"We need to talk." Abby shoved her way into my house a few days later. I didn't know why she was bringing this up now, whatever she had to tell me. I had just seen her at school a few hours ago.
"What's going on?" I questioned, closing the door behind her and following her into the living room.
"It's about Calum." she breathed. Her fists were clenched, out of nervousness I assume, and her hair was brushed away as if she had run her fingers through it a million times.
"What about him?" I asked, popping a grape into my mouth as I sat down on the couch.
"How would you feel if we.. hung out?" she asked and bit her lip. I furrowed my eyebrows together in confusion. Did she mean hang out or hang out? Did Calum ask her to hang out?
"What do you mean? Did Calum ask you out?" I asked.
"No, I was just thinking about, uh, asking him. It's just, he's really cute and funny, and his eyes-"
I interrupted because I wasn't interested in hearing her go on and on about how a-fucking-dorable Calum actually is. "Wait, why are you asking me?" I questioned.
"Well, I just... You guys just started talking again. And Carter claimed that he can sense a lot of, like, romantic tension around you two-"
"Romantic tension? Is Carter on crack?" I scoffed, standing to my feet again so Abby and I were eye level.
"Honestly, I don't know." she laughed in agreement. "But seriously, if Calum and I did go out or something, you'd be fine with it?" she quirked an eyebrow at me.
"Completely." I shrugged.
"Why are you two even friends again?" she continued, "I mean, he left for what, two years? Did he even call or anything? I mean, why did you forgive him so easily?"
I was used to this from Abby, she was naturally a blunt person. She didn't really realize as she was speaking to actually had feelings; she just spoke her mind. But something about this occasion actually cut deeper than it should have.
"Abby..." I trailed off and looked to the ground.
"Sorry." she mumbled, then took an awkward step toward the door. "I should go, I'm gonna go talk to Calum. Thanks for your help, Jade." she gave me a small smile, then escaped out the front door before I could even say anything.
Okay, that went well.
>>>>
The next few days of school passed slowly, and very uneventfully. Abby always updated me on whether she spoke to Calum or not, and she actually did speak to him when I came into school on Friday morning. But she didn't look happy; she actually looked quite depressed.
"Abbs? Why do you look sad?" I frowned as I pulled open my locker.
"I spoke with Calum last night." she mumbled, looking to the floor. Oh great, this couldn't have gone well.
"And?" I asked when she didn't speak again.
"He rejected me. He told me he has his eye on someone else, but he was nice about it I guess." she shrugged.
Calum likes someone else? I'm his best friend, why the hell didn't he tell me? Oh, that boy is gonna have some explaining to do later today.
"I'm sorry Abby. I can talk to him if you want?" I offered, even though I had no intention of getting into Calum and Abby's love life.
"No, that's okay. I don't want him to be forced into it." she mumbled, then the bell rang and she rushed away before I could say anything else.
I'm gonna kill that boy, I swear.
>>>>
"Cal?" I called when I entered his house, pretty much uninvited. But that wasn't new for either of us; we had been doing it since either of us could climb out of the crib ourselves.
I didn't think Calum even heard me call him, his Nirvana was blaring from the kitchen. When I walked in, I almost had to plug my ears. Don't get me wrong, I love Kurt Cobain, but Calum's eardrums are so much stronger than mine.
Calum was shirtless, dancing around the kitchen and making frozen waffles in the toaster. I tapped him on the back, making him scream and jump.
"Jade, holy shit you gave me a heart attack." Calum groaned, clutching his chest.
"I called your name, but you didn't hear me." I shrugged once he turned the music down a bit. Smells Like Teen Spirit had ended, next was Girls by The 1975.
"Want some chocolate chip waffles?" he offered, removing his from the toaster. I nodded, and he handed me his plate, popping two more into the toaster.
"Thanks Cal." I giggled, sitting down at the bar and began on my waffles. Then I remembered why I came over here. Abby. "Hey!" I yelled at him, and he jumped again.
"Christ, I'm right in front of you. Why the yelling, my music isn't even loud." he shot me a glare, which ended up breaking into a smirk.
"Why did you reject Abby? Who the hell is this other girl?" I questioned, ignoring his comments.
"Oh." he mumbled, popping his waffles out of the toaster. "I just.. I'm not into Abby like that." he shrugged. I relaxed in my seat a bit; was he saying there isn't another girl, that he lied just to let Abby down easy?
"So - there's no other girl?"I questioned.
Why the hell do you care, a voice in my head snarled. Why the hell do I care so much anyway? It's probably just because he's my best friend and I want to be here for him.
"No, there is." he shrugged again, not bothering to look up at me or anything as he drenched his waffles in syrup. How can he handle that?
"Calum!" I shrieked.
"What?" he yelled back, biting his lip to hold back a grin. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't attractive.
"Who is the other girl?" I yelled, dropping one of my waffles back on to the plate.
"Oh." he looked back down at his waffles, "You don't know her."
He was lying, I knew him. He's not the only one who knows his best friend inside and out, now is he? I took another bite of my waffle and glared at him, then spoke again when I swallowed.
"You're lying, now tell me who the fuck you have a little crush on so I can tell her to run for her life." I joked, earning a snicker from Calum.
"Maybe that's why I won't tell you." he joked back, smirking as he took a bite of his waffles.
"Just tell me." I groaned.
"No."
"Cal."
"Bug."
"You can't call me Bug unless you tell me who you like." I gave him a sarcastic smile.
"I can call you whatever the hell I want." he spoke, pulling out the bar chair next to me and slamming himself into it, holding his waffles plate in his hands.
"No you can't."I said, but couldn't help but stare at his tan chest. Last time I saw Calum without a shirt, he didn't have any tattoos. Now he had many, and I liked them a lot.
"You know you're hot when your best friend is checking you out." Calum let out a laugh, smirking at me. I smacked him on the arm, then pretended to scratch my cheek in attempt to cover my red cheeks.
"Who is the girl?" I changed the subject back to this mysterious girl.
"It doesn't matter, Jade. Just forget it." he shrugged, then stood up and took his empty plate into the sink.
This boy is nuts if he thinks I, Jade McKingsley, am going to drop it. But, then again, he knows me inside and out. Which means he knows I won't drop it.
