Room 21 - Calum Hood Punk -

Butterflies and stuff

- Elena's POV -


It's now the evening and I have a while before lock down. Locking the doors has stopped because some people have had panic attacks due to feeling trapped. I guess I feel bad for them, but at the same time I'm happy I'm no longer locked in my room after 10:00pm. I know what I'm I'm drawing today. Or should I say 'who'. Calum. I don't know why, but I keep getting butterflies and stuff whenever I think of him... I don't know, but... Well, I might like him... I take out my art pad and start drawing . "Lights out now, Elena," the guard smiles. Yes, he used my name. He's close with Ashton (don't ask me why, I don't know) and so he says he's "obliged to be just as close with me". I put away my art pad and pencil, curling up and falling asleep...

"I know it might be hard, but we're going to need you to take us through what happened." Jerry said. "O-okay." I stuttered. 
"Now you said he did it 'again'. He's hurt you before?" He asked. 
"Y-yeah..." I nodded. 
"How many times?" Jerry frowned. 
"I-I don't know. T-too many to remember..." I admitted, trying not to cry again.
"Right... Are you okay telling us about the first time and any ones that stick out to you?" He said. I nodded and took a deep breath. "The first time... I-I came home from school and my mum was o-out. He'd had a b-bad day at work and was in a bad mood. I'd come home late, because my bus broke down... He yelled at me, a lot. I apologized, but he s-sla." I stopped, feeling my eyes begin to sting. 


"It's okay," Jerry whispered. 
"H-he slapped me. I shouted at him, which I know was wrong, but he grabbed my hair and dragged me upstairs. I-I thought he was going to l-leave me in my room, b-but he started undressing himself and I-I knew what was going to happen..." I cried. 
"I'm sorry you had to go through that..." Jerry apologised sadly. 
"He did it a lot when my mum was o-out... Another time that I remember... It was the day I was supposed to go to p-prom. I had gotten dressed a-and my mum was late to come h-home. H-he called me his beautiful princess and stroked my ch-cheek. He was in a good m-mood, so I thought he was just being n-nice. B-but he forced me onto the sofa and did it a-again... He left a s-slap mark, so I didn't g-go to prom." I said, remembering the pain I had to endure.
"Right..." Jerry sighed. 


"A-and tonight... H-he came home drunk. H-he beat up my m-mum because she didn't have dinner m-made for him. When I tried to get her up off the floor, h-he dragged me back by my h-hair. My mum tried to s-stop him, and he dragged her into the h-hall. He'd closed the d-door, so I couldn't see what h-happened, but I-I could hear her scream. W-when I saw her, I tried to check on her, b-but he dragged me up to my r-room. I tried to p-push him o-off, but he threw me to the f-floor and kicked me in the stomach a few times... I felt so s-sick. Then he raped me... His grip was so tight..." I sobbed, looking down at my feet. 


"Elena, we looked into our files and found out your father is also dead?" Jerry said. 
"Y-yeah... He died in a crash..." I nodded, holding back more tears that were threatening to spill. 
"Well, this makes you an orphan. Now, I know the pain is still fresh, but you need somewhere to live as you're not old enough to live alone. We've gotten in contact with social services, and we've come to an agreement that you shouldn't be put in an orphanage. There's a lovely place in Sydney where they take you in until you're fully able to leave and be safe. You're going to be living there. Is that okay?" Jerry asked. 
"Yeah..." I agreed nervously. 


"Some of my team went back to the house to see if there was anything else you might need. They didn't find anything important, but they found two pictures. We are aware that they're of your parents." He handed me two pictures and I started crying again. One was of me and mum, the other of me and dad. "I know this is hard, but you're going to be alright." Jerry soothed. I held the pictures to my chest, trying to stop myself crying. It was no use, I just cried and cried and cried... 


I jolt up, crying again. Another memory, another painful dream... I check the time and see I have about twenty minutes until class, so I get up and decide to get dressed. Once again, I make sure to put on my jacket so I cover my bruises. When I'm finished, I hear a knock on my door. I'm surprised when Calum is standing there smiling at me. "Ready to go to class?" He asks.
"Yeah!" I grin. We walk down the hallway together and through the door of Room 21.
"Welcome class! Today we'll be working on trust exercises!" Leia smiles at us all. "Pair up!" Me and Calum look at each other and share a small wink, laughing. Once again, those butterflies are flying around my stomach. I don't know why, but I like it.


"Okay class! Get to trust falls!" Leia announces.
"Right, do you trust me?" Calum asks.
"Yes." I answer, surprising myself with how confident I sound.
"Okay, fall backwards into my arms." Calum smiles. I position myself so I'm facing away from him. "Ready?" He asks.
"Ready." I reply. I fall backwards and feel his arms wrap tightly around me. His chest is against my back, making my heart rate increase. I look up at him and stare into his eyes. "What else should we do?" I ask awkwardly, breaking the trance.



"Uhhh... You could fall backwards from a chair and I catch you?" Calum suggests, scratching the back of his neck. I climb onto the chair and turn my back to Calum. When I fall, I land in his arms and stare into his eyes. These exercises aren't making this easy for me right now. He holds me against him and I feel his heart beating just as quick as mine. He puts me down, breaking the 'moment' and I walk out of the room when Leia calls out, "class is over!"


- Calum's POV -


I stand there, stunned. I never thought I'd feel the way I do now about anyone. But, when I'm with Elena, I feel more alive. Do I like her? I might... She looks so gorgeous today, I honestly want to kiss her. Kiss her? Yeah, I did. I hope she's okay. I heard her in the middle of the night, crying. She was talking about a crash and other stuff that I couldn't quite make out. It sounds like it was a pretty bad dream. I decide to talk to the only person I know I can about how I'm feeling. I'm talking to Ashton. Now that's something I never thought I'd say... I walk into the garden, looking for him. He's usually out here with Luke and Michael when class finishes. I spot him kicking a football around with the boys at the end of the garden.


I walk over nervously, not knowing if he'll be happy that I want to talk about Elena. Woah. This is the first time I'm feeling nervous! "Hey, uh, Ashton?" I say. They stop playing their game to look at me. "What do you want?" Ashton asks.
"I was kind of hoping to talk to you. About Elena?" I offer hopefully.
"Why would I talk to you about her?" He scoffs.
"You know what, fuck it. I don't have time to talk to you anyway!" I huff, storming off. When I get back to my room, I punch another dent in my wall. "You like her, don't you?" I whip around and look at Ashton, Luke and Michael, who are all smirking at me. "Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know!" I growl in frustration. "Well, make up your mind!" Michael urges. The boys all look at me hopefully. "Well, I-"