Deal // Calum Hood

Shopping.

Calum.
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My phone stares at me from across the room. It calls me over. It knows what I want. I know it too, I want Annabelle. I miss her so much and I only spoke to her two days ago. Weekends are tough, at least at school I get to see her when we don't speak.
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It isn't long at all until I give in, falling over myself to go and scramble for the device. I found her number was already waiting for me when I unlocked it, I'd pondered over doing this all of yesterday. Before I can think it through again too much, I'm waiting for her to pick up. She does on the last ring and I look up in relief.
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"Calum?" She double checks, probably making sure I didn't give her a phoney number.
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"In the flesh." I stupidly say. "Well, not exactly in the flesh because I'm not there with you, but I mean I'm in the flesh here and-"
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Her laughter cuts my nervous ramble off as I realise how stupid I'm being.
"I was just wondering if you'd like to go grab some lunch with me? I was on my way down anyway and-"
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"Yes." She cuts me off again. I can almost see her blushing and it makes my heart pound.
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"Okay, great. Can I pick you up in ten minutes?"
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~~~
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When I arrived at Annabelle's house, she was all ready and waiting patiently outside. I couldn't contain the grin on my face that followed.
"Hey." She smiled, hopping in the front seat next to me.
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"Hi, I just need to make a quick stop before we eat. Is that okay?"
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She nods and we begin our journey to the mall. I take her to a shop I'd only ever been in with my mum as she had asked me to return a shirt for her whilst I was out. Annabelle and I giggled our way through the crammed place, finding all sorts of strange accessories and clothes.
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I found a huge hat shaped like a turkey, multi coloured feathers sticking out from all angles. Laughing slightly to myself, I placed it on Annabelle's small head, and it fell over her in such a way that I couldn't help but burst out into hysterics.
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Annabelle smiled her beautiful smile and found a sparkly scarf, wrapping it around my neck before placing a blonde wig on top of me. She exploded into a fit of giggles and my sides were beginning to ache.
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When I looked up, my heartbeat stopped instantly. Sam. Sam was here.
Two aisles over and heading this direction.
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Panic rose inside of me as I scrambled out of my new ridiculous outfit, throwing it onto the nearest shelf. I nervously checked on Sam's whereabouts, discovering he was now only in the next aisle over. I ducked down to the ground, trying to keep as quiet and still as possible.
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"What are you doing?" Annabelle laughed nervously, giving me a strange glance.
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"Ssh!" I hissed, grabbing her wrist and attempting to pull her down with me. "Come on, Annabelle, please just get down."
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"Hang on." She pulled her wrist from my grip and begins taking off the clothes I placed on her. She looks around in the process and her entire being sinks as her eyes catch what I wish they didn't. "Ohh. Okay." She nods slowly and only once, turning and staring to walk off.
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"Where are you going?" I whisper, standing up, but keeping my head low.
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She didn't even look back as she answered, "To get a taxi home."
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"What, Why?" I blurted, a little shocked.
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She turned to face me then, a mixture of sadness and anger swirling in her brown eyes.
"Why?" She repeated. "Because you're embarrassed of me, that's why."
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I opened my mouth to defend myself but it was true. It was awful, so completely horrid, but true.
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"So I may as well save you the trouble of keeping look out for people we know and just go home."
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My chest crumpled as she turned to leave again, this time walking out the door as I ran after her.
"Annabelle, wait!" I called putting my hand on the door handle when another voice stopped me.
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"Calum?"
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I turned in the direction of the voice, my worst nightmare coming true.
Sam's eyebrow raised suspiciously as he took as step closer.
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"Hey." I mumbled, my hand falling limply from the handle. Still now I couldn't help but think, had he seen us together? Will he tell everyone we're friends? Why would that be such a bad thing anyway?
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"What are you doing here, buddy? Who was that girl?" His blue eyes twinkled with edge.
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"T-that girl?" I swallowed. "Um, my friend . . . Meredith." I clumsily stuttered out.
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Sam nodded, picking up a random Shirt from one of he shelves and pretending to inspect it.
"You like this girl?" He pried.
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"Yeah." I nodded, my cheeks burning up slightly as I admitted the truth. My mind focused on Annabelle and everything about her. "She's a cool girl. I like her a lot." I push out, attempting to be the intimidating bad boy he knows me to be.
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Sam doesn't say a word. He just watches me, and for a minute, I think he's going to call me out. Tell me he saw us together and that I need to stop lying. But he never does.
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"Well." He eventually tossed the shirt back onto a different shelf. "I'll see you at school, Hood."
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"Yeah, see you." I mumbled, sighing inwardly with relief as I walked back over to the till to return the T-shirt at long last.