charming // ch

2.

It'd been about three weeks since I visited the Hoods, and I was getting a bit desperate to see Calum again. I'd go out to my garden more often, hoping to get a chance to talk to him, maybe if he were in his backyard, or something. I knew it was a creepy thing to do and I gave myself loads of crap about it, but it didn't stop me from hoping that I'd see him again.

Though while I didn't see him, I most certainly heard him. Almost every night, there'd be loud noise I'd guessed was his band practicing coming from somewhere inside the . I'd stop what I was doing, and move to my bedroom window, which conviently was the best spot in the house to hear the music.

I'd hear snippets from songs, and I was surprised at the emotion behind the lyrics. I often found myself wondering if Calum wrote some of these songs, and what or who inspired him. I also sometimes daydreamed of being the reason behind a ballad like the ones I heard, but ended up chastising myself. With the way things were going, I didn't think that would ever happen. I had better things to do than fantasize about a guy I'd had only one awkward exchange with before.

Recently, I'd taken a dog-walking for my mom's friend, and was my first day. Brenda, the aforementioned friend, brought over her bulldog Lola at about 10, and immediately I fell in with the small ball of sunshine.

After lunch, I was taking her for a around my neighborhood, enjoying the sunny day, when I turn a corner and see Calum, jogging with an intense look on his face. I almost laughed a little at how focused he looked, but as soon as he saw Lola and I, he immediately grinned hugely and crossed the road.

When he got over to us he was out of breath and quite sweaty, and my pounded. "Who's this cutie?" He asked, smiling down at the dog.

"This is Lola." I answered, keeping it friendly while my heart was doing weird flops inside my chest.

"Is it alright if I her?" Calum inquired, stepping closer.

"Yeah," I replied. "She's super friendly." Calum knelt down, and began to scratch Lola behind the ear. She responded by pressing against him, and panting happily with the stump of her tail wagging.

"Is she yours?" He asked, looking up at me.

I shook my head. "Nah, I'm dogsitting. I wish though." I laughed. "She's such a sweetheart."

Calum gave Lola one last scratch on the top of her head and straightened, and suddenly we were back to awkward now that Lola wasn't the discussion topic and a slight distraction anymore. He shifted his weight onto his left foot, and watched Lola, who was sniffing around in the grass.

After a solid few seconds of uncomfortable silence he spoke up. "Uh, so my band is practicing at my house at about 7 tonight. Would you want to maybe come watch us? You don't have to but maybe you could give us some feedback. It'd be nice to get some critique from someone else besides my family. They kind of have to be nice, you know?" He chuckled and gave me a hopeful look, silently begging for me not to reject him and make him feel like an absolute idiot.

I nodded. "Of course. I'd love to. Should I be there at 7 on the dot, or?"

"You can come early if you want. It doesn't really matter." He said, giving a little shrug of his shoulders and a small smile.

I grinned. "Alright. See you then, Calum." I tugged Lola slightly, who had laid down on Calum's feet.

"See ya." He said, before running off down the street.

As I made the walk back to my house, I smiled to myself, and tried to contain my excitement. I entered my house and took the leash off of Lola, immediately going up to my room, the dog trailing behind me. I the door behind me, and let out a victorious little "yes!" before flopping down on my bed, the anticipation of what was to come later tonight making my stomach churn and my heart beat a bit faster.