10:53 [calum hood]

26

➸ r i l e y

"I'll miss you," I said in a hushed voice, stepping out into the frigid air.

"I'll miss you even more." Calum pulled me into a warm embrace, practically ridding me of all air. He placed a light kiss on the top of my head before pulling away, leaving me feeling suddenly cold.

"Promise you'll call every day?" I asked, giving him a small smile even though I felt tears brimming my eyes.

"Every day at 10:53." Calum looked behind his shoulder to check for his mom before shutting the front door to his house softly, trying not to make a loud noise. "You have my necklace, right?"

I looked down and pulled the necklace he had given me into view, seeing the small cursive writing. "Good, keep it with you. Now every time you look at it you'll think of me. I won't be gone for long, I promise. Just be good and don't let any boys come near you or I'll have to take the first plane back here and beat him up."

I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck. The realization that I wouldn't see Calum for a while had finally set in, and I felt myself tearing up. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"To the moon and back?"

"To the next galaxy and back."

I place one final kiss on his lips before retreating back down the front steps and away from him. I was afraid that if I turned back and saw him then I would break down and beg him to stay even though I knew he couldn't. He was going through a tough time and he didn't need me getting in the way.

I trudged home in the dark, shuffling my feet every now and then to distract myself from the pain I was feeling. Every day without him would feel like a lifetime, and I didn't know how I would cope without him by my side.

✿❀✿❀✿❀

"Rise and shine," my mom chirped, switching on the light to my room. I groaned and threw a pillow over my face, not wanting to be exposed to light at such an ungodly hour.

"No," I moaned, turning over so that I was laying on my stomach.

I heard footsteps approaching my bed. "Ry, it's your first day back."

"Tell them I'm sick," I grunted.

My mom sighed. "No. Ashton will be here in half an hour, now hurry." She left the room, leaving the lights on.

The only reason that I wasn't entirely unhappy about going back to school was that I'd have Calum by my side, but now that he wasn't here I found no desire to go. He was probably boarding his plane right about now, on his way to California for who knows how long.

I went through my morning routine; not really focused on what I was doing, just going through the movements. When Ashton came to pick me up, his first comment was on face.

"Wow," he gasped, "you look...great?"

"Shut up and drive," I snapped. I tried to ignore Luke in the backseat, but his presence was practically screaming at me. I didn't know if he was still angry or not, but I decided to let the whole thing blow over before trying to approach him. I should apologize, but I had to wait for the right time.

"Goodbye, sunshine," Ashton called, smirking as I flipped him off behind me. Michael, Luke and I walked side by side into school, and thankfully Michael was positioned in the middle to block any tension between us.

Michael stopped at his locker to grab his books and we waited for him. This was part of our daily routine, seeming that none of us wanted to be alone. "Hey Ry, where's Calum?" he asked, shutting his locker and continuing our journey to Luke's locker.