The only reason I haven't quit my job yet is the fact that I need money to be able to feed Riley.
I'm so tired of serving coffee to giggly teenage girls all day long. I want a real job.
I want to be an adult and get myself a career. Even Michael has a job. He said up himself from that bookstore a few years ago, and then his dad got him a job at a photo studio. The only reason he got the work was because the boss is a friend of Michael's dad. He doesn't suck at his job though, he's actually quite good. Taking pictures for magazines, weddings or just when people want to take a picture of their dog.
"Hey, Hood." Paige smiles, bumping me in the side with her hip. "What are you doing tonight?"
I place a hand over my heart, gasping. "Paige Anderson, are you asking me out?"
She laughs, softly pushing me to the side. "Stop being so dramatic."
"I'm not doing anything in particular." I say, picking up one of the boxes I'm supposed to carry. Paige takes the one next to it, following me. "I'm free."
"Great." She giggles, a sound that's quite unfamiliar to me. She laughs a lot - which I love - but I've never heard her giggle. If I remember right she once told me that that's one of her nervous habits. "Would you like to hang out with me then?"
I glance back at her. "Well, I guess it's time for me to show you my place, huh?"
"You don't have to, Calum." She says. "We could go to that place you told me about and then-"
"I want to." I say, stopping to spin around. "I'd like to show you it."
"Yeah?" She locks eyes with me, tugging at her bottom lip - another nervous habit of hers.
"Yeah." I nod. "I can try cook for you, but it will probably taste awful."
"That's why fast food exists."
I laugh. "So.. Seven?"
"Sounds good." She smiles, pushing past me as she starts walking again. "I'll see you there, Hood."
I follow her with my eyes, a smile playing on my lips. "See you there."
-
"Luke, I'm panicking!" I shout into the phone, running around the apartment with my black jeans half way down.
"Just take a deep breath, Cal." Luke tries to sound calm as he speaks to me. "Just.. What went wrong?"
"I can't cook, that's what happened!" I snap, searching my closet for some kind of shirt. I find a white button up one, splashing some cologne over my bare chest before putting it on.
"No need to snap, Cal." Luke sighs. "I'm supposed to help my girlfriend, who leaves for America tomorrow, pack but here I am helping you."
"I'm sorry." I whine, taking a final round around the kitchen, making sure that everything is in it's place there. "I'm just really nervous, and I have no idea why I guess it's just because she's seeing where I live - oh my god, I need to take down the pictures of Anna!"
I hurry towards the wall, grabbing the one of me and Anna. It hurts a little, taking down one of the last memories I have from us being perfectly fine.
But, she's gone, and I'm moving on. I don't need that picture on my wall anymore.
I quickly hide it in the back of my closet, under my old hoodie. Anna's favourite one.
"I don't think she really cares, Cal." Luke says. "She knows you have a past with her. A past that's not that easy to forget about."
"It's gone. I don't want her to think she's some kind of rebound, because she's n-" I'm being interrupted by the doorbell. I try to take a deep breath, calming down myself. "She's here."
