Best friends // Calum Hood

Car journey adventures.

Elizabeth's P.O.V.

Michael and I exited the hotel and wandered through the car park, catching up on time we'd missed. I pulled open Mikey's car door and slumped inside breathing in the faint smell of burritos that weirdly followed him around wherever he went.

"Sooo, Elizabeth. Sharing a room with him in a hotel? You and Derek broke up, are you guys finally -"

"No Mikey. We're just good friends. You know that, besides Derek and I literally just split up, please leave it." I snapped, perhaps a little too quickly.

Michael raised his eyebrows in a taken aback way. "Alright." He breathed. I stared ahead, moodily until I could feel his glance land heavily on me. "Hey, I'm sorry okay? I know you guys don't really have those kind of feelings. I'm just teasing."

"Thank you. Okay, so what have I missed? I haven't seen you in months!" I asked trying to brush off the previous conversation as if it never happened, that way Mikey wouldn't be suspicious.

As Mikey began his exciting stories and funny tales of tour life, that underlying sadness crept slowly back into me. It was still burning in my mind. 'Nothing more, just friends.' The reality of this still hurt as much as ever. And now I had nobody - I couldn't go back to Derek, not now Calum knew. Besides, he made me miserable. We didn't love each other. We barely liked each other. You don't treat someone that way unless you fully despise  them.

The mention of Calum's name brought me back to the conversation.
"Calum missed you a hell of a lot as always, it was always Elizabeth this Elizabeth that." He smiled at me. "You must be one great 'best friend'."
He air quoted the 'best friend' part and I blushed but looked down towards my lap so that he wouldn't be able to tell.

"I missed him too." I mumbled just loud enough for him to hear.

"Boo!" Calum shouted making us jump as we turned around to see Calum's nose squished upwards against my window.

"Calum, hurry up!" I said laughing with Michael at his stupidity. He placed his belongings in the car boot and sat in the back.

"No fair! how come Elizabeth gets to sit in the front while I'm all by myself in the back?"

"Grow up, Cal." I replied rolling my eyes.

"No way it's not fair!" suddenly he reached forward, bringing his long, muscular arms round my chair and tickling my waist.

"Calum! Okay, okay! I'll come in the back with you, oh my god just stop!" I was so ticklish and he found it hilarious everytime.

"Thank you." He sang, proud of his accomplishment.

Once I'd climbed into the back next to him Mikey gave me eye contact in the mirror and waggled his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes, pretending to be frustrated with him.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Calum questioned as I clicked in my seatbelt.

"Oh you know, just tour, and Um-"

"You!" Michael interrupted.

"Me?" Calum raised an eyebrow at Michael in the mirror. "What exactly did you guys talk about?" He suddenly became tense and unsettled.

He stopped himself quickly, forcing himself to relax.

"We were actually just talking about how much Elizabeth missed you." Michael retorted raising both of his eyebrows in a warning way.

I turned and looked out the window watching everything go by outside. I was confused. This happens a lot with the boys they just talk about something private and I have no idea what's happening.