"Babe!" Calum shouted as he entered my house the following day after I got home from school.
"Now now, Cal, I have a huge Bio final in two days and I have a ton of studying to do." I waved him off, not even bothering to look up from my Biology textbook.
"But babe." he whined and stuck out his lower lip, giving me the puppy dog. Unlike him, I always melted under the puppy dog eyes.
"You know that I love you, but I can't fail this test." I said as I stepped toward my backpack, giving Calum a quick kiss on the lips.
"Can I stay and help you study?" he pouted.
"Fine, but if you distract me, you have to leave." I said sternly, and he just rolled his eyes.
"You won't kick me out, babe." he muttered. "I need a cheese toastie and a beer." he said and walked off in the direction of the kitchen.
"Can you make me one too?" I yelled loud enough that he would hear me.
"Do I get a kiss if I do?" he retorted.
"Only if you make me one." I teased. I heard him mumble a 'fuck' as he tried to take a pan out, a few pans falling to the floor. I tried to contain my laughter as I listened to him clean them up, and knew this was going to be a long day.
>>>>
"Wanna make out?" Calum asked me, again, while he knew I was studying for my Bio final.
"You are not helping my stress level right now." I muttered, glaring at him as he sipped his beer.
"You know what decreases stress?" he smirked widely, and I already knew what he was going to say. "Sex!" he yelled before I could tell him to shut up. I sighed and rolled my eyes, focusing my attention on my textbook.
"What's his I hear about sex?" my dad came waltzing into the room, and I internally face palmed.
"I was just telling Jade that we weren't going to be having sex for a while." Calum shrugged, stretching all his muscles on the couch.
"Good boy." my dad chuckled and high fived Calum. "I'll be upstairs if you need me, Jade." my dad smiled and kissed me on the cheek, then went up the stairs.
"Are you serious?" I sighed and turned back around to face Calum.
"No." he mumbled, "We're having sex."
"That's not what I meant!" I grabbed a pillow off the couch and threw it at him. "I meant, why are you so buddy-buddy with my dad?"
"He's cool." Calum shrugged. "Come cuddle with me, babe."
"No."
"Babe." Calum whined. "Just five minutes, promise."
I wanted to cuddle with him so very badly, but this Biology final could basically decided whether I graduate or not; if I don't pass Biology, I don't graduate. Simple as that.
"I can't, Calum. This Bio final is my whole future." I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. I'm really not good under pressure.
"Baby, stop stressing." Calum got up from the couch and made his way over to me, squatting down in front of my chair and putting both of his hands on my thighs to support himself.
"I can't! If I don't graduate, Calum-" I didn't finish my sentence because I could feel my breath shorten as I began to panic. A panic attack is just what I need right now.
"Jade - Jade look at me." he said calmly. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter and shook my head as I tried to control my breathing.
All different scenarios and words were running through my head, various 'you can't do it's' and 'you're a failure's' swimming around. My breathing didn't get better; it got worse. I felt my Biology textbook lift off my legs and heard it slam on the floor. Calum pulled me gently into his lap on the floor and cradled me.
"Listen to me, Jade." he cooed softly in my ear, "Are you listening?"
I nodded and waited for him to continue.
"Your mental health comes before school, baby, always. If it's midnight and you have a test the next day, but your hands have been shaking for the past hour and a half, grab a carton of Ben and Jerry's and afterwards, go the fuck to bed. So what if you get a 68% on the exam the next day? You took care of yourself, and at the end of the day, that will always come before a high test score. To hell with anyone who tells you differently."
Calum's soothing, yet firm words had a major effect on me. He was right; mental health is more important than that stupid Biology final. And in that moment, I was so fucking happy that I had him to calm me down when I got upset.
"I think I'm okay." I nodded, wiping my tears off of my cheeks and taking a deep breath.
"You sure babe?" he questioned.
"Yeah." I nodded. Calum kissed my forehead softly, then tucked my head under his and cradled me in his arms, rocking back and forth softly.
"I love you. So much, baby." he whispered.
>>>>
"Want me to quiz you on your Biology?" Luke asked me the next day when we were all hanging out at Calum's place when I got home from school.
"No." I mumbled.
"Oh come on, Jade. What is on the electromagnetic spectrum?" Luke smirked, pulling out his phone, most likely to look up what the electromagnetic spectrum is.
"That's not Biology, you douche." I muttered.
"Oh shit." Luke mumbled under his breath. Calum laughed loudly at Luke, who in turn hit him with a pillow.
"Okay babe, what's chloroplast?" Calum asked.
"Chloroplast is-"
"Bras." Luke yelled, grabbing Calum's arm as both of them turned their attention to the TV, eyes wide. Ashton and Michael gasped and turned up the volume to the Victoria's Secret commercial playing.
"Christ." I muttered and got up from the couch, going into Calum's kitchen and grabbing myself a juice.
"Babe, grab me a beer, would you?" Calum shouted.
"Two please!" Luke yelled.
"Three!" Ashton shouted.
"Four, motherfucker!" Michael yelled, and I could practically hear the smirk on his face as he yelled it. Sighing, I grabbed four beers and handed one to each one of the mesmerized boys, who kept re-winding the Victoria's Secret commercial.
"Your girlfriend is in the room, remember that." I glared at Calum as I handed him his beer.
"Well, babe, you could model bras for me." he said with a wide smirk.
"Will you pay me?" I asked, an amused look on my face as I watched his facial expression change.
"You're not a stripper." he mumbled; eyes still glued to the TV.
"Not that you know about." I shrugged. That got his attention. His eyes got wide.
"What was that?" he questioned. I got up from my chair and started speed-walking away from him, but I knew he was going to come after me. "Jade Elizabeth McKingsley, you come back here, dammit."
I let out a laugh as his long arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me into him. "What was that?" he whispered, burying his face into the crook of my neck.
"I'm not really a stripper, goddamn." I chuckled.
"You only strip for me, right babe?" he smirked against my neck.
"God, stop being such a horny bastard." I laughed and pushed away from him, walking back into the living room.
"But, babe!" Calum whined as I walked away. I just rolled my eyes at him. I have to remember to ask Mali when her brother became such a weirdo.
