Your Name's Tattooed

Chapter Eight

Christmas break approaches faster than I expect it to. So, when I get a call from my mom telling me to stay on campus for break, I'm shocked.

"But why?" I ask, wrapping a piece of hair around my index finger. It didn't make any sense for her to say that, she had to miss me. Her sigh from the other side of the line reveals that there's an underlying problem.

"It's your grandma, she's not doing too well. I have to head back to Ohio to be with her and won't be back until after break," Her soft voice tells. I feel a rush go through me.

"Gram's sick? Is she doing okay?" I ask immediately, not trying to hide my concern. Mom laughs softly from the other end. "Why are you laughing?"

"Rory, she's just missing me is all. She's so proud of you though." She replies, and a blush creeps onto my cheeks. I was never very good at phone calls.

Soon enough, the call ends after I promise to take care of myself. I say my goodbye's to Aspen and Jamie, who were both going home to family for the break. I was alone for Christmas, but it was a comfortable lonliness.

That is, until two nights after Christmas.

My phone rings at two in the morning, jolting me awake. I grasp for it in the darkness and sign of relief when I grab it. Squinting, I see that Calum was calling. What did he want at this ungodly time of the morning?

"Hello?" I rasp, and loud noises ring out from his side. "Calum?"

"Not Calum," Michael's voice reveals, and I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion as I hear the sound of glass breaking.

"What's going on over there?" I ask, and I hear shifting from the other side of the conversation.

"Please come over." Michael begs, and I hear yelling from the background. One of the voices sounded like Calum. Oh God, was he okay?

"Okay, okay. I'm coming," I say, making it out of bed in an old t-shirt and sweats. My hair was up in a bun, fly aways all over the place.

"I'll be there in a few."

--

The run to the frat house is hectic, and my forearms are clad with goosebumps when I make it to the door. I don't have to knock, because the door is opened by Michael. He looked like he had just lost a fight.

"Thanks for coming," Is all he says before taking my hand and pulling me further into the house. The slamming of things gets louder the further we go, Michael stopping to wince at every few sound. Finally, we get to a door and he turns to me.

"I have to warn you-"

"What the hell is going on?" I ask before he can get his words out. The boy ruffles his hair before he answers.

"It's Calum." He states, and my stomach drops. What happened to make him react this way? Instead of asking another question, I move past Michael and open the door.

I am not prepared for the sight before me as I open the door. Pillows are thrown everywhere, glasses broken, curtains ripped off. But mostly, Calum on the floor. My feet decide before my brain does, and I run towards him despite many shouts not to.

"Calum, Cal," I breathe, kneeling near the heavy breathing boy.

"Calum." I finally decide to touch his shoulder. He flinches away from any contact, and looks up to tell me off. That's when I smell the alcohol and see his puffy eyes.

"Go away." He warns. I simply shake my head. I should be afraid, but I'm not. Instead I scoot closer.

"What happened?" I ask. What in the hell was I doing?

"Rory, I wouldn't." A voice, Luke, warns from behind me. I shake my head. Calum may have been upset, but he wouldn't hurt me.

"Cal, tell me what happened," I whisper, closing the space between us and pulling him in for a hug. He slumps into me, and I feel a sob wreck his body.

"She lied," He whimpers, and I hear my heart break. His girlfriend. "She was supposed to be the one. She promised she had my name on her, she swore. She fucking lied for eight months," Calum sobs, his vouce taking on a new tone of pain. I pull away to look at him. His chocolate brown eyes make contact with mine, and it breaks my heart more.

"I'm here, Calum. I'm here, and I'm not leaving."

Two hours later, the glass is cleaned up. Ashton and Luke retire to bed, and Michael is in the next room over gaming. Calum and I sit across from each other on the floor.

"Do you know how painful it is to have someone you care about just give up on you?" He asks. I nod.

"I was fourteen, he was gorgeous and I was clueless. Four years later and I'm sure I found the one. Then he calls me and tells me he's fallen for someone else." I summarize the story of Dylan and I, and it now feels like a distant memory.

"Was he your soulmate?" Calum questions.

"He was one of them."

"Dylan?" He guesses, and my eyes go wide as I make contact with his.

"How'd you know?"

"You talk a lot in your sleep," Calum chuckles. I put my head in my hands. There's a moment of silence until a thought crosses my mind.

"You know, she didn't deserve you." I state, and it's Cal's turn to look shocked.

"What?" He asks.

"She wasn't good. And I may be saying this just because she stole my name, but I could tell. You didn't laugh that much around her. She wouldn't let you be yourself." I tell him, referencing the many times we've all hung out over the months. If we had to be honest, now was the time.

"I just, I actually thought she was my soulmate." The boy admits, looking down at his bare arm, which wasn't covered with a hoodie. This time I could clearly see the name written on his arm.

Aurora.