Idiot Chat ➳ m.c

Midnight

»Ashlee«

I thought after we went back to Australia, life would go back to being mundane. For me, at least. But as it seemed when we were away, everyone from our small little town made it their mission to know what the little band from Hornsby had done while they were away. There wasn't exactly bullying. There were heads turning wherever we went. Whispers in the hallways at school. I first noticed it when Michael, Ashton and I turned up at school on our first day back since the tour. I thought I was just being self-conscious, but Michael had felt it too. Their stares, their damn judging stares.

I wanted to yell out, to scream at them to leave us alone. It was driving me mad. I couldn't think properly with their thoughts buzzing around in my head. I dipped my head into my open locker, trying to hide away, trying to gather my thoughts. I knew Michael, Calum and I were all over social media. Our relationship was all over the Internet. Everyone was taking a crack at making their own spin on what happened. Then the rumors had started. Everybody knew something had happened but they didn't know what had happened.

I shied away from it, keeping to my own in my classes and sitting under the bleachers alone at lunch. Calum didn't hang around much anymore. He was focused on trying to sort things out with Beth. So much so that I didn't see him, that nobody from the band really saw him. It's got to him those weeks without her. It turns out that she had her own rumors to come back to. Someone at school had seen her at a family planning center and started spreading around that she'd got knocked up on tour. Not that anyone cared because half the school never even noticed her, but when they'd found out it was Calum who'd done it, the rumours thrived.

I felt for her, she'd suffered from the whole ordeal and was still going through it. I couldn't quite understand what she was going through, though I will never understand, but that doesn't make it less painful. Luke and Visser were alright, they'd got into a fight after a week back about Luke's father, they'd managed to keep it quiet what happened but Luke had moved out of his flat and back home. He was having a hard time after his sister had passed away and wanted to be closer to home. His mum was supporting him and keeping him afloat, just as Vis did.

On a Friday afternoon as I was getting ready to leave school, I was approached by a familiar blonde. Only now she wasn't blonde anymore, she'd dyed her long hair a dark red. She pushed my locker shut for me and handed me my bag. "Walk with me," Lana said calmly. She linked her arm in mine. Funny, because I don't remember suddenly becoming best friends with her. I hadn't even talked to her since the day I'd run out onto that stage and kissed Michael.

"Uhh, what's going on?" I asked worriedly as she walked with me to the front doors. We passed a group of guys whispering amongst themselves and looking particularly upset. She said nothing and just kept staring ahead, until we got to the carpark where my bike was parked. "Lana, what just happened?" I looked down as she unlinked our arms.

"Those guys back there had noticed that you were alone and I heard them talking about surrounding you as you left and pressuring you for details on what happened." I furrowed my eyebrows. Was Lana protecting me? Why all of a sudden was she being nice?

I didn't know what to say. "Thank you Lana, but you seriously di-"

"No," she spoke fiercely, "I had to. I'm sick of all these shitty rumours and people thinking they can talk shit about us just because we got out of this shitty town and did something for once!" She spun around and punched the school sign, leaving a massive dent in the middle of it. "And the admin doesn't do a thing about it!"

Who was this fiery new Lana? And why did I like her? I looked at my bike then back at the frustrated girl standing in the car park. "Do you want to come back to our house or be dropped off somewhere? It's the least I can do after what you did for me today." I groan as I forgot that Michael would be home and I didn't know how well that would go down.