shells ; calum au

0.4

|| shells ||

It was later that evening, and the girl was waiting for Calum at the bench, their unofficial meeting place.

She couldn't see far into the distance as the sky was pitch black and gave off no light whatsoever. But the girl felt serene, sitting in the darkness as her ears were filled with the harmonious sound of the waves breaking against the large rocks.

Calum walked up behind the girl and coughed, grabbing her attention.

He gestured with his hands, pointing at the spot beside the girl to silently ask if he could sit next to her. Her face softened and she nodded, staring back out at the sea.

"It's really beautiful here," Calum whispered, hunching over his knees with his hands clasped together over them. He edged closer to the front of the bench, leaning forward on his feet.

The girl cleared her throat, "It is, isn't it?"

She began to examine the scene in front of her for what seemed like hundredth time that night. Calum turned to her and grinned widely, but the girl failed to notice until she turned to see why he was so quiet.

The girl blushed. "What's got you smiling so big?"

"You," Calum breathed, honestly. "I mean, to be quite frank, I didn't think you would want to talk to me at all tonight. I thought maybe you would come but only to make sure I wasn't some creepy pedophile or something," he trailed off. "Which I'm not! Definitely not, oh God. Sorry, I'm a little nervous if you couldn't tell," Calum chuckled awkwardly and wiped his large hands along the length of his black skinny jeans.

The girl shrugged, the blush still set deep on her cheeks. "So, what's your big plan for tonight, Romeo?"

Calum appeared to be deep in thought. "I was thinking that maybe we could get to know each other?" He said, but it came out as more of a question. "Obviously we won't share huge things about us, or our secrets. We just met, and I respect you, so your secrets are yours until, or unless, you share them with me."

The girl nodded. "Okay, you go. First say all the basics about yourself, then see where it goes."

Calum smiled softly and clapped his hands together. "Um, okay. Well, I'm Calum Thomas Hood, I'm 18 and I, uh, I live at home with my mom and my cat, Daisy," he gave the girl a wary smile and she silently told him to continue on with the raise of one of her eyebrows.

"I'm afraid of bubbles and sharks, and I absolutely love cake. My worst fears are death by drowning and letting my mom down," he paused to look out at the water. "I just graduated West Valley High, but I'm not planning on going to college. When I'm not staying up all hours of the night, I'm usually at work at Baskin Robins, or I'm volunteering at the hospital," Calum stopped talking abruptly and smiled at his hands. "When kids who have sick parents or kids who are being treated for cancer have free time, they get to go to where I work - in a special wing of the hospital, and we play around with them. It's actually one of the best feelings in the world."

The girl's heart warmed at the sight of Calum looking so genuinely happy that he got to have that kind of an experience. He didn't even care that it wasn't for pay, and that was the best part in her eyes.

Calum looked expectantly at the girl and waited patiently for her to begin.

She sighed deeply. "I'm Isabella Rose Jones, I'm 18 as well, and I live at home with my dad. I was homeschooled all my life, excluding Pre-K. I hate boats and the smell that fills the air when someone hits their brakes too hard. I love the smell of gasoline and garages, don't ask me why," Isabella smiled softly.

"My worst fears are dying in my sleep without seeing the next day, and being rejected by the ones I love. I hate the color pink, and I hate it when the wind blows my hair all over my face during a car ride. But most of all," Isabella paused dramatically. "I hate bands who think they're punk rock. They're the worst."

Calum laughed and looked at her with admiration. "Thank you for saying that, really. I feel the same way. Well, about the bands thing. And the pink thing," He shivered for good measure, making Isabella laugh at him.

"I also really like the stars," Isabella whispered as she craned her neck, looking straight up at the skies above. "I always think to myself, that if you're in a place where the stars shine bright, then that place is an alright one to be at."

Calum let a snicker out and Isabella pouted, half joking, half not. It was her honest opinion and she didn't know how she felt about Calum laughing at her.

"Aww don't be mad, Bella," Calum frowned and poked at Isabella's cheek.

She didn't respond, but she felt her pulse quicken in her neck once she heard the use of her nickname that he had just created.

"Bella, it was adorable. That's such a cute saying, I wasn't making fun of you, I swear to God," Calum said, thinking that Bella was mad for real now.

"Don't swear to God." Bella said, cracking a small smile.

"Who's talking?" Calum said back, raising one of his eyebrows and cocking one hip so he would look like sassy.

Bella almost burst out laughing at his posture, but maintained a straight face. "Me. I'm God."

Calum laughed at her, and hard. Isabella heard his laugh, and her heart warmed at the sound of the chuckles that were interrupted by his gasps for breath. "How did you keep a straight face?"

Bella only shrugged and yawned, placing her head on the back of the bench. She pulled her knees up to her chest and her eyelids began to feel heavy.

"Noo," Calum whined. "Don't go to sleep now, I still want to talk to you!" He pouted and pretended to wail at the moon making Bella let out a small laugh.

"Too bad," she said, sighing contently at the fact that she was drifting off to sleep without a tear-stained face. "I'm tired, Hood."

"Okay, okay, fine. But I'm not leaving you," Calum got closer to her, exaggerating his whisper. "There could be real pedophiles out here," He pretended to look around, then shook his head disapprovingly.

Bella smiled at him and closed her eyes. She laid her head on her knees again and could feel the coolness of her cheeks through the thin mesh of her black leggings.

Calum gently guided Bella while she put on his large grey sweatshirt, which was harder than he originally thought it would have been. He hadn't taken her sleepy state into account.

Calum smiled at how cute Bella looked in his sweatshirt. It was so big on her.

Bella laid back on the bench, this time with her feet on Calum's lap and her head placed in her crossed arms.

Right before Calum drifted off into a peaceful slumber, he heard Bella whisper something. He wasn't sure what it was, as her quiet voice was easily overpowered by the loud noises of the breaking waves, but it sounded like a thank you.

Calum then fell asleep with a content smile on his face at the fact that he had made Bella feel happy again, even if it was only for a couple hours.

Bella slept soundly, knowing Calum was there for her, really, physically there for her, and basked in the warmth of his oversized clothing.

There, they laid together until the early morning sun rays peeked through the clouds that gathered on the waterline.

••• ••• •••

so her name's bella ??? calum is cute ??? they're still at the fucking beach ???

i hope you liked this or else I'm gonna feel dumb and throw myself a party and invite evan peters and my cat

i love you, you're wonderful for reading anD YOu'Re PRETtY AND FRaNK IErO LOVeS YOu