rush//5SOS

19

Calum ran next to Luke on the treadmill, turning it down as Luke squeezed his eyes shut.

"You're wearing yourself out," he mumbled, Michael making his way over.

"Luke, I think that's enough for today,"

"No," he whined.

"If you carry on eating, and pushing through, you can come again. Your body is and looks healthy, so what don't you see?"

"I just want muscle,"

"Fair enough, but it's gonna take time and you'll have to listen to me,"

"How long did it take you?" the boy asked Calum, more than fed up with his image.

"Long enough, it's not an overnight thing Luke. I'm sure Freya will still love you," Calum teased, trying to lighten the situation.

"Fuck off,"

"Luke," Michael warned, the boy rarely using any type of rude word. Calum was taken aback, slightly surprised that his friend had said it to him.

"Can I go back to my room, alone, please?"

"Woah, what's changed your mood this fast?"

"I just don't feel well," Luke frowned, moving away from both Michael and Calum. Michael pursed his lips, hoping the visit from his mum tomorrow would help .

"Alright, Calum, I'll stop by later or tomorrow morning. Go and relax for a bit,"

Calum nodded, leaving the room as quickly as possible. It hurt to see Luke like this- he had felt the need to defend himself.

As he got back to his room, he found himself asking for Naomi instead of ignoring her because he felt quite upset.

The thing he cared for the most in here was how his friends and the people round him were feeling, and Luke was clearly not too great.

Neither was Freya.

"Calum? It's not often you want to speak in the middle of the day,"

"Why are all my friends so upset?"

"It's a normal thing, explain it to me,"

"Luke swore at me, and I know that's just a thing people do but Luke hardly ever swears. And Freya is sad, and I can't make the people round me happy anymore,"

"If people don't want to be happy, it's hard for you to make them happy. Freya is still struggling to accept it, and Luke has just been put on some new medicine so don't beat yourself up because you can't control it,"

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"Why don't you think he told you?"

"It's embarrassing,"

"It could be,"

"It's a private thing,"

"Yeah, that's what you have to think about. If any of your friends are upset, or have kept something to themselves you need to think why,"

Naomi noticed he still didn't look sure, the boy fiddling with the duvet cover.

"Calum, is there anything else you want to say? I have a meeting but I will reschedule if you want to talk,"

"It reminded me of home,"

**

"Dickhead,"

"Freya,"

"I am not hungry,"

"Well you need to eat,"

"I need a tissue," the girl whined, her head pounding, "Ashton I feel like shit,"

"I know you do, but there are nicer ways to go round it and being rude isn't getting you anywhere,"

"Please can I have some medicine?"

"I'll see what I can do. Please just eat for me, we can take a walk round if you do,"

"Like, outside?"

"Maybe,"

"I would like that,"

Ashton nodded, waiting patiently as she ate her food. It confused him a little, how rude and obnoxious she could be then suddenly small and polite.

Although, the more he grew to learn about her home life, the more he understood.

She needed to defend herself online, and make herself seem older and bigger than she was to go out- he felt lucky to see the true side of her.

What she needed to realise was that he wasn't trying to get at her, and that she didn't need to defend herself because he was trying to help.

He was trying to help.