Give me Michael - Malum AU

.12.

Calum was back at his house. You could think he felt happy about it, and he did, but not as much as he was supposed to. Michael's speech had not left his mind in two days. He couldn't stop wondering what was Michael saying by 'protecting them from his parents'. He knew his parents weren't open minded at all, but they couldn't do anything to them anyway, right? Adding to that Michael saying one more time that he wasn't the one telling everyone... Calum was lost; he didn't know what to believe anymore. He still knew one thing; even though the blue haired boy was the one calling the ambulance, he still had not helped him, not really, and that was unacceptable.

He turned his head to see who had just opened his bedroom's door and smiled when he saw it was Ashton. He was so thankful for his best friend to come that often and always cheer him up. The blond smiled too and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey Cal' how are you and your ribs today?" The brunette frowned at the mention of his ribs, they were killing him.

"Well, I'm okay. Having some days off is always a good thing, you know. As for my ribs, they have decided to piss me off by hurting."

The blond's smile became even bigger after Calum's answer. He could hear in his voice that he was feeling better than yesterday. However, he could see in his eyes that something was bothering the younger. He decided to play video games for a while and ask about it later. He wanted the brunette to feel happy. So he switched up the TV and the Ibox, proud when he saw the tan boy smiling wider. They played for two hours, and that's without any surprise that Calum had won every single game, he had had the best teacher of all time: Michael Clifford. He sighed at the memory but tried to contain himself. The blond saw it anyway and knew he had to question him right now.

"What's on your mind?"

"Nothing... I just... it's nothing."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Not that one, idiot!" Both of them laughed.

"I know! Anyway go ahead."

"If you could have one thing in the universe, what would it be?"

"Give me Michael. I want the old him back."

"Maybe... let's say that I've been thinking a lot about what he said at the hospital and I can't stop wondering 'what if everything he'd said was the truth'?"

"I've been thinking about that a lot as well Ash' but... I don't know. I wish he wasn't the one who told everyone but no one else knew, not even you! Plus, he bullies me and I just can't forgive him."

"I don't say you should forgive him or something. I just say, maybe you should try to talk to him again, learn all the truth and move on. Give him a second chance or not, that's only up to you but he can't keep messing with you even when he's not here, like right now. That's not healthy."

"I'll talk to him, but not right now."

The blond nodded and exited the room with the aim of feeding his best friend. So he headed to the kitchen and heard screaming that sent shivers down his spine.

"MICHEAL GORDON CLIFFORD, I SWEAR TO GOD YOU'RE A DEAD SON! WHO ALLOWED YOU TO VISIT THE FAGGOT FROM NEXT HOUSE AT THE HOSPITAL!?"

Ashton felt anger boiling inside him when he heard 'the faggot from next house' but he quickly calmed down because he knew he couldn't say anything. He searched how he could have heard the screaming and spotted the kitchen window opened and Michael's one opened too. He waited to hear Michael's answer while he was taking some cereal, but it never came. He sighed. He wished he could have heard what the blue haired boy had responded. However, when a loud noise was heard in the whole street, he knew without any hesitation that it was coming from the Clifford's house and that scared him. He took the two cereal bowls and quickly went upstairs with Calum again. He handed him the bowl and the brunette talked to him but for once, it was Ashton who couldn't focus on Calum. The kiwi noticed it in less than a second and didn't waste time asking about it.

"Have you ever heard something from Michael's house?"

"Something like what?"

"Screaming or loud noises...?"

"No, they have sound proof walls and except Michael's ones, their windows are close almost all the time. Why that?"

"Nothing."

Calum knew it wasn't 'nothing'. The blond wouldn't have asked otherwise, but he shrugged it off. It wasn't his business. Besides, if something was really bothering his best friend, he would have told him. He ate his cereals and they began to watch Finding Dory. Ashton loved this movie so much that the brunette couldn't say no to him.

During lunch break the next day, Ashton's look drifted to the 'popular's table' and instantly noticed how Michael was missing. He wasn't there. He remembered the noise of the day before and took note to check what had happened. He knew he probably shouldn't get invested in it and he still hated Michael but a part of him couldn't stop worrying about yesterday. His mother seemed more than furious and the loud 'boom' just after... it wasn't his fault if a part of him still cared for the blue haired boy. They had been good friends in the past, and with the recent event he didn't know how he felt about him.

"Ashton, you're still not listening to me..."

His head snapped up to Luke and he felt guilty for not listening once again. The blond, on his side, could feel the curly haired boy had something in his mind so he just didn't really cared. He smiled at Ashton, letting him know it was okay and watched the spot the older was looking just a second before.

"What's about them?"

They had spent a lot of time together these last days and both of them could talk easily with the other one. That's why Luke didn't think twice before asking his question. They both knew they could ask questions to each other without worrying much and if the other one was uncomfortable with it, he would just tell it and not answer. Their friendship was pretty simple.

"Michael is not here and yesterday I hear him and his mother arguing and I can't stop wondering if something happened?"

"Can't he just be sick? Or skipping school? Plus, why would have something happened?"

"Michael Clifford is never sick. And he wouldn't skip all alone and... I don't know..."

"You just have one thing left to do then. Since you told me he lives next to Calum's, go check on him at his house? If something really happened, he won't tell you by phone. Plus you're not friends so he had no reason to... whereas if you see him, you could check it yourself."