October Academy

Chapter 26

What wasn't an accident? At first I'm confused and I think about what the anonymous letter means. Then it hits me. What happened to Officer Taylor? Does someone know what Callum and Ben did?

Or does it have something to do with...

My heart beats fast

"What's wrong?" Perry asks.

I scrunch up the piece of paper in my hand and throw it in the bin. "Nothing."

.

.

.

"So what's Marina like?" Perry says as we walk up to the stairs to Ben's apartment inside Nine Lives.

"She's cool, trust me. She's one of the sexiest people I've ever met," I say.

"Oh," she looks down.

"But you're my only best friend," I say, "no one is as adorable as you, my little Disney Princess." I playfully shove her.

She giggles and opens the door.

Callum and Marina are smoking outside on the back balcony. Ben's in front of us, preparing some deserts or something.

Perry and I walk in, give him a hug hello and ask what he's cooking.

"I asked Callum to distract Marina so I could finish up these cupcakes," he says, decorating each red cupcake with white icing.

"Can you help me?" he asks Perry.

I'm guessing he doesn't ask me because my domestic skills are very limited.

Perry wasn't paying attention, she'd been obviously checking out Marina, but eventually nods and helps Ben with the icing.

Callum notices me from on the balcony beckons me over, Marina joins in.

I go outside and wish Marina a happy birthday, hugging her hello.

"Where's my hug?" Callum says, putting on a mock face of grumpiness.

I roll my eyes, walking over to him.

He stands up, tall, putting on a signature cheeky smile. He wraps his arms around me and squeezes me tight. His cologne is intoxicating, the smell so strong and sexy that I can't help but get turned on a little bit. Fuck my life.

The smell of smoke ruins it though. It doesn't make me cough anymore, but there's nothing appealing about it. Marina smoking is a surprise. Ben is training to be a doctor, so dating someone that smokes is a little... hypocritical? I don't know.

I decide to check back in on Perry and Ben, just to see they're having some kind of food fight. Flour goes everywhere, and Perry's nose is doused with white.

"What are you guys doing?" I laugh, but am not safe for long as Ben throws icing at me.

Before I know it, Marina and Callum have joined in too, throwing batter and powder and icing everywhere.

I fill my hands with icing sugar, then cup Callum's face, smothering him with sticky goodness. He laughs, then places his hands on my hips, walking me up against the counter and pinning me against it, before grabbing fistfuls of icing. He grabs my jaw, getting icing all over my chin, his hand sliding down my neck dragging icing along with it, all the way down to the plunging neckline of my singlet.

My face goes red hot, blood pulses through me – to every inch of my body, especially between my legs. "Callum!" I whine.

"Want me to lick it off?"