Shy / Calum Hood

27. Trampoline

a/n: please read the author's note at the bottom :-)

Finally, the day Calum has been counting down had arrived: Hanna's party.

Hanna had been setting up all morning with her best friend, Mabel, all morning long, leaving Calum nothing but a text of her address and the anxious feeling of not knowing what to expect for this had been his first real party. A group of friends hanging out or a relative's birthday is not quite considered a party, but that's the closest Calum had gotten.

The boy hadn't had much exposure to the social life and activities of teens and young adults due to the incredible amount of shyness and isolation he puts himself through. Calum wasn't one to go out anyway, he'd much prefer staying home in his room or spending time with him family such as playing cards and board games. Frankly, Calum had grown out of that position and no longer took part in those activities just like his sister, Mali Koa, had done as well. The past few years Calum kept to himself, his only real friend being an old, close friend named Michael Clifford who had moved away to New York for college. Since then, Calum had no intentions of meeting new people.

Hanna's party was going to change that.

Calum had arrived at the address given to him around quarter after 7 o'clock in the evening. The house had already began piling up with guests, most whom he had never seen before. Surely they did not all attend the same university he and the two girls did.

The Maori boy cautiously shuffled through sweaty bodies holding red solo cups and bags of chips and explored the building, trying to find a comfortable place to sit. Everything was overwhelming, there was so much for Calum to take in. From the amount of food and drinks scattered across tables throughout rooms to the blasting music meandering through the speakers hooked up to the ceiling, Calum had seen nothing like it before. Definitely not like his relatives' birthdays.

The house was nice; it was fairly large with just the right amount of furniture. All priceless decoration had been stored away safely, he assumed. The lighting was set perfectly for the mood and the music matched the body language of all the guests, leaving them satisfied. 'There's no way her parents are home to see this,' Calum thought to himself.

"Calum!" a girl had exclaimed and she shoved bodies aside, trying to make her way to the boy.

Calum turned his head towards the voice to see who had called him.

"I'm so glad you came!" Hanna smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a warm and welcoming embrace.

"It wouldn't be the same without my best friend," she said as she pulled away from the hug, her arm sliding down to his hand where she intertwined their fingers.

Calum's heart sank a little by the fact that she practically just best friend-zoned him, but he cheeks burned because she's now holding his hand. Her hands were smaller than his and a lot softer, too.

"How are you?" Calum asked above the noise, trying to make conversation to distract his nerves.

"Oh, I'm fine! Don't worry about me! Come on," Hanna adjusted her hands with his, now pulling him behind her and she began walking towards another room, "Luke's pouring shots for everyone!"

"Who's Luke?"

"You're going to love him! He's a real show stopper!"

It was quite early for everyone to be drinking, but Mabel figured that it would give everyone a lot more time to 'let loose' and have some fun.