Babysitter | Calum Hood

24

If you think about it, I was the one who broke up withl Calum. I was the one who caught him in the act. I was the one who was lied to. I was the one who walked away.

I was the one who broke up with him.

According to my school, it was him who dumped me after he realized that I was absolute dirt compared to Delia. Different rumors were flying around, each more exaggerated than the last. I've gotten cancer and told my boyfriend—ex—to move on to someone who isn't as sickly as me. Somehow, I've also become an undercover CIA agent who compromised the whole mission by falling in love with the suspect. I didn't know Calum was a secret Ukrainian drug lord. Seems like there's a lot that of things Calum doesn't tell me.

Everything was just a mess. Whenever I see him walking in the corridors, Calum hesitantly takes a step forward, but I spin swiftly and dash away. My head always hurt because those deep brown chocolate eyes are seared into my mind, reminding me of how much I hurt him for leaving. Funny isn't it?

I felt bad for hurting him.

Why you may ask? I think it's because I put all my love and happiness into one person, one container. When the glass jar fell over the edge and shattered onto the tiled floor, my joy seeped out like blood trickling out of a gory gash. It was dumb of me to think that Calum, a boy who thinks he's so badass and cool, would be a safe place for me to put all my happiness in. If anything, it's my fault.

Everything was my fault, I thought, leaning my body against the cool wall of concrete. I haven't been able to go back to eating lunch in the cafeteria or courtyard. I didn't wanna risk seeing him all over Delia.

Ashton pushed his way through the metal door, sighed, and dropped himself down next to me. Draping his arm across my shoulders, he pulled my head into his shoulder. "How're you holding up?"

"Fine," I said, leaning my head onto his shoulder as we stared up at the sky of cloudless blue. It was blistering out, thanks to Australia's summer heat, but somehow, the chill of the wind had me curling into Ashton's side. The pain inside was at a lull, but the more I looked at the sky and heard the chatter of students eating lunch below, all I could see was the blue of his bed sheets and the sound of his sweet voice telling me how beautiful he thought I was.

Ashton sighed loudly. "Ken, you don't have to lie." I shrugged, hearing the sound of my heart beating rapidly at the thought of Calum tucking a piece of hair behind my ear after holding me tight to his chest. I missed his hugs.

"I'm not lying," I promised. But we both knew that I was.

**

"Hey there, Sweetcheeks. Ready to go Prom shopping?" he asked, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. My jaw dropped as I stared at the dark haired, tall boy that went by the name of Matthew. As he stood there, leaning his back against a dumb sports car that looked like it was worth more than my life, people gawked at him. Of course he was attractive, but why was he even here? I just didn't understand.

He rolled his eyes. "Are you getting in, or what?"

"Um, what the fuck, Matt?" I hissed, finally starting to walk towards the car to cease all the looks people kept sending our way. He only smiled brightly and the look of pure frustration covering my face. "Are you here for Lindsay?"

"No," he said, cheekily as possible. "I'm here to take you shopping for Prom and actually escort your beautiful self because a little birdy told me that Boyfriend Calum isn't doing a good job."

"Yeah, well Boyfriend Calum is now ExBoyfriend Calum, so," I trailed off as the furry caterpillars he called eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Walking past him so I could walk around the car and get in, I felt myself cower underneath the glances of other students.