Sweaters || Malum

Chapter 6

I spent almost $100 at Hot Topic, while Luke spent double that. We both were happy with what we got, though. We go over to the food court and order some Chinese food.

"So Calum, why were you so afraid to take off your sweatshirt earlier?" Luke pesters me.

"I was cold, I told you this." I snapped, not wanting to talk about it. He doesn't care anyway. He probably knows, he should know. He is probably assuming that I am a lunatic as well.

He just doesn't want to be responsible if I seriously harm or kill myself.

But that is almost a dream.

He puts his hand up in defense and says, "You just seemed scared. I just.. thought if you were cold it would be more casual?"

I shake my head and then shrug my shoulders. "It's nothing, Luke. Really." I smile.

Luke looks over and scowls at I curiously look as well. In line at some hamburger place was Michael and Ashton. Of course.

"Can I invite them to sit with us?" I ask Luke slightly innocently and he glares at me but then his eyes soften.

"Fine." He huffs. 

Luke doesn't like grudges to be completely honest. Just something about Michael really gets on his nerves. I get up from the table and go over to the line that they were in. "Hey guys." I greet them, throwing my arms around their shoulders attempting to make them uncomfortable. Playfully, if they were really bothered by it I would stop. 

They both look at me and Ashton asks, "What do you want?"

"I just came to ask if you would want to sit with Luke and I." I inquire, stepping away from them.

Michael immediately shakes his head no, and Ashton raises an eyebrow at me. "Why do you keep bothering us, Calum? Go be popular with the popular kids. Don't try and bring Michael into a situation he doesn't want to be in." Ashton snaps at me.

Michael frowns at him but looks at me with a sad expression. "Actually Ash, i-it's fine. Really." He smile a bit, looking between the two of us.

I grin widely at his stutter. Why did I find it cute? "Great, we're over there. And Mikey, he's going to be nice to you." I promise him and walk away with a smile on my face.

I sit back down and see Michael covering a smile with his sleeve. "He likes you, and you totally like him." Luke teases lightheartedly. 

"What happened to you hating him?" I ask.

"Oh I do. But if my best friend is okay with him he can't be that bad... I guess." 

Luke was seriously like my brother. He sometimes shares his opinions in a harsh way-or just the way it is- and he gives me criticism. Yet at the same time is always on my side. Ashton and Michael sit down at the small table as I take another fork full of rice and eat it. "Hey." Luke forces a smile at the two of them, his greeting hardly sounded genuine.

The two force a smile right back at him. At least Luke was trying.

--

About an hour later, Luke and Michael still weren't talking to each other. On the bright side Luke and Ashton seem to be getting along. "So Cal, Ash and I are going to go to Hot Topic again. He's never been, can you believe it? I'll text you when you're done. Go do something with Michael." Luke smiles, slightly knowingly. Michael looks down and I send him a playful glare.

"Have fun you two." Ashton teases as well and the two go off. I am left alone with Michael, and I am not saying that it is a bad thing. I like Michael, even though he doesn't talk much. I like people in general.

"You've only eaten like half of your burger and chips, do you want something else? It's been an hour." I say to Michael, slightly worried. The burger was small and there was big chips but they weren't that big in number.

He shrugs and replies, "I-I am just not very hungry. I don't n-need all that food anyway."

I frown and I was very confused. "It isn't that much food and you're kind of skinny." I respond.

He frowns and shrugs again. "I just think I'm a bit b-big. Like my stomach is p-pudgy." He tells me, self-consciously wrapping his arms around his stomach.

I lightly place my hand on his wrist and honestly say, "You're not pudgy or big or whatever. Your stomach is probably cute."

And that was my god awful attempt at flirting. On the bright side, I got to see his smile.