chasing love ;; cth

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

**Valerie's POV**

At that moment, my breath hitches in my throat, as reality comes slapping me across the face. He is so close, that I can feel his cool, minty breath, but I anticipate nothing. He isn't about to do what I think he is.

The everlasting silence is finally broken, "Uh, I'm supposed to meet Adam," I mumble, awkwardly shifting my body underneath him. Disappointment flashes in his eyes, as he moves from above me, and onto his back. We both awkwardly stand up, brushing the grass and dirt off of our clothing. 

"I guess we should get going then," He stares blankly into space, moving his hand behind his neck, awkwardly scratching it. Oh no, not that that again. It seems that our friendship constantly moves between getting along and awkward distance, and I absolutely hate it.

"Yeah, I guess," I let out a deep sigh. I decide not to bring up anything about him always scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, because I'm hoping for us to go back to getting along really well and to keep it that way.

He abruptly throws his soccer ball back into his bag, zips it shut and slings it over his shoulder, as we begin to make our way back to the car. The awkward silence is slowly tearing me apart as we continue to walk. The distance between us is very clear, as we continue without once making eye contact. There is clearly something I am doing, that causes him to act like this, if only he would tell me what it is. But after, what just happened back on the field, I have a feeling he is going to be retreating from me again. 

When we get into the car, the awkward silence continues, except Calum decides to make it even more awkward by not turning the music on. We drive for for about 15 minutes, arriving in the parking lot right outside my dorm. I keep quiet until he pulls the keys out of the ignition and the car comes to complete stop. I wait silently for him to say something but he doesn't.

"Calum?," I mumble, reminding him that I'm still in the car, but he doesn't even acknowledge me. He just continues to stare blankly out the window. I brusquely unbuckle my seat belt and open the car door, "Bye," I add in obnoxiously, before climbing out of the car, slamming the door shut, and walking briskly towards my dorm, without looking back. I don't what I am doing to make him react like this, but it's really beginning to piss me off. Maybe this whole "friends" thing isn't going to work out between us.

Just as I am about to turn into A hall, the building in which my dorm is in, I hear someone speak from me behind me, "Valerie Wells? Is that you?"

I turn around to see a familiar girl smiling widely at me, and I instantly recognize her. Although the last time I saw her was two years ago, she hadn't changed much since the last then.

"Hannah Simpson? Oh my god, what are you doing here?" I exclaim, wrapping her into a huge hug. (picture on the side is Hannah)

"I go to school hear now," She replies excitedly, "And I'm guessing you do too," The last time I had seen Hannah was two years ago, at my aunt's wedding. Hannah lived next door to my aunt, and basically every summer break when I was younger, my mother would ship me out to live with my aunt in Brisbane, and Hannah and I would spend everyday together. 

"I'm so glad to see you," I cheer, "We have so much catching up to do," I tell her. She nods in agreement, as we take a seat on a bench in front of the building, and begin to reminisce for what feels like hours. 

"And remember when we were 13 and we stayed up till 5 in the morning watching re-runs of Hannah Montana," She mentions, holding her stomach from all the laughing she had been doing,

"Oh my god, we were so weird," I laugh along with her. A grungy feeling soon takes over me, and I remember that I just played 3 hours of soccer and my best bet was to shower, "Hey, I gotta go, but we should meet up again,"