Memories of Rain ❀ Calum Hood

tenth; first kisses

Calum had promised Bailey that he would pick her up at twelve so that they could go book-shopping. He had assured her that he would be there as soon as the clock struck twelve.

It was almost two 'clock, and Bailey had become restless. She was pacing the room, mumbling to herself.

I've gone insane, she thought. She was about to find her phone and send him a text, when suddenly there was a knock. She rolled her eyes, grabbed the handle and pulled open the door. Calum was standing in front of her, a bouqet of orange daisies in his hands. "I'm so, so sorry," he said.

She frowned, but she couldn't be angry with him. The kid had brought her flowers; he was adorable. She punched his shoulder, playfully. "Put the flowers on the table and let's go," she laughed. He sent her a smile, and put away the flowers.

Calum grabbed her hand as they walked out of the hospital. Bailey had to admit that it felt good. For some reason she could breathe better when she wasn't on hospital grounds. She told Calum about it, and he laughed.

"I guess you never liked hospitals after all. Your mom hated them too," he told her. She instantly didn't want to know more. This was supposed to be her and Calum going out to buy books, she didn't want to hear about her late mother.

She brushed it off, and sent him a smile. "It must be genetic," she said. He laughed again.

***

The bookstore was a dusty old building with dark wooden walls. There were pictures of old men on the walls with quotes underneath them.

"There are dark shadows on the earth, but it's light is stronger in the contrast," she read. It was a quote by Charles Dickens. Calum looked at her, and then at the picture. He nodded. "Dude with weird beard is right," he laughed. She pushed him.

"I like Charles Dickens. Or so I've been told," she smiled. He nodded and grabbed a book from one of the shelves. It looked antique. The title read 'A Tale of Two Cities' which was one of the books Calum had pointed out as her favorites. That one was number two, Wuthering Heights was number one.

She took it from him, and flipped it over, reading the back. When she was done she looked up at Calum. "He's your favorite writer," he told her. She nodded, not saying a word. It seemed good. It seemed really good. She couldn't wait to read it. Again.

Calum helped her pick out a few more books, telling her how many times she had read them, and how much she had talked about them afterwards. He could almost recite the whole first half of Wuthering Heights, and he had never read it, he told her. She laughed at that.

She must've really loved that book. He told her that it was more than love. He was jealous of that book, in fact, he said with a laugh.

He even paid for all of the books. "You don't have to," she had told him. He had shook his head, and told her, "You don't have any money. Besides, you're my girlfriend so of course I'll pay for your books," to which she had sent him a smile, and had hugged him. That lovable idiot.

When they left the bookstore, it started raining. It hit them, all of a sudden. And as the rain hit her, so did a memory. It raced through her mind, and she tried to grab it.

Calum grabbed her hand and started running from the rain, but she didn't want to move. She was fighting herself in her head, trying to hold onto the memory, but it was running through her fingers like sand. Or water.

She tripped over her own feet, and suddenly a switch was flicked on inside her empty head. She hit Calum face first, their noses touching.

This happened before, she thought.

She had just gotten off her plane, and she was searching the airport for somebody that she knew. She couldn't see anyone, and she frowned. She had been gone for three months, she was expecting at least a single friend. Apparently not.

That's when she saw him. Calum was holding up a sign with the words 'Mrs. Bailey Hood' painted on with red paint. She laughed at that. It was an inside joke between the two of them. They were just friends - although Bailey wanted more than that - but sometimes they acted like an old married couple.

She ran towards him, the heavy bag jumping up and down with her. She called out for him.
"Cal!"

He turned towards her, and a huge smile flashed across his face. He put down the sign and held out his arms towards her. She was just a few feet from him.

Then she tripped. She tripped over her own goddamn feet, and she was crashing. Luckily Calum was there, because her face met his, and not the floor.

Actually, her lips met his. When she fell, he had caught her, and instead of just slamming into him like anybody else, she hit her nose against his, their lips connecting shortly.

She pulled away from him. His arms were around her waist, keeping her up. Her hands were around his neck. His brown eyes were wild, his pupils dilated so much that his eyes seemed black. She could imagine the shocked look on her face.

Then he leaned in towards her again, and she met his lips willingly this time. It just felt right. She had wanted this for so long, but she had always held back. She didn't think Cal wanted the same thing, but she had apparently been wrong.

He did want it. He did like her, just like she loved him. People stared at them as they stood there, two young people kissing in a completely public space. Two best friends making out in an airport. They didn't break apart before they heard the sound of clapping.

Bailey turned her head to see an old lady clapping her hands together, laughing at them. That had been their first of many kisses.

The rain was still falling, the memory not having lasted more than a few seconds. She was in Calum's arms; he had caught her when she fell, just like in the airport that time. His eyes were scanning her face, worried. She was practically gasping for air.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but instead tears fell from her eyes. She didn't mean to, but it was all so overwhelming.

She had finally remembered something. Of course it had to be her and Calum's first kiss.

"I remember," she whispered, her voice hoarse and strained.
"I remember our first kiss." She looked up at him, and he looked just about as shocked as she felt.

But then his surprised face turned into a smile. "That's great Bails," he said. He was about to say something more, but Bailey couldn't hold back anymore.

She pressed her lips against his.