dog sitters // C.H. (on hiatus)

(seven) switch

"Dude, it's 3a.m., where are you off to?" Calum drops his phone on his bare feet, startled.

"What the fuck are you doing, Michael?" he asks when his eyes adjust to the dark living room. "Just laying down on the couch. I almost forgot how easy it is to scare you," Michael laughs, sitting up on the couch.

"Whatever, douche." Calum mumbles and makes his way to the apartment door. "I'm going to the gym. If you're awake when I'm back, we can go get breakfast."

"Do they serve pizza for breakfast anywhere?"

"Are you serious?"

"Then I won't be awake for breakfast."

Shaking his head, Calum slips into his shoes and shuts the door behind him. He jogs up the stairs to the rooftop of the apartment building, where the exclusive for residents only gym is situated. He walks in, determined to burn off more calories and work more muscles than usual since Michael had made him stay home after the girl from K9 sitters had left, forcing him to watch reruns of F.R.I.E.N.D.S while  munching on pizza. Thankfully, Michael had only woken up after Camilla left; saving Calum from having to answer Michael's burning questions about that hot chick. Michael referred to pretty much every girl five years younger than him or five years older than him as that hot chick.

"Hey, Calum!" the gym's receptionist greets him when he enters the gym. The receptionist is a young Indian girl; at most, she is probably nineteen or twenty years old. From his previous conversations with her, Calum learned that she is a university student majoring in Law. With her extensive knowledge about current affairs and the legal system, she convinced Calum that she will be a damn good lawyer one day.

"Hey Shreya! Looking great with your new highlights!" Calum compliments, noticing the brand new blonde streaks in her almost-black-but-not-quite shade of brown hair. "Thannk you," she feels her cheeks turn red and thanks God for her creamy cocoa coloured skin, for she could always depend on it to mask her blushing cheeks around the people she has a  crush on.

"Pulling an all nighter again?" Calum asks as he stretches his back; Shreya stifling a gasp when his grey sweatshirt rides up and reveals the happiest of happy trails. "Yup, I have so many assignments due soon and the gym is quiet at night so why not!"

"Just don't forget to take care of yourself. Health is just as important as an education and a career."

"Will do! Enjoy your workout, Calum!" Shreya smiles.

For the next two hours, she steals a little more glances at Calum than she probably should have and does a little less of her assignments than she probably should have.

Half a day later, Camilla is carrying the last of the only five moving card boxes to her new apartment, right next to her new neighbour and his five dogs.

Immediately after she had left Calum's apartment yesterday, she had called her mom to announce her new discovery and Ally was delighted. "That's great!" she had said. "Calum's such a nice guy, I'm sure he is going to be a great neighbour!"

"You've only ever met him once, Ally!" Camilla had argued, only to hear her mom's famed line:

"True, but my gut feelings are never wrong."

Camilla shoves the box into the backseat of her car, only to realise that Ally's mongrel, Poseidon, was waiting for her on the passenger seat.

"Aw, baby!" Camilla opens the door and hugs him, fighting back tears that made no appearance when she said her goodbyes to her mom. "I'm going to miss you so much!" Poseidon replies with two wet licks on her nose. 'We're going to have sleepovers, okay?" Three licks on her cheeks and one on her lips.