This is our Story || 5SOS AU

13. Love, Loss and Attics

CHAPTER 13: LOVE, LOSS AND ATTICS

# CALUM #

"So the slope of a perpendicular line is...?" I looked at India in anticipation. "A negative reciprocal!" she said. "Correct!" I beamed. India cheered.

"I guess we're done," I closed the textbook. India nodded. "You can do this," I told her. She nodded. "I can do this!" She repeated.

India threw her arms around me which caught me off guard. "Thank you, Calum!" She beamed. "I wouldn't have done this without you." I smiled and hugged back.

"Now," she huffed and changed the topic. "About our World History project..."

I suddenly remembered that Mr. Moss paired me and India up today. I smiled at myself. It was like the universe really wants me to take a chance with India. First, Math. Now, this. I'm glad.

"..I was thinking we do Australia," she said. "Australia?" I questioned. "Why?" India shrugged. "Well, I figured 'cause you're from there..." India trailed off and I smiled, but shook my head.

"How about Hawaii?" I suggested. "Hawaii?" India repeated. I nodded. "I'm also a Kiwi, you know," I smirked. India laughs. "Hawaii it is then," she said. "For that heritage of yours."

The silence started there. India and I were in my room since staying long in the bistro sucked and the others were downstairs.

My room seemed like a nice place to study in, and it worked. We finished Math in no time.

"Cal?" India called. "Hmmm?" I looked at her. "What is love for you?" she asked.

The question caught me off guard. It was random and unexpected. "You don't have to answer," India added.

"I want to," I told her. I took a deep breath. "Love," I looked at her. "is paralyzing. When you see her, you feel frozen."

"You couldn't move," I continued. "You couldn't talk. All you could do is look; stare at her. She's the most beautiful girl you've ever seen," I was staring at India as I spoke. "And when you come to your senses, she's all you could think about."

India smiled. "That's a beautiful definition," she said. That's how I feel about you, I thought. "Thanks, Indy," I smiled. India got up from the end of my bed and stared at the window.

"So," I said. "I was thinking.." I smiled to myself, a little more hopeful. "We do this again sometimes," I started. "We hang-out. Maybe we could see a movie next Friday... What do you think?"

"Do you smell that?" India asked. "Smell what?" I asked, a little disappointed that my question was dodged. "It smells like smoke," she said.

India got out of my room and I followed her. Crap. "INDIA!" I called. I followed her out, not knowing what the heck she was talking about.

# LUKE #

All throughout the movie, I kept laughing. Will Ferrel is seriously the most amazing freaking guy ever.

The movie was a few minutes to the end and I noticed that Belle wasn't laughing at all. It seemed like her mind was elsewhere.

"You okay?" I asked her. Belle snapped out of her daze. "Huh?" She said then she realized what was going on. "Oh, uh, yeah." I wasn't convinced.

I paused the movie. She was about to say something but I beat her to it. "I've only known you for a week," I told her. "But I know well enough to know you're not okay, so talk."

Belle sighed. "My folks are splitting up," she smiled sadly. "My mom called me today. They made the choice." Belle looked out the window.

"I-I'm sorry," I said. I put my hand on her shoulder. "I don't know what it's like to have divorcing parents," I told her. "But you're hurting. I'm sorry for that."

Belle smiled slightly. "Don't be," she said. "I should've seen it coming. Mom was grieving too much over my little sister's death. My dad couldn't handle it. They fought about it. Yeah."

I frowned. I don't know what that's like. I don't know how it feels to lose somebody you love, never see them again and watch it tear the ones you love apart.

"How do you feel?" I asked her. She looked at me from her place on the windowsill, the moonlight illuminating her brown eyes. "I don't have a say to it, don't I?" She said.

"But that doesn't stop you from having the right to conceal your feelings," I told her. "You can talk to me. How do you feel?"

Belle's eyes brimmed with tears but I knew she was holding it together. It was something admirable. Staying strong, she's definitely good at it.

"I don't know," she croaked. "Confused, empty, broken, sad, angry, alone..."

I got up from my place on her bed and sat beside her on the window sill. I wrapped my arms around her. I want to be there for her. Be her friend, her shoulder.

She is my friend; no one's ever made me feel less alone than her. It doesn't matter that it's only been a week. Belle encourages me to do things, like not give up on Aleisha, that are meaningful to me.

"You're not alone, Belle," I told her, looking her straight in her eyes. "You have me." That seemed to make her feel better.

"Thanks, Luke," she smiled slightly. "I feel much better. Sorry for being such a dramatic cry baby." I just laughed and shook it off.

We stayed there for a while. Being that close to her, it made me appreciate who she is not only on the inside, but also on the outside.

Her brown eyes were perfectly illuminated by the moonlight outside her window. Her fair skin, pale-looking at night. Her hair, it was a strange mixture of black and blonde but it was fine to look at.

"What?" Belle asked and I realized that I may have been looking at her too much. "N-nothing," I stammered. "You're just really pretty." Her cheeks turned rosy and she looked away.

We stayed there in silence, comfortable silence. We didn't need to talk; we know we needed the silence for our thoughts. It was gre—

"BELLE, LUKE," India slammed the door open. "Get out. The attic's on fire!"