Hoodwinked | Calum Hood AU

16.

One Tuesday night, after I've cooked dinner and supervised Alfie doing the washing up - part of his prove I'm responsible enough for a dog plan - the two of us retreat to our separate bedrooms. After making a start on an assignment, I end up poking my head into Alfie's room just to check on him.

His small frame is sprawled across his bed, as he curls over a book with his back to the door. It's so quiet that I'm holding my breath as I watch him for a few minutes, and sadness washes over me. He's just a kid. He shouldn't be holed up in his room like this after dinner. He should be in the living room playing board games or doing his homework under the watchful eye of Mum or Dad.

Without him noticing me, I back out of his doorframe and pad back down the hallway to my room. On the way I pass the last photo of Mum in the whole entire house. Finn and I slowly packed the others away after she left. It wasn't easy, but we'd caught Dad staring at them longingly one too many times. It was hard enough on him without seeing her face in every room. 

We agreed to leave this last one up for Alfie's sake, but I think there was a small piece of Finn and I that weren't ready to erase her entirely either.

The photo hangs on the wall, the five of us perched awkwardly in front of a tacky red backdrop and a fake fireplace. Alfie's face is all chubby, the last of his baby weight clutching to his cheeks as he smiles a crooked smile. He's sitting on Mum's lap and beside her is Dad, the corners of his eyes crinkled from his goofy grin. Finn and I stand either side of Mum, Dad and Alfie, with Finn pulling the I'm-too-cool-to-be-here pose, but his eyes say it all: he was happy. We were happy.

I'm in my room for all of five minutes before Luke climbs through the window. I've gotten so used to him doing this, I don't even look up from my phone. We've fallen into this little pattern; driving to school together, picking up Alfie together, hanging out most evenings. At school I wait for him after English, and he brings me a fresh juice or a donut at lunch. It's just like our friendship was before but with a little something extra. A friendship with frosting, I guess. And a sprinkle of fake-relationship lies. 

Luke says nothing as he joins me on the bed, stretching his neck to see what I'm looking at. The phone drops onto my stomach quickly as I try to hide the fact that I was stalking Calum's Instagram. "Calum's more into Snapchat," Luke says with a slight laugh, taking my phone and frowning at the lock screen of Joss and I. "What happened to our lock screen?" he pouts playfully.

"Joss changed it," I tell him while watching Luke change it back to the photo of us we'd taken a few days after we started 'dating'. We're in my car and his lips are pressed to my cheek. I was laughing when he took the photo and it's slightly blurry and out of focus, but maybe if I wasn't trapped in this lie I could believe the two people in the photo are actually in love. 

When Luke gives me my phone back I take the opportunity to create a passcode. "I thought you were having dinner with your Mum."

"I did. And now I'm here," he runs his hand through his hair. "She was being hell weird too. She kept saying things about how I was growing up so fast and how next year she'll be alone. I think she's having a midlife crisis or something."

"Alone?" I frown.

"Yeah, if I go to uni or whatever," Luke answers obviously.

"Oh, yeah. Of course."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing?" I smile, hoping he doesn't notice the way my voice goes up a level.

He laughs, and moves closer towards me on the bed. "Come on, just tell me."

"It's just," I'm pulling down the sleeves of my sweater, trying to decide how to say this. I don't want to say we haven't talked about our plans for next year because I know how it's going to sound. It's going to sound like I'm a needy and clingy girlfriend which wouldn't actually be as bad as sounding like a needy and clingy fake girlfriend.

Then he touches my hand and for some reason, I flinch and this makes my hand jerk back and hit him in the face. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." I'm sitting up onto my knees, taking Luke's face between my hands. His own hands are covering his eyes and I'm apologising profusely. "Are you okay? Let me see. I'm so sorry."

Finally Luke moves his hands and while there is a red mark underneath his eye, he's smiling and nodding. I breathe out in relief and suggest we watch something on Netflix, happy that the conversation has been forgotten for now.

An hour into 22 Jump Street, Luke tells me that it's time to take things to the next level. 

He rolls onto his stomach as he says this, putting his face way too close to mine. The air is heavy with his cologne and I find myself shuffling over slightly, creating some space between us while inside my stomach twists over on itself.

"N- next level?" I manage to ask. Surely he doesn't mean -

"With you and Calum," he answers quickly, frowning at me as if it were obvious.

"Oh. Yeah, sure," I nod, feeling strangely disappointed which is unnerving to say the least. Calum was the whole reasoning between this whole fake relationship. Well, Calum and Luke's mystery girl. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Ashton's having a party next Friday."

"Didn't he just have a party?" I ask. Actually, it's more of a whine. I'm not sure my ego has recovered since Ashton's last party which ironically started all of this mess.

"That was almost a month ago," Luke answers, his eyes darting up for a split second, and a smile crossing his face. "Happy Almost-One-Month Anniversary," he says sincerely.

"It's not an anniversary unless there's presents involved," I joke.

"What do you want?" He asks with a look of worry.

"Luke, it was a joke. I don't want a present."

He relaxes a little, "Do you think you'll be able to come? To the party?"

I shrug, "I mean, I have to see if my Dad's working but if he's home I might be able to. What exactly does this have to do with Calum?"

Luke smiles knowingly, "You trust me, right?"

"Um, yeah," I answer unconvincingly. I do actually trust Luke, I just hate surprises. He smiles once more and we watch the rest of the movie in silence. Actually, while Luke watches the movie I think about me and Luke, and then me and Calum, and then Joss, and Alfie, and Dad, and what's going to happen next year when high school is over. 

Before Luke leaves that night I ask him if he's getting anywhere with his mystery girl, and he gives me one last toothy smile and answers, "It's been a slow start, but I think I'm finally getting somewhere."

oh snap things are getting real and you guys probably have no idea what's coming