Off Ones Rockers II • Lashton

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

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 His head was pounding and stomach aching. Luke led under his duvet, his cheeks stained with tears. Alex had tried to ask him what was wrong, tried to get him to talk to him but the blonde just stayed quiet, hiding under the protection of his duvet. Alex had told him to try not to sleep, in case he had given himself a concussion, told him Ashton would be there soon to keep him company. But, Luke just wanted the pain to end, the physical and mental pain that he was enduring so when his eyes went heavy he let them shut as he fell into a deep sleep.

When Ashton entered the room, warned by Alex to not let him sleep, that he had hit his head, Ashton had expected to see the blonde sleeping. That is all he knew the blonde did, sleep. Nonetheless, Ashton gently poked the younger boy, hoping he would wake up easily and not cause a fuss. When the blonde didn't stir, he shook him a little harder. But he didn't move. Ashton sighed, he thought the blonde was just sleeping deeply, he was still breathing after all.

The older boy sat on the edge of his head and pulled out his small notebook and began to gently sketch. Ashton wasn't very good and drawing, but that didn't let that stop him. It made him calm and kept his emotions stable.

At first, he was just sketching lines which then joined to form a shape that resembled a face and before the curly-haired boy knew it, he was drawing Luke. His eyes resting on his cheeks, his face showing that he was at ease and at peace.

Ashton quickly shoved the pad back in his bedside drawer when he heard Michael's overpowering voice growing nearer and nearer to his room. He knew Micheal wouldn't judge, but he didn't want to explain how he was gay just yet and that he finds the blonde interesting and attractive.

"What's up!" Michael said cheerily entering the room, Calum trailing behind the older boy, but stopping in the doorway, a little less confident and imposing than Michael.

Ashton smiled at the pair and pushed himself off of his bed so he was standing. He looked at the younger boy was still led unconsciously on his bed, still at rest.

Usually, the trio would hang out in Ashton's room because he was the only one in his room, but now that Ashton had a roommate he felt it was wrong to have his friends hang out. He knew that Luke might want to be their friend too, but Ashton didn't want to wake the blonde knowing how loud they could be.

"Do you wanna go and hang out at the utility room?" Ashton suggested, slipping on his shoes and running his fingers through his hair. "Luke's asleep, and I don't want to wake him," he justified, turning off the small light that was attached to the wall beside his bed.

"Yeah sure," Michael agreed, peering at the small boy who was hidden under the covers. He had only seen the blonde for a couple of minutes at breakfast before Alex had pulled him away. Michael liked to know people's business, it excited him. "Has he eaten today? I really hope he has!" Michael asked, beginning to get agitated.

Ashton shrugged, he didn't feel that it was his place to know whether the blonde had eaten or not, it was something private to the blonde. "I imagine so," Ashton answered, ushering the pair out of the room before Michael raised his voice any higher and ended up waking the younger boy up.

"I don't understand why someone can't eat," Michael rambled, ahead of the other two boys, taking more excited and bigger strides. "I fucking love food!"

Calum and Ashton just laughed, knowing Michael did understand why the blonde couldn't just eat, but his disorder made him say things like that.

"I mean I also love sleep," Michael extended. "He's got the right idea there. It's a shame he can't hang out with us though, invite him next time Ash," he proposed.

"I will do," Ashton agreed and followed the boy into the utility room where a few other people sat talking with their friends. The boys settled in a corner where there were a couple of bean bags. Michael let himself fall to the ground, the others sitting down a little more gently.

"How was your session this morning Cal?" Ashton asked, shifting his body so he was facing the tan boy directly. Ashton knew Calum wasn't that confident talking about himself of the problem he was dealing with.

"It was okay," Calum shrugged, awkwardly fiddling with his sleeves. "My therapist said I'm not ready to leave yet, and that maybe I should stop asking and start trying."

"That's mean," Michael responded. "Maybe she should be a better therapist."

"Michael!" Calum argued, shooting him a warning glance. He knew she was right, but he wasn't ready to stop asking just yet. Calum didn't want to talk about himself, however, so he threw the question back to Ashton. "What about you?"

Ashton didn't want to upset Calum, to tell him that his therapist had said that in a months time he would do a final assessment to determine if Ashton could leave, and he was pretty confident that if Ashton carried on the way he did he could. "Just same old really, talking about feelings and stuff."

"But you must be getting out here soon?" Michael pressed, slouching further into the bean bag. "You've been here for so long, longer than both of us!"

Ashton chuckled. He had been here a while now, longer than he thought he would need to be. He wasn't quite sure what reality was and whether he was ready for it. "He said that there might be a possibility that I could leave in the next two months," Ashton said.

Michael grinned excitedly. "Wow then it'll just be me and Calum, you get me all to yourself, Cal!"

Calum rolled his eyes and looked at the curly-haired boy to save him. "You can't wait to get rid of me!" Ashton said, pushing Michael with his foot so he tilted to one side on his bean bag. "You're so horrible!"

The small chatter that had hummed along the utility room lowered slightly and the three boys turned to see what the source of the quietness was.

Alex had been walking by to get to a meeting he was having with a patient's parents when he saw Ashton sat talking with Michael and Calum. He stopped to see if the blonde was there with them, knowing that he wasn't suffering from a concussion or anything.

"Ashton?" he asked, walking in to avoid causing any unwanted attention. Ashton looked at Alex, not thinking he had done anything wrong. "Where's Luke?"

"He's in our room," Ashton responded, not understanding why he needed to be babysat like he was two or something. He was no more innocent or younger than most people here, and they didn't require to be watched by their roommate.

"And he's okay, conscious?" the man asked anxiously, looking at Calum and Michael who seemed uncomfortable by his foreboding presence.

"I think so, he's just slee-" Alex cut him off and shook his head. He knew he needed to see if the blonde was actually conscious but he couldn't keep his patient's client waiting.

"I want you to go and get Sid okay, and get him to check on Luke. I'm sorry I didn't mean to put this pressure on you, but I got to go to a meeting. Promise me you'll do that?" Alex rambled, looking at the watch on his wrist.

Ashton nodded, remaining silent. Alex quickly thanked the curly-haired boy and rushed.

"He fucking scares me," Michael stated, pushing himself up so he was sitting up. "He's so intimidating. What the hell is wrong with Luke sleeping?" he asked, not understanding why the man was getting too frustrated and worried about it.

Ashton began to stand up, figuring he should probably follow Alex's instructions instantly, that maybe he had been silly to let Luke sleep. "Luke hit his head earlier. He's probably just worried he has a concussion," Ashton explained. "Are you guys coming with?"

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