Both Sides of the Story [cake au.]

three

a/n: I'm really really bad at keeping up with multi-chapter fics that I read, idk how you guys stay consistent

The first day of school actually went by smoothly, and by the end of the day, Calum was already looking forward to the rest of the year.

As the final bell rings, Calum tells his students to remain seated until their parents come to pick them up. He heads over to the door, opening it to reveal parents already waiting. Making sure he knew who was leaving with who, he begins letting kids out, bidding them a good evening and nodding to their parents. 

Calum looks around for the lilac haired man, but it seems like he's late today. Hmm, interesting...

As he's saying goodbye to one of my students, he noticed someone else approach the classroom, and looks up to meet a pair of light blue eyes. He gives the blond man a smile, searching for recognition in his eyes but finding none. He was wearing a deep purple button down shirt, looking incredibly formal. Maybe he just got out of work? The only downside of seeing him like this is that Cal can't get a glimpse at his tattoos. Oh well.

"Hi, um, I'm sorry I couldn't make it this morning. I'm Charlotte Hemmings' dad, um, my friend Michael was here in the morning? Purple hair?" He seems nervous, though Cal doesn't understand why. "Did he talk to you?"

"Yeah! He told me about how you guys just moved here, don't worry. Charlotte was great today, if that's any consolation." Calum givse him a smile before extending his hand out. "I'm Calum, her teacher - well, obviously."

He smiles at that, and the two of us turn to see Charlotte already in the process of getting her bag off her assigned hook.

Once off, she runs over to the door, and her dad scoops her up, kissing her cheek. "Hey sweetie! How was your day?"

"Great!" she squeals excitedly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Alright, let's go! Say bye to Calum!"

She waves at her teacher, grinning and showing off the gap between her teeth. "Bye Calum!"

"Bye Charlotte!" he chuckles as the two of them walk away. He doesn't have time to even think about what just happened as he's pulled into a conversation with another parent.

---------

"He's so hot, Ashton," he whines into the phone as he moves the eggs around in the pan in front of him. "And I know he's got all these tattoos under his shirt, and I don't know what's sexier: the way he pulls off formal clothes, or the fact that underneath he's all tatted up."

On the other end of the line, his best friend Ashton just laughs heartily. "Oh, man. Tatted? Did you actually just use that word?"

"I did!" he defends himself as he slides the eggs onto a plate beside toast and slices of tomato. "Can you please stay on topic instead of criticising my vocabulary?"

"Alright! It's been, what? A week and a half now? Why don't you just ask him out?"

Calum sighs loudly. "Ash, you know I can't do that. He's got two kids, and one of them is my student. Plus, he's probably, like, got a wife! A proper family, a house, all that!" As he laments, Calum looks around his puny flat. He could afford something better, but he quite likes the one he has. It's cozy - not exactly family material, but cozy.

"Okay, Cal, first off: have you ever seen his wife?" Ashton asks.

He furrows his eyebrows, chewing on his toast as he thinks. "No, not- No."

"So, there you have it! He probably doesn't have one!"

"He's got two daughters. Maybe the wife picks up the other one!" he suggests. "Just because I've never seen her doesn't mean she doesn't exist."

"Calum, come on," Ashton says, and Calum can just picture his unamused face. "Why would he only ever pick up one daughter? Why wouldn't they switch, ever?"

"Maybe they're a really OCD couple!" Calum explains. "I don't know! Maybe they switch every month of something! It hasn't even been two weeks, Ash. He's gotta have a wife."

Ashton sighs, exasperated. "Okay, Cal. When you find out he doesn't have a wife, don't tell me. I'll only say 'I told you so', and we both know your precious little ego isn't ready for that."

"Fuck you," he mutters, not really angry at the man on the other end of the phone. Just slightly annoyed.

"Nah, fuck that hot blond guy."

"Oh my god," he groans. "Bye, Irwin."

He hangs up before Ashton can say anything else, and finishes his meal in peace, the cars passing by outside the only sound to accompany him. 

The blond has to be straight. Calum isn't going to get my hopes up for nothing.

a/n: wow I only just started this fic and I've got writer's block, how tf does that work? I blame school.