Off Ones Rockers II • Lashton

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

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"What have they done to you?" Ashton asked pitifully as the small blonde appeared at their doorway, smiling sadly at his roommate.

Ashton put his book down and pushed himself up into a more respectable sitting position, whilst the blonde sat down on his own bed, that he had barely spent anytime in, crossed legged.

"It's just a feeding tube," Luke dismissed, growing to the idea of having something to nourish his body without himself having to consciously do it. He knew it would inevitably lead to weight gain, but he figured as it was only a temporary solution he could lose it all again afterwards. "Alex said it's to help get my heart rate up, whilst I learn to come to terms with eating."

"And your okay with them pumping things into your body?" Ashton asked confused.

Luke shrugged. "I don't want to eat. I guess it's a compromise."

"I think you still have to eat Luke," Ashton reminded him, knowing that a feeding tube wasn't just a get out of jail free card, it just assisted him whilst he was incapable of getting the nutrients that he needed.

Luke just nodded and ran his finger over the thin tube that was hanging over his nose. "Does it hurt or feel weird?" Ashton asked curiously.

Luke shook his head. "I can feel it on my skin but not inside of me. Alex did say it was possible to throw it up though!" Luke said, laughing slightly finding the situation amusing.

Ashton found that rather sad that the young boy wasn't taking his illness seriously. "You look cute though," the older boy commented, smiling sweetly at the blonde.

Luke blushed and looked down at his lap. He didn't feel cute, he felt stupid. He imagined everyone was staring at him for having something that looked like a worm hanging out of his nose. And if anything it made him even more insecure than he really was. He was also worried that the tube would create unflattering shapes inside of him that made his stomach look bigger.

The blonde brought his hand to his stomach feeling the bump that he had imagined for too long now. "I barely know you," Luke admitted, looking up at his roommate was watching him almost lovingly. "But I actually missed your presence, there's something really nice and positive about you," Luke explained. "It almost makes me calmer."

Ashton couldn't help but beam with joy at what the fifteen-year-old said, it meant a lot that someone appreciated the qualities that he had so long worked to perfect and implicate within in his life. "All I want is you to be happy and healthy Luke, I guess I care for you," he said shyly. He was never one to shy away from what he was feeling, but Ashton didn't feel it was right to mention that he missed the blonde as well, in case it freaked him out. After all, he knew Luke had been alone for a couple of days and he would have wanted any type of company, whether good or bad.

Luke continued to stare at Ashton, inspecting every single part of his body. H how long his fingers were, and how there was a scar on the side of his left cheek. Luke knew Ashton was good looking, but the more he thought about it, the more he realised that he liked Ashton.

He couldn't admit that though. He had never told anyone that he was gay, he knew that would just make him more of a failure to his mother and he couldn't even comprehend what his father would say when he returned home if he ever did. Luke knew Ashton couldn't be gay, he was too handsome to be gay, too masculine. Luke truly believed only weak and pathetic boys like himself could be gay, after all, he did have a 'girls' problem.

Luke sighed and rubbed his eyes, he was tired, but when wasn't he. His emotions were overwhelming and always consumed him whole.

There was a quiet knock at the door and both boys turned to look at who was there, Ashton had no idea who the woman was, but Luke was shocked to see Victoria. "Luke," she said softly, with a completely neutral tone. "Can I please talk to you outside for a minute?"

Luke slowly nodded and looked at Ashton who continued to look at the woman, wondering who she was and what she wanted to talk with Luke about. The blonde carefully got up and went into the corridor with her. "Are you having any trouble with that?" she asked, inspecting the tube that was hanging out of his nose. Luke simple shook his head, his mind running wild with reasons as to why she wants to talk with him. He began to itch his hand with agitation from the growing suspense.

"You had a weigh-in yesterday," she stated, and Luke looked up startled, worried he was in trouble.

"I've been trying," he defended, knowing that Alex was not particularly happy that his weight remained the same. But, Luke was, it gave him a sense of hope.

"I know you have and that effort has definitely been displayed," she told him, gently placing her hand on the blondes to stop him from violently scratching at it. Luke pulled his hand away, not liking someone removing his sense of comfort and relief and continue to anxiously pick at his skin. Victoria sighed and let him be for the moment whilst she continued to speak to him. "Alex didn't follow the conduct Luke, he lied to you," she revealed.

"About what?" Luke asked confused, his body becoming visibly tenser, his eyes filled with complete confusion.

Victoria didn't want to be the one to bring his world down, but she also didn't want his recovery to be based on lies just to make it easier, Alex didn't understand it didn't work like that for people like Luke. "You actually gained two pounds this week," she stated.

Luke shook his head frantically not believing her. He had got on the scale and both Alex and the doctor had told him that his weight was the same, his head replaying that moment, wanting to call her a liar.

"Alex wanted to protect you, Luke, he thought it would be easier to tell you what you wanted to hear in order to get you to eat, but that's not how things work."

Luke covered his face and wanted to scream. He bashed his shoulder against the wall in frustration. When he tried to do it again, Victoria grabbed his shoulders and held him firmly still. "Come on, let's get you back to your bed," she suggested, gently prompting him back to his room where Ashton sat on the edge of his bed staring at the blonde worried. He wanted to ask what happened, but he didn't feel that it was his right.

Luke collapsed down on his bed and began to sob quietly, curling protectively into a ball.

"Look after him for me will you Ashton."

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Thank you so much for reading