4am | c.h.

Chapter four

The rest of my shift continues on as usual and twelve long hours later I'm walking home. It's just past seven o'clock and the sun has already begun to lower in the sky. 

I was supposed to get off at 3pm but one of the other waitresses called in sick so Steve asked me to stay and cover her shift. I'm always up for earning more money so I agreed without hesitation, but as I walk home my feet are screaming at me for the decision. 

The sound of Lauv's song Breathe flows from my earbuds and into my ears as a calm feeling washes over me. I enjoy watching the sun rise and set because in a way it reminds me that in the end, nothing lasts forever. 

It's a scary thought to think that someday I will no longer be here to see such beauty, but at the same time it helps me to make sure that I never take anything for granted. 

By the time I reach my street, the sun has nearly fully set and the street lights have begun to flicker on. It usually doesn't take me very long to get home but my aching feet caused my pace to be much slower than usual. 

As I move further down the street I begin to hear yelling and things being slammed around over my music. It sounds muffled so I know that it must be coming from inside of a house. Immediately I begin to worry that someone's home has been broken into or that a couple is having a very serious fight. 

Either way I stop my music and pulled my phone from my jeans pocket, dialing in 911 and preparing to hit send. My fingers stop just over the button as I realize exactly where everything is coming from. 

It's coming from Calum's and his front door is standing wide open. I stand awestruck on the sidewalk as I gawk at his home, watching figures dart back and forth past the open doorway. 

I can very clearly see that Calum is the person causing the noise, but a female voice is screaming along with him. I can't make out what they're saying but it sounds like the woman is crying.

Who is she? A girlfriend maybe? 

Calum doesn't seem like he's social enough to have a girlfriend though so I scratch that off. 

The next possibility is that she's just a friend, but once again Calum doesn't seem like he socializes enough to make any friends so that's marked off of the list as well.

Before I can continue my speculations the woman comes barreling out of the house with tears streaming down her face and Calum follows after her as she screams,"You can't keep ignoring it forever, Calum! You have to let us help you eventually!" 

Calum's chest heaves as he stares at her with angry eyes,"I don't have to do shit, Mali. Why can't you all just fuck off and leave me the hell alone!" 

The woman who he called Mali stops halfway into her car and turns to look at Calum with a sad gaze, her voice calmer but still shaky as she responds,"We're your family, Cal. We're not going anywhere. We love you."

She slams her car door shut immediately after and speeds off down the street. I turn and watch her tail lights fade until she turns onto the main road and disappears from view. I'm too stunned to move an inch as I replay all of the events in my head. 

My head slowly turns back towards Calum's house and my heart skips a beat when I see his angry gaze set on me, his eyes narrowed into a hateful glare that has me half tempted to turn and run into the safety of my home.

Instead, I do the exact opposite of that and meet his gaze head on. I had no idea what to say or what to do, so I just stand there. Our eyes are locked together in a never ending battle, each of us daring the other person to look away or speak first.