Wrong Number (Cake Hoodings)

89 *

{ e i g h t y n i n e }

Luke hasn't slept. It's Saturday, which he should be thankful for, but isn't. He wishes he could see Calum face to face right now, even if it is in the school hallway, wishes he could ask what the hell is going on.

He'd sent a few more messages through the night, and again this morning, all of them getting the same 'message not sent' response, and Luke figures it's not some practical joke, considering the message came only seconds after Luke had sent his own every time.

He doesn't really know what to do. He had no other way of contacting Calum to find out what's happening. Did his Dad make the kiwi boy block him? It's what Luke guesses.

The worst part is that Luke can't even talk to Michael about this, because as much as he loves his best friend, hearing 'I told you so' slip past his smug lips doesn't feel all that great. Neither is Michael beating more people up, not that he has any reason to- he thinks.

He gets out of bed at 7.30, going downstairs to greet his Mom before she leaves. She stares at him for a second as he sits down at the kitchen table, putting her bag gently back on the floor.

"Is this about Calum?" She asks, getting up from her seat and beginning to make him some cereal. It's such a Mom thing to do that Luke smiles, because she's always usually at work before he wakes up Luke feels as if he misses out on this start of stuff. Most of the time his Mom does twelve hour shifts at the hospital she works at, because they're broke and the place is understaffed.

She sets the bowl in front of him and sits back down in the seat, giving him a soft look.

"Yeah," Luke admits. "Yeah uh, I don't really know what's going on though. So I'm as confused as you."

"Why don't you phone Mitchell?" She ruffles his hair, picking up her bag. "Invite him to stay over tonight to take your mind off things. I'm sure you and Calum will work it out, whatever is happening."

"Yeah, maybe."

"I have to go love, or I'll be late. Update me tonight." She kisses his cheek and he groans and rubs her lip gloss away, wiping is more into his skin. He'll probably break out now. Great. He waves at her car through the window as he leaves and continues to eat his cereal in silence.

He looks down at his phone, willing it to do something; anything.

It doesn't, and Luke assumes this is going to be one of the longest weekends he's ever experienced.

*

His phone does go off later that day, and he springs off the sofa for it, spluttering to press the accept button to whoever is calling before slamming it against his ear.

"Hello? Yes, hi." Luke says quickly, breathless.

"I'm excited to speak to you too, Luke, Jesus." Luke deflates against the sofa but smiles slightly nonetheless, willing himself not to cry.

"Hey Mikey."

"Wow, you sound just thrilled to hear from me." Michael says sarcastically. "I thought we were fine now?" He asks quietly.

"We are, we really are. I'm sorry, I just thought- it doesn't even matter. Are you okay? What's up?"

Michael is quiet for a moment. "I'm coming over." He says eventually. "Right now. I'm leaving mine."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Michael echoes. "You're not going to tell me not to? Or remind me that I always invite myself?"

"I just... I really want you here today." Luke whispers, and blinks up at the ceiling because he does not want to cry right now. Crying on the phone is the worst, but he can't help himself, feels his eyes fill up with water. He sighs quietly.

"Hey, hey..." Michael says. "Luke? What's happened?"

"You're gunna yell at me, and we're gunna fight again and I don't wanna fight with you today." Luke gets out in one breath. "Why do I keep fucking things up lately? We've never argued like we did yesterday and it's because of me-"

"Luke!"

"No, it is! I just feel like I'm so disposable sometimes. I don't know. Please don't yell at me."

"Why would I yell at you love? Jesus, I really hate seeing you upset. I'm on my way, just tell me what's going on. I promise I won't yell at you."

Like takes a deep breath and sighs, but then something catches his eyes in the window, his mouth going dry as he watches Calum's car- that his dad has confiscated, pulling into his driveway, parking where his Mom's was this morning. Luke looks around at the mess of blankets, tissues and DVD's surrounding himself on the sofa and looks back at the window, watching Calum get out.

"Lucas?" Michael asks, his voice going straight to the back of Luke's mind.

Calum is wearing his own clothes again, basketball shorts and a tank top; a leather jacket thrown over the casual outfit. He's wearing sunglasses too, despite it already going dark out. 

"I'll have to call you back babe."

"Did you just call me-"

Luke hangs up and takes a deep breath, watching Calum lock his car and glance at something on his phone. He takes a moment to type something, standing out in the wind before he looks at the house and walks out of view of the window. Luke jumps up from the sofa and runs to the front door, getting there just as Calum knocks.

He waits a few seconds, because he probably is psycho, but he doesn't want to come across as it, before opening the door as casually as he can.

He probably looks like he's desperate and just saw a ghost anyway, but in his head it's casual.

Calum puts his hands in the pockets of his basketball shorts, looking up and catching eyes with him.

"We need to talk."