Voodoo Doll // cth

six

"Your dad hasn't been home for ages, where is he?" Sam asks as we walk through the hall. She's been staying at my house since her parents are away, again.

"I dunno." I shrug, looking down at the floor as I try not to bump into anyone. "Mom said he's off on a business trip."

If only she knew.

It's been a few weeks since the encounter with Calum at the venue and I can't get the sight of his piercing gaze out of my mind. I haven't mentioned it to anyone, silently hoping he hasn't either.

"Maybe he's on a cruise." Sam shrugs, causing me to frown.

"He doesn't like boats."

She backs down, not saying anything else before leading me into the lunch room silently. She begins rambling about the older woman she's talking to as my eyes wander around the room. I search through the busy crowds looking for Calum, or Ashton, or anyone that isn't going to talk about a mom.

My eyes eventually land on Michael, giving me a reason to walk away from the table. "Sam, I'll talk to you later."

She watches me walk away from the table before she can argue. I approach Michael who is now joined by Luke, the two of them rambling about god knows what. Their attention turns to me as I approach them, not even realizing what I'm doing. "Do you need help with something?"

I did, and you guys weren't there. No one was there. It was just me, and Calum. He felt so alone.

"Oh for fuck's sake you didn't hit Brady again, did you?" Luke chimes in and I widen my eyes.

"No!" I yell, louder than I had anticipated. "Do you know where Calum is?"

"He's out front." Luke shrugs, looking at Michael. "He said something about not wanting to come today. The recent gig went really well so I don't know why he wouldn't want to be here."

"Does he usually miss school after gigs?"

"Only when they suck. The last one went better than any other one that we've done though, so I'm a bit confused." Michael answers my question swiftly. The bell rings before I can respond and they bud me farewell before leaving me alone.

It was the crystal.

I scan for any staff members before making my way towards the exit quickly, on a man hunt for Calum. I looked at each of the passing faces, wondering if he had entered the building without anyone knowing.

I reach the exit and leave the building just as soon as the loud chattering becomes too much for me to handle, the sudden silence becoming almost deafening. I take a few deep breaths before closing my eyes for a moment, not knowing why I feel overwhelmed with emotions.

"Are you stalking me?"

I wish. Maybe then I would know where he went.

The voice scares me, causing my eyes to rip open. I turn my head in the direction that it came from to see Calum seated on a bench. He's twirling an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his eyes squinted because of the sun.

"No, I just wanted to-"

He slides over, cutting me off and moving further away from me without taking his eyes off of me. He looks down at the ground before speaking again.

"Are you going to sit down, or just stand there for no reason?" He asks, sounding a bit irritated.

I quickly rush over to the bench, sitting next to him without another word. We sit in silence and watch as he continues to twirl the cigarette between his fingers.