Insanely Beautiful ⤖ C.H.

{8} Counting Stars

I was sitting at my desk trying to kill time by drawing. I couldn't get Calum's song out of my head so I quietly sung it out loud while I tapped my pen on the table "Cause if you wanna take me home you know I'm ready to leave..." I slowly stopped singing and turned around when I heard a knock against my door frame.

Calum was leaning against it smiley widely back at me.

"Where did ya hear that tasty tune from?" He chuckled and walked over to sit down of my bed.

I bit my lip and shook my head looking down trying to hide the pure embarrassment radiating off of my cheeks.

"Erm... sorry I was just passing your room and I heard you singing... and now I kind of have your song stuck in my head," I looked back over at him. He was now fully laying across my bed throwing a pillow in the air and catching it again. He stopped throwing the pillow but still continued staring at the wall then he spoke back.

"You gotta admit those are some tasty tunes." He gleamed back over at me and wiggled his eyebrows.

I giggled.

"Totally," and said back in a sarcastic jokingly tone rolling my eyes in the process.

The silence crept back in for a moment. Calum broke it a second later.

"So...what have u been up to? I came back to your room this morning thinking you would still have been asleep but you weren't here," He started tossing the pillow back into the air.

"I took a shower then went with Grace to the common room...She introduced me to her friends, but they seemed too caught up in their own conversations. So, I just decided to come back to my room," I got up from the chair and rumbled through my desk to find some tape. I found a roll and set it back down on the surface. Then, I ripped out the finish piece of art from my sketchbook.

"Could you rip me some pieces of tape please?" I handed Calum the roll of tape.  He nodded and grabbed the roll, and used his teeth to tear out the pieces. I thanked him and went to lean over the bed to tape the drawing on the wall. I didn't want to awkwardly reach over him.

"Um...do you mind putting this up on the wall?"

"Sure...where would u like it?" He held the paper and looked back up for a response.

I pointed to the spot and he followed by plastering the new decor to the deteriorating walls. I smiled because it added a little bit more of my personality to this dark empty place.

The drawing looked similar but other drawings, but this one was different. Even in all black it seemed to be so colorful. It was of a rooftop the sky covered in stars. This reminded me of home.

I always would sit on my roof back at home and overlook the city. The stars lighting up the night. The night so dark, but yet seemed so colorful to me.

I loved how quiet it was. I loved the feeling of being capable to do anything with out having a care. I loved the soothing comforting silence.

I found myself staring at the wall getting lost in my thoughts. Calum spoke and it brought me back.

"Hey I have an idea...um you stay here Ill be right back," He spoke quickly and jittery then got off the bed and now he was standing in front of me. He patted my arm then escaped the room.

"Alrighty then..."

I waited for what seemed like hours. I was now hanging off my bed staring at the wall. The sun already fell asleep and it was now night time. I don't have a clock anywhere so I can't tell the time, but I'm guessing it's around 11 PM.

Calum walked back into my room with two bottles of chocolate milk in hand and a bag of chips. The Cafeteria was closed, but I'm assuming he must have found a way to sneak in.

"Come on," Calum pointed his head to the side quickly gesturing to go down the hall. I jumped off the bed and followed him.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he walked down the hall infront of me.

"You'll see" He nodded to the left and I continued following him.

We were walking to somewhere i've never been before. He opened a wooden door and we entered an open room with a staircase spiraling to the second floor. A giant chandelier hung from the ceiling. There was a door at the front of the room but it was boarded up. This room looked empty and deserted. I took a moment to observe before Calum started ascending the stairs.

"Come on," He motioned and I continued to follow him up the stairs. He turned down a hall and stoped infront of another door. He opened it and I walked inside. There was another stair case. This one looked like the ones you had in hospitals or hotels. A staircase confined to a small room that could take you to all the levels of the building.

Calum turned to me.

"Do you trust me?"

Déjá vu.

I thought a moment before responding to his unexpected comment.

"Um...yeah"

"Ok close your eyes"

I followed his instructions and closed my eyes. I felt his hand grab mine. He started leading me up the stairway.

We ascended the stairs a moment before Calum stopped again. I heard another door creak open then I felt wind sweep across my face.

I wondered where we were, but he never said open my eyes so I kept them shut. He walked forward a few steps then stopped.

"Ok you can open your eyes"

I opened my eyes and looked around it was beautiful. We were on a rooftop the stars lighting up the sky. I could see the city in the distance looking like a cluster of light. I'm in my happy place.

"Wow... it's beautiful up here," I breathlessly spoke out being star struck by the scenery.

"Yeah... I used to come here a lot to empty my mind and escape for a while."

Calum walked over and sat down on the edge of the rooftop and I sat down beside him. It was cold so I scooted closer to him and rested my head in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arm around me.

We sat there for hours just watching the city and counting the stars.