Secret // Calum Hood

10

Calum

“Did you really mean what you said in that poem of yours?” I asked, knowing she would probably just ignore me.  But I had to try.  It had been bothering me.  But I should have known Elena will never give a straight answer.  She keeps ignoring it, or denying it.  I just want to know what’s wrong with her.  Not like in a bad way.  Not like the when Janie asks what’s wrong with her.  But what’s seriously wrong with her, what’s going on in her life.

 

“I have to go home,” she said quickly, her eyes looking down.  

 

“Okay,” I said, giving up.

 

I let her out the door, and then I had no one but myself.  Mom and Dad would be home soon.  But what do I do until then?  I need to talk to someone besides Mom about what’s been going on.  I want to stick with my decision to help Elena, even if we’re not friends.  So I called my best friend.  

 

“Luke?” I asked when he answered.

“Who the hell else would it be Calum?” he laughed.  

 

“Right.  Anyway, what’s up?” I asked, trying to start a normal conversation before plunging into the depths of my problems that seem to be growing deeper.

 

“Well...we got signed today!” Luke cheered.  I almost dropped my phone.  They promised.  They promised they would never replace me.  They promised we would play again.

 

“That’s...that’s cool,” I choked.

 

“But it’s not cool,” Luke said, suddenly sounding serious.

 

“Why not?  This is what you’ve always wanted,” I said.

 

“Well...we got the offer to sign...but we said we couldn’t do it unless you were here with us.  It’s just not 5SOS without you, mate,” he said.  My heart floated back up to its normal position at his words.

 

“But I can’t.  I’ve got soccer almost every day and I live an hour away.  There’s just no time to practice,” I said sadly.

 

“But Ashton thought of a plan.  What if you just came over to practice every weekend, like Saturday?  If we sign the deal, we won’t start working on it until late Spring or early Summer, giving you enough time to practice with us.  And in the summer, you can just stay with us while we record and stuff.  It will be so awesome!  Please say you’ll be in the band again!” Luke pleaded.  How could I pass this up?  And why didn’t I think of that before?  My heart kind of leaped and then settled in a comfortable way that said everything would work out as I told Luke “yes” and then he begged me to come out there tonight to sign the deal.

 

Excited about something again, I eagerly called Mom to tell her what happened and where I’m going, and she said alright as long as I’m back in the morning, because Mali-Koa’s been invited to play at this musical talent conference and it starts early tomorrow.  I grabbed my bass, feeling like reuniting with an old friend, and hurried out to my car.  On the way there, I listened to my road trip mix, enjoying every minute.  I was finally going to play again!  And better yet, we were getting signed!  Luke said it’s just an EP, but hey, it’s a start.  I could see our biggest dreams on the road ahead.  Maybe we can even tour with a big, mainstream band one day.