Calum was skate boarding around the neighborhood on the last day of summer, his torso naked, his shirt tucked into the back of his pants. He saw you sitting on your front porch reading a book, a strand of hair having fallen from your messy pony tail. He'd seen you before, even around school, but had never taken much notice - he had always pegged you to be the good girl. (Likewise, you had pinned him as the bad boy.) Today, though, with the sun setting and the air beginning to cool with the threat of autumn, you seemed to be radiating beauty. Without a second guess, he angled his skateboard toward your house, the wheels roaring against the concrete of your driveway.
Your head shot up at the sound of someone (someone obnoxiously loud) approaching. A frown was set on your lips as you saw Calum, his bare chest shining with a thin layer of sweat he'd worked up from skating. You shifted on the porch, brushing the piece of hair behind your ear.
"Hey," Calum said, popping the board up into his hands. You watched him, confusion written all over your face. Calum, though, was smiling. "You're Y/N, right?" You tilted your head, surprised he even knew your name.
"Yeah. And you're Calum." You didn't have to confirm this, everyone knew who he was. He continued smiling and played with the skateboard in his hands, spinning the wheels with his fingers.
"I saw you sitting here and just thought you looked really peaceful, and, well, pretty." His voice broke a little, and his cheeks were suddenly stained with a blush. You, too, were blushing, and also at a loss for words.
"Can I, uh, get your number?" Calum asked, pulling out his phone. You licked your lips.
"Is this a trick?" you asked suddenly, your confusion and nerves getting the best of you. Calum's mouth opened, his fingers stalling on the phone. "I mean, we don't really run in the same social circles," you stated. Calum blinked at you.
"That doesn't mean I wouldn't want to run in the same social circle with you." You pressed your lips together and took a deep breath, judging the look in Calum's eyes. They were soft, comforting, and somehow familiar.
"Okay," you said, finally smiling. You weren't sure if you fully trusted Calum's words (he could have been playing you the whole time), but there was no uneasy feeling in your stomach as you repeated the nine digits of your phone number you had memorized.
"Thanks for giving me a chance," Calum said, placing his skateboard on the ground and rolling it back and forth with his foot. You smiled once more, daring to rush forward and give him a hug, your body buzzing as your face pressed into his bare chest, his musky scent overwhelming your senses. He laughed, wrapping his arms around you.
"Call me," he said, getting ready to push off with his skateboard. You laughed, crossing your arms.
"You're the one with my phone number. So I suggest you call me." It was Calum's turn once more to blush as he smiled sheepishly. "I'll see you around," you said, softer this time.
And with that, Calum was off, the summer behind him but a wonderful season of fall ahead of him.
