Sweaters || Malum

Chapter 28

Song for the Chapter: The Great Escape by Boys Like Girls

Sad Malum stuff. ://

Shorter chapter btw

Countdown to Talent Show: 1 Day

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"Shit my father's here." I curse the next afternoon, Michael and I standing at the end of my driveway. 

"W-We don't need t-to g-go inside, it's not a b-big deal." Michael tells me quietly, and I knew that he didn't mean it. I promised him a game day, playing Monopoly and Clue. I didn't have a lot of money so I suggested the simple game night with snacks as a date.

"It's our first date." I reply, walking up to the front door. I unlock it and gesture for Michael to come inside. "Quickly go upstairs." I whisper.

I see him rush up the stairs and then I hear my father's voice; "Calum Hood, don't you avoid me!" His voice was slurred and loud. I go over to the living room and look in. In my father's hand was a bottle of tequila. He places it down on the ground and stumbles over to me. 

"The neighbor is getting suspicious that my son is a fag!" He slurs, pushing me back weakly. The alcohol in his system caused him to have trouble with balance and therefore couldn't shove me as violently as he probably intended.

"I'm not a fag!" I yell, hoping Michael wouldn't hear me. I was about to lie. "I fell asleep with him and I hang out with him because I feel bad for him! He puts on the poor me act with an annoying stutter and anti-social attitude! It is a joke, father." 

As the words spill out of my mouth, my heart aches from the false words. "You're cruel." He laughs, falling back a bit and hitting the couch, so he sits down. 

"Who do you think I got it from? I have been fucking a girl on the side. Michael just wants what I can't give him: love." I spat at my father. Though the words weren't true, he was laughing and smiling. I didn't feel accepted because I was in fact gay, and sex with a girl disturbs me a bit. If it would get me out of getting a beating I would say it.

"Go before I change my mind." My father shoos me away and I smile, turning the corner with a large grin on my face.

And to be completely honest, it looked bad. Michael was standing on the stairs, tears streaming down his face. He looks up at me with sorrow filled eyes. He picks his bag up from the stair that he was standing on and goes down them. "Wait." I say and he shoves me out of the way.

I said all that about him, and he heard me.

I leave the house as he is storming off, and I see him wiping his tears away with his sweater paws. "Michael, stop!" I say to him and he stops, dropping his bag on the tar and turns around to look at me. I felt a pang in my chest seeing how sad he was. His red eyes, the tears running down his adorable face. "Oh babe." I frown, moving closer to him. I was going to caress his cheek but he shoves my arm away.

"I hate you. M-More than I hate Ashton. N-Never talk t-to me again, C-Calum." He cries.

"You don't understand, Mikey! I said that but it wasn't true." I try explaining myself. I couldn't end it like this with him. I wouldn't let it happen.

He gives me a sarcastic laugh and this was the first time I ever saw him like this. "I am c-convinced. Y-You say all of that about m-me and then y-you come around the c-corner with a smile o-on your f-face. I d-don't want anything t-to d-do with you. J-Just leave m-me alone. We're d-done, Calum. I-I c-can't believe I was stupid enough t-to think I had a chance w-with a popular k-kid." He sobs, wiping away his tears frequently.

I was at a loss of words. As he walked away I wanted to run after him, scream out that I loved him. Instead I just began to cry, shaking in place. I wanted to run, but I couldn't. I watch as he leaves my sight a while later and I continue standing there for a while after that. I walked back inside, not knowing really what happened.

All I knew was that I lost him.