skin | c.h

five: i trust you.

The ride with Calum turned out to be much less awkward than Diana had anticipated, the two laughing and singing along to songs they both adored the entire ride to the secret date location. Not knowing where she was going was a bit annoying to Diana, seeing that she hates secrets and surprises no less. Alas, how could she stay mad at her favorite bassist? 

"We're getting close now," Calum mumbled at which Diana merely cocked an eyebrow, the same phrase having been uttered five times in the past ten minutes. She glanced at the GPS then towards the brunette who was squinting as he examined his surroundings. The two were now driving a long a relatively barren road, rough and grassy terrain on either sides of them, the path about as bumpy as a teenager's face. 

"You've brought me out here to kill me haven't you?" She asked at which Calum simply snorted. 

"You bet," he replied before pulling off to the side and snatching his phone off of its attachment on the console. He zoomed out on the map as his eyebrows furrowed, the GPS changing rapidly from "make a U-turn" to "in the next four miles turn right". "Uhh.." Calum trailed off uncertainly Diana struggling to stifle a small giggle.  

"We're lost aren't we?" She smiled watching Calum look over his phone in a frustrated manner. 

"Yeah. Why are you smiling about it?" He asked glancing up at her before he set his phone down. Diana found it cute that Calum was going out of his way for this date for her, putting in so much effort and planning...

"You know, men and their stubbornness to ask for directions," she snickered poking him in the arm but he only rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Who do you want me to ask for directions out here?" He asked gesturing to the endless view of absolute nothingness, the Los Angeles skyline a small speck behind them. 

"Ummm," Diana looked around for an answer to Calum's question as he watched her surprised she was able to keep so lighthearted when he had utterly ruined the date by getting lost. "What about him?" She asked pointing to a small iguana that had begun making its slow hike across the road. "He definitely knows his way around here. I can tell."

"You can tell?" Calum couldn't help but chuckle, smiling for mere seconds before remembering his predicament and returning to his serious manner. "Fuck, I'm sorry I got us lost," he apologized running a hand through his hair before turning towards Diana. 

Diana simply smiled turning towards him as well. "It's still a date," she shrugged. "Doesn't matter where we are." She noticed Calum attempt a smile, but it was obvious his failure to arrive at the destination was getting to him. "Hey. It's okay don't beat yourself up over it," she spoke in a more comforting tone rather than joking, but Calum only shook his head in response. His gaze glued to his jeans as he chewed on his lip anxiously.

"No you don't get-..." He began cutting himself off with a sigh before looking up at Diana with a regretful look in his eyes. "..I just really wanted to make this perfect," He explained and if there was any change in tone Diana hadn't noticed it. 

She looked at him, sad he was so stressed over the situation. Diana was never the best at comforting people, always clamming up awkwardly with shitty words of encouragement. Would that change now that she was in the car with one of her idols? No.

"Well..maybe next time- wait no," she cut herself off cringing at her first choice of words. "uhhh... at least you tried," she nodded internally sighing since her second choice wasn't any better than the first. "Most guys don't try at all with me," she added quietly.

Calum looked up at Diana, his expression hard to read before his gaze turned towards the empty road. He drummed his fingers against the steering wheel anxiously for a few seconds before opening his mouth to say something, closing it quickly changing his mind. Awkward silence filled the car as Calum sat trying to find the right words to say, Diana having run out of any to say.