stranger \\ cth

"surreal"

OHHHH BOY HAS IT BEEN A HOT MINUTE SINCE I HAVE SEEN YOU GUYS LAST

i will have everyone know that writers block combined with overall laziness is a DEADLY FORCE 

but i am still here, still jamming, still looking over everyones comments and general love that you all have been going this story (side note: 25K reADS???? HOLY SHET????) 

ok enough of me i apologize for my absence 

-

When Calum turned seven years old, no one came to his birthday party. 

He had invited his whole class, and not one person showed. He remembered laying in the bounce house his parents had rented for the event, asking himself why he didn't have any friends. 

Mali-koa was watching from the window of their kitchen, her heart aching, as the small boy kicked around the inflatable  balloons that she had blown up.

She hoped that he was little and naive enough to not know what was going on. She hoped that he wouldn't get too hung up over a silly little birthday party.

Her ambitions for her only brother stretched far beyond that specific day. Everything she had in her was completely devoted to him; she knew how fragile he was. Mali longed that Calum would be okay even when she wasn't there to protect him from the disdain of the world. The love that she had for him was the truest form, the most authentic. 

It broke Mali to know that Calum would have so many more days like the day of his seventh birthday. 

Calum smiled as his sister joined him in the bounce house. He kicked a balloon at her and it bounced off her nose. Calum laughed, his sister giggled. 

They slept under soft blankets in the bounce house that night. Calum fell asleep to the warmth of his sister and the comfort of the twinkling stars. 

- 

The memory was one of happiness. Calum chose not to think about the people who didn't show, and rather remembered the love that his sister showed him, and continued to show him. His parents never recognized him like his sister did, and he was endlessly grateful for her. 

There were a lot of people in his life that Calum realized he took for granted. Yeah, his sister always had more potential in his life, and yeah, his parents didn't text him asking if he was okay after everything happened. But, he knew that there were undeniable people that surrounded him that would have his back.  He couldn't believe how ungrateful he had been for the people who loved him. 

- 

Calum: hey queen 

ella: whats up pal 

calum: are ya ready 

ella: for what 

calum: arE YA READY KIDS???

ella: what 

calum: I CANT HEAR YOU

ella: oh no 

calum: WHO LIVES IN A PINEAPPLE UNDER THE SEA

ella: don't make me suffer through this please 

calum: ABSORBENT AND YELLOW AND POROUS IS HE 

ella: i have to go my phones gunna die its at 97

calum: IF NAUTICAL NONSENSE BE SOMETHING YA WISH 

calum: THEN DROP ON THE DECK AND FLOP LIKE A FISH 

ella: i don't need this 

ella: deuces 

calum: wait no come back i actually had like a really enlightening moment and i wanted to share

ella: enlighten me 

calum: i just realized that were hanGING OUT TODAY 

ella: that was your enlightening moment 

calum: yes 

ella: ok well I'm going to just forget about this entire conversation up until now,,, when am i going to get to see you 

calum: idk 

calum: like right now ish 

ella: what 

ella: what do you mean right now 

calum: muahahha 

ella: caLUM

ella: CALUM THOMAS HOOD 

ella: my door bell did nOT JUST RING 

ella: this was uncalled for clam

ella: i hate you 

calum: answer the door I'm cold 

-

Ella knew she looked like a complete slob; her hair hasn't been washed in a day or two and she was wearing sweatpants and a plain t-shirt, but this was Calum, and he had seen her as her  worst self. 

So frankly, Ella didn't care. 

She ran down the stairs probably faster than she should have, stopping only momentarily in front of a mirror to make sure her messy bun was perfectly messy, before swinging open her front door. 

If someone had told Ella a year ago that she would have the boy she had dreamed about standing on her front porch, she would have laughed in your face...or cried. But watching him look at her, his eyes reflecting the intensity between them right back into Ella's, made her heart jump. And she didn't know what that meant, but there was too much happening to get too caught up over feelings that Ella knew she had since day one. 

"Hi,' he grinned. 

She rolled her eyes in response. "You're a dork," she said, swiftly running out of her house and into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

He stumbled back slightly, but caught his himself and quickly returned the hug by snaking his arms around her waist. 

"I constantly dreamed about a moment like this for so long, and now you're here and everything feels so surreal," she sighed contently. "Are you even real?"

He laughed, beautifully. "I don't deserve you."

"Don't say that," she smiled at him, detaching herself from his embrace. "I adore you, Calum Hood." 

And with that, she grabbed his and and dragged him inside, oblivious to the swell in Calum's heart and the smile on his lips. 

- 

short haha whooPS 

honestly I'm so tired  i hate this but it took too long and i suck so here ya go 

night losers 

-mia