Route 49 -cth-

-IV-

The school holidays came along and the weather was hot. I'd never enjoyed hot weather, it made me sweat and I always got asked the same question "Why don't you go out with your friends?" The answer was always the same, that I didn't have any.

My aunts work organised a picnic every year and every year my aunt brought me along, forcefully most of the time. This time though, I wanted to get out of the house.

There were always the same people there, my aunts friends little kids that I usually ended up looking after when the parents got into the alcohol tent.

"Linda! Great to see you" My aunts boss greeted us.

"Beautiful weather for it, Celia. You remember my niece, Lexie" My aunt said gesturing to me.

"Of course, the kids your age are over there as usual" Celia told me with a smile. I sighed and wandered towards the noise of screeching and crying children. No one my age ever came to this because they bad social lives unlike myself.

"Lexie?" I froze as the familiar voice called my name. I swallowed hard and turned "Hey, Luke" He walked over and looked shocked to see me "What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"My mum got moved to this company" He said, I remembered my aunt mentioning it before. "I mean don't you have anything better to do?" He giggled lightly "I guess not"

"Hey, Luke I thought you said other people our age would be here" I recognised Calum's voice instantly and my hands turned sweaty as be sauntered over slapping Luke on the back of the head.

I tried to slip away before he saw me but failed "Lexie?"

"You know her?" Luke asked looking between the two of us as I walked back to them "Barely" I answered him quickly. Calum's eyes looked to the floor.

"Why don't you come hang with us, Lex? Or do you know anyone else here?" Luke asked me and my heart fluttered as he called me the old nickname he'd once used for me. I had no choice but to stay with them, I didn't have anywhere to hide.

"Why not" I said smiling at him he grinned widely at me and the three of us walked to an empty spot on the grass and sat down.

"So how've you been, Lex?" Luke asked turning towards me.

"Fine" I lied "How about you?" I asked faking a smile.

"I'm great" He said smiling "So how'd you 'barely' know Mr. Hood here?" He asked quoting with his fingers.

"We just had to sit beside each other on the bus once"

"Twice" Calum corrected me speaking for the first time in a while.

"I'm going to get a drink, you want anything?" Luke asked standing up o brush the grass off of his trousers I shook my head and so did Calum.

Calum and I sat in silence as I watched Luke walk away. "Did you use two date?" Calum asked suddenly "Its none of your business" I answers him harshly.

"Why are you so mad at me? I've gotten on the bus everyday, waiting for you and you never showed and then you tell Luke that you barely know me? I thought we were friends" He asked moving closer to me.

"I'm no one, remember?" I snap at him standing up "Tell Luke.."

"Tell Luke what?" I turned and luke was standing beside me three drinks in his hands "I didn't ask for a drink" I told him.

"I know, I thought we all needed to cool down" He said handing a drink to Calum too. "Tell Luke what?" He asked again as he sat down looking up at me "I was about to leave" I admitted to him.

"Aw no, Don't go, Lex. Please? I want to catch up with you, I've missed you" His last words made my old candle that I once held for him burn so bright I could almost feel my hand burning. I slowly sat down again and Luke and I chatted, he tried to involve Calum in the conversation but Calum only gave one word answers before he got up and walked off mumbling that he was going for a drink.

"What's up with you two? Did you break up or something?"

"We never dated, Luke. I told you we only met like twice. I barely know him. And I'm not sure that I want to if he acts like this all the time" I said rolling my eyes.

"Hey, give him a break. He's had a tough time lately" Luke spoke in a low voice.

"Why what happened?" I asked intrigued, Luke shook his head "Its not my place to tell his business. He's a good guy, best guy I know. Give him a chance" He said.

After a while Luke and I went on search of Calum because he didn't come back. I was worried that he'd got lost or kicked out because he didn't know his way around. I heard crashing from inside one of the larger tents and I put my head in and saw Calum on the floor.

I called Luke and ran up to him "Calum?" I called his name touching his face.

"He's out cold, call an ambulance" I shouted at Luke who was stood still

"Luke" I called "Look around, Lex" He said giggling slightly I didn't realise what he was laughing at until I noticed that the tent was full of alcohol.

"He's drunk" I said.

"Yup. Let me lift him" He said walking over to lift Calum with one arm and slinging one of Calum's arms over his shoulder. We walked Calum slowly outside and sat him down on a bench.

"No one can see him like this, we'll all be in deep shit" I said tensely.

"Cal? Calum you've got to wake up now mate. Its time to get up" Luke knelt down to get Calum to open his eyes but they stayed shut. Luke turned to me "You try"

"What?" I looked at him wide eyed "Just try, I don't know what else to do. He usually wakes up straight away" I could see that Luke was getting nervous now so I had to help him.

"Fine" I sighed stepping into the spot Luke had been standing in.

"Calum?" I said kneeling down in front of him "Calum, come on wake up" I said rubbing his face lightly he groaned and his eyes slowly opened.

"Thank god, good one Lexie" Luke said squeezing my shoulder.

"Lexie?" Calum slurred "Yeah?"

"I think I'm going to throw up" I quickly jumped out of the way just in time.

"He can't go back to his house like this. His mum will kill us." Luke said beginning to pace up and down.

"Take him to your house then" I suggested.

"Oooh no no no. Do you know what my mum would do if he vomited on our floor? God no" He said pacing once more.

He suddenly stopped and turned to me, a slight smirk set upon his lips.

"What?" I asked

"You could take him!" He said

"Oh no. No. No no"

"Come on, Lex. Please, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate" I continued to shake my head.

"I'll go find Linda" He said running off before I could stop him.

I turned to Calum who was now laying across the bench asleep.

"Linda is going to kill me."