EGL // lashton

twenty three

**

Calum sighed as he was sat in the staircase while watching his mother speak with three policemen.

Calum didn't like the police because they took his father away from him. But his mother had strictly told him not to cry for his father because he was the reason they had to go through this horrible time.

Calum pouted slightly when eyeing the name written on his forearm. His mother had written it there to make him remember his 'new name'. Calum didn't like it, he wanted to stay as Calum Hood, but the police had told him that was not possible anymore.

Calum grumpily pouted as one of the policemen told him to leave them and his mother alone for a while. Calum glared at them before running out to his treehouse with slightly teary eyes.

The weather was freezing as it was early morning in a late February day. Calum was only dressed in his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, so he hurriedly climbed up the ladder and entered his treehouse.

Calum froze in his move when seeing a small boy curled up by the wall in one of his blankets. Calum widened his eyes as he inspected the small boy, first being scared, but soon calming down when seeing how small the sleeping boy looked.

He was only bones and Calum felt his heart sting at the sight, because never had he seen such a broken boy before.

After carefully watching the boy, Calum climbed down the ladder, ran into his house and collected as much food as possible, before climbing back up to the treehouse.

He quietly put all the food and drinks down and bit his lip as he brought one hand to the unknown boy's shoulder, shaking him to wake him up.

The thin blonde boy woke up slowly, blinking his eyes a few times before locking them with Calum's. The boy sat up quickly and stared at Calum with wide eyes, making Calum do the same.

Both boys were quiet as they looked each other up and down before Calum spoke up, "Why are you in my treehouse?"

"I-I-" the boy stuttered, "It was raining and I didn't want to sleep in the rain"

"Why didn't you sleep in your house?" Calum asked and looked at the boy with big and curious eyes.

"I-I don't have a house"

"Then where does you and your family live?"

"I don't have a family, and I live out on the streets" the boy said and looked down at his dirty hands in his lap.

"Don't you have anyone who takes care of you?"

"No, I'm alone" Michael spoke quietly as his eyes were locked on the dirt under his fingernails.

Calum frowned and pouted a bit before speaking, "Oh," he whispered and licked his lips, "I brought you food because you look hungry"

The think boy's eyes lit up at Calum's words and he looked at him like he was a saint of some sort. Calum only smiled and brought the food over to the boy, telling him to dig in.