UNDERAGE ➳ Z.M

three

*FLASHBACK*

"What's there to love if there's nothing?!" Callie shouts, her internals screaming to get out.

Tori's eyes fall to the floor. "I-I don't know." She says, averting her eyes back to Callie, watching her never-ending flow of tears falling one by one onto the ground.

Callie wipes her cheeks roughly, and with the raspy voice she has, says "fuck. I've messed up big time." 

Tori thinks of a way to comfort her friend. It's been a dreadful week. With every second she's with Callie, becomes screams of agonizing heartbreaks, not going to school, and Callie's health being decreased. But that didn't stop Tori from constantly visiting her dear friend every day after school. She took her time to bring Callie her favourite coffee, buy croissants that are filled with melted cheese, and giving all her love and attention. Not once has Tori not thought about Callie while at school. Not once has Tori not cared for Callie. And not once has Tori left Callie. She was by Callie's side for as long as she can remember, and she'd like to keep it that way. From ocean to ocean, from city to city, or from universe to universe, nothing will stop Tori from being with Callie, no matter the distance, that is.

"It's him. He's the fucked up one. Don't blame this all on yourself-" 

She cuts me off, and slowly says, "I am internally lost. I am the fucked up one. I trusted too much. I cared too much. I loved too much."  She groans, her movements all loose and slouchy, and from the actions Tori has witnessed, she has never seen Callie so... weak. She had baggy eyes, her smile had faded ever so quickly, and her chapped lips says it all. This girl was an absolute mess.

She loved him, as what Tori would say, but there was something that made her doubt on him. Something that held her back from saying that he loved her too, but tried to push out the thought whenever they were together.

"Callie, stop." Tori says firmly.

"Or what? He's going to come back and finally regret what he said to me and tell me that he loves me?" Callie says harshly, trying to hold back her tears from falling.

Tori's eyes kept focusing on hers, trying to tell her that everything is going to be all right, but that was the last thing Callie wanted to think about. It hurts Tori to see Callie broken, every thought that filled up Callie's mind would be him, him, him. It was a scary thing to watch, and a hard thing to forget.

"No. You're going to forget about that fuckboy. You're going to forget whatever you had together, because you know what? He doesn't deserve you. And you don't deserve him. He's an asshole with no heart whatsoever and his eyes are obviously blind because what he has is right in front of him. If he comes back to you, begging on his knees, kick him in the dick, and walk away like the boss ass bitch you are. And never look back." 

It was a moment that Callie never forgot about Tori's words.

And it was a moment that Tori was proud of.

-------------------------------------------------------

Tori's POV

"So she never talked about him ever again?" Niall said, wiping some ketchup sauce from the leftover pizza I had in the fridge.

"Nope. Not a single word about him. She was in the middle of a drought." I tell him, carefully not to spill anything about the subject further.

Niall looks down and nods, understanding the situation. It was quiet for a bit, then he spoke up. "Sounded like she really loved him."

I gave him the really-now look, showing off my sarcasm through my facial expressions. "You don't say," I reply, slowly shaking my head. It was hard to forget about what Callie's been through and I certainly don't want that to ever happen again. I stared woodenly at the ceramic tiles on the floor, following distinctively at the patterns surrounding it. I think of all the things that could happen, and I reminded myself that I will look out for Callie, no matter what. 

"Well," Niall slowly speaks out. "Guess I'd better head back to my new home," he says, standing up and stretching out his arms. 

"Right. Thank you so much for coming by to see me. It's been a while." I replied. I felt really touched and loved that he still remembered me ever since he moved to Philadelphia. I would be lying if I said that I haven't had a crush on him at least once. But it got pretty awkward so I've told myself to see him as a friend, rather than a crush. 

"I'll always be here, like literally here. We live in the same city now so like, yeah." He says, followed by a laugh. I too, laugh, because I've missed out so much on him and I'd like to hang out more often to catch up on things. I was only 10 or 11 years old by the time he moved out of Marenton, our hometown, and it was the time where I literally broke down because my one and only best friend had to move because of his dad's job. Well, I've never really thought about finding the good things in the bad situations but here he is, living on his own, in the same city, with his precious smile giving away his happiness to other people as he walks around, with those eyes that make you warm enough for the winter and his place in life just seemed so perfect. What a guy.

"Where are you working, Niall?" I asked out of my curiosity.

"Um, don't know if you've heard of the Silverlux Hotel in downtown? Huge company, with over a hundred people working there and-" 

"Silverlux? I know that!" I interrupt him. I quickly cover my mouth and realized how rude that was. "Sorry," I whispered quietly. 

He chuckles, his smile ever so wide. "It's okay, just didn't expect you to be that excited about it. But yeah, I work there, and am going to start on Monday." He replies.

"Nice," I reply, softening my voice while I nod my head. "I should get you going then. You're going to need a lot of sleep, Niall." I smile, pushing him slightly towards the door. "Oh Tori, the one that only cares about sleep." Niall says, and I shake my head while laughing. Before I open the door, he stops and turns around to face me. "By the way," he says, coming in for a hug. I back up slowly, my eyes staring right through his ever so wicked eyes, meaning, uh oh. 

"Oh no. Nope. Not this time." I start backing up slowly, shaking my head as if thats the last thing I'd want to do. "Niall I swear to-" and without finishing my sentence, I'm already being lifted up by Niall and he's running to the couch with his arms tight, laughing.

"NIALL PUT ME DOWN!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"As you say so." And with that, he throws me onto the couch, and I'm panting, trying to catch my breath. Once I find my heartbeat coming back to a normal pace, I whisper, "I hate you." He gives a light chuckle before walking calmly towards the door. 

"You don't hate me, Victoria." He replies, a beautiful famous smile of his appears in his thoughts of happiness.

"Don't call me Victori-" and yet again I haven't finished my reply and he's disappeared. Away from my sight. I hear the door close quietly and I sigh heavily, giggling a bit after that. 

Niall, the one boy that manages to get away with my heart without romantically impressing me. Just like best friends. Like the good old times. And mentally replying to what he said earlier, 

"Never in my life, Niall."