FIFA || Malum

10

Holy guacamole, hello! 500 followers? Wow! I don't know what to say. Thankyouthankyouthankyou. You are all super amazing and I'm glad to have you reading my stories, also because it feels right, I'd like to thank you for all of your votes and comments so far! I feel like I don't thank you enough, without you I probably would not have gotten this far with writing and I'm glad we share the same interests and it's just a great time. I'm having fun and I certainly hope you're having fun :^)

Maybe Calum didn't feel like sharing a flight with Ashton, he realized that it might be better to fly alone and collect his thoughts.

He couldn't just call and tell the guy that he was flying alone though, Ashton would already be there and wouldn't take no for an answer. Sometimes Calum thought that that was a good trait but it was times like these that he didn't like the trait so much.

The cab pulled up at the busy airport in broad daylight, happily dropping him off at the beginning of the lot so he could avoid the hazards of parking in the crowded parking lot. Calum paid the guy a few extra dollars because the driver had tried to keep a conversation going despite Calum's stoney expression. It was about baseball-something Calum knew almost nothing about-but he appreciated the cabbie's attempt to get him talking.

Ashton was quite visible in the crowd, a solid mass of black in the ever moving multicoloured crowd. Head peaking above the average citizen, height difference easily recognizable. What made it even easier to spot him were the two tall teenagers standing next to him. A blonde and a dark blue haired boy, all clad in dark clothing and looking like they were headed to a funeral or a metal concert. Skull print seemed kind of offensive when at a funeral, so Calum really hoped if they were dressed for an occasion than it would be the latter.

With a slow pace, the tanned boy waddled over to the three lads. They just observed each other for three, maybe four seconds. Then everything sped up like someone had hit the fast forward button on a remote. Luke was suddenly hugging him tightly and Ashton joined in with a happy little breath of air. Michael hung back though, hugging himself slightly while watching his best friends and his favourite soccer player holding each other. Calum wanted to beckon him over, allow him to join the warm embrace but a part of him was selfish, wanting Michael to feel out of place amongst people he felt comfortable with, like Calum had earlier. So he didn't wave Michael over, he didn't even hug Luke and Ashton back. He just stared straight ahead with his hand still gripping the meager luggage he brought with him.

Ashton ended up as the leader, making sure everything was in order while Calum tiredly rested his head against Luke's arm. He assumed they looked like penguins huddled together, all dressed in black.

♩

Calum looked at the laughing boy across the aisle from him. Blinked once, twice, three times and then looked back down at his hands. Ashton was always terrible at lightening the mood, joking about plane crashes wasn't what he wanted to hear when they had yet to take off.

Ashton had cleverly gotten Calum a seat right next to Michael, but Michael also happened to be absolutely frightened of flying and was trying to get to sleep before the plane took off with no luck. He also had a knuckle whitening grip on his armrest that made Calum want to wince. He'd experienced several of his fears before but Michael had such a large reaction, he wasn't scared of flying, he was mortified.