Highway Don't Care||Lashton

Chapter 4

Ashton's POV

After I broke down in the kitchen Jess got dinner for Lauren and Harry and put them to bed and then she left so I could talk to mum.

"Ash, do you want to tell me what's wrong"
"Well, ever since year 8 when Calum found out I was gay, I've been bullied, he accidentally brought it up to someone in our year, Jake, and I've been bullied for it since. Then in year 9, Jake called me fat, worthless, faggot, emo, freak, and he told me to kill myself. Everyone tells me that. But the thing that pisses me off so much is that Calum and Michael are dating and they don't get bullied because Calum made everyone believe he's king shit and I hate it so much. My only friend is Jess.
And there's this boy who started at school. But he said that he used to live here but he moved away. It's Luke, the boy I got dared to kiss"
I wasn't even crying anymore. I was just pissed off.
"Ash. Please don't listen to them. Nothing they say is true. But I need you to tell me something. Have you been hurting yourself baby"
"Mum I'm sorry. I didn't ant to tell you because I-I thought you'd hate me if you found out I was cutting and starving myself" I was crying again and so was mum.
"I would never hate you or be disappointed about this. Just make a promise. Promise me you'll try to get better"
"I promise".

After we talked about random stuff for a bit longer I helped mum clean up the kitchen and then went to bed. Tonight was actually a time I didn't feel like dying.

Luke's POV

At school the next day I was just in the cafeteria waiting until class started because I couldn't find Calum or Michael anywhere, I guessed Calum was probably at football practise and Michael was there with him in the stands.

I was just on my phone when a girl came up to me. She was in my music class. Jess I think?

"Hey Luke right?"
"Yeah that's me"
"Ok I'm going to get straight to the point. Are you gay?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well I'll tell you why I'm asking this, my best friend, Ashton, told me he thought you looked familiar and then in music class when you said all that stuff about yourself. Well, he is pretty sure, when he was 14 he was at some guys place with Calum and a heap of other boys, and he thinks you were there"
"Ok, so what if I was?"
"Ok, i shouldn't be telling you this but obviously you need a little help remembering, so he got dared to kiss one of the guys there, and he remembered that guy as you"
"Ok, well I-I um, could you maybe give me his number?"
"Sure, but please Luke, don't be a little bitch to him or anything. He's a great guy and he doesn't deserve all the shit people put him through"
I pretended like I had no idea what she was talking about, when really, I remember it like yesterday. I needed to talk to Ashton.
After Jess gave me Ashton's number she walked off because the bell went for first period.
We had music first which meant I got to sit with Ashton and Jess. I wasn't sure why I was so happy about this. I hardly even know the guy.
I remembered I still didn't answer Jess' first question:am I gay?
Well I am, but I wasn't planning on coming out until I know where I fit in, because I don't want to be bullied like Ashton is. I've only been here two days so I'm not really sure who I fit in with.
If I want to stay in Calum and Michael's group with the rest of the jocks, I'll have to start dressing differently.
But I was happy with them for now so I'll just stay with them until I know this place a bit better

When I walked into the music room, people were scattered at various instruments around the room. Because this is an elective subject for year 11 and 12 it means we basically do whatever we want that has something to do with music, instead of just sitting at a desk and write notes.

I spotted Jess and Ashton up the back of the room with our teacher, Mrs Raine, Jess was playing violin and Ashton was on drums, obviously they weren't playing music together because that wouldn't sound right. Honestly I didn't quite expect her to play an instrument like that but she was a really beautiful violinist or whatever they are called.