On My Own (disc.)

Insanity = Friendship (3)

LUKE

When I was assigned Michael as my partner, I wasn't all that thrilled at first.

To be honest, I didn't know how he could stand people pushing him around and calling him the things they do when he gets off the bus, or when Calum gets sick and isn't there. I thought he was strange, but now, it's sad to watch and hear, and especially now that I know that he gets panic attacks because of it.

He was frantically looking around at the people whispering about us being paired together, and obviously thought the worst; that they were whispering about him. It was sad to watch him slowly loose his grip on himself over it, and then finally freak out in the hall.

But he assured me that he was fine later on, and honestly, I didn't know how. I wouldn't have gone to school for the next two days if I was in his position.

So I looked out for him in the rest of my classes, and found that he was in my music, biology, Math, English, and gym classes, not including study hall and lunch. Calum and Ashton don't have the exact same schedule as us, though, and they were separate in our biology and gym. Coincidence.

So far, Michael was a decent guy. Funny, witty, intelligent, and hot, just to name a few things to describe him. Too bad he won't admit that he's got at least some gay in him. It was obvious - even Ashton said it is. But I wasn't going to push him to tell me if he didn't want to.

So I just carried on with teasing him - his smile was cute, even if he didn't smile all that often, which is one thing we had in common.

"He's just so... guarded," Ashton said, talking about Michael. He'd come over a while ago, for the usual afternoon talk we had. "and I don't know why. Why is he guarded like that?"

"I have no clue. He's stubborn, but I'm persistent. I'll get through the walls he's put up." I say. "What about Hood? Is he decent?"

"So far, yeah," Ashton said, sounding surprised himself, "I asked him why he wasn't listening and he said he was waiting for Michael to come back to make sure he's okay. He's a good friend to Michael, they definitely have history." I raise my eyebrows, nodding.

"He's still kind of a dick. Michael even admitted that." I state, and Ashton whips his head around, bewildered.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Said he knew Calum wasn't all good and that he assumed a lot of things."

"Damn. He's smart. Did Michael assume that you're anorexic?"

"No. He said he thought I was a twig, which is true, but didn't think I was anorexic. Maybe he knew an anorexic at one point?" I think out loud, and Ashton shrugs.

"He's always kept to himself and Calum. Plus, the people who are anorexic wouldn't be the type of people who Michael would know. They're all pricks and cheerleaders."

"That's scarily true."

"Do you like him?" I paused, thinking it over.

"I mean, he's hot as hell, but I don't know him all that well to judge if I like his personality. But he's still hot."

Ashton laughed, and I shrugged, a smile playing at my lips.

The front door opens, and I hear my mother on the phone. I instantly cringe at the tone of voice she's using; one where she was talking with a man that wasn't dad. The happy one.

She'd been doing this for a while, now - four months. I caught her with another man twice, and each time she told me not to tell dad, otherwise she'd kick me out onto the streets. It was tempting, but Ashton's mother was overworked with three kids and only two jobs - of course, Ashton had a job, but he could only do so much. He was nineteen, and he should be in college, but instead he had to redo his sophomore and junior year, because he was taking care of his mother and siblings when his mother couldn't. If I got kicked out, they'd be the first I'd go to, but only if I was desperate. Now there's a possibility of Michael's family, should he decide to open up.