Home Away From Home

Chapter Nine

DAY TWENTY SEVEN
Andy was working, Liz was out with friends, and I will soon be out with Calum. Like actually out-- on a date. He called and asked the day after Luke kissed me, and I have a really hard time saying no to nice people.
Luke and I have conveniently avoiding each other since The Kiss, but the tension finds us everywhere. And it's not a sexual tension, it's like a flammible gas in the air, waiting for us to shock one another. I was ready to go, and Calum would be here within the next fifteen minutes, but I couldn't shake this feeling of guilt.
I don't know if I feel more guilty for going on with Calum without telling him about Luke and I or not telling Luke that I'm going out with Calum. Either way, it got to me, and I mustered up the tiny bit of courage I could find and approached Luke's room.
"Luke," I knock softly on his door while slowly opening it. "Can we talk about--"
I'm cut off by my own surprise. There's a girl sitting across from Luke as they laugh and smile.
"Oh, hi. Uh, I'm sorry." I start to retreat, but Luke jumps up to stop me.
"Uh, Ariel, this is Greta. Greta, this is, uh, Ariel." Luke ran his hand through his hair before stopping to rub the base of his neck.
I inwardly scoffed. Ariel. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes. I pressed my lips into a terse smile. "Hi." I forced a small wave, and she beamed back.
Luke rushes over to me, whispering quietly and intensively. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Nothing in the company of others." I said annoyed and motioning to Ariel.
A grin appeared across Luke's face as he took my arm and led me out into the hall. "Are you jealous?"
A mischievous expression danced across his features, and my face burned with anger.
Yes. "Why should I be? It's not like you have any commitment to me."
Luke stepped back, holding me at arms length. He didn't speak until I looked at his soft face. "I could."
I bit the inside of my cheek as I tore my gaze away. "No, it's not practical. Long distance doesn't work when you're on the other side of the state let alone one third of the Earth's circumference. Really, I'm okay."
Luke looked defeated. "Okay. Uh," Luke scanned around, uncertain and vulnerable. "What did you want to talk about?"
I looked up at him, confused. "Hmm? Oh, uh, nothing. It can wait."
A forced smile played across my lips and didn't stretch to my eyes as I dismissed him.
"You really have no reason to be jealous. She lacks substance." Luke reminded me in a hushed tone, smirking cheekily as he stowed back to his room.
I blushed furiously as my eyes scanned to the floor to avoid his scrutiny, but I could hear his continuing smirk.
Now a new guilt arose within me. I just told Luke we couldn't progress because there are several oceans between us, but I'm ready for a date with Calum.
I sighed, walking downstairs where I sat at the table waiting for Calum's car to pull up. I felt like a deflated balloon. Calum drove in, and I met him outside before he could get to the door. As far as Luke knows, I'm going to the farmer's market.
"Hi." Calum said shyly. I don't know what it is about the word "date" that freaks everyone out, myself included, but I've hung out with Calum numerous times, and this is no different. Calum is not shy.
"Hey," I smiled, genuinely happy to see him, but not so geniunely excited to go on this date.
"Ready?" He ushered me to the car where he then opened and closed my door for me as Luke did, but Luke and I weren't on a date.
"So, what's the plan?" I looked over at Calum. Drinking in his features, I almost forgot how attractive he is. His chisled jaw and his fluffy black hair with those blonde streaks.
"I was thinking ice cream and then mini golf?" Calum looked at me with the innocence of a child. Cute.
"Mini golf, huh?" I raised my eyebrows and laughed.
"I'm quite the competetor," he warned, and neither of us could help but to smile.
He parked the car, and we got out on some oddly named street. I followed him into this quaint building that is trapped between two loud and obnoxious ones. I felt connected to this building.
"So I misspoke when I said ice cream." Calum placed his hand on my back, and I was disappointed to find that I didn't get the same burning sensation I had when Luke had touched me there.
I found my way to the display case of probably twenty different flavors of gelato. "I don't know which to get." I laughed, studying my choices.
"Get whatever you want." He whispered into my ear, lightly touching my back again.
I smiled over at him, and his dark brown eyes burned my pale white skin. Calum is really good at making me forget about Luke.
"Can I get some coconut and some mint chocolate chip?" I asked him with a high pitched voice like I was a small child, and he was my dad.
"Of course."
I found a seat for us as Calum ordered, and he came back with our gelato, spoons, and a lot of napkins.
"Thank you." I said sweetly as I pulled my bowl toward me.
