choir boy {cashton} ON HOLD

en.

"i've been watching you for some time. can't stop thinking 'bout your ocean eyes." ocean eyes - billie eilish

the name calum hood was one everyone in the small city of brisbane knew. he was a star player for his school football team and was an attractive guy that girls and boys alike wished they could get with. he was sweet, had average grades, and an adorable smile that lit up any room it graced. he had only been in one serious relationship with a sweet girl named kelsey; and only twice had his name floated around school with a story of how he worshipped a girl in bed. calum hood was the picture perfect cliché.

so, when someone started the rumor that "michael clifford fucked calum hood", it was spread around like wildfire; tumbling out of people's mouths from one class to another.

now, ashton irwin was a name many were familiar with; and never for good reasons. he always came to class reeking of expensive cologne with a slight hint of weed and glossy eyes. people knew he had been arrested on more than one occasion, and was rumoured to be the reason zachary dempt came to school with a busted lip and broken wrist.

the first time ashton irwin ever cared about the name calum hood was in the middle of his second to last year, when his dear friend michael clifford sat himself down at the vandalised table that they spent their lunch period. his friend had a shit-eating grin stapled on his face as he informed the latter that he had just bent the coveted football player over in the photography wing's dark room.

michael was known to sleep around with anyone who asked nice enough, so hearing this wasn't a surprise to ashton. he knew some things about the mentioned boy and knew how people swooned at his smile. however, calum hood was just another name to ashton. someone he'd pass by every so-often in the halls, or briefly glance at in the parking lot.

the name calum hood didn't have any meaning to ashton until the summer before his final high school year. it was late may and he was locked up in a lake house with four of his closest friends when his phone lit up with a notification saying "calummmhood has added you as a friend!"

this didn't seem like anything out of the ordinary, people always were adding ashton to ask if he was selling any narcotics or in hopes to swap some quick pictures to get each other off. however, it was odd that the school's golden boy was adding him out of nowhere. he placed the cool metal of the michael's vape pen against his lip as he spoke aloud, "that hood kid just added me."

michael hummed in acknowledgement, "yeah, i sent him your stuff and told him to hit you up."

ashton raised a brow in confusion, looking up to his wild haired friend, "what for? you know i don't sell man."

the younger shook his head, leaning over to take his fruit flavoured nicotine vaporiser, "i know that dumbass." he inhaled from the device, "just told him since you're both single now, you should get to know each other." ashton just shook his head, of course michael would try and set him up with someone again.

he was met with michael lightly kicking him, "hey man don't look at me like that. you haven't been with anyone for a while now and i'm just looking out for you." ashton groaned and went to protest before being stopped, "and i think you and calum would get along well." then that was the end of the conversation.

so, later that night when he got a message saying, "so is this the ashton irwin michael has been speaking so highly to me about?" from the infamous hood boy, everything spiralled from there; and thinking back now, ashton wished now that he just never responded to that stupid message.

i should have left you as a stranger.