Deal // Calum Hood

Music.

Calum.
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"It just hit me this morning, I was getting in the car and then, boom."
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"Boom?" I laughed, mimicking her mystified little face as we strolled casually back to my place.
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She slowed a little to shoot me a fake irritated look.
"Yes!" She nodded vigorously, her beaming smile suddenly reappearing. "I looked up and the sky looked so amazing, and then all day all I have been able to think about is how incredible the sky is."
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I chuckled, subconsciously biting my lip as I watched her entire being light up. It always happened when she got exited it was adorable . . . Even if she was extremely annoying.
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Annabelle scowled. "Calum it isn't funny! The sky is so smart. I mean how can it change so many colours?" But then, without warning, she tripped over a loose piece of pavement, lost in all her excitement. Without thinking, I flung my arms out to catch her.
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"Are you alright?" I panicked, my stomach squeezed as I watched her cheeks pinken.
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She cleared her throat nodding, the shock of almost smacking into the pavement leaving her speechless. Not for longer than a second or two, mind.
"Yeah." She mumbled. "I'm fine.
Thank you."
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I swallowed realising that my usual instinct was to let people fall. What was happening to me?
"Yeah, well." I shrugged, letting her go as soon as I realised I still had my arm wrapped around her. "Couldn't let you fall. Then how would you help with my manners?" I teased, trying to ease the sudden discomfort between us.
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She grinned and just like that we began walking home again, as if it never even happened.
"So what's your favourite type of sky?" I wondered aloud.
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She took this question extremely seriously. First taking it upon herself to inspect the current sky, clear blue with the bright sun beaming down, whilst making small, "Hmm." Noises every once in a while. It seemed forever before she grinned so wide I could see all her teeth. "Definitely watching the sunset turn to night, especially when it's a really clear sky. I think that's beautiful."
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I nodded in agreement. Thinking about it, she was right. The sky really was quite incredible. For some reason the image of the two of us watching the sky turn this way began to burn in my mind, it made my insides twist in a way I didn't know to be possible. What was happening to me? I reached for my headphones for comfort, only to realise I hadn't placed my headphones in once. I couldn't remember the last time that had happened. It made me panic.
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What the hell was going on?
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*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•
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Her eyes were like two pools of rich melted chocolate. Shimmering yet enticing. Her soft, though thick hair a similar dark coffee colour. Perfect little freckles dotted here and there. Not many, but they were there. Her nose was as cute as a button, just the right size for her face. And that only left my favourite feature. Her lips. Naturally rosy red, yet so delicate. They were my downfall. They-
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"Calum?" Annabelle gave me a strange look. I almost jumped clean out of my skin. "Calum, are you even listening to me?" I had expected her to be angry, but she was smiling.
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Despite my hardest efforts, my cheeks burned ferociously. "S-Sorry." My breathing faltered slightly before I remembered the type of guy I was. "Yeah, I'm listening."
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She nodded slowly. Thinking something over but deciding to let it go.
I am not this person. I don't do love. I do hook ups and flings. At best, a few dates to achieve some hook ups, but not relationships, and most certainly not love. Never love.
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Feelings always meant getting hurt.
I guess I'd just never thought of the pros of good feelings before.
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*•*•*•*•*•*• The next day.
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Annabelle hadn't noticed me, but I sure as hell had noticed her. Everything that Sam, a close friend of mine, was saying became a soft humming sound. I didn't want to listen anymore.
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The hallway was unusually quiet for a lunchtime. Still busy, yet quiet enough.
Annabelle still hadn't seen me, but Sam definitely had seen her. The smirk on his chubby face grew instantly. His dark clothing seemed to become darker as his mind thought up evil thoughts.
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Before I could stop it, we were too close to her and Sam's foot rapidly outstretched, just in time to knock her forward. Her many papers that she was carrying flew down all around her. Sam and the other two members of my friendship group; Angus and Tye, fell apart with laughter as she scrambled to pick them up.
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My jaw clenched alongside my fists.
She didn't deserve that. I turned to help, it was only fair. My friends cruel laughter was driving me insane anyway.
"Calum? What are you doing, man? The lunch halls this way." I looked back at my confused friends. Sam seemed particularly suspicious. 
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I looked back at Annabelle. I felt weak. I could feel my friends glares against my back, causing me to sigh loudly before grumbling back towards the lunch hall.
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We sat to eat our lunch, a few kids in the year below fleeing from our usual spot, afraid of what would happen if they stayed. I decided to shake the Annabelle thing off. Besides, it didn't seem that she'd seen me, and if she had, I'd apologise and she'd understand.
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However, just because I had dropped it, didn't mean my friends had.
"It's like she wants us to tease her." Tye continued. I bit angrily into my sandwich. What a stupid thing to say.
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This bode down well with Sam. He had particular strong feelings about rich people.
"I know, who the hell acts like that anyway? It isn't possible to have that amount of perfect grades and behaviour. It's just weird."
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"I heard her dad pays for her grades." Angus chipped in.
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Sam nodded. "I heard that too. She's so far up her own ass, that whole family is."
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"Good thing we show her money doesn't mean you can dodge us, right Cal?" Tye slapped my back.
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They all laughed. I couldn't help but want no part in this. Sam sighed, annoyed I didn't find him funny today.
"Are you on your period or something, because you're seriously moody today." Sam looked to our two other friends and they laughed along.
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I went to continue eating my lunch, but when I looked back up, all three boys were staring gravely at me.
"I just didn't find it that funny." I shrugged.
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Sam leaned forward on his elbows. His grey eyes twinkling slightly. The boy knew me better than anyone, he could read me with ease. It made me uncomfortable. Tye and Angus stopped laughing. They knew I had just managed to piss Sam off, and nobody liked pissed off Sam.
"Since when did you become so protective of little Miss perfect?" He sneered. "Last time I checked, you hated her more than any of us."
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I shrugged again. "Sorry. I'm just distracted today." I mumbled.
It wasn't entirely untrue.