❛ 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐥 ❜

𝟎𝟎𝟕; 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝

CARAMEL
- Hatred -

Calum understood that liking everyone on the earth was a pretty impossible task. Everyone shares different opinions and everyone reacts differently to situations so you're bound to clash with at least one person depending on your personality. What Calum Hood couldn't understand was why anyone would like Octavia Marrows.

She was infuriating. With her stupid red hair, and too many piercings she had in her ears (all 13 in total) - seriously who needed that many? Her stupid Docs she wore most days and that goddamn eyeliner she wouldn't leave the house without. To top it all off, she spent more time in his dorm than her own - it wasn't to see him but it was still bloody frustrating she was there in the first place. And while she was there she would lock herself away in Luke's bedroom.

Calum would be lying if he said he didn't think that Octavia was dating his roommate - and every time they would deny it he just starts to think it even more the next time he sees her walking out of his room in either less clothing or all of Luke's.

So maybe he had stolen her phone from Luke's room after she'd left that morning. He wasn't doing anyone any harm. What he didn't appreciate was not only Luke reprimanding him once he'd realised it was missing. Not only Octavia herself storming into his dorm to retrieve the device. But also the fact that she'd obviously gone and complained because now he was standing in his kitchen with Michael and Ashton stood opposite him and Luke and Octavia next to them.

"You're all drunk as fuck." The boy leant against the counter, crossing his arms across his chest as he saw the way Ashton was attempting (and failing to) hide his giggles. Michael was pulling faces and going cross eyed in an attempt to see them. And Octavia was sat on the counter with her chin on Luke's head pissing about.

"Yeah we'll you're mean as fuck." Michael pouted, throwing his finger Calum's general direction before dropping his arm back to his side. The boy could figure out he was most likely referencing him holding Octavia's phone captive for a couple of hours without consent - but he couldn't be sure considering the lack of context.

"Yeah!" Ashton pumped his fist into the air in agreement, a scowl falling on his lips as he caught eyes with the brunette across from him - although the expression didn't last long as he began giggling again all of a sudden. "You're a big meanie!" He could barely get the words out through his laughter, and Michael was only spurring him on by showing how humorous he also found the situation by beginning to obnoxiously laugh in response.

"Go sit on the couch." Calum let out a sigh, kicking himself forwards and beginning to guide his friends towards the couch - they thankfully went without protest. "I'll bring you two dickheads some water." He shook his head, making a mental note to reach for the plastic cups and not the glass ones - completely disregarding the fact Luke was now dealing with a clingy drunk.

There was nothing wrong with the way Octavia got when she was drunk. In fact, she was the easiest to manage among the group after handling alcohol most of the time - it really did depend on what she had drunk. And no matter what it was, Calum would never be the one to take care of her so he could not care less.

"Come on Via." Luke encouraged, holding out his hand for the redhead to take so she could jump off of the counter. "You should have some water as well." The man had the patience of a saint. He never once lost his temper with her or took the agitated sigh filled approach his roommate would take when asked to take care of one of his friends drunk. It was second nature for Luke now, and he knew Octavia's drinking care routine so it made it much easier. The duo came hand in hand when helping one another so he couldn't really complain - the amount of times Via had nursed him back to health after copious amounts of tequila was reaching incredibly high numbers.

"Why would I drink water when I can have more vodka?" Via deadpanned, grabbing his hand nonetheless, wobbling a little once she'd jumped from the counter and needing the blonde's hands on her waist to steady her.

"Because you've got a lecture tomorrow and you'll be thanking me when you're actually awake in one of them." The boy shrugged his shoulders, keeping an arm around her and he guided the both of them to the sink so he could grab her a drink.

The redhead let her chin fall onto Luke's shoulder blowing some air out between her lips. "Not a good enough reason. Vodka still tastes better than water." The girl shrugged, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Okay." Luke paused, placing the cup he had just grabbed on the side and fully turning his body to face the girl. "How about - the last time I listened to you and gave you more vodka - I had some as well and we ended up in my bedroom." The blonde narrowed his eyes. "Not platonically."

He watched in amusement as the drunk girl in front of him opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before clamping it shut. "Wasn't a bad night though." She mumbled with an eye roll before walking herself through to the couch and throwing herself down on top of Michael and Ashton who were still sat giggling - and Via's arrival only heightened the chaos.

"I feel like a babysitter." Luke mumbled running a hand through his hair before turning the tap on and making sure the water running was cold before he put the cup underneath it. He then proceeded to walk into the lounge, helping Octavia sit up and walking with her to a different chair so she wouldn't end up spilling water all over herself and the boys.

"Where'd Cal go?" Luke frowned looking at Michael and Ashton who were unattended, without any water near them.

"Stormed off to his room when we told him he shouldn't steal people's phones." Ashton shrugged, his lips tugging upwards and his dimples beginning to show.

"Yeah!" Michael fell to the side, into Ashton's lap. "Then we said we were gonna go clubbing and he told us to take Octavia so she would leave you alone." The redheaded boy began to curl up in a ball, his eyes falling shut as Ashton began to subconsciously run his hands through the boys hair.

"Okay let's get you all back to your room." The blonde boy was quick to stand, making sure Octavia was stable on the chair - his thought process being that Ashton and Michael lived across the hall - not campus. And he would get them back first before helping Octavia.

"You stay there." Luke told the girl who held her hands up in mock surrender. "And do not go causing trouble speaking to him under any circumstances." He pointed towards Calum's door, narrowing his eyes on Octavia until she nodded and he let it go - his attention now on catching the two drunk boys to bed.

a/n

drunk besties
anyone see any drunk confessions?

congrats to my darling harold who won 4 BRITs last night - i did vote for all of them 🤭