Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life // malum

chapter eighteen

"I hate him." Michael pointed as they made their way to to the front of the class with their project in hand. "But I hate you losers more. So, if anyone wants to keep speaking, seeing, and smelling, you won't talk any kind of shit to him about the other day."

Calum sighed, fingers pressing against his temples as he fought the happy and giddy feeling blossoming in his stomach and chest. Heat spread across his face, but he couldn't tell if it was out of embarrassment or if it was because Michael was protecting him.

"Michael, shut up. This isn't why we're up here." He hissed and the blond glared at him as their peers followed them in confusion.

Were they together?

"Do you or do you not want my helo? Just shut up and let me protect you stupid, sensitive, nerd." He replied and Calum gasped in offense as he clenched his hands.

"I don't need your protection! I am not like Kira. I will break your nose." He waved his fist. "Now, back to the project. I'm not failing because of you."

"Oh, so all that crap you told me yesterday was just that, crap?" He asked and Calum grit his teeth as he heard their teacher sigh, but refuse to break them apart.

"I meant take it back and clear it up, not threaten our entire class' wellbeing!" He told him and Michael groaned.

Were they friends?

"This is why you have no friends!" He snapped before placing the art on the whiteboard with a couple of magnets. "Why did I ever agree to this shit..."

"Stop mumbling, you sound like a child." Calum scoffed before looking through the story and handing it to the teacher to grade as they explained everything. "We picked liking someone you can't have."

"Because Calum's a loser and no one likes him, obviously." He snickered, and the brunet took a deep breath to calm his raging nerves.

Were they enemies?

"Will you shut up?" He commented and then looked back at their peers. "Sorry. Anyways, our hardship is loving someone you can't have because of God knows what keeps you from having them in your life the way you want."

He saw people snickering in the back, and he closed his eye as he felt his eye twitch. "Do you have something you'd like to say, or can I continue?" He looked at the student in the eye, feeling Michael's hand on his shoulder as he joined in on the staring contest.

"I'm sorry, do you want to take our place up here? I'm sure being a virgin is definitely something the rest of the class wants to hear." Michael sneered and the teacher cut in.

"Michael, Calum, any more of this language and behavior and I'm failing you both. Do your presentation." Mr. Knight rose his voice as he took a black pen to two separate scoresheets.

"We did unrequited love because it really sucks that the person you want is happy with someone else. It makes you depressed, angry, and envious of the other person and people around you." Michael said and Calum tapped his fingers on the desk as he listened to his story. "It's not a major deal. It's not like being homeless as someone said or being bullied as the girl with red hair shared. But it sucks. It makes people change. I know it made me angry."

Calum rubbed his shoulder before taking a deep breath. "I'm gay."

Michael's eyes widened as he looked at him.

"I wasn't going to tell anyone, but I guess cat's out of the bag. I-I didn't have it written in the story, Mr. Knight, this is just for our oral presentation. Written is interpretational." He explained and the adult nodded.