fade ; afi+lrh

07

ashton went out after about an hour of silence. after he left, he texted calum that he just needed to clear his head.

and calum gave me a dirty look.

michael walks into the living room and looks through one of the shelves we have of records and cds.

"ashton knows," calum says. michael stops moving. he turns to me.

"how the fuck did he find out? what did you do?" he demands. i stand up.

"he kissed me and apparently he could taste the tobacco," i explain. michael's eyes widen.

"he kissed you?!"

"yeah. we've had a thing for a few months now. just kissing."

"and you're just telling us now?!" calum exclaims. i shrug.

"you're a fucking idiot," michael tells me.

"what are you gonna do about it, mikey? beat me up like in seventh grade?" i taunt.

he raises his fist and calum grabs him, pulling him back.

"i told you not to talk about that!" michael yells. "you don't know what happened!"

"and you don't know what's happening with me so fuck off."

just then, my phone rings. i pick it up, seeing michael roll his eyes before turning to calum who tried to calm him down.

"hello?" i say.

"hello. is this luke hemmings?" a man asks. i pull back my phone to see ashton's contact. i gulp.

"yes."

"ashton irwin was in a serious car accident and is being taken to the hospital right now."

"how bad is it?"

"he's unconscious and losing a lot of blood. he most likely broke a few bones. i'm no doctor," the man tells me. i feel my heart sink.

"thank you."

i hang up.

"ashton's hurt," i say. the two boys stare at. "hospital. now."

-

the ride was silent. so was the waiting room.

we weren't the only people there. but we were the only ones there for ashton.

"i hate hospitals," calum mutters. "half of these people aren't going to leave with good news."

"that includes us," i state.

michael ignores me and stares at the wall.

i pull out my pack of cigarettes and move to get up.

"if you're thinking of walking out, don't both coming back in," i hear michael say.

i put back the pack and slouch in my seat, wallowing in my own guilt.

i can't escape the reality right now. ashton is somewhere in this dreadful place, possibly dying, and there's nothing i can do for once.

[so I'm currently realizing that these chapters are very blunt and don't show much emotion. at first, i was mad at myself for it but now I'm realizing that it's because Luke does not really have emotions because of his addiction. so if you have noticed this as well, that is why.]