the photographer [c.h.]

three

"Thanks, Luke." I sighed as he hopped down from the podium that he was standing on. "Can you go get Calum?"

"Yepp." Luke offered me a smile before walking backstage.

A moment later, Calum came in and I instructed him to get on the edge of the stage with his bass. I held my camera up and snapped a couple shots as he held a serious face and then a smile. I walked up and adjusted his bass so that it was at a better angle and he smirked at me when our hands brushed. I rolled my eyes and stepped back to take another picture.

"Ashton told me about your mom." Calum spoke up while I led him to the other side of the stage. "I'm sorry."

I ignored Calum and snapped a shot, watching him through the lens as he frowned. I finished after a couple minutes and asked him to go get Ashton. I hopped off the stage and Calum sat down on the edge, not leaving. I sighed and looked up from my camera to see him staring at me with furrowed eyebrows.

"Calum, there's gonna be 30,000 screaming girls in here in an hour. Please just go get Ashton so I can finish this up." I ran a hand through my blonde hair and he just frowned, not moving.

"Why do you hate me so much?" He wondered. "Katie, I really just want to know what I did to you." He said after I didn't reply.

"I don't want to answer your questions right now." I muttered, trying to brush past his tall figure as he hopped off of the stage. "Calum, I don't have time for this." I sighed, being blocked by him.

"I'm not letting you leave until you tell me why you hate me so much." He groaned, tugging at his dark hair that had splashes on blonde in the tips.

"Just stop, okay? You should know exactly why I don't like you. Now, get out of my way."

I picked up my camera and pushed past him, our arms brushing, and I sighed to myself, making my way backstage. Just as I was about to get out of the main area of the arena, I felt a hand latch onto my forearm and spin me around. I couldn't even react before lips were on mine, hands pulling me closer to the body. I shoved the person away and Calum stumbled back, a surprised look on his face. I wiped my lips on my sweater and took a step back.

"What the fuck?" I asked, loudly, taking my arm out of his grasp and Calum's face fell. "Just leave me alone."

I walked backstage and found Leah sitting on a couch with her legs over Ashton's lap. I grabbed her arm and pulled her up from the couch, tugging her out of the room. I ignored her questions and protests, taking her to the bathroom. She stood in front of me and I paced across the floor, tugging at my hair. Leah put her hands on my shoulders so that I would stand still and she looked at me with a concerned gaze.

"Calum kissed me." I blurted out and slapped a hand over my mouth.

"What?" She shrieked and I groaned.

"I don't even know. I was arguing with him, like always, and he just grabbed me and kissed me. Now, I don't know what to do and I feel weird and-" Leah cut me off by putting a hand over my mouth and I took a deep breath.

"Okay, breath." She said, with a small smile. "It's just a kiss, it doesn't mean anything." I nodded. "It didn't mean anything, did it?"

"I don't think so." I mumbled, running a hand through my hair. "Damn, he's a good kisser though." I breathed out, my cheeks turning pink and Leah smiled. "What?"

"You like Calum." She sang and I scoffed.

"I do not." I opened my mouth to say something else and she just laughed. "Leah, I hate him."

"Katie likes Calum." She sang, running out of the bathroom and towards the room.

I chased after her as she yelled that I like Calum and she ducked into a room, making me follow. Just as I stumbled in, I noticed all of the boys sitting on the couches, staring at us with wide eyes. Calum had a smirk on his face and he was eyeing me up and down. I groaned and Leah laughed, pulling me onto one of the couches.

"C'mon, it's just a joke." Leah giggled and I glared at her.

"Fuck off." I said sarcastically, making her laugh again.

"So, Katie, you like Calum, eh?" Ashton plopped down next to me.

"No! I don't like Calum." I exasperated, standing up from the couch. "He's an asshole and never have I nor will I like him."

I stomped out of the room, hearing them all laugh. That just made the heat rise to my cheeks more. I walked down the corridor and to another room, sitting down with Annie who was sorting through clothes. I groaned and she stifled a laugh, quirking an eyebrow.

"Do you think I like Calum?" I asked, hoping that she would say no.

"Hun, you two would be freaking perfect together." She said, answering my question.

"Annie, you were supposed to say no." I laughed a little and she sat down next to me. "I don't like him."

"Sure you do, Katie, sure you do." She pat my shoulder before leaving the room. My phone rang in my back pocket and I pulled it out to see Dad's name. I smiled, answering it.

"Hey, dad." I spoke in the receiver.

"Hey, sweetie. How's everything going over there?" He asked, sounding a bit more tired than usual.

"Good, how's Soph?" I asked, walking around the small room, running my fingers over the clothes that hung on the rack.

"She's good, she misses you." I laughed a little and could only imagine my dad reading bed time stories to Sophie.

"I miss all of you guys so much." I mumbled. "Um, I gotta go, Dad. I'll call you tomorrow." I said as I heard someone call my name.

"Alright, love you." He said.

"Love you too." I hung up and grabbed my camera from the couch before making my way to the side stage. Here we go.