The game | Calum Hood

Fractured ankles Inspiring Speeches and Car journeys

*Calum's p.o.v*
"Ash!" I smiled as my curly friend pushed open my door and took a seta on the end of my bed, where I hadn't moved from in two days.

"Hey buddy!" Ash replied, "how's the foot?"

I groaned and sat up, pausing my game of FIFA. "Still broken last time I checked."

"It's not broken Cal, you've only fractured it." He moaned at me, something my mum had been doing since Riley brought me home on Saturday, it was now Monday.

"It's as good as broken." I grumbled back, it was true. The doctors said I could be back playing football in a few weeks, but I wasn't going to be the player that I was before, and there was no way that I was going to risk it. I went out on top.

"No it's not Calum. You'll be playing again in a few matches." Ashton's chirpy voice did nothing to soothe me, instead it made me feel pitied, which I really didn't want to feel. I didn't want anybody's pity, I didn't need it.

"I want to be known as 'Calum hood, number one, the best player the town had ever seen!' Not 'Calum Hood, the guy who got injured and played pretty shit afterwards'."

Ashton's face dropped. "Calum, you are still the best player on the team, you have a minor injury that you can easily recover from. Have you spoken to Riley? She's probably really worried Calum."

Riley, the person who my brain had worked overtime to try not to think about.

"Please say you have."

I shook my head and looked away from Ashton, whose face was plastered with disappointment.

"Riley won't want me anymore, a girl like her can have whoever she wants. Why would she want me? I can't even leave my bed."

"She wants you because she loves you dumbass, and you love her. You are just too blind to realise it. Both of you are. You two need eachother." Ashton laughed, knowing he was right.

"I told you Ash, she broke up with me!"

"Because she was scared. She was scared of falling in love with you, just like you were, which is why you rushed it. You were scared she would run away, or suddenly not feel the same, but you two are made for one another, go see her. Now."

Rolling my eyes at Ashton's speech, I hauled my legs from the bed and placed them onto the floor. With it being Ashton's idea to go and see Riley, he had automatically nominated himself to be my carer, which meant getting me dressed.

Hobbling in my crutches down the stairs, my mums jaw hung open, surprised to see me going anywhere.

"Calum? Ashton? Where are you boys going?"

Ashton smirked from beside me.

"To restore true love Mrs Hood." He giggled, earning a hit with my crutches to his leg. "Ow, what was that for?" He moaned, before we headed out of the door and up onto Riley's driveway. My heart began to pound as I reached her door, and my hand was shaking as I knocked carefully.

Quickly, the door opened, startling me.

"Calum?" Miss Kirkland smiled at me, and she rested Logan on her hip. "Are you looking for Riley?"

I nodded, even though it wasn't Riley who had opened the door, I had lost the ability to speak, nothing would come out.

"She's at work, do you want me to tell her you called?"

Finally, I found my voice to answer.

"Oh no, it's ok." I stammered. "Thank you." Smiling, she closed the door and left me standing there. I swung myself back down towards Ashton who was leant up against his car. "Ash, you couldn't drive me to Michael's could you?"

His eyebrows raised on confusion. "Michael?"

I nodded and clarified "Riley's cousin. He lives just the other side of the park. He knows where she works, please?"

Reluctantly, he agreed, opening the door for me to slide into. He ran around to the other side and started the engine, and we were on the way to Michael's.

"It's that one? Jeez, that house is bigger than my whole street!" Ashton exclaimed, staring at Michael's house in awe.

"Stop gawping, and help me out." I grumbled, making Ashton run around to my door and let me put my weight on him as I heaved myself up. I hobbled to Michael's door, which was quickly answered by a purple haired girl who had the same build as Riley. She was slim and her hair was perfectly straight, falling down to her waist, and her wrists were home to tonnes of bracelets.

"Uh, is Michael there?" I managed to speak before I looked like a creep, standing and staring at her.

Her mouth turned into a smile as she turned into the house.

"Michael! There's someone at the door for you!" She yelled. "Hi, I'm Tori, you must be Calum?"

I nodded and she shook my hand. "Nice to meet you Tori. I like your bracelets."

She blushed as yelled Michael again, making him appear in the doorway.

"Sup Cal? Come in mate." He laughed, beckoning me in.

"Ah, no thanks Mikey, I just wondered, where does Riley work? I need to see her."

"Can't you just ring her?" He mumbled, "she's not feeling the love right now."

I shook my head and looked Michael square in the eye. "I need to see her Michael."

There was not way I was leaving without knowing where Riley worked.

"On your head be it!" He laughed, grabbing his coat from the hooks next to the door. "But we're coming with you." Tori nodded and followed Michael out of the house.

I sighed but agreed as I lead the pair down towards Ashton's car, making Ashton raise his eyebrows at me, hinting at me to tell him who these people were.

"Oh, Ashton this is Michael, Riley's cousin and Tori, Riley's uh..."

"Friend." She finished for me "nice to meet you Ashton."

Ashton smiled is response and helped me into the car before getting in himself and we set off towards Riley's work, guided each step by Michael from the backseat.

Finally, we arrived and we all sat still, staring at the illuminated is sign of the sport shop.