Turns out that the garage Calum's car had been towed to was an hours drive away. Of course it was. How could I not know that?
Calum and I were situated in my car, Neck Deep plugged into the aux chord as I drove.
"I'm sorry if I was being too nosy about your tattoo this morning." Calum broke the piercing silence that had been reigning over us for the past ten minutes.
I sighed, chewing on the mint gum in my mouth.
"It's okay. I'm just not the type of person that opens up to people that I don't really know." I admitted, gripping onto the steering wheel.
"You know me fairly well..." He defends.
"Not really, Calum. The only thing I know about you is that you have tattoos and you have a sister called Mali Koa."
"Well what else is there to know? I'm not exactly the most interesting person ever." Calum fiddled with his thumbs.
"I'm sure you're very interesting, I just wouldn't know."
There was a moment of peace between us, just the sounds of passing cars and December by Neck Deep playing through the car speakers.
"Ask me anything. I'll answer with nothing but the truth, and by the end of this car journey, you'll probably know me just as well as Michael does." Calum instructed.
"Okay, what questions should I ask?" I was hopeless at these kind of things, and creating conversations in general.
"Simple questions. Basic things about a person, like my favourite foods and places I've been. Y'know, nothing too deep to start off with."
-------
"Where were you born?"
"Sydney. I've lived here all my life."
"What's a food that you hate?"
"...Asparagus."
"A band you loved as a kid?"
"Blink 182. I still love them now."
"No way! I love Blink 182. I Miss You has always been one of my favourite songs, since I was like, 14." I cheered.
"Same," Calum chuckled. "Is it okay if I change the song?" He asked as 7/11 by Beyoncé finished.
"Yeah, go for it." I let Calum scroll through my music library.
Calum selected his song, switching off my phone and sighing with satisfaction.
As I had predicted, I Miss You by Blink 182 chorused through the vehicle.
"Right, don't let this be offensive, but where in Asia do you come from?" I asked, genuinely intrigued.
"That's racist." Calum teased.
"No it's not! I'm asking an innocent question!" I defended myself, worried that Calum thought I was being racist.
The boy next to me chuckled, waving me off.
"I'm actually not Asian. I'm part Mouri and part Scottish." He answered the question understandingly.
"Oh, cool. I went to New Zealand last year - it's beautiful - and I'm actually Scottish too. I moved to Sydney when I was 10, from Glasgow. I haven't been back in ages."
"Do you miss it?" Calum asked, watching me as I drove down the highway.
"I don't remember a lot about it. It's been almost ten years since I've seen it. But sometimes things around me remind me of Glasgow, and then I miss it. I don't know, I should have probably moved on from what I left behind, but it's just so different over here."
"No, I get it. Moving on is a hard thing to do. Especially as you grow up, because I guess you become more emotionally attached to things."
Calum was smart. I could tell that from the moment Michael introduced us. Maybe it was something about his appearance or aura, but I just immediately assumed that he just understood.
"I always become too attached. That's a thing you'll learn about me; I don't quit easily." I stared straight at the horizon, scared to meet eyes with Calum.
"That could be a good thing." He whispered sincerely.
And then I met his quiet gaze, just for a second. His eyes wide and my heart pumping out of my chest, I was breathing but with a developing struggle. There he was, right in front of me.
He was something. I don't know what, but there was just something about him that I couldn't get enough of, and I worried that I would become addicted to whatever that was. I was greatly confused about the boy next to me, even though his expression was somewhat flat, something in his eyes was merely staring back at me.
