College [c. hood]

09

"Dude, you have to shotgun it!" Kurtis laughs, handing the beer can over to Calum.

Calum groans, a smile still on his face though, for he was enjoying his time and didn't actually mind drinking the beer.

It was the pre-Halloween party tonight. At college they had multiple different parties for the same thing, it was normal for them. They were all just constantly partying in the residence building. College.

This pre-Halloween party only consisted of people who lived on this floor, and Calum was somewhat glad.

"Does somebody have something to make a hole?" Calum asks, and Cody hands his car keys over.

Calum sighs, lightly chuckling under his breath before puncturing the can of beer and quickly bringing it to his lips. It doesn't take him long to down the alcohol, he was pretty used to it by now.

"Jesus, that was fast." Kurtis laughs, as Calum has a wide grin on his face while trying to catch his breath.

"Cal, come play beer pong!" Michael calls, and Calum quickly makes his way over to the desk-turned-beer-pong-table.

Calum and Michael have won basically every game of beer pong they've played together. Currently they were about to play Erin and Kristen, and they've already beat them twice, so they knew they'd win.

Halfway through the game, Calum's phone rang, but he ignored it. The game was more important to him in that moment than anything else. Once him and Michael only had one cup left to get before they won, his phone rang again.

"Turn it off!" Michael exclaims, just wanting to focus on winning this game.

Calum pulls the phone from his pocket, and answers it as he throws a ping pong ball, hitting the rim of the cup before muttering a 'hello' into the phone.

"Cal? What are you doing?" Danielle questions, hardly able to hear Calum over the music and noise of the party.

"Not much, what's up?" He asks, though he's not paying much attention.

"Uh, actually, I was calling to let you know I can't make it tomorrow. For the party." Danielle tells him and he turns away from the game he was so focused on.

"What? Why? Dani-"

She sighs, "Something's come up with my grandma. I'm sorry, Cal. I really am."

"Oh, yeah, okay. I understand. I'll see you soon?" Calum replies, not paying as much attention to the game now.

He was disappointed that Danielle wouldn't be able to spend time with him. The only thing Calum was okay with was that he wouldn't have to possibly introduce Alyssa to Danielle and vice versa.

Once he ends the call, Michael just looks at him, confused, "What's up?"

"Uh, Dani isn't coming tomorrow. She had to cancel." Calum says, trying to brush it off and focus back on the game.

"I wanted to meet her!" Erin exclaims, pouting at Calum.

Calum shrugs taking one of the ping pong balls from Michael, "I wanted her to come too, I guess it just isn't her main priority. She's not much of a party person anyways."

Calum takes his shot, the ball lands in the last cup and both him and Michael high five, everybody completely dropping the topic of Danielle.

"Don't get too excited, we have redemption." Kristen tells them, rolling her eyes, but Erin takes the shot so the guys win.

Michael and Calum both cheer, since they have once again beat the two girls who live across the hall from them.

"Calum!" Jacob calls, nodding at him and waving Calum over to him and Kurtis.

"What's up?" Calum asks, taking the beer that's being handed to him from Kurtis.

"I hear Dani isn't coming?" Jacob questions, looking up at Calum from where he's sitting.

"Yeah, she's busy." Calum sigh, quickly drinking half the can.

Jacob chuckles, "Dude, slow down."

"He's having girlfriend troubles, let him live." Kurtis says, nudging Jacob.

"There's no trouble." Calum mutters in response.

Kurtis raises his arms in surrender, "Hey, whatever you say, man."

Calum was frustrated. He was frustrated with Danielle, he was frustrated with Michael, he was frustrated with Ashton and he was frustrated with the people he lived with.

He wasn't drunk, but he wasn't sober, so he probably wasn't making the best decisions, but he didn't care when he chugged the rest of his beer and walked out of the party.

When a few of them call out to him, he didn't bother to answer them. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, opening his messages with Alyssa.

'hey, you still in your room?'

Seconds later he gets a reply as he gets on the elevator.

'yeah, what's up?'

'I'm on my way'

He slips his phone back into his pocket and hits the button to the third floor. The elevator ride was quick, seeing as it was only two floors.

With the text he sent he knew he was going to give Alyssa the wrong impression. But at this point he didn't care. He wasn't sober, and he was frustrated so he wasn't completely thinking straight.

The elevator dings and the doors open, Calum quickly making his way to Alyssa's room. Right when he knocks on the door, her roommate, Talia, opens the door.

"Hey, I'm here to see Alyssa, she knows I'm coming." He tells her, and she just smiles, opening the door all the way to let him in.

He just smiles back, letting himself into her room.

Once Alyssa hears her door open, her head snaps up, a smile stretching across her face, "Hey, Cal."

"Hey, what are you up to?" He asks, closing her door again.

"I'm just watching some Brooklyn Nine-Nine, would you like to join?" She asks, chuckling as she moves over to one side of the bed, quickly moving her marble pattern notebook to the floor.

"I love that show!" Calum laughs, joining her in her bed.

He was glad that she was in a shared dorm room, since you get a double bed. If she was in a single room, they'd be a lot closer together in bed than Calum should be when he has a girlfriend.

They both sit under the blankets, staring at her laptop screens as Andy Samberg's voice from the laptop speakers fill the silence in the room.

"How drunk are you?" Alyssa quietly asks, the show still playing in the background.

"I wouldn't say I'm drunk. I've had some drinks though." Calum replies, looking down at her.

She just nods, curling up in her blankets.

Calum smiles down at her as she keeps her focus on the show, faint laughs leaving her lips every few moments. He knew it was wrong, but it didn't feel wrong at all, it felt so right.

___________

why have a literally experienced a guy ignore his phone ringing during a game of beer pong then finally answering then barely paying attention to his girlfriend then get all upset I'm glad I can use my friends troubles as inspiration