disconnected || calum hood

13 | Elizabeth

The anticipation grew with each step I took, my heart pounding in my chest as I approached the local cafe where I was scheduled to meet Luke. I couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension, hoping that my quest for answers wouldn't strain the newfound friendship I had with my roommate.

Doubts and questions continued to swirl in my mind. I grappled with the ethical dilemma of invading Calum's privacy. He deserved his secrets, and perhaps it was wrong of me to pry. I took a deep breath and considered turning around, deciding not to go through with my plan to meet Luke. After all, what was I trying to achieve? Was it worth jeopardizing my friendship with Calum?

But everyone knows I'm stubborn.

I spotted Luke as I approached the café. He was casually leaning against a streetlight, his long, loose blond curls reaching down to his shoulders. Dressed in black jeans, a Guns N' Roses shirt, and a leather jacket, he exuded a classic bad-boy vibe. Despite my nervousness, I couldn't help but let out a small, awkward chuckle at his effortlessly cool appearance.

He spotted me, removing his sunglasses to reveal those striking blue eyes, and he flashed a charming smile. 

"Hi, how are you?" Luke greeted me, and I responded with a nod. "I'm good, great, actually. How are you? Thank you for meeting me," I replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable and intimidated in his presence. He was impressively tall with broad shoulders that added to his imposing aura.

"Good," he said before turning and holding the door of the café open for me. I chuckled and commented, "Such a gentleman," as I walked into the cozy café.

Luke smirked. "Always," he said. We found a seat by the window, and I quickly removed my coat, draping it over the back of my chair. "So, you wanted to talk?" Luke inquired, to which I nodded in response. I started tapping the table with my fingers. "Uh, yeah," I began. "Just wanted to get to know you better; you seem like a good friend of Calum," I said, nervously fidgeting with my fingers.

The bartender appeared to take our order before we resumed our conversation. "And what made you think that?" Luke inquired. "I don't know, everyone talks about you, you guys train together, you've known each other for a pretty long time, haven't you?" I asked. "They talk about me? What do they say?" Luke asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know, they all switch to sign language when it's about you. I just see them use the sign for your name sometimes," I explained. "Hate it when they do that, I'm not that good in sign language yet," Luke said. "Same! They also have a sign name for me, but everyone refuses to tell me what it means. It's really annoying."

Luke chuckled and leaned in closer. "Oh, right, yeah, I heard about that. Nice one," he said, giving me a playful wink. "Oh my god, you know?! Tell me!" I exclaimed, leaning forward in excitement, but he just shook his head, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Nah, it's too entertaining to see you frustrated."

"Come on!"

"I promise it's not something bad," he tells me and I let out a defeated sigh. "Ugh,"

"Is that the main reason you wanted to meet up with me? Because I'm friends with Calum?" Luke inquired, and I offered a casual shrug. "Not only that. It's just... how can I put this? Everyone around Calum seems to be guarding something, especially him, and it's been frustrating. I thought we were close, and while we've become great friends, he keeps certain things locked away. I just wish I could understand better," I replied, my voice tinged with exasperation.

Luke raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes studying me intently. "Secrets, huh? You think we're all hiding something about Calum?" he questioned. I nodded. "Yeah, you know, it's just... I thought we were close. He's a great guy, and we've become good friends. I just don't get why he's so guarded about certain things," I explained, frustration creeping into my voice.