Wrong Number (Cake Hoodings)

93 *

{n i n e t y t h r e e }

On Monday, exactly seven hours after Michael had to leave because his parents were getting annoyed and or worried that he'd stayed out all weekend, Luke wakes up alone. 

He's aching in the best possible way, and he sort of wants the ache to be even more prominent, wants everyone to know how much of a slut he's been because he broke up with his boyfriend. 

He's realized in the past few days, however, that his feelings for Michael may have been there for a very, very long time. 

He remembers being nine and asking his Dad what it meant to have a crush on a boy like you would a girl, and his Dad just gave him this knowing look before telling him that who you liked didn't matter, and then seconds after they'd finished their talk, asking if he was going to invite Michael over for dinner. 

He remembers hiding his crush for two years despite everyone knowing, Michael included. 

He remembers Michael turning fifteen just before him, having a party and losing his virginity to a girl two years older than them up in his parents' bedroom. 

He remembers crying for two days straight afterwards. 

It's like he's repressed all these things, not thought about them for so long that it's become second nature to him to just believe that they didn't even happen, to believe that Michael never once looked at him in the way Luke so desperately wanted him too until a few nights ago. 

It was only a few years ago, and Luke's tried so hard to repress the feelings, that he simply forgot they were even there, and now they're sparking in his chest, brighter than ever and he's so confused that he doesn't know whether to force them back down or skip school and mope all day. 

Because no matter what Michael wants to believe, Luke isn't someone who's going to put out all the time for nothing, he wants a relationship more than sex (despite the sex being a great added bonus) and as much as he likes being held down and used, he wants someone to make love to him occasionally, wants to fall asleep feeling sappy and stupid for picturing him next to his significant other at the alter. 

His alarm goes off again, shattering his thoughts and making him pull the comforter more around himself. 

He shuts it off and gets up with the blanket still wrapped around his body, waddling over to his clothes drawers and pulling out his jeans with rips down the legs and his red and black checkered flannel. 

He drops the blanket and gets dressed as quickly as he can, leaving his hair down and messy in a broken fringe and putting a beanie on his head, trying to cover the fact that he's not brushed his hair in about three days. 

He looks surprisingly okay, and grabs his bag with whatever it has in it to go downstairs. 

"Hey, kiddo." James (was this his step dads name?? I honestly cannot remember) greeted with a cup of coffee between his hands. "You ready?" Luke nodded and watched him take the last sip of coffee before putting the cup in the sink and grabbing two cereal bars from the cupboard next to it. 

He handed them both to Luke as he walked out, the blond stuffing them into his pockets. 

The ride is short and silent, the car fogged because of their breath against the cold air, and when they pull up into the school car park, his step dad has to wipe down the inside of the windows in preparation for when he drives to work. 

"Don't worry about him today, Luke." His step dad says, "And make sure you text me if anything happens." Luke smiles back lightly and ducks to get out of the car, grabbing the strap of his bag. 

"See you at three." Luke calls before slamming the door, walking towards the school doors. There's nobody outside considering its such a cold day, which is slightly frustrating since he knows the hallways will be packed when he walks in. 

He pulls his leather jacket tighter around himself, trying to make himself seem smaller, and walks through the double doors, head down as he navigates his way through the masses of people. 

He hopes that Michael is already waiting by his locker for him, ready to walk him to class like usual. 

He gets to the jocks and cheerleaders, hugging his jacket tighter into himself as he tries to keep his head down. 

He can't help it though, he's curious to see if Calum is there, so he looks up and straight away locks eyes with Beau. He freezes. 

Beau looks him up and down, giving him a dirty look before looking back to his other friends. Luke has never been more glad. 

He's goes to scurry away from the situation, thankful for the avoidance, but then a girl is laughing louder than the others, yelling, "Hey, look Cal! Your fangirl came to see you!" 

Luke's arm is grabbed, and he's pulled so he's face to face with a smiling Calum, his arm around the red head cheerleader. Calum smiles and presses at his chest, getting distance between them. 

"Kindly fuck off." He tells the girl who yelled it, then turns to Luke, "You too, princess." He hisses, turning back to the girl as his friends laugh. 

Luke doesn't know what to do with himself, is frozen into place at the realization that everything has literally gone back to how it was, except- except worse now because he has the memories on top of the insults, the stories behind the nicknames.

"Can you speak English?" Beau asks loudly, the other popular people around them quietening. "He said go away." 

"You guys are such assholes." Ashton says quietly, a few turning to look at him with disbelief written over their faces. He see's something behind Luke though and tenses, looking down at the floor. 

Michael walks in front of him, standing chest to chest with Calum, looking down on him. His hair is died a new color, a bleached blond that Luke is immediately in love with. He grabs the back of Michael's band shirt just as Michael grabs the front of Calum's. 

"I've been waiting to hospitalize you for a long time," Michael hisses, pulling Calum closer to him who just stares doe eyed, a vacant, scared look in his eyes. Michael gives a sadistic breathy laugh. "I guess you're lucky your ex is holding me back, huh?" 

The people around them go silent, and Michael drops Calum, grabs Luke's hand and pulls them away.