Deal // Calum Hood

Confusion.

Calum.
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Rubbing my eyes, completely exhausted, I sat up as quietly as possible. When I had eventually managed to shuffle comfortably against the wall, my eyes sauntered across the collection of blankets and pillows I had used as to create a make-shift bed at three A.M. this morning.
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Not long after this, my alarm blasted out an unnamable tune, which had been the only tune the damn thing had ever played. It was awful, but I couldn't figure out how to change it. Instantly, I scrambled to turn it off, not wishing to wake the sleeping girl in my bed up.
". . . Calum?"
Too late.
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Annabelle began to panic once she woke up fully. Her eyes darted all about my bed and then back up at me.
"W-What am I doing here? What happened?" She asked, clutching her head.
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Allowing myself to sink at the end of my mattress, next to the lump where her feet were, I gave her a look.
"I was hardly going to let you sleep outside, was I? What if something happened to you?"
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Her cheeks instantly burned a deep shade of plum as she found where I had slept last night.
"I'm so sorry." She blurted, slamming her forehead into her palm. "Oh god, more than that. I'm so embarrassed and also so, very sorry."
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I chuckled at her bashful expression. "Hey, don't be." I insisted.
"I'm the sorry one. I was an ass-hole to you yesterday. You didn't deserve that."
The words were out of my mouth before I knew what I was saying. Sorry? When the hell was I ever sorry?!
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"I wish I could remember everything I did. That way I would know exactly what to apologise for." She groaned. I swallowed thickly as the strap to her black vest slipped down her left shoulder. Suddenly, I didn't care that she was changing who I was. Maybe I needed a change. Maybe this was what I needed.
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It had been a struggle to get Annabelle from her front garden to my bed, but I had managed it, carefully removing her coat and shoes, breathing a quick goodnight into her hair as I lay her underneath my duvet.
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"Believe me, you didn't. But you should eat something though, we have school today and it will help you feel better."
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Annabelle groaned yet again at the thought of school and slumped her head back down onto my pillow. "Thank you." She mumbled eventually. "Thank you so much for everything, I'm going to make it up to you, I promise." 
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My eyebrows raised, intrigued.
"Oh yeah?"
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"Yes." She sat up, and to my complete surprise, got out of bed. Her hair was messy where she'd been sleeping on it and her clothes seriously ruffled. It pained me to admit it, but she looked beautiful. "You're right though, we need to eat first."
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She stood before me and tugged at my wrist. Her touch made me shiver.
"First?" I questioned, my voice meek.
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"Yeah, Calum. First. I'm making this up to you today." She tugged a little harder and I stood up. She had already begun to walk out my door.
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"What about school?" I yelled after her, sprinting to catch her up at the bottom of my staircase.
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She blushed again, embarrassed that I knew she was too uptight to miss school. "We're going to school." She hesitated. "But afterward, you're going to get changed and so am I, and then I'm surprising you."
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"A surprise?" I questioned doubtfully at the implication we'd have to dress up.
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She nodded. "And don't ask what it is, because I've not got that far yet."
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I laughed, helping her find the cupboard in which we keep our bowls.
"Okay." I agreed. "After school it is."
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*•*•*•*•*•*• After school.
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Was this too much? I glanced nervously at my reflection for the hundredth time in a nearby car window as I waited at Annabelle's allocated meeting destination.
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She had said fancy. Was a dress shirt and suit trousers too fancy? Was it not fancy enough? Should I have worn a tie? Should I have polished my shoes?
Midway of me checking myself at a side angle, pulling an absolutely ridiculous pose to get a good look, I heard someone clear their throat delicately beside me, followed by a small giggle.
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I straightened up instantly, turning to face Annabelle with a coy smile, my cheeks on fire. She grinned, pleased that had she caught me doing something embarrassing. It was at this moment that I took her appearance in.
Annabelle was wearing a classy navy blue dress. It flowed in the slight breeze and fit her amazingly well. Everything looked stunning on her. How was it even possible for this to be so?
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Annabelle coughed awkwardly and I realised I was staring.
"Youlookamazing." I blurted, the blush on my cheeks now successfully spreading to my neck.
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She broke out into a grin.
"Really? Wow. Thank you. You look very smart." She smiled, and I had to remind myself that we were only using each other. No feelings, no friendship.
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*•*•*•*•*•*•*•
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Annabelle led me into a nearby restaurant. It was extremely fancy and I felt remarkably out of place. The waiters face literally lit up at the sight of her, his face beaming with joy.
"Annabelle!" He had exclaimed, resting a hand on her shoulder and guiding her straight to where we were going to be seated. He gave me a slight nod. I didn't like how he touched her.
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"So this is your surprise?" I said eventually, scanning over the menu.
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"Well not exactly . . ." She mumbled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"It seems dumb now, but I was going to pretend to interview you for the football thing. You know, a sort of practise type thing. I thought maybe it would mean you'd be less nervous in the actual thing."
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She seemed so panicked that I wouldn't like it, or think her idea ridiculous. Oh, how wrong she was. My heart completely swelled at her words. Nobody had ever tried to help like her. She was so sweet.
"Thank you." I told her sincerely. "This is really kind of you."
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She smiled and we continued our evening happily. Annabelle had researched and prepared a realistic interview. I don't think I'd ever appreciated anything so much.
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*•*•*•*•*•*
Later that meal
*•*•*•*•*•*
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For dessert, Annabelle and I shared this ginormous fancy ice cream glass, which was basically a massive chocolate sundae. I had to refrain from moaning loudly the first few mouthfuls because it was just so incredible. Annabelle on the other hand, didn't quite manage to hold back and the sound that slipped from her lips made me feel things that I wish it didn't. It made both of us blush.
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We had almost devoured the entire thing when Annabelle almost choked on her ice cream. I watched, beyond confused as she laughed hysterically for the longest time.
"What?" I eventually asked. "What is it?"
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She breathed heavily to try and calm down, pointing at me and trying to speak, but she only fell apart with another huge round of goofy laughter.
She was laughing too hard to explain but that was okay, her pointing had been enough.
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"Ohhh." I chuckled a little at her level of over-reaction. "Have I spilt something on my face?"
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I watched, incredibly amused as Annabelle clutched her sides, tears threatening to spill from her coffee coloured eyes.
People had begun to become irritated, staring and glaring all around us.
Without thinking it over too much, I grabbed the long spoon and rubbed thick, chocolate sauce all over my nose.
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"Stop!" She gasped for breath. It made me start to laugh also. Her laugh was infectious. Why she found something so simple so funny was a mystery to me, but it didn't matter. I spread a little more on my face, not caring in the slightest what our surrounding audience was thinking.

Because it was hard not to want this to go on. Even if people all around us are staring. Even if I was making a total fool out of myself. Watching her let go this much, her eyes suffusing with joy as she laughed before me. Honestly, I never wanted it to end. Being the reason for her happiness was filling me with an overwhelming sense of pride, even if I'd never admit it out loud.
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When Annabelle's laughter had eventually chimed down into random delicate giggles, she wiped her eyes one final time and we sat, both in pain from laughing so hard, both extremely deflated, but with giant bubbly grins spread across our faces.
"Thank you." I blurted out of nowhere.
"This has been one of my best nights in a really long time."
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She stared at me a while, so determined that I thought I'd said something wrong. But then, her tight expression relaxed into an easy smile.
"Me too." She admitted honestly.
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And that's when I knew, hating Annabelle Clark could never be an option again.