suddenly | muke

chapter 10

march 15th

"michael."

"what's up, cal?"

silence.

"i... don't think i love luke anymore."

-

"wait, whoa. what? wait." michael sat up, pausing the quiet music currently playing on his phone. his green eyes searched through the dark room to meet calum's brown eyes, and he gave another breathless "what?"

the two were currently laying on calum's roof, bundled up in thick sweaters and blankets as they watched the stars because isn't that what best friends do?

calum just let out a small laugh as he met his best friend's gaze. "i don't think i love luke anymore, and that's it."

"t-that's just it? nothing else?"

"nope."

"well?"

"well what?"

"cal." michael sighed, running his fingers through his freshly dyed purple hair (he had made sure to keep it always dark, for some odd reason he couldn't figure out) before looking at the other boy once again. "you know what i'm gonna ask next... where did it go wrong?"

calum furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "i... don't know. if i'm telling you the truth, i don't think i know what love is. i wouldn't know it if it came knocking on my door out of nowhere." he huffed, rolling his neck and keeping his eyes on the sky. "don't get me wrong... luke's a great boyfriend, but something has been off with him."

"off...? how?"

"well, i don't know how to explain it..."

"j-just try." michael's voice was laced with worry, and he noticed calum eye him awkwardly.

"mikey, did you guys... do something when you were at his house last month?"

"what the fuck!?" michael blurted out, collapsing into a fit of laughter.

"i'm serious."

michael tensed, lowering his voice. "i would never... why?"

"he..." calum choked up, and michael couldn't tell if he was crying or just really embarrassed. "he was moaning your name in his sleep last week. four nights in a row."

michael jumped at that, though he was afraid to meet calum's eyes again. he could feel his hear pounding in his ears, and it became hard to breathe for a minute.

"michael, it's not your fault. just say something, please." the purple haired boy's face paled a bit, and finally he turned his head, pained expression on his face.

"i... what are you gonna do?"

"what do you think i should do?"

"oh, shit." michael scratched his cheek awkwardly, legitamately at a loss for words. he'd never been in this situation; shit, he never even thought about himself being in this situation. "i... dude, you gotta break up with him. ... that's fucked up, i know, but you said it yourself that you don't love him, a-and even though i swear on my life i have nothing to do with him, he still..."

"michael. he already broke up with me."

"w-what?" michael stood up almost instantly. calum's head hung low, and michael swore he was holding his breath just to hide the sob sitting in the back of his throat. his eyes searched calum, the starry sky above, the building lights in the distance, everywhere, for an answer. "what!?"