Spaces // C.H.

1.0

Age 10

"Cal! No fair!" I shout to my best friend of 8 years. Cal was sitting on a tree, me being shorter than him, was not able to reach branch. Calum Hood and his fraternal twin sister, Hannah, were my best friends.

"Okay fine. Here, grab my hand!" Cal smiles, while reaching down to me. I oblige and take his hand in mine, since i was much smaller he helped me up with ease.

"Thanks, Cal. So where's Hannah?" I ask.

"She's at one of her soccer games with my dad," he says. Hannah was really good at soccer.

"Oh okay," I smile, letting the comfortable silence takeover.

"Hey Netty?" Cal starts, using his nickname for me, full name being Annette.

"What Cal?"

"We're going to be best friends forever right?" He asks.

"Of coarse Cal," I smile

"Kids! I made fish inside!" Mama Hood hollers. 

"We're coming!" Cal and I holler back in unison.

Age 13

"Happy Birthday, Dear Netty! Happy Birthday to you!" Everyone chanted as i blew out my candles. Calum and Hannah had turned 13 in January. My birthday is in March. 

"What'd you wish for?" Cal asks.

"I can't tell you then it won't come true!" I sass, but really I just didn't want anyone to know what I wished for. My life for the past two years have been painful and broken. My grandparents died, and my father left us, my brother Ashton, my mom, and I. Ever since my dad left my mom has had us moving from trailer park to trailer park. So honestly I just wished for happy times.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's eat cake!" Hannah smiles and starts helping me cut the cake. 

.

.

.

Presents. I honestly had not wished for a lot this year, mainly because I knew my mom couldn't afford it. But yet here I was standing in front of a pile of presents. "Here Netty," Ashton smiles his wide smile, showing his dimples that i never inherited. "Open mine first," he hands me a small box, as I unwrap it I notice its a jewelry box, inside, is a necklace A locket with pictures of my mom, Ash, and I. Ever since my dad left, he took it upon himself to be sort of my father figure. He hates that he left me at eleven. He was 13 when he left. Ash and I are two years apart.

"Thanks, Ash. I love it so much," I smile, refusing to let a tear roll down my cheek.

"No problemo, Netty." 

"Okay now mine!" Hannah smiles extremely excited. I took the box from her and inside were three leather-backed journals. She was my writing buddy, we would write stories together and all that jazz. 

I went through some more presents, my mom got me an iPod, Mama Hood got me a beautiful blue blouse, Luke and his family got me a skateboard, and Michael got me some guitar earrings. Oh, did I ever mention Luke and Michael? They were also our pretty good friends. We all got along pretty well. Calum was the last person left with a present. He handed me a small bag. I open the bag and inside was a pandora bracelet, the first charm on it, was a boy and girl with a sign in the middle that says "BFF's". 

Age 17

Airport. Calum, Ashton, Michael, and Luke, started a band a few years back. Who knew they would actually get famous. 5 Seconds of Summer, Hannah and I's four best friends were leaving on tour with One Direction, the biggest boy band in the world. Calum told me last month. I cried a bit, I didn't want my best friends and brother to leave. But they are. I accepted it, because it was their dream. Hannah and Ashton had grown pretty close the past month. They always hang out and they became best of friends. Calum had been my friend for the past 15 years. For the past 3 years I realized I had started to like him as we grew up, I just never told him that because I knew he wouldn't feel the same.

Calum's POV

I am excited for the tour, don't get me wrong. But I'm not really ready to leave Netty. She's been my best friend for almost my whole life. I can honestly say I've had a crush on her since we were 8. But i just can't tell her that. 

"Flight 182 is now boarding, have a safe flight! Thank you for choosing Southwest Airlines, We look forward to attending you on your flight."

Everyone had already gone into the plane. I was standing there with Hannah and Netty.

"Don't miss me too much Hannah," I say to my identical sister.

"Are you kidding? I'm going to go home and chill out on your bed while watching Netflix!" She smiles. She hugs me and tells Netty she'll be in the car.

Netty stays and looks at me, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "So dork, you better get me tons of souvenirs."

I smile at her attempt to 'lighten the mood'.

Maybe I could tell her.

Just maybe.

"Hey Netty, I need to tell you somethi-," I stop and watch as her eyes dart at me with hope.

I can't.

"Don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone okay?" Dang it.

I screwed it up.

Her shoulders drop, "Yea, don't worry I'll be fine." She faintly smiles.

She takes a step toward me for a hug, and I hug her back. 

"Bye Netty," I say. Frustrated with myself, I walk into the terminal, not even waiting for her to say good bye.

It's going to be a long ten months.