I tried the coconut first, and it was so good. "You should try this."
Calum laughed, but I took his spoon from his hand and scooped up some of my gelato.
Calum stuck the spoon in his mouth, pleased with the taste. "Yeah, that's really good. Wanna try mine?"
He had gotten hazelnut and white chocolate carmel. "Sure. Whichever is better."
I handed Calum my spoon, and he did the same thing I did for him.
I, however, struggled to get all of the gelato in my mouth.
"You have a little on your lip, there." Calum reached across the table with his thumb before I could even react. His thumb traced across my lip, wiping away the excess gelato.
I blushed, of course. How cliche. I scoffed to myself. I hate cliches. "Thanks," I said in a small voice.
Apparently I don't hate cliches with Calum.
"Anytime," He said in a low voice. Though his voice doesn't reach the same level as Luke's.
We finished our gelato, laughing all the while. Calum threw my things away, and I met him at the door. I headed for the car, but he steered me in the other direction. "We can walk."
I nodded and followed beside him. Before I knew it, Calum's hand was wrapped around mine, and my entire body was on lockdown. Sirens were wailing, and I'm pretty sure my heart tried to run away, but it's trapped because it's a heart.
I couldn't pull away, not out of want, not out of unwant. It seemed like we had walked fourty blocks to get to this mini golf course, but when we finally arrived, I ripped my hand from Calum's to get a club and ball. I hope it didn't seem too eager of me-- wouldn't want him to get the wrong picture.
"Here are the rules: If I win I get to take you out on another date." Calum looked down at me with those big brown eyes again.
"And what do I get if-- excuse me when I win?" I challenged Calum's sweet yet so intimidating stare.
"When, huh?" Calum laughed. "You get another date with me."
"You're really pushing for that, aren't you?" I teased.
"Can't help myself." He shrugged and lead me to the first hole.
Eighteen rounds later, I had beat Calum, but I didn't want my prize. That's the wrong phrasing. I do want my prize, honestly, I just can't.
"I get it." Calum nodded his head, looking sad but understanding. "It's Luke, isn't it?"
I took a deep breath. "A little bit. But I'm also only around for another month before I fly back home. And yeah, Luke is more than a little bit of it."
"I figured. The first day you came, he couldn't stop talking about you. Granted, not all of it was positive, but it was all in humble frustration." Calum took my club and ball and returned them to the desk.
We walked back to his car, still enjoying our time, but with a different dynamic. "I'm really sorry, but Luke doesn't know about this, so could we just not tell him?" I winced, thinking about what would happen, especially after what I told him earlier.
"Of course." Sticking with his gentleman qualities, Calum opened and closed my door for me. We're not on a date anymore.
The ride back was pleasurable. Calum and I joked about our national stereotypes, and I told him about the time I was given a solo in a song for a music concert. My "solo" was to say "G'day Mate", and I practiced it every day for weeks.
Calum laughed, and his eyes get squinty versus Luke's whose get scrunchy.
Calum pulled in and parked the car. I stayed put, wanting to clarify a few things. "I really like you, Calum. I really do. And I still want to hang out, okay? I have to beat Michael at fifa before I leave, and you're my only hope."
Calum laughed, and his face softened into that of a puppy. This boy can go from chisled perfection to adorable puppy in seconds-- it's not fair. "Yeah, and maybe you can drag Luke to one of my football games."
"I'd really like that." I smiled and bent over toward Calum, planting a small kiss on his cheek.
"I'll call you later then, right?" I got out of the car as Calum rolled down the window to continue our conversation.
"Right." I smiled and left Calum with no further words.
I walked into the house to find Luke sitting at the kitchen table, tapping his foot like a distraught mother. "How was your date?" He spat the words as if they were poison in his mouth.
"How was yours?" I retorted.
"Number one, mine wasn't a date. Number two, I didn't kiss her." Luke blue eyes crystalized in front of me.
"Number one, I told Calum it wouldn't work because of you, so, yes, it started as a date, but it didn't end as one. Number two, it was a consolation kiss. On the cheek." My arms were folded, and my face was flat.
"Oh." Luke said, standing up and walking toward me.
"Yeah, oh." I was growing self-conscious as he slowly decreased the distance between us.
Luke kissed my cheek softly. "That wasn't a consolation kiss."
He gave me a toothy smile and ran out the door.
"You can't run away every time you kiss me!" I yelled not knowing if he would hear me or not, but I'm pretty sure I heard him giggle.
I pressed my hand to my cheek.
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