Aries || Calum Hood

sixteen

ARIES: Those who haunt the battlefields of the past. They run amongst soldiers that are long gone, ready to fight anything and anyone that crosses their path.

C A L U M

THE PENSIVE PERMANENCE tranquilized the limited space of the boy who blocked off the obstreperous party thriving around him. The condensation of his half-empty beer bottle wet his hands, his dark eyes fixated on the ring of water on the glass table. The bags under his eyes tugged onto his mind, begging his eyelids to shut and finally sleep -he hasn't had any in the past 24 hours- his head would often tilt to one side until he would wake himself up with haunting thoughts.

Sleep deleted itself from Calum's dictionary once terrifying, repetitive voices badgered the brunette about what a pathetic loser he was and how much he truly despised Athena. Well, he could never despise her, he just hated that she didn't know what exactly she was doing to him.

The entire world seemed to aim it's artillery at him, as if he didn't already feel like that everyday, and Calum was ever so fortunate to see Luke and Athena walk around the hall every damn passing period. He once considered breaking Luke's hand for holding Athena, but he didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea.

It's not like he cares for Athena. He just didn't like that one of his hookups went to Luke instead.

Another swig of beer burned down his throat with disapproval laced around his own thoughts.

Fuck, Athena wasn't just a damn hookup. She was way fucking more than that, and Calum knew deep down that he was damn jealous of Luke. He didn't like Athena, he just liked their relationship. He needed to get used to losing that, it kinda was his fault for being a jackass to her.

"Dude, you've been drinking and daydreaming for two hours now. Get with some girl or something. Get off your ass." Ashton patted his back, connivance of his intake of alcohol didn't bother Calum. Letting out a groan, Calum attempted to reach of the ice-cold beer bottle Ashton gripped onto. "No more drinking. Go have fun."

"I don't need to have fun," Calum slurred, his mind seemed to be way more sober than how he was acting with Ashton. "I like to drink."

"Yeah, too much," Ashton scoffed, he pulled out a water bottle from the cooler filled with melted ice. His arm slapped Calum on the back, he didn't seem that sober himself. "Come on, Cal. You can't just drink out your sorrows. What happened? Who's the girl?"

"I'm not interested in a damn girl. Just a long day." Calum told Ashton to fuck off as he took another swig of beer, he felt his mind swirl a brief second before refocusing on Ashton.

"I know it can't be Charlotte because you literally ditched her during the group date." Ashton's knowledge of Calum's connivance taught him a lesson that Calum wouldn't act up for no reason. "Is it Athe-"

A loud bang of wood crashing into the wall erupted throughout the party, light green paint chipped off the surface of the white door as screams and gasps ensemble in replacement of the music. Calum's drunken state alertly jumped out of his body, soberness overtaking him like a sheet as he diverted his attention to the main source of sound.

"Willow, where the hell are you, you fucking bitch?" It was as if she teleported right to the now-blonde, shocked girl with half of her body naked. Calum's air got caught in his throat, anticipation filled his veins while Athena gripped her light tan fingers around Willow's pale neck, slamming her body down the tiled floor. "I knew you were bullshitting this entire fucking time."

"Athena, you don't understand." Her words trembled with the pressure placed on her throat, her blue eyes watered at the harshness of Athena's grip. "Please let-"