Crazy love

1

This is the only warning I will be putting in this story.  This story contains triggering content, I don't want anyone to be triggered by this, so don't read if you may get triggered.  How many times should I say the word triggered?  Im trying to get my point across. This might have a happy ending, im not sure I haven't gotten that far yet, but it will have a lot of sadness.  

Ashton curled his fists into the sleeves of his flannel, grinding his teeth. The air was ripping through him, making goose bumps rise on his skin. His converse slapped the sidewalk as he hurried up and tried to get to school faster. He didn't want to go into that building, but if it got him out of this strangely cold day he could manage. It shouldn't be this chilly, it was only September. School had just started up and Ashton was already overwhelmed. His locker was already overflowing with unorganized papers and books, pencils falling out and skidding across the floor when he opened it. Shaking his head and running his hands through his fringe, pushing it down to the side the way he liked it. He gathered up what he needed for his class, at least the stuff he could find.

His seat was placed dead center in the classroom. He sat down with a huff and laid his supplies out. There was soft murmuring from the other classmates that where already in the room, along with the roar of everyone still out in the hallway. Eventually the bell rang and the room got louder as it filled up. Someone twice the size of Ashton bumped into his desk, sending his folder to the floor. When Ashton reached for it, another set of legs plowed into him. A knee to the face, and a set of steel toed boots on his outstretched fingers.

"Oh my god" Michael, the owner of those legs and boots gasped. He stumbled back, then lunged forward toward Ashton to check on the boy. Ashton held his injured hand up to stop him, his other hand on his face, pinching the bridge of his nose and gently pushing around the edge of his eye socket. "Dude you're bleeding, let me help" Michael rambled, grabbing Ashton's wrist. He didn't notice how Ashton flinched at the pressure of those fingertips on his wrists. Michael dragged Ashton out of the classroom, pushing past the last group of students coming in.

"Clifford, Irwin-" The teacher started but was cut off by the door slamming closed after the boys. They walked to the boy bathroom, Michael gathering up paper towel while Ashton looked at himself in the mirror. He had blood all over his chin, lips, it dripped off into the sink. Under his eye was already starting to bruise a little. The already swollen and dark bags under Ashton's eyes looked amplified.

"I'm so sorry mate, I didn't see you there-" Michael trailed off, wetting down the towel and turning Ashton's face towards his.

"Its alright" Ashton said softly, reaching up and grabbing the towel from the boy. He turned back to the mirror, gently wiping away as much of the blood as he could.

"Good thing you're wearing a black shirt" Michael forcibly chuckled, shifting his weight from foot to foot. His green eyes peeked out shyly from under the mop of dirty blonde hair he had stayed the same as Ashton's. Michaels was longer though, the ends of it going to his chin.

"Heh, yea" Ashton said, his voice still quite.

"I really am sorry, I honestly didn't see you, I was texting my friend Calum and wasn't paying attention."

"Dude its alright" Ashton sighed, wincing when his hand hit the edge of the sink.

"Your hand!" Michael stepped toward Ashton, once again not noticing the flinch the smaller boy did. He picked up Ashton's hand, bringing it close to his face to examine it. His fingers and knuckles were red and swollen, faint bruising already showing around the nail beds on his index and middle finger. "Well it doesn't seem broken" Michael smiled, releasing Ashton's hand.

"That's good" Ashton gave the other boy a small smile. "Your friend, Calum?"

"Yea?"

"Is his last name Hood?"

"Yea! He's on the football team, you know him?"

"Kinda"

"Well that's sweet!" Michael looked down at his phone, "We should probably head back to class"

"Yea" Ashton sighed, turning back to the sink to fix his appearance a little, his face was still a little pink form the blood, but he looked fine. Just flushed.

When they entered the classroom the teacher sent the two a glare.

"Is everything all sorted out now?"

"Yes sir" Michael smiled, walking quickly to his seat, which happened to be two seats behind Ashton. When the boys sat down Ashton quickly started to rearrange his things when he stopped cold. His hands started to shake at the dark word that was scribbled across his notebook.

Faggot

Ashton quickly changed the page, running his hand through his hair as he tried to calm down his breathing. The class went on in a blur, that one vulgar word bouncing around in Ashton's skull. This was the first time he has been called anything mean, well from anyone beside himself. He had some problems, he wasn't too nice to himself, but he never expected anyone to be anything but kind to him. Ashton's been nothing but kind to everyone he's met. He wasn't popular, and didn't talk much, but he liked it that way.

When the bell rang he didn't want to close his notebook, didn't want to see that word again, let alone let any of his peers see it. Instead he kept it open to the page it was, and shoved it in between the pages of his textbook.

He jumped when he heard Michael beside him.

"So if you're friends with Calum why haven't you ever sat with him at lunch?"

"Uh, I-" Ashton trialed off, not able to think of a good answer.

"Well" Michael chuckled, sliding his arm over Ashton's shoulders as they walked out the door, "sit with us today"

"In the café?"

"Yup" Michael popped the P

"O-ok"

The next two classes slinked by agonizingly slow. When the bell finally rang and singled the start of lunch Ashton shot out of his seat. He hurriedly placed his books in his locker and then booked it to the bathroom. Once inside he locked himself into the furthest stall from the door, resting his hands on the wall. He closed his eyes and tried to slow his breathing, his heart beating out of his chest, his skin prickling with anxiety. Ashton didn't like eating in front of people. He hardly even liked eating, people just made it so much worse.

He took a shuddering breath lifting his head up to stare at the ceiling. When he heard the door open he slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Mikey I've told you, you have to watch where you're going!" Ashton recognized the voice as Calum's.

"I know, but it was an accident, and I invited him to eat lunch with us" Ashton could just see how excited Michael must've looked just by the sound of his voice.

"And He said he knew you, and if it wasn't for me accidentally hurting him I might have never noticed him"

"Didn't you say he sits two seats in front of you in first hour?"

"Yea but I never noticed, he's always so quiet. How do you guys know each other?"

"We've had a few classes together, had to work on a project or two"

"Was he always so quiet?"

"Yea-" The rest of their conversation was cut off by the bathroom door swinging shut. Ashton backed up until his back hit the other wall, sliding down it to the floor.

"Get your act together Irwin" he mutters, his hands twisting into his hair.