Idiot Chat ➳ m.c

Outer Space

»Ashlee«

"I guess I was running from something."

The mall was oddly quiet in the middle of the day. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of people walking around it they just weren't making as much noise as Calum and I were. I had finally been able to buy some cotton shorts and didn't have to wear Michael's boxers anymore. I was sure I had worn them a lot more than him at this point.

Calum wanted to get out after his show and instead of going back to the hotel we ditched and walked into the mall. He had a quick shower at the venue and changed so he wasn't walking around all sweaty, but I didn't mind. Things surprisingly hadn't been awkward at all between us. He seemed a lot happier and was cracking jokes left, right and centre.

We went and brought some warm fries and ketchup from a small shop outside the mall. Calum had fought me for a moment as to who should pay. I ended up convincing him that I should pay. I felt like I should. He'd been nothing but kind to me and felt like I needed to return the favour in any way possible.

I was really enjoying spending time with Calum. It was different to hanging out with Michael, but I was used to it by now. It was like the two weeks where Michael started dating Lana, where we hung out every break under the bleachers. We walked down the streets, sometimes taking side streets to avoid large groups of people. There had already been a few people stopping us, recognising Calum. I'd hold their phone and take a photo for them before swiftly moving along.

He was really in his element when they stopped him. He'd smile and sometimes even flirt with some of them, seeing as the majority of them were female. Although one guy asked Calum for a kiss on the cheek, in which he did so, complimenting the guys outfit afterwards. It was this whole different side to Calum that I'd never seen before. He slung his arm over my shoulder as we walked into the park, looking for a place to sit down and eat our fries.

We found a place under a large oak on the outskirts of the park. Sitting down in the soft grass and unwrapping the packaging between us. Calum leant back on his arm as he relaxed, dipping the fries in the ketchup smoothly. I did the same, swaying slightly as I ate the fries. Calum shuffled closer, moving away from a patch of sun that had appeared. His hand landed on to of mine as he laid back. He turned to me, eyes ridiculously wide.

We both started laughing and he relaxed once more. He didn't move his hand but I didn't mind it. I looked across at Calum, taking in his soft features. He turned his head and looked back at me. "What? Do I have ketchup on my face? Does it look like I'm a vampire who just killed an entire village of peasants?" We start laughing again, he shoved a few fries in his mouth to muffle his own laughter.

"No, no," I assured him. "I just thought things would be really awkward with us but it isn't." He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and put one between his lips. I pulled out my lighter and passed it to him, knowing he didn't have one. That's how we worked, I had the lighter and he had the cigarettes. He lit the end of his cigarette, breathing it in to try and catch the flame.

He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and exhaled the smoke. "Yeah, I thought it would be too." He looks over to me with a smirk on his face, the burning cigarette held between his slender fingers. "Why, do you wanna go for a round in the public toilets?"

I rolled my eyes playfully, "how romantic."

"If you wanted romantic we could always fùck behind a tree as the birds and butterflies fluttered around us." He joked, putting the cigarette back to his lips.

I moved my hand from underneath his and placed it on his thigh, moving it upwards. "What about this tree?" I stared into his eyes, trying not to crack a smile as his face went pale.