Everyday Amnesia

0.3

"I think he overslept," Ashton hears. He groans and his eyes flutter open, revealing a boy with lilac hair staring in his face.

"Michael? What are you doing here?" Ashton asks groggily, sitting up. He rubs his eyes tiredly while Hannah and Michael gape at him.

"Ashton!" Michael yells finally, startling him fully awake. He glares tiredly at his best friend and kind of wants to push him out the window.

"What?" Ashton grumbles, untangling himself from the covers.

"You remember me!" Michael leaps into his arms. Ashton stumbles backwards before adjusting the position of his arms to hold up the energetic lilac.

"I take it that I didn't before?" Ashton raises an eyebrow, setting Michael down on his feet. Hannah watches, amused. She chuckles.

"Nope. Anyway, you're gonna be late for school, so get going," Hannah says. Ashton glances at the clock on his bedside table. Shit, it's 7:54. He sprints into the bathroom and scrubs his teeth. He splashes water on his face in hopes of looking less dead.

"Here," Michael's leaning in the doorway, holding out a bundle of clothes. "I'll make you some breakfast, you can shower."

"You're the best," Ashton grins before shutting the door. He hops in and out of the shower in record time, toweling off his hair. He could care less if it was damp or not. Ashton runs down the stairs and slides onto the bar stool in triumph. Except he miscalculated and slid off onto the floor.

"We do not speak of this," Ashton glares especially at Michael, who was cracking up. He sets a plate down in front of Ashton on the table and disappears He practically inhales the eggs and bacon before gulping down some milk.

"Uh," Ashton's lost at the moment. He doesn't remember exactly what he was supposed to do. Michael appears and hands him a journal, his iPhone, and his bag. Ashton breathes a sigh of relief. He takes the stuff from Michael's hands and they head out to the bus stop.

"I thought you didn't like taking the bus?" Ashton questions when Michael stays with him instead of walking to school.

"I don't, but I figured you might want a bit of help," Michael grins. Ashton returns his grin and soon the old school bus is chugging along the street, screeching to a stop in front of them. They sit in the first empty seat they can find, and Ashton reads his journal entry from yesterday, Michael filling in the rest of the details.

"What would I do without you?" He sighs, shutting his journal and shoving it into his backpack. Michael doesn't answer so he turns to look at him. Michael's asleep, and Ashton notices the circles, the puffy eyes, the abnormally paleness of his skin. He was usually pale, but this was different. So white it seemed nearly transparent.

"Mike," He pokes him. Michael groans and his eyes open, revealing mint green eyes.

"Wha?" Michael mumbles.

"Are you sick?" Ashton asks, concerned. He places a hand on Michael's forehead. It was scalding. God, how did he not notice this before?

" 'M fine," His best mate replies.

"You should be at home," Ashton insists, taking out a tissue (bless Hannah for her insistence on always having them handy) and wiping the sweat off of Michael's brow. It wasn't even that warm out.

"You need me," Michael argues tiredly. His voice is strained now, and Ashton realizes he has been disguising it so he wouldn't notice Michael was sick.

"God," Ashton can't even form proper words, so he pulls Michael in a hug and buries his face in his shoulder. He can't process just how amazing of a friend Michael is. He's pretty sure he'd marry him if they weren't best friends. And if Michael wasn't interested in Calum.