The bar filled with possibly drunk strangers, greeted me with the same amount of energy as the rest of my coworkers does. We laugh over it and they proceeded to pull me towards one table where two cakes lie upon, one chocolate cake and another blueberry one. My tears threatening to fall into my eyes as this was the happiest I've ever been since I left, and was glad to have people with me to celebrate my special day before I went back home to the other city with my parents.
"Happiest birthday, Lace!!" I turned and saw Kira, one of the writers I've managed to make really good friends with. She gave me the tightest hug she could, and pulled away with a special bag right by her hand. "Figured I could give you something—and for successfully writing those exhausting songs with us!" I pursed my lips and gave her another hug for being filled with much happiness.
"Thank you, Kira. I'll open this when I get home, alright?" She nods happily, "For now, let's eat the hell out of these cakes." I pulled her towards our five other friends and sat ourselves snuggly at one booth, each taking turns in devouring the cakes and not bothering ourselves to even get a plate. The alcohol reeking pub music blaring at the speakers much louder now that's it's midnight.
"Oh gosh, I love this song! It just released today!" Henry blurted out with mouthful of cakes as some instrumental for the song started, quite familiar one at that. "Gotta give the writer a pat in the back for that masterpiece!"
"Who's it by?" I asked, taking a swig at the pint of beer in front of me.
"Five—"
"Can't help but wondering if this is the last time that I'll see your face..."
I stopped gulping as soon as I heard the first set of words, almost having my heart beat stop for a second there. My grip on the pint tightens as I hear—that voice. The voice I long to forget and block out of my head. I was only just gone for a few months—but I can't... seem to forget about him. I even took it to myself to mute out everything about them ever since I left without anything. Logout permanently on my social media to not hear anything about them at all—and yet fate seemed to have been playing a good one on me for doing this... At my birthday.
"No matter where I go, I'm always gonna want you back. No matter how long you're gone, I'm always gonna want you back. I know you know I will never get over you..."
"That's a really good song." Kira muttered next to me and I nod, trying to keep myself at bay even if I could feel the air getting suffocating all of a sudden. The lyrics were all too familiar and the voice—I couldn't go wrong on that familiar voice I have learnt to memorize and cursed myself for having to miss it so much.
"Hey, guys? Just gotta go to the loo." I say, grabbing my purse with me and warranting no other answers as I hurried to stand up and go to the direction of the exit instead of the actual bathroom. The cold air of New York splashing through my face as I lean at the empty wall next to the pub, breathing it in and out as if I had been limited of the air awhile ago.
I opened my phone and hovered my hands around the app. It didn't take long for me to enter my username and password—and immediately see a hundred of notification bursting out of my phone. Some of my pictures were filled of questions by some of their fans, wondering where I have gone for the longest time and why was I not seen with the boys anywhere for five months. Some had pictures of me going in and out of the record label here in NY, and some had speculated I had something to do with their favorite vocalist's breakup with my old best friend. They were a lot to take in and I managed to hover my hands around the inbox, tapping it and seeing messages from—the boys.
All four of them. Yet I knew that if I viewed one and leave them on seen, it'll break them even more.
A notification set once again and found that I've been tagged in another picture. I decided to look it up before finally turning off the app once again, and when I did? The cry I did the first day I left just may seem to come back.
⚫️ calumhood
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⚫️⚫️ Liked by lukehemmings, ashtonirwin, michaelclifford and 328,272 others calumhood happiest birthday to the fifth-half of 5SOS. throwback pic of when all of us were freezing outside while waiting for ash to finish his two-hour shower, of when you told me you look like wet nemo but i took a photo of u to tell u, u look like curly ariel. we miss you so much, lace. and from then on, we love u still, always will. View all 4,392 comments michaelclifford always will user1 wow, she's still ignoring our boys ashtonirwin always will, though wet nemo fits u better, lace user2 we miss lacey content >:-( user3 i hope she comes back, boys seemed lonely without her 😩 user4 @user3 got that right. they werent as energetic like the release from sgfg ☹️ user5 does anyone else thinks want you back single was for her? user6 ^^ lukehemmings happy birthday, lace. come back. (Comment deleted) user7 dID ANYONE SEE LUKE'S COMMENT OR WAS IT JUST ME 😲 user5 callED IT!!!!!! 😲
I logout from the app as fast as I can and lock the device, my hands cold—not just from the weather, but from the mere fact that the boys—my best friends, had still managed to greet me even though I left them with nothing. Not one explanation, not one goodbye. After that night, I bet they knew it was coming. But never expected that their best friend of eight damn years would leave them out of the blue just like that.
Guess I had it in me.
"Didn't think you'd actually escape from me, don't you?" My hands froze over my phone as I heard the voice—and slowly, lifted my head in front. My head going 360° at the thought of considering this as a dream when the all familiar Kiwi stood in front of me, bits of smokes escaping his lip, a cigarette on hand and the pocket of his jeans on the other. He stood there, a hoodie on his head but the features I've come to memorize is there.
Calum Hood is in front of me, in New York, at my birthday.
