I don't know. Like, I thought hr did at first, but now I just don't know. He fucking said he didn't care about her. He said he loved me. And he's probably been telling her the same shit the whole time." His voice cracked at the end and he began crying again.

"Calum, I doubt that. He really does love you. I've never seen or heard anybody talk about anybody else like that. He only claimed to want to stay with her because she's claiming to be pregnant." I stated.

"I'm gonna talk to him." Luke said.

"What are you gonna say?" Calum sniffled.

"I'm just gonna ask him about Allyson and the fake pregnancy and stuff." He responded.