I'm Supposed To Hate You ||Malum AU||

Chapter 38

Everyone in Calum and Michael's friend group were glad that they had managed to built a friendship, no matter how fragile it was. Everyone knew that one wrong move from either boy could result in disaster and nobody wanted to repeat the events of last week.

The fragility of Michael and Calum's relationship came down to Calum's minimal trust in Michael, and Michael's fear of facing Calum's anger again. While they were more comfortable and friendly around each other than they used to be, each boy was treading very cautiously around the other.

Calum was biting his tongue to stop himself from making comments that could land him on Michael's bad side, and Michael was doing the same to prevent Calum from retaliating and causing an argument that could effectively destroy the foundation of their relationship - the secret Michael had forced out of Calum.

The peace, while welcomed by all at NorWest, fed rumours which spread like wildfire around the school. According to the rest of the student body, Calum was in a relationship, probably pregnant and had never actually hated Michael in the first place, instead, he had faked it to attract attention to himself when he moved. All of which, he hoped, were untrue.

"I can't help noticing that all of the negative aspects of the rumours are about me. I'm the pregnant one, I wanted attention, I blackmailed Michael into being my friend." Calum told Ashton and Thomas at lunch on Wednesday. "I mean, c'mon give me a break people."

"I guess that's what you get for being the less liked than him." Thomas said, shaking his head disappointedly. "It's karma."

"Can't somebody say anything negative about him though?" Calum complained. "All I ever hear is people talking about how great he is."

"No one needs to point out his flaws Calum, you do that." Ashton reasoned, placing his fork down. "You called him out on his shit from the start and from then people just left the negativity to you."

"Other people can too. If people keep telling him how wonderful he is, his neck will snap from the weight of his head."

"That's not very nice Cal." Michael chimed in, appearing by Calum's side.

"I swear you teleport whenever I mention your name." Calum muttered.

"You got me." Michael replied sarcastically, holding his hands up in surrender. "Why were you talking about me anyway?"

"Well, Calum here is bitter because people aren't being as nice to him as they are to you in the rumours about you guys' sudden magical friendship." Thomas explained, earning a glare from Calum. Michael laughed and looked down at Calum, who had become very interested in his lunch.

"You know there is an easy way to fix that Calum." Michael said, sitting down in the seat next to Calum. "Just spread a rumour about us that shows me in a negative light. The more outrageous the better, this school will lap anything up."

"That's works?" Calum asked skeptically.

"Yeah, I do it all the time. It's quite fun to start random rumours. At the end of Year 9, I spread a rumour that convinced the whole school that the school pizza was laced with some random drug I made up on the spot." Michael replied excitedly, his grin widening as he remembered the horror on everyone's faces when he told them.

"I thought something was off about that story." Thomas grumbled. "They stopped stocking pizza until the end of the year because of you."

"My greatest achievement." Michael said proudly. "So yeah Calum, it does work."

"Okay, what do we tell them?"
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The news quickly got around school and it want long until Calum overheard his own rumour in the corridor. It was a well known fact that Michael was extremely popular around the school, but Calum had never expected it to be to the extent where teachers gossiped abut him.

"I got told by one of my Year 11s that Michael Clifford serenaded Calum Hood at midnight to convince him to stop fighting with him." Calum heard one of the Chemistry teachers say as he walked past.

"That's unbelievable, there is no way that actually happened. It's just a rumour."

"Can anything be classed as unbelievable anymore? Calum Hood and Michael Clifford aren't fighting, anything is possible."

Calum had to walk faster to prevent himself from disturbing their conversation when he let out a loud snort. People were actually buying his completely made up rumour, that he was sure would be shrugged off as ridiculous. Originally, he had wanted to go with something believable but he wanted to test Michael's theory. As it turned out, he was right, NorWest really did lap up the completely outrageous.

"What are you laughing at?" Ashton asked him as he walked into Maths.

"Just heard two teachers gossiping about me and Michael. They believe the rumour we started." Calum laughed, struggling to catch his breath. "Aw man, this is the best day of my life."

"Are you kidding me? That was the most bullshit rumour I've ever heard." Ashton exclaimed.

"Exactly." Calum wheezed, tears of laughter running down his cheeks. "Michael was right, this school really does believe anything."

"Did I just hear that right? Did you, Calum Hood, just say that Michael Clifford, was right?!" Ashton exclaimed dramatically, placing his hand on his heart in shock.

"I wouldn't dare!" Calum gasped.

"I don't think my weak heart can take this." Ashton said, pretending to faint. "It's too much."

Calum tried to play along, fake sobbing for his best friend's fake death for a few seconds before snorting loudly and erupting into a fit of giggles.

"Are you-giggling?" Ashton asked him, holding back laughter himself.

"Maybe." Calum giggled. Ashton spluttered as the laugh he'd been trying to hold back burst from his lips and the two of them say laughing in their seats for a couple of minutes, without noticing that their Maths teacher had just walked in.

"You may have the luxury of giggling like little schoolgirls, but some of us are here to teach or learn and would appreciate it if you shut up!"

Calum and Ashton both fell silent, looking down at their laps in embarrassment.

"Calum Hood, move your stuff and take a seat next to Michael. You and Ashton clearly can't be trusted to sit together."

Calum groaned, picking up his bag off the floor and trudged over to where Michael was sitting at the other side of the class, dragging his feet as he went.

"You better get used to it Calum, that will be your new seat for the rest of the year."