Turn Away | c.h

Chapter 3 - What We Live For

I walked in to an empty house, chucking my bag down on the counter. I stood in the kitchen, looking around. The kettle was boiling, but there was no cars out front- alongside the window being wide open. I took a step closer, looking around.

"Hello?" I called out, glancing around the room once again. I was met with an unsettling silence as I paused in the middle of the kitchen.

"Is anyone home?"

Yet again, silence consumed me as I stood, alone, in the middle of the kitchen. I turned off the kettle, grabbing a piece of fruit before turning back around and walking to the stairs. I jogged up the staircase, moving to my room in the attic. I shut the door behind me, instantly moving to my bed to collapse down on it. I let out an unreasonably loud groan, feeling myself begin to grow confused and frustrated- if id known today was going to be so emotionally draining, I wouldn't have bothered to wake up.

Now I've got even more unsettling thoughts to keep me up at night, and the thought alone sent my whole body into a frenzy of frustration. I just wanted to be well rested, not confused, not sad, and not aware of Calum Hoods existence. Instead, I was a combination of all these things, and honestly...

I don't even know.

Suddenly my phone began ringing from beside, causing me to sit up. Katy's ID popped up on my screen. I reached for my phone, answering the call.

"Hello?" I flatly said, not wanting to bother talking to her.

"Hi, Stella, how are you?" She asked, voice absolutely wrecked. I crossed my legs.

"Good, you?"

"I'm okay- are you home yet?"

"Yeah, just got home." I began fiddling with the strings on my shoes, my eyes briefly closing.

"Good, I was thinking about getting takeout for dinner tonight."

"Oh- you and dad go ahead, I'm not home tonight."

"Where are you tonight, then?"

"I'm showing this new guy around town." I shrugged, running a hand through my hair. Katy quietly hummed.

"On a school night?"

"Yeah." I shrugged.

"Will your father be okay with that-"

"Yep. We've got it sorted." I cut her off, glancing out my window as I heard an unfamiliar noise.

"Alright..." she trailed off, her voice uncertain. "Well, We'll be home later on, then."

"Okay."

"Alright... I'll leave you to do homework."

"Sure. Bye." I said, hanging up on her before another word was said. I chucked my phone down, getting up from my bed. And suddenly, I looked to the window again.

It was wide open. I definitely didn't open it- I know that as a fact. I shut it after leaving it open last night, and I'd definitely not opened while being home. What on earth was going on with me lately? I walked over to the window, slamming it shut and this time, locking it. I put the key on top of my cupboard, walking back over to my bed.

I tried to fight the eerie feeling about the whole situation off, but I couldn't help but wonder how the hell my window would've opened on its own- unless my dad or Katy came home during the day and for some reason, opened it. Which is highly unlikely.

I stood, grabbing my phone and putting on music. Grabbing a towel, I made my way to the bathroom with the soft sounds of my calming music.

I came to the conclusion I was just being paranoid, and that I needed a nice, long, hot shower to calm myself down before tonight. Because I could tell it was going to be draining, hanging around with Calum and spending one on one time with him... I just had so many questions to ask him, but I never knew how to bring them up.

Like how had i dreamt of him, but I'd never seen him before? Why was he in every recurring dream of mine? What was his story- because I doubt it was too insignificant to retell. Calum Hood was a mystery. And I was determined to solve him.

º º º º

I nervously looked up at him, rubbing my sweaty palms over my thighs. We hadn't spoken much yet; instead we sat in silence alongside so many other strangers in this packed train. Calum seemed too calm for my liking, seeing as he had minimal space and no window view. I felt bad that he'd given me the more spacey seat- he was taller so he, by rights, deserved it much more.

"Uh, do you like wanna swap or something?" I asked, looking up at him again. Calum shook his head, giving me a small smile.

"Its fine. Thanks though."

"It's okay." I quietly said, looking back out the window. I nervously bounced my knee, my nerves not settling down in the slightest. Why was he so intimidating? Why couldn't he be more arrogant and rude like all the other guys in my year- instead he had to be mysterious and intimidating and attractive, and honestly no matter how hard I tried, I could not stop myself from inching closer and closer to him.

I don't know what took control over me when I was around him, but it was scary. It was terrifying that I had no conscious control over myself whenever he was near.

"Hey, do you have music we could listen to?" He asked, leaning in slightly. I nodded straight away, grabbing my phone and the tangled earphones wrapped around it. Calum amusedly smiled as I untangled it, plugging it into my phone and offering one head piece. He took it, placing it in his ear. I did the same, doting in my passcode before I passed him my phone.

He looked up at me, eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Do you wanna chose the song..? I don't care what we listen to."

Calum hesitantly nodded, taking the phone from my hands and moving to my music app. He moved through the songs, studying the songs hard. I looked at him, feeling myself smile as I looked at him. I'd be lying if I said I didn't find his concentration face cute. Because it really was.

"Oh, good song," he laughed, deciding to play Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. I quietly laughed to myself, looking up at him.

"Out of all the songs on my phone, you chose this one?"

"I can never go past it," he shrugged, looking at me with a smile. "Its too good."

"You're kidding..." I laughed, raising my eyebrows. Calum shook his head, his brown eyes sparkling playfully as he looked at me.

"Nope." He shrugged. I sat back in my seat, glancing down at my phone in his large hands.

"What other songs do you like?"

"Old school stuff," he said with a small shrug. "I like the basic down to earth kinda music."

I laughed, gesturing to the phone. "You think this is down to earth?"

Calum shifted in his seat, trying to create less distance between us, and more distance from the stranger who was invading his personal space. I moved up against the widow of the train.

"Well, yeah." He smiled, glancing out the window. "If you decode it then yeah, it's pretty down to earth."

I softly nodded, looking up at him with a small smile. He remained looking out the window, eyes flickering across all the city lights. I watched the lights reflect off him, illuminating his skin perfectly. I faintly made out the shape of a scar running through his eyebrow- it was small, but looked like it had been quite deep. I wonder what it was from.

I looked back out the window, letting out a long breath.

No feelings, Stella. I closed my eyes. No feelings for the brown eyed boy beside you.

••

YAY ANOTHER CHAPTER!!

I don't I wi how I'm gonna go updating for the next two weeks as I have exams... Yikes. I'll try update as much as I can :))

love you aaaallllll