Sweaters || Malum

Chapter 14

The next day at school we were putting our instruments together in band class. "Hey Ashton?" I say, walking up to him and Michael.

"Yeah?" He questions.

I look to Michael and he gives me a nod as he says to Ashton, "I-I asked him out and h-he said yes."

Ashton looks at us blankly but then the emotionless face turns into a scowl. Not at Michael, but to me. I haven't even done anything and I felt as if we were getting along. "All you do is hurt him, you really think this is a good idea?" He snaps at me and I just shrug, sending Michael a smile. I put my saxophone around my neck and put the reed in my mouth.

"A-Ash it's okay, h-he is a good g-guy." Michael tells Ashton, putting his hand lightly on his shoulder.

He shakes his head and tells us that he doesn't approve. He walks away into the band room, leaving Michael and I. "That didn't go as planned." I tell him, my words sounded a bit weird because of my reed. He nods and goes into the band room as well, and I felt as if I did something wrong. I go over to Luke who was playing Final Countdown on his trumpet.

I take the reed out of my mouth and place put in my saxophone, tightening it. "So Luke," I begin to say and he turns around, a smile on his face.

"What's up Calum?" He asks, grabbing his folder.

We begin walking to the band room together and I say, "Michael and I are dating." 

He stops in his tracks and looks at me. He sighs and responds, "Okay."

I was shocked because he didn't care. Well I mean, he probably cared, but I have a feeling he might have cared more for my feelings than his own. Which I appreciated, of course. "Ashton isn't okay with it. Can you talk to him?" I ask. I think they liked each other, and maybe that is why he wasn't mad. Michael's best friend is Ashton and Michael isn't a big fan of Luke himself. I can understand where the whole acceptance is coming from.

"I mean, he and I aren't very good friends but I can try." Luke smiles as we walk into the loud room. Without another word exchanged we sit at our seats, both getting out our music and warming up our instruments. 

The music teachers hisses, which is his way of quieting our class down. We were a bunch of loud kids. "I am passing out Sleigh Ride, which we are going to be working on the next couple of months. This song is hard to get in sync with everybody and is especially hard for some of the freshman. Even though December is a couple months away." Mr. Carp announces. He grabs his folder of music and begins passing everybody's piece out.

"You're so lucky, you got the whip!" A boy said to Michael as Mr. Carp was passing out their music. I look back and see Michael got the wooden clapper for the song. His smile was bright and honestly, it made me smile as well.

"Percussion seems like the most fun section." Luke tells me and I shift my attention to him.

I think about it for a moment and reply, "I mean, not instrument wise. People wise, possibly."

He nods and I turn back around in time to see a 1st Alto Saxophone part being placed on my stand. Being in Year 12, I was the section leader among the altos. So when he placed the part on my stand I felt slightly accomplished.

"I got a first part!" I hear Ashton say, looking at his section. I look over and we catch glances, and his happy expression turns into a scowl. 

I look away from him and begin playing Sleigh Ride, well, practicing it.

--

Right after class, I quickly go and put my instrument away. There was the few obnoxious kids who continue playing and making squeaking noises on their instruments. I put my case in the closet and put my folder away then go straight to Ashton.

"We need to talk." I say to him, gripping his upper arm gently and pulling him away from others. We go into the small stairwell near the band room and he seems annoyed as I let go of him.

"What do you want?" He snaps.

I tap my foot impatiently, trying to think of what to say to him. "I don't know what you have against me," I begin. I wasn't sure where I was going with this but his bullshit was aggravating me. "but it is absolute bullshit that you aren't accepting me and Michael's relationship."

He rolls his eyes and snorts, looking at me with a disbelieving look. "All you do it make him self-conscious! When you flipped your shit on him for no reason you made him really upset! I told you all you're going to do is hurt him. I am not going to approve of a relationship when it may not be healthy in the future." He explains, his anger slowly fading away.

"I lost my shit. But we're going to be okay, and you should be able to accept that. If you're really Michael's friend and all." I say to him.

I turn around and leave. I go back towards the band room and look around to Michael. "Hey cutie." I greet him and he turns around with a small blush on his face.

I knew everything was going to be okay.