Ashton Enchanted » [cashton] √

0.9

It had been three days since Michael and Ashton had gotten into the fight and they'd seen each other every for detention once since then, and they hadn't spoken a word. Ashton had also made a point of sitting in the staircase instead of trying to join the others for lunch, he was sure once Michael told them what had happened, he wouldn't be welcome there anymore.

He also kept returning to the same staircase in hopes that Calum would come looking for him, it was stupid really, they were barely friends and yeah maybe Ashton had thought they were about to kiss that night at the beach but, it was all in his head. Really what it all meant was that he had recurring daydreams about Calum coming and finding him and saying that he really wanted him to hang out with them. He'd had a few crushes like this before, almost all his others he'd chalked up to sheer loneliness, but this one was different, he actually got to spend time with Calum, so he knew he was nice and funny. Plus, he had friends now, well had being the keyword, so he wasn't lonely anymore, It was odd how much more a crush could hurt when you actually really liked the person, he'd always thought they were based entirely on aesthetics.

Ashton was deep in the thought about the fact that he might not get to spend time with Calum anymore and also about how many relationship dynamics he possibly did not fully understand when he heard feet at the top of the stairs and his head whipped around. A deep blush colouring his cheeks as soon as he saw it actually was Calum standing there, the younger boy quirked an eyebrow at him and grinned.

"So, is this your official hiding place now? If I'm ever looking for you, I can come here?" Calum asked, the grin still fixed on his face as he made his way down the few steps between, he and Ashton, sitting down beside him.

"Thought you were avoiding me like the others," Ashton admitted, his face still flaming.

"Luke and I have been away for state tryouts, but I'm sure if you'd actually spoken to Crystal, she would have told you she's not avoiding you. In fact, she told me that you'd vanished the past couple of days. Luke and I got back last night and first thing this morning when she picked me up, 'I haven't seen Ashton in days, I think he's avoiding me! Michael yelled at him, and now I can't find him anywhere, and he won't reply to my texts'" Calum said in his best mock off Crystal's voice.

Ashton chuckled, "I- it's dumb, I know," he said, his face contorting into an uncomfortable as he tried to keep his voice even, "It's just that-"his voice broke, and a few tears escaped the corners of his eyes, and as he tried to wipe them away with the back of his hand a sob wracked through his body. He was blushing terribly now and trying to hide his face behind his hands.

"Hey, it's okay," Calum consoled, carefully placing a hand on Ashton's back and rubbing in soothing circles. "Why didn't you just explain it to her? From what Michael said, you did the right thing up until you wouldn't talk to her,"

He opened his mouth, ready to confess to everything, to tell Calum that he couldn't even if he'd wanted to and it was all because of this curse, that there were so many things he hadn't wanted to do but had to, but just like normal the words caught in his throat. "I feel like Michael was- was way too kind with the way he explained things, I-I beat the shit out of those guys Cal. I couldn't stop, and they were so badly hurt, and I couldn't believe that I'd done that, and then I just froze up," it was partly a lie and partly entirely true, "I spoke to her after detention the first day, and I explained that it was my fault and the only person who was genuinely, entirely a victim was Michael, but on the day I just couldn't get the words out,"

"Why didn't you just explain it to Michael like that?" Calum asked, his brows furrowed but his eyes kind.

"He makes me so nervous, You and Luke I'm pretty good with but Michael, it just feels like he doesn't want to like me, which is fine, I don't mind if he doesn't like me, he doesn't have to. He was so angry the other day, I thought talking to him would just make things worse, Crystal always made it seem like he was ready to write me off as soon as he got the chance," Ashton explained.