oh no // c.h.

ch. 1

*Ninth grade*

"Cal?"

"July it's like, midnight. What do you need?" His voice sounded more groggy over the phone.

"Can you meet me in my backyard like, right now?" I asked nervously, biting on my lip.

"Hey are you alright? Is everything okay?" I could hear the change in his tone. There was shuffling from the other end, I was guessing he was getting out of bed.

"Yeah just, something bothering me."

"I'll be there in five minutes."

"Alright, thanks."

"No problem."

He hung up and I snuck out of my room, down the hallway, and opened the sliding doors out to my backyard.

The warm summer air was enough for me to be able to wear my pajama shorts outside, but the slight breezes made me thank god that I had a long sleeve shirt on.

I walked down the brick path and sat down on the grass underneath the night sky, fiddling with my fingers.

I was getting lost in my own thoughts as I heard something bang against the tall fence that separated Cal and I's houses.

"Ow."

I hid a laugh as I saw the dark haired boy clamber up the fence.

"You alright there?"

"Yeah just, might've slammed my face into the fence. No biggie." Calum jumped down from the top of the fence in a school sweatshirt and soccer shorts.

He came and sat down next to me, his arm draped around his knees and me sitting cross cross.

I laughed lightly as he rubbed the side of his face.

"So what's up?" He finally asked.

My face remain emotionless as I looked at Calum in the dark, barely catching his features in the moonlight.

"It's actually really stupid the more I think about it," Suddenly my shoelaces looked really interesting, "you know what, um, sorry I called you. I- I didn't know what I was thinking." I shook my head.

"No, what's on your mind Jules? You can tell me you know."

Calum nudged my shoulder and I smiled lightly. I took a deep breath and thought about how to say it without sounding like a baby.

"It's just, people at school are like, bothering me about, not having my first kiss." I mumbled the last part.

"What?"

"Me not havin-"

"No no I heard you, I've learned to decipher your mumbles," He laughed and I couldn't help but join in, "but that's not something you should be bothered about." He told me seriously.

"I know but, so many people have had theirs already. I just want to get it over with, you know?" I stared at the walnut tree in front of us.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I mean, you know I haven't had mine either...."

I looked at Calum and for the first time, I felt weird inside.

I was only able to stare at his profile as he completely avoided looking at my face.

If he could see me right now, all he would see is my face as red as a tomato.

I wondered if his was the same.

We hadn't even said anything slightly embarrassing, but I felt like we were thinking the same thing.

"So...." I started.

"So maybe, we, should, be each other's." He breathed out slowly.

No one said anything for a good thirty seconds, and I was screaming inside.

Never had I ever seen Calum as a thoughtful, romantic guy. He was the definition of what a male was. He was such, a boy. I don't know how I would explain it.

But at midnight in my backyard with my best friend next to me he didn't just look like a guy. He looked like something so much more. He looked like the person that knew me upside down, forwards, backwards, inside out, everything about me. He looked like he was scared for one of the first times in his life that wasn't a life threatening situation. He looked more human than he usually does.

I only have a few moments like this with Calum. Where he isn't cracking jokes or having a witty comment to say. The moment where he doesn't say anything and it's all serious, a moment of peace and it's times like these that I cherish with Calum the most.

"O-okay. Yeah." I nodded slowly.

He took a deep breath and turned his body to me.

I did the same.

"Here goes."

He gingerly put his hand on my cheek and I felt a shock run through the left side of my face. I didn't know what to do with my hand, I put one on his knee.

He tilted his head and started leaning in, I could see his eyes were closed as I leaned in as well.

I could feel his breath fan over my lips, guessing he was an inch away from me.

And just as our lips ghosted over each other's, I felt an all out downpour, rain on us.

Calum kept his hand on my cheek as our foreheads bumped together in the slight surprise of the sudden water poring from the sky.

"Oh my god." Calum whispered, his face still inches from mine.

He was the first to break apart as he looked up at the rain falling down onto us, his hand still holding my cheek. I couldn't help but question the feeling in my stomach. Was it disappointment?

He looked back down at me and his gaze went from my eyes to my lips.

I was hoping that he was just going to get it over with and kiss me but he didn't. Instead he slung an arm around my shoulders and leaned in towards my ear:

"I love the summer rain," He stood up and pulled me to standing position with him, "and I like how we can put the world away, July. We always get so disconnected, and I don't mind it at all." He then cupped both my cheeks and kissed my forehead gingerly, whispering a goodnight before hopping back over the fence.

I stood frozen in the rain. I lightly pressed my fingers to the spot his lips just touched.

And it might've not been a kiss on the lips, or my first kiss, but it was worth waking up at midnight for.

✱✱✱✱

a/n:

it's funny cause wayf and disconnected are like such opposites

HI THIS A NEW CAL FIC and you know I needed to redeem myself for the embarrassment of my last one.

So I'm praying that I do.

Hope you enjoy this story much much more

~ juliana