I'm sitting at our lunch table and texting Calum when Joss slaps down a green smoothie in front of me. "I'm throwing a party this weekend. My parents are going away."
"Are you sure you're up for a party?" I ask thoughtfully. Maybe we could just have a quiet girls night. We still haven't hung out properly since her and Michael broke up.
"What?"
"I mean... where are your parents going?"
"Japan," she sits down and sips her own green smoothie. It's good to see her with one of her gross green drinks instead of a coffee. Large amounts of caffeine can be dangerous in the first trimester I found out online.
"For the weekend?"
"No!" she sighs, seemingly back to her regular self. "They're leaving on Wednesday. Mikayla is inviting a bunch of her older friends so there'll tons of eligible, older bachelors." She raises an eyebrow at me. I guess she's really moving on. Poor Michael. Every time I see him he asks how Joss is with a hopeful smile.
"Are you sure you're ready to move on? You and Michael could still work things out."
"I don't want to work things out with Michael," she answers in a bored tone.
"He'd be there for you, you know." He really would be. I imagine Michael's giant body cradling a tiny little baby. I have no doubt he'd take care of Joss and the baby.
"Ruby, just stop, please. I don't need Michael." She stares at me hard and I wonder if she knows that I'm onto her. Being a single parent is hard but if that's the decision she wants to make, I'll support her.
"Sorry I'm late," Luke sits down, stealing a sip from the smoothie Joss bought me. "I had my careers meeting."
"How did you go?" I ask, turning my body to face Luke's. He rests his hand on my lower back as he talks, putting on a show for Joss and everyone else around us.
"I've decided to take a year off. I'll get a job and take the time to figure out what I really want to do in life."
There was a small part of me that wanted him to come back from talking to the career's adviser and tell me that he's decided to go to uni, preferably USU. With Joss watching on, I say the only thing I can do in my role as the supportive girlfriend, "Whatever makes you happy. We'll make it work."
"I can't believe you're going to be leaving next year," Joss says sadly.
"I have to get in first," I remind her. I realise that she's probably thinking that she'll be here, raising a baby alone while I'm off at uni. I don't want her to think I'm abandoning here. "Besides," I add in a reassuring tone, "it's two hours away. I'll be able to visit all the time."
"Pepper, shake hands," Alfie says, holding out a dog treat in front of the dog. She doesn't lift a paw, instead she creeps closer to my brother and sniffs the treat in his hand.
"We'll practice again tomorrow," he sighs, handing her the treat and patting her head.
"She'll get there," I encourage him. "You just have to be patient."
"I'm not upset. She's made lots of progress." Pepper jumps up onto his lap and lays down, her eyes slowly coming to a close. "She's not scared of loud noises anymore."
"You've been so good to her," I'm smiling, watching Alfie pat her head fondly. Getting a dog has been really great for him. She keeps him busy and puts an almost permanent smile on her face.
"Me and Luke finally got her to fetch this morning," his face lights up. "She really likes him."
I feel my body stiffen slightly at the mention of Luke's name. "See? You got her to fetch. You'll get her to sit." Then to change the subject away from Luke, I add, "Hey, maybe you could ask Madison over one afternoon. I'm sure she'd love Pepper."
After Alfie is tucked in, I have my shower and get into a pair of pyjamas. I've got an English practice essay to write but it's so hard to concentrate. In addition to Joss's baby, I'm thinking about Calum. We've been texting every night this week and it's starting to feel like I'm cheating on Luke. I'm full of regret as I pick up my phone, knowing that once I say the words I can't take them back.
It's the right thing to do though, it's time to end it.
Me: I think we should break up this week
Luke: what?
Luke: this is so sudden and unexpected
Is he kidding?
Me: Are you joking?
Me: I know we never put an end date on things but I wouldn't say it's unexpected
Luke: relax ruby. i was playing around
Luke: i think it's a good idea
Me: really?
Luke: yeah
Luke: the plans worked so there's no use continuing the charade any longer
Reading the words makes me feel nostalgic before this is even over, but there's no going back. The sooner Luke and I sever ties, the sooner I can move on. I need to go back to looking at him as Luke, my best friend who lives next door, not Luke, the boy I'm head over heels for.
Me: Right. We should do it before the weekend.
Me: Before Joss's party
Luke: before friday night?
Luke: any special reason why?
Me: Yes
Luke: ???
Me: It's personal!
Luke: you tell me everything
Me: Well, Calum will be at the party
Me: So... you know
Luke: no i don't know
Me: You know what I'm trying to say!
Luke: if you can't even say it you're not ready
Me: Fine
Me: I'm planning on sleeping with Calum this weekend
Luke: sleeping as in snuggling and snoring?
Me: I do not snore!
Luke: lol yes you do
Luke: like a fucking freight train
Luke: it's cute
Me: Whatever
Me: It doesn't matter anyway. I don't plan on actually sleeping
Luke: ???
Me: OMG!
Me: Why do you have to make things so hard?
Me: I want to have to have sex with Calum at Joss's party. Okay?
Me: You are so invasive and annoying
Me: Really? You're not even going to reply now?
I roll my eyes and start typing another message when there's a knock on my window. It slides open and Luke's breathless body climbs through.
I stand up from my desk chair and cross my arms over my chest so that he knows I'm annoyed. "What are you -"
His hands press onto either side of my cheeks, air still falling quickly through his mouth as he's catching his breath. "Fuck the rules, Ruby." he says desperately. The frown between his brows pulls his vulnerable blue eyes together. "Don't choose Calum, choose me. Let me be your first."
:))
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Hoodwinked | Calum Hood AU
Fanfiction"That's never going to work, you idiot." It's her senior year and Ruby has vowed to tell her long-term crush, Calum Hood, exactly how she feels. But when things don't go to plan, she skeptically takes on the help of Luke, the boy next door, who beli...
