Calum and Brooklyn were notorious for the heat they make in the bedroom. Almost any time their names were mentioned in the same sentence, it was because someone was talking about sex. Don't get me wrong, much of their shared time was spent naked; but their relationship wasn't just sex.
Before the sun had time to show on the morning of Luke's self-makeover, Calum inched out of bed and sneaked to the kitchen, where he gathered supplies for a picnic. He grabbed sandwich toppings along with bread, various fruits, two slices of chocolate cake that Avery had made the night before and sent via Brooklyn and Stella, plenty of water bottles, and some extra cash from his life savings in his closet; just in case Brooklyn wanted something special.
He showered quickly and crept back into bed beside his beautiful girlfriend, "Brooke," he started, "Brooklyn baby," he flashed a cheesy smile, knowing she loved being referred to as Brooklyn baby, after one of her favorite songs. She inhaled sharply, the breath turning into an melodramatic stretch.
She smiled over at Calum, who returned the smile. She looked at her phone, seeing that it was only six in the morning, "Is something wrong?" she asked. Calum usually woke around ten or so, leaving Brooklyn to wake up on her own. She couldn't remember making any plans with him the day before, resulting in her thinking that there was something wrong. "No, baby, I have a surprise. Dress light, but warm," he said, smirking and leaving her alone in his room.
Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood. She laid back down for a second, staring at the ceiling. I am so lucky, she thought to herself before climbing off the mattress and filing off to the shower.
When they climbed into the car, Brooklyn immediately started bugging Calum about where they were about to go. He laughed at her before she crossed her arms. He looked over at her. She was pouting, looking at him with false anger. "Aw, Brooke, come on," he said, going along with her silly game. Her face didn't budge.
"Here," he said, grabbing the AUX cord and plugging it into his phone. Her face let up a little as she peered over at what song he was picking. "All I am is a man, I want the world in my hands," the song began.
"It's a hint," he said, before putting his phone in his lap and starting the car.
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Around one, Brooklyn started to complain of hunger. They sat down a considerable distance from the shore and started to unpack the cooler Calum had packed. Brooklyn stopped unpacking and watched as Calum continued. She watched the smile that had been painted across his face the entire morning, she noticed how it hadn't died. She saw the way he looked at her, "Everything okay?" he asked, his brow furrowed. "Perfect," she said quietly but with a genuine smile. She couldn't remember the last time she had been that happy.
Brooklyn had just finished her slice of cake when the sun had started setting. Calum moved the picnic supplies to the side and scooted closer to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she settled her shoulder into his chest, laying her head on his own shoulder. They hadn't touched the water all day, other than with their feet and ankles as they walked down the shoreline while talking. They talked about when they met, when he asked her out, their first date. They talked about the time they walked in on Avery and Ashton making out and how Ashton jumped back five feet once he realized they witnessed it. They talked about what Avery had told Brooklyn and what Ashton had told Calum; how their stories didn't line up, meaning they were lying about what really happened.
They laughed about how Stella and Michael would make cute kids but wouldn't ever dare to see each other in that way. The conversation gravitated toward more recent happenings; how Avery hadn't visited the house in over two weeks and how Luke was showing physical signs of missing her. Calum stopped in his tracks. "What's up, babe?" Brooklyn asked, stopping with him. "Nothing, I just got a weird feeling," he said before grabbing her hand and continuing down the beach.
Once the sun disappeared, the two lovebirds laid on the blanket they had taken with them and held hands, staring up at the stars. It was a relaxing hobby they enjoyed doing it together. They didn't know any of the constellation names, but they liked pointing out the bigger stars. They enjoyed competing to see who could spot a shooting star first. "There!" Brooklyn shouted, pointing as a star fell into the darkness. "You always win!" Calum pouted. "Step up your game," Brooklyn shouted.
Calum turned to Brooklyn, cocking one eyebrow, "You want me to step up my game?" he asked. "I do," she challenged. He licked his own lips before connecting them to hers. His tongue traced hers as she sat up on her elbows to reach him better. Just as the two of them forgot what planet they were on, Calum's phone buzzed. He tried to ignore it, but it was on a plastic bowl. Brooklyn giggled, "It sounds like a really gross fart." Calum laughed and reached for his phone, "I don't know this number," he said before answering it.
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"Stay out here," Calum said to Brooklyn, unbuckling himself and handing her the keys, "I'll be back soon." "Are you sure?" she asked, "You won't need help?" He looked at her with a serious face, "I don't want you in there. They're all scum." She giggled, "You do remember your best friend is currently in there, right?" He laughed, "Exactly, they're all scum." He winked and closed the door.
He crossed the street, complaining to himself mentally about the lack of light. "Identification," a buff man said, stopping Calum from entering the small building that bounced with amplified bass. He huffed and ran back across the street to his car. He motioned for Brooklyn to unlock the doors and reached into the middle compartment, retrieving his wallet.
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Luke didn't remember much from that night. After kissing Arabella, his next memory was laying in the back of a car. He coughed to let the driver know he was conscious. "Mate?" he heard a familiar voice. Who is that? I know that voice, he thought to himself. Then he saw Brooklyn's head peak around, "Hey, he's awake," she said to who Luke guessed was Calum. "Go back to sleep, Luke, we've got this," Calum said. Luke closed his eyes once more.
