Keeping Real - Ashton Irwin

Chapter 6

After Ashton left I slipped inside my house, smiling. I knew that if I hadn't spent a majority of my day with him, I would've moped around the house. I walked up the steps to my room, jolted from my temporary happiness by the aches and pains in hip and shoulder.

I grabbed my phone off the nightstand from where I had left and was astonished to find 8 missed calls and over 15 text messages from Calum:

"Ur not at school."

"Connor looks like shit. What happened??" I smiled at that one. I was glad that Connor was hurting.

"Are you ok???"

"What happened???"

"Paige I'm coming over to ur house right now."

The last one was sent at 3:17, two minutes ago. I grimaced, knowing that he'd soon be over, expecting an explanation. I slowly made my way down the steps and opened the front door. Just in time.

Calum was walking up my driveway, sporting a Blink-182 shirt and his signature black skinny jeans. As soon as he glimpsed me standing near my front door he broke into a jog. He stopped short when he saw my face.

I had seen this reaction from three people already. But nothing prepared me for the sudden rage that normally calm Calum broke out in. He struggled to ask the questions I knew he wanted to ask as he continued to stare at my face.

I sighed and took his arm, pulling him inside. As he sat down on the couch he seemed to regain composure as I finished telling my story for the fourth-I knew it would not be the last-time.

He shook his head, struggling for words. "I knew that something had happened between you two, but I never thought that he would...hurt you. I mean, I didn't like him, but why would he...? Are you ok?"

I took a shaky breath; I hadn't realized that I'd been crying again. "Yeah. I'll be ok, I think. It was nice to just spend these past two days at home, you know? I needed the time away from school to recuperate; I'm not exactly sure how tomorrow will be when I show up like this. And no doubt he's been spreading rumors about this whole ordeal." I rolled my eyes.

Calum bit his lip, as if debating whether or not to tell me something. "What?" I demanded. If Calum had anything to tell me about Connor I wanted to know. He stalled and glanced at me. "Well?" I pushed further. He sighed and told me. "Connor told everyone that you were in the parking lot and that you accidentally slipped and a car was coming. He told everyone that he...saved your life."

My eyes widened. I couldn't imagine the nerve of the boy. Not only had Connor abused me but he turned the story into one where he was the hero! No doubt his scary friends had backed him up. Tomorrow when I went to school I would be the center of attention. As the stupid girl who fell in front of a car. Who needed saving. I gritted my teeth and turned to Calum.

"There's no way he's getting away with this. I'm going to hurt him." My fierce voice turned small as the tears started falling again.

Calum clenched his fists, and pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. And I know you'll probably be getting that sorry thing a lot. So sorry." I laughed at his absurdity. "And don't worry about handling this whole thing. You'll have me behind you the enire time." I smiled, grateful at his words.

"C'mere, your eye is swelling. Have you been putting ice on it?" He pulled me into my kitchen, where he reached into the freezer for some ice. "No, actually," I replied, "I haven't really been treating my 'wounds' other than cleaning them." Calum threw the bag of ice into my hands and ordered me to keep it on my face. I grinned and muttered, "Thanks Doc."

"So what did you do all day?" he asked once we were again lying lazily on the couch. I debated internally for several seconds about spilling about Ashton. Calum would definetly be suprised about the fact that I knew a boy from Crestwood, let alone Ashton, who claimed he was one of their top swimmers. I decided to keep him to myself.

"Well, I was going to do homework, but I ended up sleeping. And there was no way that I was going to go to practice in this mess," I gestured to myself wryly. He frowned and said, "I just wish that I had been able to stop him. I mean, you were right outside the school."

"That's what Luke was saying. You guys need to stop wishing that you could help. It happened, and beating yourselves up over it will in no way prevent it from happening. Ok? And you can obviously tell that I wasn't completely defenseless." Calum nodded and reassured me, "I know you're not defenseless. You've left your fair share of bruises during our fights," I laughed. "It's just that you're my best friend. It hurts me to see you hurt. Does that make sense?"

I grinned. "Maybe." Calum looked up in sudden realization. "Wait, Luke was asking about all of this? You told me he's been totally disconnected! I mean, wasn't he the one who just made you drag him out of a party last week?"

I stayed silent a moment, smiling. "Yeah. Something was different this morning. He was actually my brother for once. He almost started crying over this. He was about ready to throw down Connor over the whole thing." Calum seemed elated. "That's great! Actually perfect timing, because I-"

I suddenly glanced at the clock mounted against the mantel next to the couch. It was 4:24. Swim started at 4:30, and the penalty for being late was brutal: an extra 20 laps. "Calum, you have to leave for practice!" I said urgently.

He looked torn. "Calum. You need to leave. I won't have you swimming the Wicked Twenty because you were here." I nearly threw him out the door. "Thanks for checking on me. I'll text you later!" He shot a smile and a wave at me before nearly sprinting down the street towards his house.

I smiled. I knew I was lucky to have a best friend like Calum.

-

THIS IS SO SHORT I KNOW AND I'M SORRY. I'LL UPDATE AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. THANKS MY PRETTIES.