Young and beautiful (Calum Hood fanfic)

Chapter 8

Calum's POV

My feet carry me across the room and out the door just as they had the last time. Is this gonna be like a regular thing now?

Luke and Michael follow behind and catch up to me rather quickly. I stop in my tracks as Michael puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Calum, they're both oblivious if you don't tell them this will just keep happening." Michael tried to reason. I can't tell her not yet anyways. Sure I saw the drawing but that's one thing after all she did practically friend-zone me this morning.

None of this is fair. From the moment I saw her I knew I wanted her. Her hair worn the same way, her style of clothing never changing she was who she was but each day she becomes someone new. Ashton's changing her. I see it.

"Look at them Michael! He's changing her. She's becoming the type of girls he's into. You know the type he fools around with for maybe two-three weeks tops." I practically shout.

"Maybe that's was she needs." Luke pipes up. "Amanda's never had a long relationship, she doesn't like them not sure why but she never has."

"Well then I have to change that." I push between them and walk towards the house again. I stop in front of the door, take a deep breath and twist the knob.

She's sitting up now talking to Ashton who's trying to braid her hair. I knew she didn't like it down. "Am I interrupting something?" I question and sit down on the opposite couch.

Ashton gives a stern 'yes' at the same time Amanda smiles and says 'no'. I could care less what Ashton wants though. We may be best friends but I'm not letting him ruin her. Seeming annoyed Ashton begins to talk to Amanda leaving me to return to my bass and pick up where I left off. Luke and Michael enter the room again and decide to order a pizza.

I'm trying to write but Amanda's laughter and Ashton's giggles swarm through my head. He's trying to get closer to her but she's laughing and shaking her head no. He really can't take a hint.

• • •

We sit with pizza in our mouths and controllers in our hands. We've been here for a few hours and I can see Amanda's getting tired. She looks nervous as if some sort of disaster is coming. Ashton's passed out on the couch, he's nuzzled into her shoulder smiling in his sleep. Luke and Michael give me a look and then act as if they're going to pass out. Oh.

Amanda sees that we are the only two awake. "I think I should get going." she says and slides out from under Ashton careful to not wake him.

"I'll walk out with you, I think I'm going to head home as well." I open the door for her and we both step outside. The walk is quite short and within minutes were in front of her house. She doesn't make any movement to head inside however, she just stairs at the driveway. "Amanda, is everything alright?" I ask.

"Ya know Calum, you shouldn't trust people. They'll be there for you one day: tell you they love you, make you feel good. They leave memories in your head so that you can't think about anything without relating it back to them. They destroy you in a hauntingly beautiful way. And once they leave, you realize why storms are named after people." Tears start to fall upon her cheeks and she turns on her heel and reaches for the doorknob. I spin her around and pull her into a hug.

"Amanda, you can cry to me if you want to. You said it yourself, were friends. And as your friend I'm supposed to be here for you." These words pain me. I don't want to be here for her as just her friend I want to be so much more for her. As she opens up to me about her parents I'm pained even more. She has no hope left. She feels lost and broken and confused. She feels the way I do when I see her with Ashton.

I sit on the porch holding her as she sobs for at least a half hour. Her soft cries have turned into faint sniffles and she stands up from the steps and reaches her hand out to me. "Thanks Calum, I really appreciate you listening to me. I don't like to open up like that always. you're a great friend." she hugs me and steps inside. I stay on the porch for a moment before turning and walking away. Is it wrong for me to not only hate her dad for what he did but also because he just made my chances a lot slimmer?

My chance was right there. I could've kissed her, told her how I feel but it would've been so wrong. She's in no position to hear that right now so why does Ashton keep forcing her upon it? He doesn't know. Am I the only one?

I step down from the porch and walk down the street. I walk and walk. After about fifteen minutes I reach my house but I keep walking. I just keep on walking.

Amanda's POV

My back slides against the door. The house is dark and I can tell my mom and Danny are sleeping. My grandmother must be in the guest room, and my father isn't here.

I jog up the stairs and into my room. I pull out my sketch book and close my eyes. For a moment I go to draw Ashton but I stop myself. It's about 1:00a.m and my eyes feel like shutting. My hand keeps moving swiftly across the paper but in all honesty I'm not even looking at what I'm drawing.

I stopped mid-draw and take a look. It's two people holding hands but you only see their backs not their faces. I know for a fact the girl is me and the guy well the guy isn't Ashton I know that much. I take a swift break and grab my phone. I put my music on shuffle and the first song is Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey. Why does this always come on? Talk about being ironic. I continue to sketch but don't look at the paper.

It's about 3:45a.m and I'm not even halfway through all of my music. I take another look at my sketch. There's a great amount of detail and then a lump forms in my throat. I'm not one to brag but I know my art is good I've been practicing my whole life. But this, this looks like a photograph. No white paper peeking through my pencil shading. Every detail is there. It's as if someone took a photo of us except this never happened. If this never happened why do I see it? How come it looks so, so natural? More importantly, why is it that I keep drawing Calum?

I put my pencils down and slide the book under the bed. I pull back the covers and crawl in. I get all cozy and go to shut my eyes but I can't. I can't fall asleep.

I climb out of bed and retrieve my sketchbook. I draw and draw. it's now 5:13a.m and I'm on my third portrait of Calum. Something about his features just look so great on the paper. As I draw his pouty lips, he often has them like that, I stair into the grey eyes I've drawn on the paper.

Maybe Calum is the name of my storm. The one that will ruin me but in the most beautiful way. The one I can't do things like draw without thinking of.

That's when my body shuts down and I fall asleep.

A.N// hello! so I've been writing this for three days surprisingly because its not that good lol. But it's my second day of summer vacation and I haven't done shit. Lots of things are coming so keep reading, voting, commenting all of that fun stuff and if you don't do that then know you make me very sad. lol I hope you guys enjoy this because this was one of my favorite chapters to write. It's funny because I know the story line but not the little details that will lead to it so like a chapter this is one where I'm like finding out with you guys like I just wrote I had no plan. so yeah hope you all enjoy today and stuff byeeeee.

-Doon