Stranger Calum

Chapter 9

I wake to the sound of my phone vibrating against my bedside table. Blindly, I reach over and press the volume button to make it stop. I'm not sure what time it is but it's way too early to be waking up, that's for sure. Just as I'm slipping back into my deep slumber it goes off again. With a groan, I press the button again and turn over as if that'll somehow make it stop. When it rings for a third time I roll back over and answer with a huff.

"What?!" I snap into the phone.

"Three rings? Thought for sure you'd go until five," Calum chuckles from the other end.

"Figured out how to use your phone, did you?"

"Right. About that-"

"What do you want Calum?" It's less of a question, more of an irritated demand.

"Well I know I missed our date but-"

"Missed our date? You literally blew me off. If this is why you're calling you can hang up now because I'm tired and not talking to you."

"Okay, yes, Dakota, just let me explain it's not-"

"Calum." I say shortly.

"I know, I just-"

"Are you hurt?"

"What? No. Kota-"

"Are you in the hospital?"

"No but-"

"Broken bone?"

"Dakota-"

"Deathly ill?"

"No-"

"Car crash?"

"No, I-"

"The boys hurt?"

"No? Dakota, would you just-"

"Okay then, goodnight Calum."

"No, Dak-"

I hang up before he can finish and set my phone back to its rightful place beside my bed, only then just seeing it's 2:30 in the morning. With a sigh, I close my eyes in the midst of getting comfortable when my stupid phone is once again lighting up. I don't answer it, but I also can't get back to sleep as it had taken me at least an hour to finally fall asleep without Calum. So I watch the screen light up and the vibrations move the phone against the wood of the small table until the screen turns black for a second then repeating.

Seven. Seven rings and I finally give in. Calum talking before I even get the chance to tell him to piss off already even if it was just a front.

"Don't hang up! I swear I'll keep calling if you do."

"That's fine, I'll just put it on silent," I reply smugly.

"Then I'll ring your doorbell and wake your mum up too."

"What do you want Cal?" I groan defeatedly, turning onto my back and staring up at the ceiling.

"I want to take you on a date."

"Ha."

"I'm serious," he frowns.

"Right, just like you were serious before?"

"I was! I just got caught up in band stuff and I'm sorry, I should have called or texted but I swear I really didn't have the time until now."

"Okay Calum," I hum.

"Stop saying stuff like that, I'm telling you, I didn't have time but I do now. And I'm telling you now."

"So you had time to type a twitlonger but you didn't have time to tell me you were busy?"