Calum sits back on his chair, Jack and Ashton are still in the bathroom, probably glaring at each other. He is too tired to worry about the fact that Ashton saw him and Jack argue and that he'll ask questions. Ashton should know that Jack promised to care about Calum only to throw him away like garbage out of the blue.
Calum didn't even understand why at first.
It took Jack two days to tell him his suspects about Ashton and Calum honestly laughed at that at first. It was surreal. Until it wasn't anymore and Jack was glaring at him, believing that Calum had been cheating on him with Ashton. It wouldn't have been properly cheating, even if it had been true. Jack and Calum had kissed, but they hadn't put a label on their relationship. But Calum didn't have a chance to explain. He didn't even had a chance to tell him that Ashton was Mali's boyfriend and that he'd never have an affair with his sister's boyfriend.
The fact that Calum couldn't speak that well when he was nervous and his stutter was so bad that he couldn't be understood, probably aggravated the situation. He still remembers the last time they argued, Jack kept stopping him every two syllables and Calum kept babbling.
Jack never listened to him.
Calum's mouth tastes like vomit and the still untouched pizza in front of him makes his stomach flip. He has no idea of what the others are talking about, he doesn't even bother to look at any of them. All he wants is to disappear.
"Do you not like it Calum?" Ben asks, tearing him away from his thoughts.
"If you don't want it, can I have another slice?" Michael asks, leaning towards him to grab some of Calum's pizza and Calum moves the plate in his direction.
"I'm not feeling so good," he mumbles, his voice so low that he wonders if Ben heard.
He feels dizzy.
He used to know when it was time for him to get some fuel into his body. When he got the first dizzy spells in the morning, after he had been starving for a few days, he'd have an apple and a whole bottle of water. That always worked. The problem right now is that Calum isn't trying to starve himself. He is too tired to even think about calories and weight and muscles. He is so drained, but at the same time he phisically can't eat.
"May I go lie down?" he asks, using his arms to push himself up. He swallows, hoping that he isn't swaing even if white dots are dancing in his vision. There is a loud ringing in his ears and he feels like his body doesn't belong to him anymore. He tries to take a step, but he can't feel his legs. He can't even feel his hand while he tries to hold onto the table.
Suddenly the world turns black.
.
Michael is the first one who reacts, being the closer. He manages to grab Calum's limp body before he smashes his head against the chair and slowly sits on the floor between his and Calum's chair, still holding him. "What do I do?" he asks to no one in particular, "He is out cold."
Luke blinks at them from his spot and Michael can tell he is freaking out. Michael is, too.
Ben rolls his sleeves, making his way over and easing Calum off the floor, "Let's take him to the couch," he says, not even bothered by Calum's light weight. There is something comforting in his tone of voice and for the first time Michael understands what it means to have an older brother who always takes charge of things and knows what to do.
"What happened?" Ashton and Jack ask at the same time as they see Calum's head lolling over Ben's bold arm.
"He said he didn't feel good and passed out," Ben explains, glancing at Michael who is following close behind. "Jack, go check on Luke he looked pretty scared. I' ve got him."
