latch :: calum hood (rewriting)

xiii.

Leaving the hospital was probably the best thing that's happened to me in a while - along with us all being alive and all.

But it was good to put on some fresh clothes, eat some real food, and not be surrounded by such a depressing atmosphere. If there's one thing I hate more than commercial breaks right before shit goes down on a show (seriously why do they do that), it's hospitals.

We all decided to go to Ashton's house, including our parents because despite going home and sleeping comfortably in my own bed, we all just wanted to spend some time together.

We are so used to spending nearly every waking moment together, but now, we wanted more. We want more memorable moments, more fits of laughter, more tears, more smiles, just more. Because you never realize how much time you have left on this earth, or the people you love have. You have to appreciate every moment you're breathing, because one moment it could all be gone.

Seize the day. Because, believe it or not each and every one of us in this room is one day going stop breathing, turn cold and die. - Robin Williams 1951-2014 (Rest in Peace.)

"How am I going to get downstairs to Ashton's room?" Calum chuckled, pointing down on his wheelchair, something that's going to be a nuisance, but only a temporary one.

We were all told to 'take it easy' for the next week or two. It's not like we are completely bedridden, but it's basically a get out of school free card, and I honestly don't mind that.

Considering the extent of Calum's injuries, he will continue going to physical therapy for the next few months.

"Um.." Luke looked around at the rest of us. I was already getting a slow head start down the stairs, taking it one stair at a time while most of my weight leaned against the railing. My knee still hurt like hell, with a huge cut that was stiched up, running horitonal on it.

"You can lean onto me and Luke." Michael offered. Ashton offered to take down the wheelchair since it is lighter, and he still has a partial cast on one arm.

Calum was a bit reluctant to do so. He was the never the type to ask for help, which sometimes made him come off as cocky and arrogant, but mostly stubborn.

"Just let them help you okay." I told Calum gently from the bottom of the stairs. I could hear a grunt, either escaping Luke or Michael lips. Calum arms rested on each of their shoulders as they lifted him up, and helped him down the stairs. I had already found myself plopped down on the huge beanbag chair in the corner. Ashton had set Calum's wheelchair down, and laid on his bed sighing.

"No one understands how good it feels to be in my own bed again." Ashton took a deep inhale of the scent of his bed, moving around it.

Luke sat down on Ashton's bed, along with Michael, boucning up a bit like giddy children.

"Ashton has the softest bed out of us five." Luke says, grabbing a pillow and holding it to his chest. Michael nods agreeing and a proud smile appears on Ashton's face.

"Noooo." Calum agrued. His bed wasn't as soft as Ashton's so I have no idea what he's going to argue.

"Then who's?" Ashton crossed his arms in his chest.

"Scar's" Calum grins proudly. I blushed, my hands immediately rushing to my face. Michael and Luke began to throw pillows at Calum jokingly.

"You dirty little fuck." Luke swore.

"Hey!" Ashton whined, "Don't swear." We all groaned at Ashton's comment, which he said a little too often, and began to target pillows towards him.

"Hey!" he whined again, "Dude with a cast here!"

Calum scoffed. "And throwing pillows at the dude in the wheelchair moments before is better?"

We all suddenly began to laugh at this comment, and then towards the way some of were laughing, and then for just no reason at all. It was the kind of laugh that works out your stomach to the point that you should have a six pack, and for tears to flow out of your eyes.

Calum's eyes directed towards his bass that he left here weeks before. I could see his whole arouma light up at the sight of it, something he found himself always attached to. And it amazing to see him so joyus, especially when he took it upon his giddy self to roll over to it.

He grabbed it and placed it on his lap.

"Shit I can't wait to start playing again." he sighed.

"We almost died last week Cal, and you're already wanna get back on there." Luke let out an uneasy laugh. Calum nodded because at the end of the day, music was the one thing that those four dorks , that I call my best friends, loved to do.

"I kinda miss it too." I spoke, grabbing the guitar on the side of Ashton's bed. They all gasped loudly.

"Scarlet Jae Foster is finally picking up a guitar publicly, after what? Three years." Michael gasped, pulling out his phone to 'document' this moment.

"Shut up." I spat back placing it on my lap. "You remember the first song we ever sang in Ashton's basement?" I've been feeling very sentimenal today, constantly bringing back old memories.

Luke nods, laughing to himself. "It was teenage dirtbag, oh god that rehersal was terrible."

"It was the best one Luke!" Michael nudged him.

"I had that stupid lesbian haircut." Ashton jokes, pouting a bit. I placed my fingers on the strings, trying my best to recall the chords of the first song.

"Come on guys, you know the lyrics." I tell them. I sure as hell wasn't singing.

"Her name is Noel." Luke began,

"I had a dream about her,she rings my bell." Ashton sang.

"I have gym class in half an hour." Michael added.

"Oh how she rocks." I finally sang, "in keds and tube socks."

I continued strumming as we all looked at Calum who was looking at his bass with a blank expression. He stared absentmindly at nothing, obviously trying to re-jog his memory. I looked down at his bass that was being held the wrong way.

"Calum, you're a righty." I reminded him. He held his bass as if he was a left-handed bassist.

"Um, yeah, I forgot." he mumbles softly, reversing it. His fingers shakily found place on the four strings. I continued strummming, because to be honest, no one likes awkward silence.

His fingers fiddled around, trying to fit the best fit for them and with every strum, everything was out-of tune.

"I-I can't play the bass." he mumbles softly to himself, with a hurtful expression on his face.

"Cal - "

"I can't play." anger arose in his voice.

Our body languages turned from happy to worried instantly and I stopped strumming, because no one likes a person who continues to make unnecessary noise during a serious moment.

" Cal just - "

" I can't play, I can't play, I can't play." he repeated to himself furiously, shaking his head and throwing the bass off of him. It flew a few feet away him, the neck cracking a bit.

There was sudden movement upstairs when the door leading to Ashton's room opened and our mothers rushing down the stairs.

"Is everything alright?" Ashton's mom asked. We stared back at them, unsure what to say.

"Calum dear are you okay?" His mother asked softly. I turned to look at him, his eyes already coming bloodshot as tear swelled up his eyes.

"No, I'm not okay."

----

UM THANKS FOR 4K WHAT,

when i get on a computer this is being dedicated to luciferhemmo, thanks mae so much

this is amazing thank you all for reading, you're amazing and sorry for the sucky short filler

i think i want to do the next chapter is calums pov