terrified. ✿ calum hood au

[2] early mornings

calum-

it was eight in the morning when my phone rang.

i hadn't turned it on silent last night, so the loud noise made me shoot up in bed. i groaned, reaching over to click the answer button. "hello?"

"cal?"

"kae?" i sat up straighter, my tone laced with worry. "what's wrong?"

"i don't feel good." kae whimpered. "i hate it."

a wave of understanding flashed over me, and i nodded. "i'll me over in a few minutes, alright babe? i promise. just lay down."

"okay." she said quietly, before i hung up.

i flung the covers off, rushing over to my dresser to pull on a pair of sweatpants and i shirt. i grabbed my hoodie, then ran downstairs. i went to the fridge, pulling out a few bars of chocolate, and then got a carton of ice cream from the freezer. i grabbed two spoons from the drawer, and then rushed over to the door.

i practically ran across the street, and walked into kaeleigh's house. i knew her parents were at work, and they wouldn't mind me being here, and i knew where the spare key was hidden.

i quickly put the ice cream in the freezer and chocolate in the fridge. i went up the stairs as fast as i could, and threw open kae's door. she was curled into a ball, clutching a pillow, and wrapped in her duvet. 

"here." i said softly, holding out my hoodie to her. she looked at it, then at me, before she slowly sat up. she pulled it over her head, then laid back down.

"c'mere." kaeleigh spoke, arms open. i lay next to her, wrapping both arms around her and pulling her close to me. she nuzzled her face in my chest, clutching me tightly.

"i'm sorry."

"i hate being a girl." she muttered. "we have all these crap things happen to us, and we don't even get treated properly for dealing with them."

"i know, baby, i know." i soothed, rubbing her back slowly.

"i like when you call me that." she mumbled, "why do you call me that?"

"i just have for years." i answered. "i guess it slipped once, and now it's like a habit."

"keep doing it." kae ordered. "i like it. i want someone to call me baby."

"i'll call you baby." i whispered. of course she saw the nickname as a friendly one, when really that's all i wanted to call her. my baby.

i'm not sure how long we stayed like that, our bodies pressed against one another. i think kaeleigh fell asleep, but i don't know because i fell asleep.

when i woke it was eleven, and i was surprised that we slept that long. kae was asleep, but we were still cuddled together, and she hadn't moved. i hummed quietly, not intending to wake her.

i didn't realize that her eyes had fluttered open, and that she was watching me. when i looked down at her to see her stating back, i nearly jumped. "feeling better?"

"no." kaeleigh shook her head slightly. "and i've got five more days to go."

"i'll get up at eight in the morning for you on each one." i promised, giving her a smile. "and i'll bring you chocolate again too."

"you brought chocolate!?"

we ended up down stairs, each of us half way through a chocolate bar. when kaeleigh finished hers, i gave her the last piece of mine. she grinned, "thanks, cal."

"you're welcome."

"really, thank you." kae said sincerely, "you didn't have to rush over here that early, and you especially didn't have to bring me chocolate. i'm sorry i made you do this."

"kae." i breathed, reaching across the counter and taking her hand in both of mine. "i don't mind this. you're my best friend, this kind of stuff is just the beginning of why i'd do for you. don't worry about it, it's totally fine."

"thank you."

i moved around the counter, tugging on her hand, pulling her into my chest. i wrapped my arms around her tightly, "you're welcome."

"you're the best." kaeleigh whispered. "i couldn't have asked for a better best friend."

"why don't we go watch movies and eat a carton of ice cream?" i suggested, pulling away from the embrace.

"you brought ice cream too!?" kae shrieked, "shit, cal."

i chuckled, telling her to go to the living room to set up a movie while i got the ice cream from the freezer. i got two spoons, before following her and sitting next to her on the couch. she pulled a blanket over us, and i put the carton between us.

kaeleigh pressed play, and i almost groaned at her movie choice. taking a spoonful of ice cream, i whined, "why?"

"you said i could pick the movie." kae stated. "so i picked she's the man."

i actually groaned that time, shoving the ice cream in my mouth. "you know, she could have just challenged a boy's team to prove that girls are good."

"no," she scoffed. "she had to make it seem like she was a guy, so that people would realize that there's no difference between girl and boys. well, of course there is, but she wanted to prove that she could play soccer just as well as any other guy. and if they had known she was a girl, it wouldn't have the same effect. it was a total surprise, totally threw them of guard. they actually saw that 'you play like a girl' wasn't an insult, but a compliment."

"that was deep." i commented, licking the spoon.

"it actually applies to more than soccer." she nodded. "girls can do anything a guy can."

"i know." i agreed. "girl power."

kaeleigh laughed, taking another bite of the ice cream. "girl power."

about ten minutes later, when the ice cream was almost gone, i placed my spoon on the lid, which was on the coffee table, and announced, "i'm done. you can have the rest."

"i've already eaten so much." kaeleigh groaned, "but oh well."

i chuckled, slinging an arm around her shoulder. "so what are we doing tomorrow?"

"depends." she answered. "i could wake up in pain, or sleep till one in the morning. i'll call you, and we can decide what we want to do."

"sounds like a plan." i nodded.

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i just realized that i didn't write an author's note on the previous chapters woops.

hi! nice to meet you all. i hope you like this story, and if you do, please check out my other ones.

i love you all already, :)

- k