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

Chapter 43

Calum was a lot happier after coming out to his mum, and everyone who knew him noticed it. His smile was wider and brighter than it had ever been before and his laugh was louder and lasted longer. Joy was the happiest to see the change in her son. She hadn't seen him smiling so much since before his Dad was arrested.

Michael also liked the change in Calum, though it did take more effort to wind him up, as his main wind up no longer applied now he was out. Ashton had caught him staring at Calum at lunchtimes and in Maths, each time wiggling his eyebrows with a mischievous smirk on his face.

Calum was so happy with his life at that point that he didn't notice that some people were staring curiously at him with confused expressions on their faces. He also didn't realise that there was a small group of people who glared at him everyday as he passed in the corridor. He was too focused on the positive things in his life.

"Going for the anime character look I see." Calum teased as he sat down next to Ashton at break on a sunny Thursday morning, spotting Michael's latest hair colour.

"You noticed." Michael squealed in a high pitched girly voice, batting his eyelids before sighing dramatically.

"It's hard not to Michael. It's the same colour as the sky." Calum chuckled. "It looks good though."

"Better than the faded reverse skunk hair." Thomas added, grinning at Michael.

"I can't even argue with that." Michael muttered. "Oh, Mum's set a date for the wedding. She told me to tell you Calum."

"When is it?" Calum asked.

"January 8th or something like that. Mum says that I'm not allowed to have my hair dyed for it and if I do, it has to match the bridesmaid dresses."

Calum bit his lip to stop himself from laughing, but the mental image of Michael with fuchsia pink hair was too funny. Michael glared at him as he started laughing.

"I don't see what's so funny Calum," Ashton stated. "I think it's a good idea."

"I just- I just pictured Michael with p-pink hair and I lost it, I'm s-sorry." Calum stuttered through laughter.

"Well I think I'd pull pink hair off." Michael stated defensively, holding his head up high.

"Not in my mind you don't." Calum laughed with tears rolling down his cheeks. "Oh lord, please never dye your hair pink. Actually, please do, it'll give me something to laugh at everyday." 

"I hate you." Michael grumbled, but there was a faint smile on his face. He couldn't find it within himself to be mad at Calum when he was so happy. Michael thought angry Calum was hot, but happy Calum was a lot more attractive.

During Maths that day, Michael noticed that a couple of girls at the back of the class were staring at Calum every few minutes and turning to whisper to each other. He assumed that they were staring because they liked Calum, but when he looked again, they had apprehensive looks on their faces. The third time he caught them, he narrowed his eyes at them and they looked away, giggling. Michael brushed it off as girls just being girls and went back to working on his Maths.
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Calum couldn't ignore the weird looks he was getting by Wednesday the next week. As he walked over to his locker where Ashton and Thomas stood, every single group of people he passed stopped their conversations to stare at him as he passed.

"What's going on?" Calum asked Ashton when he reached his locker. "Why is everyone staring at me?"

"Is it true?" Ashton asked, completely ignoring his best friend's question. "The rumours."

"What rumours?" Calum asked, his eyes widening in fear. His heart started pounding against his ribcage. "What rumours Ashton?"

"Your dad." Ashton whispered, looking Calum in the eye. Calum's stomach turned and panic rose in his throat.

"W-what about him?" Thomas handed him a newspaper cutout that he'd been reading before Calum showed up. Calum read the headline and instantly screwed it up into a ball and threw it on the ground.

"I'm guessing it is then." Thomas said quietly, looking at Calum sadly.

"Where'd you get that?" Calum demanded. "Who gave you this?!"

"It was just stuck on the door of my locker." Thomas replied, holding his hands up. "You've been getting funny looks all week, I guess this is why."

"Michael." Calum muttered. Before Thomas and Ashton could figure out what he was on about, Calum had stormed off down the corridor, shoving through the crowds of people in his way.

"MICHAEL CLIFFORD YOU PROMISED!" Calum yelled down the corridor when he spotted the blue haired boy in the crowd. Michael spun round to see an extremely angry Calum making his way through the busy corridor, glaring at him.

"Calum, I swear, this has nothing to do with me." Michael told him, looking around the corridor for someone to back him up. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch the argument.

"Who else could it have been!" Calum growled, standing in front of Michael. "You're the only person who knew!"

"Calum, you've got to believe me-"

"Don't bother begging me now. I trusted you Michael! You promised me that you wouldn't tell anyone and now the whole fucking school knows!" Calum shouted, taking a step closer to Michael threateningly. Michael was frozen to the spot in fear, his eyes wide as Calum glared at him.

"It wasn't me Cal-"

"Don't call me that." Calum spat. Out of the crowd of people watching Michael was the only who recognised the hurt in Calum's voice as he spoke and the pain masked by the anger in his eyes and he couldn't bring himself to yell back.

"I would never- I wouldn't stoop that low Calum. Please Calum, you gotta believe me."

"There's literally no one else it could be Michael! I knew you would use this against me. I fucking knew it but I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Oh my god I'm so fucking stupid."

"I hate you Michael Clifford!" Calum said angrily, before turning on his heel and walking away.

For the first time in his life, Michael wasn't glad to hear it.

Well shit.