kik → a.i ⋆ c.h

38

     "Okay uh, what's your favorite tv show?" Jack asks as he smiles at calum across the couch.

     "Supernatural." Calum grins. "What's yours?"

     "No way, Supernatural's my favorite too." Jack gasps. "How long have you been watching it for?"

     "Almost four years." Calum replies. "I started watching it when season 5 was finishing up."

     "Oh god." Jack laughs. "Imagine starting it and finding out they're fighting satan himself."

     "Yeah, but that's honestly not bad compared to what's going down right now." Calum shakes his head.

     "Cal?" Michael snaps his fingers in Calum's face, drawing his attention back. "You good?"

     "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Calum reassures him. "Just thinking."

     "About?"

     "N-Nothing, just stuff for the app." Calum mumbles as he mindlessly organizes his desk. "It's fine."

     "You don't seem fine." Michael sits down, crossing his arms.

     "I'm good, seriously." Calum smiles.

     "I'll give you overtime pay if you tell me." Michael smirks.

     "That's extortion." Calum mutters, leaning back in his chair as he pouts.

     "It's definitely not." Michael laughs. "But seriously, talk to me. I know it doesn't seem like it anymore but we're still friends, I'm not just your boss."

     "Calum looks down, sighing. "Something happened with Ash recently and it just- it brought up some shit from my past; but like I said, it's fine."

     "Really?" Michael raises his eyebrows. "Because it doesn't seem fine. This isn't about him, is it?"

     Calum shakes his head. "It just got dragged up for a second, okay? I'm good."

     "No, you're really not." Michael sighs as he stands up from his chair. "But seeing as you've decided to shut down already, I'm going to get back to work. If you want to talk, you know where I am and you know I'll always listen."

     He leaves the room, shutting the door behind him as Calum runs his hands down his face. "Fuck." He rests his elbows on the table as he hides his head in his hands.

     He stays there for a moment, before a buzz on his phone catches his attention.

astroash: can we talk?

     "God damnit." Calum groans, setting his phone to the side. "No." He says to himself as he draws his attention back to his work.

     He works at his computer for three hours, ignoring the almost constant notifications coming from his phone. As he begins to pack up his things, Michael walks in.

     "So, you're ignoring phone calls now?" Michael crosses his arms as he leans against the doorframe.

     "What? How did you-"

     "Ashton texted me." Michael interrupts him. "So did Luke, then he called me." He explains as he walks in further, shutting the door behind him.

     "Leave me alone, Michael." Calum mumbles, pushing past Michael and walking to the door.

     "I know you think you can handle it on your own and what you're feeling right now can be fixed if you go home and get drunk but I promise you, that isn't going to help." Michael grabs Calum's shoulder softly, turning him to face him. "You need people, Cal. Needing support doesn't make you weak." He sighs.