Sad [Lashton AU]

Chapter 1

Ashton and Luke's beds at the side/top.

I turn up the sound of Marianas Trench's song Stutter, and push my plastic earbuds further into my ears. Sometimes, if I play a loud song, the music drowns out the screams all around me.

It works, today, but not for long, because one of my earbuds is being yanked out a few minutes after I put it in.

"What the hell?" I grumble at Calil.

"Can I tell you a secret?" she asks, her eyes sparkling.

"Sure. Whatever."

"So, I was walking past Mrs. Lenolia's office, and I heard her talking on the phone about a new kid coming." I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "But don't tell anyone, okay? It's a secret." She places a finger over her lips, then backs out of my room and runs away.

Calil is my best friend here, in this house. Without her, I would've been been all alone.

She was admitted here two years after I was, for being raped and thinking it was all just a nightmare.

The doctors think she just refuses to believe she was raped, but I think she actually thought it was just a nightmare.

I don't really know how her parents know she was raped. Maybe they saw the guy doing it. All I know is what I've been told; that she was raped but believes she wasn't.

That's why she's always so happy. She believes that nothing bad happened to her.

I wish I thought the same.

"He's here!" Calil squeals, rushing back into my room. She grips onto my arm and jumps up and down. "He's here! The new guy is here!"

I let her drag me out of my room and downstairs, where a few kids have already crowded around the poor new guy.

"Ashton!" Mrs. Lenolia exclaims, beckoning me over to her.

I'm really confused, but walk over to her nonetheless and let her clap her hand on my shoulder.

I'm nervous, since I'm now in the middle of the circle. I'm so nervous that I don't pay one ounce of attention to the new guy, instead focusing on Calil and silently begging her to somehow help me.

"Ashton," Mrs. Lenolia says again, bringing my attention to her. "Luke here is going to be your new roommate."

My eyes widen in disbelief.

No. This is unacceptable. I will not have a roommate. In my nine years of being here, I have never had a roommate, and I don't want one now.

"Why me?" I ask, still not looking at the kid. He's hidden behind Mrs. Lenolia, anyway.

"Because you're the only one here who has their own room. Besides, you've been living by yourself ever since you got here, and that isn't really fair to others. Take Luke upstairs and help him get situated."

I roll my eyes, but grab his wrist and yank him upstairs, harsher than necessarily.

Kids try to look at his face, but he looks down, and I push people out of my way so we can get to my room.

Once we're inside it, I let go of Luke, then close and lock the door.

"Thanks," he whispers, hiding his face behind sweater paws.

"Whatever," I reply, then plop back down on my bed and pick up my phone I'd discarded when Calil dragged me downstairs.

Luke walks over to the chair against the opposite wall, and slides his backpack off of his shoulders.