The Bookshop

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Calum’s POV

I was in band practice at Michael’s house when Luke brought up the date with Jessie. Ashton, walked out in the middle of us talking about it, he said he had to “run some errands”. But I absolutely knew that something or someone was bothering him. So I asked Luke and Michael about it. They told me the whole story of why he was like that and I just sat there in shock.

“Then, why didn’t he tell me anything?” I ask the two of them. They just shrug and I sigh. What do I do now? Do I just tell Jessie that Ashton likes her? What about Anna?

Before Michael was going to say something, someone came in. I turn around to find Jessie by the door with a small smile on her face. We all greet her and she takes a seat beside me. “So um…can I ask you guys something?” She asks.

We all nod our heads and she says, “Why is Anna avoiding me? I mean, the only people she’s been talking to is you guys and I haven’t heard from her in a long time. Is she okay?”

The three of us looked at one another and the tension could be felt in the room. I waited for one of them to speak up until Michael threw a paper cup at me. I glared at him and he said, “You’re the one who’s dating her. I think she trusts you enough.”

Jessie looks at me and I say, “Well, Ashton kind of…sort of…likes you.”

Jessie stays quiet for a while until Michael says, “Look, Jessie, it’s not entirely your fault.” She looks at Michael and gives him a weird look as if to say, what’s that supposed to mean?

“I mean, come on, you’re a really wonderful person! You have a great personality and all. Well, except for those times where you just get all cranky and you end up punching someone in the arm and give them a bruise when you just wanted to playfully hit them. Plus, you’re beautiful. Just putting that out there.”

Luke lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes his head. “I’m gonna get some water.” He says and drags Michael inside his house with him, giving us some time to talk this whole thing out. “Don’t mind Michael.” I tell her once they were out of sight. “He does that a lot.”

“I don’t care about Michael right now, Calum.” She says. “I don’t know how to handle situations like this! I mean, sure. I’ve read a whole lot of romance novels and all but I don’t think any of them could help out!”

“Calm down, we’ll figure this out. I promise.” I tell her.

“How? Calum, it isn’t that easy to forget someone you like.”

“I don’t know, Jess! We’ll just…do something about this.”

“Um…we’re kind of together now?”

“So what do you wanna do? Break up right away? Jess, it’s only been two days.”

She lets out a sigh and starts fiddling with her fingers. I could tell that she was trying to think of something to do. I tried to think as well but nothing was coming to mind. I couldn’t just approach him and tell him to back away from her. I’m not some kind of douchebag to do that. It was a hard situation to be in, to be honest. It was like a dead end.

It must suck to feel this way if I was in Ashton and Anna’s shoes. You love someone who doesn’t love you back.

And to think, this whole situation started out because of meeting Jessie in a small bookshop down the road. Then Ashton went on a date with her. But we ended up together. And it’s all just so…weird.

The world is such a small place.