1983 c.h. (au)

29: blood is on the blade

Calum wasn't a very good person. He had a very deep and dark past. Everyone knew it. (Except for Charlie of course since she is a very sheltered child.) "Calum where on Earth are we going?" She giggled and picked up her pace trying to keep up with him. His long slender fingers were tied together with hers as they walked the eerily quiet streets to San Francisco at night. "Calum. This is dangerous."

"And so am I."

Charlie rolled her eyes and just went along with it. Calum smiled down at her, totally forgetting his deep dark past. Calum had walked these streets at night many times to meet some very unfriendly friends on several encounters. But he has forgotten those people in their time of need which was the worst thing for Calum to do. "You're not dangerous." Charlie giggled and squeezed his hand tightly.

"Charlie."

"What?"

"Happy Birthday. I love you." And Calum leaned down and pressed his wind chapped lips to Charlie's baby soft ones, stopping the both of them from walking anymore. His large hands had cupped her hips and Charlie slid her arms around his neck bringing his body closer to hers, deepening the kiss.

If anyone were watching Charlie and Calum during their very random yet intimate moment, it would probably warm some people's hearts and make them feel all fuzzy inside. Except for the people that knew Calum. They definitely didn't feel very warm and fuzzy inside.

These persons blood boiled in their veins. "Hood!" one of them called from the dark alley that Charlie and Calum were kissing in front of. Charlie jumped away from Calum instantly and her cheeks heated up in embarrassment as it was that someone was watching them kiss. "Long time no see.Why don't you and I have a little talk like old friends."

"Calum, do you know them?" She turned toward him slowly, confused that this person knew Calum.

At that point, Calum couldn't even hear Charlie although she wasn't even a few feet away from him. All that he could hear was his own heartbeat that was crashing in his ears. His palms started to sweat and it took all of his willpower to not haul ass out of there and leave Charlie with the shady guy in the alley. "Calum?" Charlie shook him again. Calum looked down at Charlie and smiled nervously.

"Yes I know him. He was an old friend of mine." Calum nodded then looked back over to the guy. Who in all actuality wasn't just a guy.

"Wait a second is that, Phoenix?" Charlie squinted as if that would help her identify the guy better since it was quite dark. She could barely see a few feet in front of her.

"Umm, it may or may not be?" Calum rubbed the back of his neck and started walking backwards trying to tug Charlie along but it was no use. Her body seemed to be tied to an anvil which made her practically impossible to move.

"Phoenix?!" Charlie cupped her hands around her mouth, saying his name louder and waved her fingers. Then the figure moved under a streetlight becoming very visible to the both of them. And it was Phoenix all right. His bleach blonde hair was orange underneath of the dim light and his green eyes seemed to glow. He leaned against the brick wall and crossed his arms over his chest casually. He wore a bored expression on his face as if he would have better things to be doing than a run in with Calum and Charlie.

"Charlie we should go." Calum said slowly.

"Why? It's just Phoenix."

"Charlie there's just some things that you don't know about both me and Phoenix and if I were you, I would want to get away as fast as possible." But Charlie wasn't listening to Calum. She started walking towards Phoenix since the two friends had barely said 'hi' to each other when passing in the hallways at school.

"Phoenix." She said again now that they were only a few feet away. Calum's jawed dropped that she had the balls to do something do stupid and reckless. He ran after Charlie and put his hand on her shoulder.

Phoenix smirked at Calum and rolled his eyes. "Hey Charlie. What's up doll?" But Phoenix didn't look at Charlie.

"That's a good question. Can you tell me why you are hanging out in a dark alleyway in the middle of the night?" Charlie crossed her arms over her chest, determined she would get some kind of closure.

"Can you tell me why you are sneaking out of your house in the middle of the night with Calum to do god knows what?"

Charlie opened her mouth to say something, but what could she say? There really was no explanation for that since Calum wasn't telling her what they were doing."I don't know." She whispered.

"Calum. You and I haven't talked in a while. Lets try to catch up."

Calums face showed no fear even though he knew what was about to happen to him. His insides however begged and screamed at him to throw Charlie over his shoulder and run all the way home, then leave the country and get new identities. But Calum stood his ground because, he needed to protect Charlie and because its just the thing that Calum Hood would do. "Go home Charlie."

"What?"

"I said go home. Phoenix and I have some unfinished business. I don't want you here for it. Go home Charlie." Calum pushed her back lightly hoping she would catch on that if she stayed, she would be in danger.

"I can't just leave the both of you here by some shady alleyway. What if someone were to come by?"

"Charlie, go home. Now! Run home and stay there. I'll come over when this is all done."

"Yeah I think you better listen to him Princess. Calum and I have some things to talk about. It's not suitable conversation for a girl like you."

"Phoenix wha-"

"Go home!" Calum screamed at her almost straining his beautiful voice.

With one last glance, she turned and booked leaving both of the boys alone. Charlie's legs ran faster than they ever had in her entire life. They pounded against the concrete sidewalk over and over again until she finally got to her house and locked all the doors. Charlie scrambled up the stairs and into her room flinging everything around hoping to find her phone. She scrolled all through her contacts and her thumb hovered over one of them. She took a deep breath and pressed his name, calling him.

It rang.

And rang.

And rang some more. Then finally, "Charlie?"

"Luke I need your help."

He yawned. "Boyfriend troubles?"

"Kind of. Calum and I were going somewhere and then we bumped into Phoenix. But Calum made me leave because they had to talk. But I don't know. Something's not right."

"Did you say Calum and Phoenix?"

"Yeah why?"

"We're fucked."

"What happened?"

"Charlie just lock your doors and stay inside. Don't open it for anyone who isn't me or Ashton or Michael, okay?" There was some shuffling in the background and Luke spoke profanities under his breath.

"But what about Calum. He said that he would be here when it was all over."

"He won't be coming Charlie."

"Luke what do you mean?"

"I'll be right over with the guys okay?"

"No Luke wait."

"Let's just say that his blood is on the blade."

Then the line went dead. And then Charlie sighed because she knew that it would definitely not be okay.

(the end is coming very soon guys.xxx.)