↠ wild spirit {calum hood au} ↠

11

calum's pov

I have one week. One week until I have to pack and leave for Stanford. We graduate in a day actually, we are finishing our last day of school.

I'm afraid for Scarlett; she'll hate me forever. They announce where we're going for college at graduation; if you're going to college. Scarlett gets her diploma before I do, so she'll be in the audience, instead of in the chairs on-stage. "Mr. Hood?" A voice lured me out of my thoughts, Mr. Bircham was calling my attention. I nodded and looked back at the board, where our names were written in order of who got off track the most. Today was the last day for seniors. Everyone was slacking off today.

Scarlett looked the same, doodling on her paper, or drawing pictures of landscapes. The last day we spent together before the essays, she went into the bathroom to get changed; I took her journal and ripped out my favorite landscape drawing. It was of Times Square during christmas; there was just a certain aura it gave off; it is simply beautiful. She was so excited about sending in an application to NYU, she wanted a future with us, a future with her being a musician. Deep down inside I think she knows there will be no future of us together. Ever. We are going two different ways, in two completely different areas; music and sports. "Calum." Scarlett's small voice came from beside me; I looked over at her, she was showing me a paper, the back of our notes on what we've learnt this year in this class.

It was a drawing, or me. I was looking down at the desks, it captured every detail of me and the class. "Scarlett that's beautiful." I smiled at her, flipping the paper back over to where we were supposed to be writing what we learnt.

I started to write on my paper, the truest thing I could think of that this class taught me.

Love cannot be taught, it must be experienced and felt.

It is something I never want to feel again; it's too painful, and too dangerous to give something so precious as your heart to someone else to break; like what I'm doing.

I got out of my seat and gave my paper to Mr. Bircham, for the last time. "Mr. Hood," his voice stopped me from walking back to my seat. "I read yours and Scarlett's papers." His voice shook, he pulled me out of the class, "Mr. Hood, you cannot run from your fears, you must face them. Even if Scarlett is your biggest fear. But that's not what you fear, Calum. You fear love, the thought of being vunderable. You have to open your mind to the possibilities of what could happen for you." He motioned his hands all over the place, I was supposed to be moved by his little speech; but I'm more upset with myself. I want it all to stop; I want to be with her, but I can't. "Mr. Hood, back to the class; I have one last announcement." He ushered me back into class; and I took my seat.

"Since it's the last day and I've graded all of your essays; I decided it was a good time to give your partners the essay you wrote about them!" He clapped his hands together, my face fell in an instant, my stomach began to churn and knot. Scarlett's face was pale, her eyes were wide open. "You'll get the essay as soonn as you walk out of the door; see your bright faces at graduation!" He shouted, handing us our papers as we all fled the room.

Scarlett and I were handed our papers, "Cal," Scarlett's voice rang from behind me, "let's do something tonight. Don't open the essay until after graduation okay?" Her face was pale, her eyes full of panic.

"I promise." I smiled, relief washed over me, she won't have time to stop me; the day after graduation I leave that morning, for soccer practices, and try-outs. "How about the spring fair?" I smiled, taking her hand into mine. It wasn't small, it was larger, and skinnier, her fingers were bony and long. Which made her a great cellist, having long fingers to reach over her strings and reach up high.