Words // Hood

2

flaw·less (adj)

[ fláwləss ]

perfect: without any blemish or imperfection

"Okay then, so why is it such a big deal?" Ashton asked. We were sitting in his moms house while we were babysitting his little brother Harry. I came over here as soon as I'd left the coffee shop, after Calum had started to read my journal.

"Because, Ash. How many people do you know that I let read that journal? That exact one, the one with the black leather binding?" I ask and he doesn't answer. "Exactly. Zero. And there he was, standing at my table flipping through the pages like it was a picture album. And he didn't even know my name Ash. For God's sake, we've been going to the same school since were 9." I tell him. I sigh, get up and walk to the fridge, then pull out two cokes. I hand one to Ashton before taking mine and popping the tab open. "I mean, it doesn't bother me that he didn't know my name. Not many people do at my school. But he read through it."

"Well, because you've never let me see into it.. Is there anything bad in there? I mean.. Is that why you're freaking out?" he asks cautiously. I shake my head because it was the truth. There wasn't anything bad. It was just a journal I liked to keep. But it was the journal my aunt had given me many years before she had passed. And everything I keep in it, is not and wasn't ever meant for anyone's eyes except hers and mine.

We both sigh, then go over to his couch to watch TV. The Breakfast Club was playing, my favorite. "I don't understand why you like this movie." he mumbles next to me. I take a sip of my coke before leaning back onto the couch, bringing my knee's up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I shrug because he's looking at me, expecting an answer. Of course I knew why I like it though. It was split, the outcasts and the populars. It was easily comparable to my school.  Andrew and Claire were just two people at the top of the ranking, the populars. As to where John, Brian, and Allison were all lower ranked. But in the end, they figured each other out and realized that they're not so different. John and Claire end up together, Andrew and Allison end up together. And even though Brian didn't find someone, he didn't need to. It gives me hope that someday people will realize that even though we may look, act, and speak different; we're all somehow the same in the end.

Twenty minutes later, when the movie was nearing it's end, I decided I should go home. "Hey Ash, I think I'm gonna go." I say, but notice that he fell asleep. I chuckle quietly, he was always one to fall asleep during movies, no matter how long he'd been watching them. I walked up stairs and checked on Harry quickly before I left to make sure he was okay. One arm was behind his head, the other laying across his stomach, and his ankles were crossed over each other. 'He sleeps just like Ash..' I said in my head.

I grabbed my home keys and my bag, after making sure my journal, phone, and wallet were in there; and left. I put headphones in , and walked alone the side of the road. I walked for ten minutes before I saw a house, one I'd never taken much notice in, blaring music and the insides lit up. Past the windows, I could see silhouette's of teens dancing, this was probably some big end of the year party for kids at my school. Just two more months and I graduate. Just two more. I walked past it, but looked over when I saw two boys come running out of the door, laughing and screaming about random things. Probably drunk too. They ran over to the road, and I could faintly still hear them behind me. My house was close, so I just picked my pace up.

I felt a hand touch my shoulder and pull an ear bud out, and I turned and slapped who ever it was. "Hey!" the person said and I realized who I just hit. "God, I was only giving you this, Brooke." he said. I looked down at what he held in his hands, and somehow my keys had fallen out of my pocket. "You dropped your keys. We saw them fall when we left the house so we wanted to come give them to you."

"Oh.." my voice was small. I felt bad, I'd just slapped him. But I was nervous. It was Calum. "I'm.. I'm sorry. I saw you run out but I thought you were random guys at a party that were drunk off their asses.. You scared me Hood." I tell him, picking up my keys. "I'm really sorry." he was holding his hand to his face. I lifted my own up and took his hand away, so I could examine it very fast. "You don't have a hand print so that's good." I tell him. He chuckles a small bit and I smile. "And hey, did you call me Brooke?"

"Uhm.. Yeah.. That's your name, isn't it?" he says, looking into my eyes. I sigh a small bit and drop his hand. I give him a small smile before saying, "No. My name's Blake."

"Blake." he nods a bit. "I like it. Got a last name Blake?"

"Calum," I laugh again. "Are you drunk?" He holds up his index finger and thumb, holding them close to each other. He says, "Maybe just a little. Not too bad. Why?"

"Because we met earlier in the coffee shop. I met your tall, blonde friend back there too." I say, even though I'd already met Calum at school many times.

"Oh really? Ten bucks says you forgot his name." he gives me a look, and I nod.

"Luke." I answer and he smiles a bit. "Hey, I should get home." I tell him, starting to back up.

"Alright. Well hey, can we walk you home? It's not safe out here at night." we laugh as he point to his cheek. I nod and he waves Luke and the other friend up, and we all walk together down the street. "So, what about that last name?" he asked me, tilting his head.

"Isn't it Scott?" Luke says. "I've heard it at school." I give him a look. He goes to our school? "I'm new." He answers my question as if he knew I asked it. I bob my head once. 

"Well yeah, it is Scott." I confirm. Calum gets a cheesy grin on his face. "Blake Rose Scott."

"Blake Rose Scott," he says quietly, leaning into my side a little bit. "I think I like it." I blush.

This boy, Calum Hood. It was a simple thing, I'd liked him for the past year. I'd see him at school, walking around with his friends, playing soccer, he was even our school president. He was in my senior writing class last quarter as well. I don' t think he ever noticed me though. But one thing I realized when other people hadn't, he actually had a beautiful way with words. It didn't help that the small lisp he had at the end of his words, made them seem even cuter. It was something I think that I had noticed quite a bit, is that he wasn't just once of those normal people you'd see at a high school, he was an incredibly intriguing person if you pay attention. The way he nods his head four times before he kicks the ball, the way how if there's a person he liked he would tap a ' one, two, three' -pause- 'one, two, three' on his knee. When something made him happy or laugh he'd close his eyes, sigh with a small, yet loud laugh, and tilt his head to the side and shake it back and forth. It was an interesting thing to see.

We keep walking another five minutes, Luke, Calum, and I all joking around. At one point, Calum ended up somehow falling into a bush, making me and Luke burst out in laughter. We were under a street light, and you could just barely see a small puddle. One of which he landed in. I stifled a small giggle, one that he tilted his head to the side and laughed after wards. "Blake," he drug my name out. "It's not funny."

"Oh but Calum," I drag his name out like he did with mine. "It really is. Here puddle pants, let's get you up." I hold my hands out and he grabs then. I notice how soft his hands are in this moment. He looks down at me just a small bit, we're almost the same height so it wasn't much distance. He tilts his head again, looking into my eyes. One blue with bright, vibrant specks of green. One hazel with flecks of blue around the pupil. Almost immediately as I realize he's looking at my eyes. It was my biggest insecurity.                      

"Hey.." he lifts my head up. "Don't. Your eyes are gorgeous." his mouth twitches into a smile, a big one. Matching my own at the moment. "Let's get you home." he whispered, his touch, closeness, and soft words making me shiver. I gulped, then nodded. 'The things this boy does to me.' I think to myself, then laugh inside my head. We keep walking, Luke making jokes about how 'It looks like he pissed his pants!'.

Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, I finally got to my house. The lights were off, so either mom and dad weren't home. Surprise, surprise. "Well, thank you for walking me home guys." I say and smile. Calum keep walking up to my door with me, while Luke stays back at the gate. "You didn't have to walk up with me."

"Well what if I wanted to?" we both smile.

"I guess I'll see you later, Hood."

"Bye, Blake Rose Scott."