Aries || Calum Hood

thirty

ARIES: Underestimating an Aries is like playing with fire. This Sign has determination unlike any other and will fight for what they love no matter what.

C A L U M

PERMANENCE TRAGICALLY RELATED to the thought-consuming situation continuously invaded his mind with taunts of the two options that weren't black and white but a collage of all shade in between swirling into a void blur. For six elongated hours, he felt a constant thump on his chest -an aftershock of watching the clock slowly advance towards the designated time.

Calum pinched the stained skin on his wrist, anticipation teased him like a lion circling its prey, and quite frankly, Calum despised being belittled by an element of his mind. The realization that the desk next to him was unoccupied drove Calum to escape the lecture and leave the campus, he couldn't wait any longer. Once he got in his car, he found himself conflicted as to where to go.

He was doing something he's never done before, and it wasn't like him to start and show his feelings of worry in front of others. He found himself not being able to contain the emotions overflowing in his body, and he made it obvious when he told Ashton that he indeed wasn't stable at the moment.

Cursing under his breath, Calum finally exited the parking lot once he saw some security guards walking out, this was his last resort.  The suburban neighborhood was unfamiliar to him, he wasn't used to seeing various large houses that weren't crowded next to each other.  He was tired of all of this.  He couldn't find himself to talk to Athena because he hated fighting with her like this.  She just didn't understand him.

"Thank God you're here," an exhausted voice cut off his train of thought and pulled Calum into the foreign house, he didn't even have the chance to blink until his surroundings consisted of a house decorated with various fancy antiques, the marble floors made a sound once Calum's wet shoes made contact with them.  "I didn't know who else to talk to.  Come sit down.  Athena won't listen to me at all.  She won't even talk to me whenever I bring it up."

"You aren't the only one," Calum sighed while reluctantly taking a seat on the white leather couch.  He felt quite uncomfortable since everything in the household looked like it costed more than his life.  The strawberry blonde took a sip out of her hot chocolate before nodding sadly, she smacked her ruby red lips together before patting his hand awkwardly for reassurance.  

This has been the longest conversation Malva and Calum have had so far.  They never found the need to talk or anything since they were actually two different people.  Malva held the title of one of the high-achievers who were -unlike Athena- more known for their smartness than anything.  She was mostly known for her position as former president of the student council until she decided to join the Honors Society.

Long story short: she was the absolute complete opposite of Calum.

They were like from two different worlds, and both refused to even experience the other side, but this was a different story.

Calum wasn't the only one who felt out of place.

Malva bit at her tongue, it was obvious she didn't really know how to make Calum feel comfortable because despite the fact that he was her best friend's boyfriend, the two were just different.  Calum was known for being one of the troublemakers in Villa Park, girls would drool just glancing at him and guys strived to be friends with him.  For some reason, Malva sensed that Athena would fall in love with a guy like him, and she surely wasn't wrong.  

"So I did some research earlier, and Athena should be okay after this week to be drug tested.  We have to tell the police, Calum-"

"If it doesn't clear up, everything she's worked for would be thrown away.  No, we can't do that."  Calum stared at the clear coffee table while Malva let out a slight, defeated sigh.  "We have no choice.  The fight is going to happen, and we can't stop it."