When the two had made it outside Ashton sat down on a bench, patting the spot next to him as an invitation for the shaking boy and Michael gently sits down.
"You feeling better?"
" y-yeah I'm g-good " Michael says with a weak smile while letting out a shuddering breath
Ashton stares at him, a questionable look in his eyes
"you sure sweetie? I can take you home if you're not up to go back in"
"N-no sir I'm alright I promise"
"okay but if you feel like going home I can-" Ashton gets interrupted by the bell signaling the end of class.
Michael's eyes widen as he can't miss another class in fear that they might call his father, He scrambles to his feet in such a hurry that he trips and starts descending towards the ground,but to his rescue Ashton swiftly lifts the boy to his feet once again before holding him in place to prevent further escaping.
"Michael." Ashton speaks sternly and the colored haired boy flinches slightly, The older man takes note of this and his stern face immediately softens.
"Promise me that you'll come find me if anything else happens,Okay? I don't want to find you crying in the bathroom again ,understand me?" Michael blushes at the words and takes a breath before answering
"Y-yes s-sir"
Ashton holds his gaze on Michael a bit longer before finally releasing his grip on the boy who starts running towards the entrance of the school
-------------------------------------------------
Michael is having an internal struggle,he often does but that's mostly over things like trying not to cry in public or keeping his mouth shut over how he actually got that blackeye. But now he's facing an even bigger problem, Lunch.
Michael knows it's not actually a big deal but for him it is. Where should he sit? What if none of the tables are free? What if someone questions where his lunch is?
He's close to just hiding in the bathroom but he did promise that Ashton wouldn't find him in the bathroom crying , cause knowing Michael he'd probably end up crying if he spends his time alone with his thoughts speeding through his brain completely overwhelming him.
With hiding in the bathroom out of the equation the small boy decides to spend his lunch break outside by the small pond just outside of school property.
Michael sits himself down on a bench,stomach grumbling causing slight pain and discomfort towards himself but it's not like he chose to starve. He just didn't have the money. The poor boy had been on a constant job hunt the entire summer however no one could actually hire him because of his age.
As Michael sits there trying to think about anything else but how his stomach is basically empty his eyes travel to an older lady feeding the birds with some old crackers. Michael would ask if he could have any to also feed the doves (but actually feed himself) but his social anxiety is holding him captive in this forever terrified state, so all he can do is stare as the birds slowly peck away at the crackers leaving him without anything to fill his stomach.
About fifteen minutes before Michaels next period he decides to head back over to the school. The last thing he wanted to do was to be late again.
He stops by his locker to pass some time before making his way over to the last lesson of the day,English. Michael is there about ten minutes before it actually start but he can't stand the loud hallway any longer and decides to knock on the wooden door in hopes of spending the extra time in there instead.
after a few seconds the door opens and he's met by a pair of very familiar hazel eyes. Ashton smiles softly as the nervous boy shuffles his feet a bit out of anxiety.
"Hello again Michael" The older man says with a chuckle as the shy boy always seemed to be close by.
The English teacher gets a quiet hello back before Michael gathers his courage to ask the curly haired guy his request.
"I-i was j-just wondering if i could m-maybe stay h-here until the b-bell rings?" Ashton smiles at the shy boy who quickly adds "I-if it's o-okay with you? N-nevermind i can just s-stay out here"
The pink haired boy is just about to turn around and walk out as Ashton grabs the boy by his shoulders to pull him back in and close the door once again. "Of course you can stay in here Mike. That's absolutely no problem"
Michael breathes out in relief as he quickly thanks Ashton before scrambling over to a desk near the back of the class next to a window, his eyes begins to droop from the lack of sleep the night prior and the boy finds himself nodding of as Ashton starts lecturing.
-------------------------------------
"Michael? I need you to wake up now... C'mon babe I can't do this all day" Ashton chuckled as he continued to shake the boy awake, but the boy was exhausted and he just couldn't bring himself to open his eyes.
But he soon realized the hand comfortably rubbing his back and practically shot up from his desk, falling of the chair from the fast movement.
Michael looked up at Ashton with wide eyes as he spluttered out apologies as tears welled up in his eyes.
"I-i'm so-sorry I promise I-it won't happen again just ple-please don't call my f-father"
Ashtons eyes widen as the boy approaches another panic attack and tries to reach out to the shaky boy but Michael is out of the room before Ashton can even understand what happened.
Michael is now rushing towards his last class of the day and makes it just in time before the teacher closes the door and starts her lecturing. The last class seems to last forever but Michaels grateful because anything postponing going home is seen as a positive thing.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and now Michael is headed out of school for a slow walk home, but before the young boy can even leave the parking lot he is ripped back by a strong hand
"Why the fuck are you wearing my jacket?"
YOU ARE READING
The Foster Kid
FanfictionI suck at these so... Michael had a rough childhood. His mom died when he was little and his dad didn't take it well. So what happens when Ashton, one of Michaels teachers finds out just how bad his homelife has become? I promise the book is better...
