spotlight :: malum

: thirty nine :

Ashton and Michael sat on the couch together, some shitty rom-com playing that neither of the two boys paid attention to. To be completely honest, Ashton wanted to just try and get his best friend's mind out of the gutter and cheer him up but he can't even get the boy to smile at him ever since he came back home earlier this afternoon.

The second he pulled into the driveway Michael bolted for the door, rushing inside and up the stairs, starting to cry all over again, his friend chased after him, a few feet behind in his strides but nonetheless worried at what Michael was going to do. He had swung open his door to his bedroom and nearly tore his room to shreds, throwing the pillows off his bed and ripping the covers off, he checked under the bed, in the closet, even scavenged around the windowsills. Surrendering, he had slid down the wall and brought his knees to his chest, sobbing about how Calum really left. He didn't forget one single thing, his duffel bag was gone, even his old cigarettes.

It tore through the blonde like a hurricane, he had stopped crying nearly an hour ago and Ashton managed to get the boy to eat some cereal and now they were back on the couch hoping to forget everything bad that has happened.

Without any words exchanged Michael let his hand trace random patterns on Ashton's hand, his chin resting on the tanner boy's shoulder while he stared down at his lap with a pout. He was brutally devastated, the guy he loves just confessed he loves him back and flew off to a different continent. Not exactly his ideal way to imagine how Calum would tell him.

"Can we watch something else?" The blonde piped up dully, the screen showing the way too predictable outcome of the story where she finally admits her feelings to the awestruck boy, it reminded Michael too much of Calum and he wanted that boy out of his mind for good.

Ashton truly felt bad, he's used to Michael being this bubbly friend who always smiles and can be funny when it's appropriate or inappropriate. There's never days like these where he can't even look up into his hazel eyes and grin the slightest bit. Calum broke his heart.

And the worst part is that it's not because he doesn't love him back, it's because he loves him so much he had to leave him to try and act like he hates him. Because he made him alive again and if he can do that then he can kill him, too.

"Sure." Ashton sighed, flipping through the guide on the tv and randomly selecting Keeping Up With The Kardashians even though the episode was ending but he remembered how much Michael loves to make fun of their lifestyle so he put it on in hopes that could clear the tension in the room.

Michael couldn't work up a single smile or grin onto his face when he saw the show's credits roll onto the screen and it quickly changed to the next show where people talked about current news in the media.

"This just in, Calum Hood gets off of his private jet in a drunk mess and flips on the paparazzi." Ashton's sad hazel eyes glanced down to see Michael, poor heartbroken Michael, peek his head up at the name mentioned. The teen news reporter explained a bit more as he slowly turned intrigued at the screen. "The Australian bad boy had been escorted by security, refusing to talk to any of the fans that had gathered there for him, and when a pap asked who he had been with for the past week he got a little angrier than usual."

The two boy's tensed in their seats, both leaning closer on the edge of their seats thinking that this must be some sort of joke, a prank even. Both of their green and hazel eyes blinked as the video began playing on the tv, a disheveled, stumbling drunk mess of a brunette had three body guards around him to clear some room, the various voices yelling at the mildly zoned out boy who only ducked his head down and brushed off all of their questions and camera flashes until one peeked his interest.

"Calum, who's the boy you've been around? Who's the boy?" In a flash his eyes turned towards the paparazzi's direction, glancing behind him as if he was expecting Michael to be there running after him and they can reunite or even kiss for all he cares, he just needs him. "Nobody." The boy's words were just above a whisper, not even heard in the recording as security attempted to get him out of the chaos but he only turned around and listened to what the pap had to say. "What's his name?" The man's camera flashed, once, twice, a third time to finally bring Calum into a hazy state.