"Imagine what it would be like working at that deli and coming home smelling like cold cuts," Mabel said.
It was lunch and Hanna had invited Calum to spend it with Mabel, Jason, and herself. They went to a local sandwich deli to pick up food then spent their time eating in an open space outside where picnic tables were available.
"I like cold cuts," Hanna laughed.
"Babe," Jason groaned, rolling his eyes in disgust.
Calum quietly laughed to himself, chewing the food in his mouth. He was getting full but didn't want to be rude by throwing out the sub Mabel had so eagerly ordered for him.
"A job's a job," Hanna said, taking a sip of her fountain drink.
"Have you ever been employed?" asked Mabel.
"Nope."
She laughed. "Ew, you're lame."
"Have you?" Jason asked defensively. You could tell by his expression, body language, and tone of voice that he was getting fed up with Mabel. He never really liked her, but she was his girlfriend's best friend. Jason would kill to be out of any situation that involved her.
It's true what Hanna said, the two were alike, but only in the smallest ways. Their friendship had develop over years which caused them to have similar tastes and humour, but it was all circumstantial. Hanna and Mabel had their inside jokes and knew when they were going to form new ones. No one could see the similarities between the two except the best friends themselves.
Calum still has not been able to do anything but compare and contrast the two simply because he had fallen deep into an ocean of emotions for Hanna.
Yes, Calum was dating Mabel, but he felt as if he didn't have much of a say. Being unbelievably shy - especially in social situations - and self conscious due to his incredibly low self esteem, Calum just wanted to make Mabel happy. If Mabel likes Calum and is happy being with him, he will do just that. After all, a happy Mabel means a happy Hanna.
Mabel knows how to speak her mind; she's strongly opinionated and can be an open book. She's adventurous and loves to discover new things so she could share them with others. Unfortunately, she can come off as rude, arrogant, and modest because of this. In other words, Mabel is the opposite of Calum. But you know what they say, opposites attract. Or at least that's what Mabel likes to believe.
Calum's subtle charm, gentle touch, soft words, and humbleness are the reasons that Mabel likes him. Deep down she believes that he could be good for her, despite the fact that she subconsciously tries to mould him into a figure such as her own self.
"Darling are you going to eat that?" Mabel asks Calum, gesturing to the last third of his sub. "Do you not like it? I ordered it just for you, why aren't you eating it?" You could hear the offence growing in her tone.
"Um, yeah, I'm not that hungry," Calum mumbled shyly.
"You don't like it?"
"No, I like it! It's delicious, thank you for ordering it for me." Calum clasps his palms together, feeling that they're beginning to get clammy.
"I'll eat it!" Hanna reaches over the picnic table to go grab the sub that sits half eaten in front of the tanned boy.
"Nonsense!" Mabel slapped Hanna's hand away. "It's my boyfriend's sub, I'll eat it," she said proudly and squeezes Calum's bicep with a smile plastered across her face.
Jason groans. "I thought you were done stuffing your face?"
Mabel laughs sarcastically.
"What? No witty remark or bratty comeback?"
"Oh, I have a lot to say."
"Jason, why don't you go and get us some napkins?" Hanna asks, trying to break up the uncomfortable tension between the two.
"Gladly," he murmurs under his breath as he pushes himself off the picnic table's seat.
"So I've been thinking," Mabel declares, changing the subject as she comes up with another theory of hers. "You know how smallpox is, like, extinct, right?"
"This sounds stupid," laughed Hanna.
Calum chuckled under his breath.
Mabel have a face to Hanna. "Sorry, continue."
She cleared her throat. "So, since over time that disease or whatever disappeared off the face of the earth - thank god - I'm believe that the chicken pox has done the same."
"I don't think-"
"Honey, what did I say about interrupting me?" Mabel asked annoyed, not looking at Calum.
He stayed quiet.
"So, as I was saying, you never really see anyone with chicken pox anymore, right? My brother hasn't even gotten his yet and he's eighteen! A long time ago when my baby cousins had them, he didn't even catch it. I thought it was contagious?" she rambled. "Or maybe he's immune to it. Either way, it's gone. Poof! Off the face of the earth."
Hanna took out her phone and started scrolling down social media, not really listening to what her best friend is bantering about. Calum does the same.
"They're twelve now and ever since then I hadn't seen anyone with the chicken pox. I'm sure you guys haven't either. Where do they come from anyway? Chickens? I went to a farm and my brother held a chicken. Guess what? He didn't get them."
"Shut up," Jason says as he throws the bundle of napkins in Mabel's face. He pulled out his phone to check a message or two he'd receive from a certain red headed girl.
"It's almost half past two, your boyfriend and I have class to attend."
Calum gives Jason a confused look.
"I thought you guys start class at three today?" asked Hanna.
Jason spoke up before Calum had the chance to respond. "Well looks like you're wrong yet again. Get your facts straight, babe."
He grasped onto Calum's wrist tightly and pulled him away from the girls. As they grew some distance, he shoved Calum away from him.
"I think you know what's up. Keep your mouth shut or I'm going to make you wish you had." he threatened then took off.
YOU ARE READING
Shy / Calum Hood
Fiksi Penggemar"You can't possibly love a guy like him..." "And why not?" Entering university, Calum Hood keeps a journal as requested by his therapist. Channeling all his thoughts into his notebook, Hood also writes down his emotions towards his best friend whom...
