18 - i've got this friend

                                    

                                          
*Tavie's POV*
                          
I sat on the chair beside Aaron's bed and just stared at the damage Ashton had done. Aaron's nose was broken, his lips swollen and bloody, and one of his eyes was so purple and swollen I winced just looking at it. I didn't want to know what else was broken. His arm? His leg?
                          
I heard a small groan and saw one of Aaron's eyes slowly open. He murmured something and then the eye that wasn't bruised fell on me.
                          
"Tavie? What are we doing in a hospital?" He asked me with a cracked voice.
                          
"You got really badly beaten up, Aaron. By someone you really didn't want to be that humiliated by." I chuckled as Aaron's eyes narrowed.
                          
"Ashton." He grumbled. Then he sighed and looked at me. "Do you like him?"
                          
"Well, if I ever did, I definitely don't now. He can't just go and-"
                          
I heard a cough interrupting me and I turned to see Calum leaning against the doorframe and studying me quietly.
                          
"Hi Cal..." I said. What was he doing here?
                          
"I came to see how Aaron is." Calum explained, coming over to the side of the bed opposite me. "Hey Aaron."
                          
"Hi Calum." Aaron smiled. Although Aaron had his suspicions about Calum, he knew he was a good guy, and Cal was my best friend... until yesterday.
                          
"Cal, can we talk for a second?" I asked him. He brought his eyes up from my brother to meet my gaze and he nodded.
                          
We left the hospital room and walked down the hallways, a small space between us.
                          
I took a deep breath and asked a question I was dreading the answer to. "Are you mad at me?"
                          
He sighed and looked at me. "Kind of, yeah." His voice was harsh, and I flinched away from it. "How could you kiss, Ashton? Of all people!"
                          
"I didn't kiss him, he kissed me!" I defended myself, stopping and turning to my former best friend. "I pushed him away, Cal. He's just so persistent and determined, he won't give up. He keeps telling me he likes me and I don't believe him one bit but..." I trailed off, realising Cal probably didn't want to hear it.
                          
"Why should someone have to tell you they like you? Can't you just tell? If he really liked you, you would know." Cal ran a hand through his hair and looked away. I couldn't catch his eyes again.
                          
"How do I tell? I'm not a mind reader! If someone liked me, they wouldn't play games with me, they would make it easy, they'd let me catch them." I argued, letting out an exasperated breath.
                          
"What if someone thought it was easy for you to tell? What if someone didn't want to find out you kissed someone else when they liked you and deserved you more?! What if someone didn't want their heart broken?" Before Tavie could ask what he meant, Cal turned and ran out of the hospital.
                          
She didn't even have time to run or shout after him.
                          
Slowly, Tavie walked back to Aaron's room and sat on the bed next to him. He took her hand and smiled at her. She smiled weakly back.
                          
"You know he likes you, right?" Aaron told me.
                          
It would make sense...
                          
"What?! No, Calum is just my best friend. I mean, we joke around a lot - him more than me - but it's just joking." I shook my head, dismissing the notion.
                          
He thought it was easy for me to tell...
                          
"Tavie, it's so obvious. In school all he ever does is stare at you. It's adorable." Aaron was grinning at me, sparkles shining in his eyes.
                          
He didn't want to find out I kissed someone else...
                          
"No, we're just friends..." I couldn't deny the doubts running through my head.
                          
when he liked me and deserved me more than that someone else...
                          
"Tavie, you know he likes you. How could you kiss Ashton when he likes you that much?" Aaron was judging me. What was I doing?
                          
He didn't want his heart broken...
                          
God, I was such an idiot.
                          
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Happy Valentine's Day!!!!