The day had already been monumentally shitty. The worst of the worst days. An absolute steaming-pile-of-crap day. So, really, it was only natural to finish it with a perfect cherry on top - his call from Death-Cast.
He was alone when the unmistakabl...
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𝙰𝚜𝚑𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝙳𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟷𝚜𝚝, 𝟸:𝟸𝟷𝚊𝚖
Ashton was sure this was a bad idea. No, he was more than sure. He was absolutely positive that this was a bad idea. Michael and Zayn clearly did not want Ashton intruding on their day, and Calum only felt different out of pity. Ashton was going to spend his last day dodging half-hearted glares and snarky tones when he'd really like to enjoy it by just thinking about things. About life. About everything he'd done wrong, everything he'd done right, and anything in between. But, alas, he was being pulled along by a puppy-like man-child who seemed all too excited that Ashton was by his side. If Louis hadn't asked him to do this, Ashton certainly would have said no and would've been a lot better off because of it.
"We really didn't mean to make you feel like you had to leave. Honest. They just don't understand why you would even want to spend the day with people like us. Maybe if you just told them-"
"I don't want to be treated differently just because I'm dying. If they don't like me now, they shouldn't like me just because I won't be here anymore tomorrow."
Calum slowed his pace as they began to descend the stairs - no doubt for poor, fragile Ashton's sake - and turned to stare at Ashton like he'd grown two heads.
"But things are different. I mean, Zayn's your bodyguard. He probably sees you more than he sees his own family. Don't you think he'd have some things he'd want to say before you go?"
"No, because they won't be genuine. When people find out you're dying, they say a bunch of stupid shit that doesn't mean anything. They want to make the day better, so they just lie. I don't want to be lied to. I'm getting enough of that from Harry and Louis today, I don't need it from you guys too." He scoffed. "I mean, really, if you didn't know I was dying today, would you have come up to my room just now?"
Calum hesitated, but that was more than enough to answer Ashton's question. He gave a small smile of triumph.
"See? And that's fine. I do not give a fuck - really, I don't. We don't know each other so there's no reason for you to want to include me, other than the fact that you feel sorry for me and have some misguided sense of duty to make me feel better. Only, I get enough bullshit in my life. Today, of all days, I don't want to be bullshitted, so, please, pretend like you don't know what you know. Pretend like this is any other day and I'm the same person that you know and hate."
Calum hummed, considering for a moment before he seemed to come to a conclusion. "Sorry. I can't do that. You know why?" He turned back, brown eyes sparkling as they met Ashton's. "'Cause I have new information now. You aren't actually an asshole. Which is... fucking hell, that's a whole can of worms we'll get to later, but the point is, I don't hate you. Not that I ever really did, but, well... I really don't now. And, if you don't want to tell the others, fine. You don't have to. I'll get them to like you without pity. They'll like you for you and they'll insist you spend the whole day with us. Just wait and see. I've got it all figured out."
