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Chapter Five: Not Edited

'Calum, I see that you were talking to the new student in the classroom and I thought it was nice at first but now I don't want it happening anymore. I don't want to sound possessive but you're mine and no one else's. I will keep this message short and sweet but stay away from the new student.

Red'

Now 'Red' doesn't want me to be seen with other people? What the hell is this persons problem. I can pick my own motives and no one can force me to do anything I don't want to do. So with that being said I closed my locker door and grabbed my paper lunch bag before making my way to the lunch room where I would be sitting alone. The noise from the lunch room filled my ears and I took my familiar seat in the back of the cafeteria were no one would mess with me. I was munching on some chips when a tray slid in front of my view and I looked up to see the boy from my English class standing there with a small smile on his face.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" The boy asked with a hopeful expression on his face and it made me shook my head and his smile grew even larger. "Thanks. I don't know anyone besides you." He told me which made me frown on how no one tried to talk to him yet. "Which is fine. You seem nice and I like to get to know you."

"You're the first person to sit with me in a long time so it doesn't bother me." I told him with a weak smile making him frown in return.

"Why is that?" He asked with a confused expression on his face. "I mean you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I haven't had a good high school experience." I said, ending the awkward conversation that we were having.

"I just noticed we have been talking for ten minutes and I haven't told you my name." The boy smacked him in the face lightly which made me giggle at his actions. "I'm Ashton Irwin."

"I'm Calum Hood." I smiled warmly after my giggling session and he returned it.

"I know." He saw my expression and his face paled. "I m-mean. I heard your name around before." I raised one of my eyebrows on who would have told him. "My stepbrother has told me about you." He confirmed my suspicion's.

"Who is your stepbrother?" I asked curiously as I watched Ashton take a bite out of his sandwich.

"Michael Clifford." Ashton said as he swallowed some of his food. Michael Clifford? Who is that?

"I'm sorry but who is that?" I asked, raising one of my eyebrows in question on what his stepbrother looked like. I grabbed the soda can from my bag and opened the cap to it as I took a sip of the drink.

"Oh I keep forgetting that I'm new to this school and he isn't." Ashton replied with a frown which made me reassure him with a smile. "He is a tall blonde, well his hair is red now but that doesn't mean anything."

Red? Could he possibly be the one sending the notes? Before I could even ask someones voice brought the two of us out of the awkward tension. I looked up to see a tall dyed redhead with a piercing above his left eye and he had plump lips that were in a straight line as he looked at us.

"Ashton." The unnamed boy nodded in his direction. His eyes than traveled to mine and he gave me a small smile before quickly turning it into a scowl which left me confused. "Michael." Ashton blinked and was heavily confused on Michael's and I's exchange. Oh. So this is Michael Clifford. After looking at him for awhile I realized he's in Luke's social group which made me roll my eyes and I wrapped up my lunch and collected my garage before telling Ashton I will be right back.

I walked off to the trash can and quickly threw my garbage and I looked back at my table and saw Ashton and Michael arguing over something which made me furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "Calum." I felt a another presence besides me and I saw the familiar lilac boy standing beside me with his hands in his pockets.

"Oh hey Niall." I smiled at my new friend but sadly he doesn't want anyone to know that we're friends.

"I was wondering if we could talk after school about what was bothering you during class?" Niall asked, biting his bottom lip which made me coo at the sight.

"Of course. Come by my locker and we can talk then." I told him.

"Alright, I know where your locker is so I will see you then." Niall smiled before waving goodbye and heading back to his table where some of his friends where looking in our direction. I waved back and went back to my table to see Ashton and Michael gone which leave me confused on where they went off to. I ascended back to my table and saw a small note on my seat which made me furrow my eyebrows as I read the note.

Hey Calum. Michael is being a ass and told me we had to ditch school for some important reason. Anyway I will talk to you tomorrow. - A.

I sighed inwardly. Ashton was my first friend that I made in awhile. It surprised me that he actually wanted to sit with me at lunch. Of course if Harry and Ivy were here I would've let them sit with me but sometimes I like new people sitting with me because it's interesting to talk to someone new. I twiddled my thumbs together waiting for the lunch hour to end and hopefully it will soon.

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Here is Chapter Five of Code Red. Please leave a quick comment and a vote.

- Kirsten & Claire