Laconic » a.i

2.5

//cooper//

We went back to the hotel and I flopped down on the bed Ashton and I were going to be sharing while Ella took the other. Not only did Calum have a ghost girlfriend that he didn't even tell me about, but Ella had also been keeping her a secret too. And she somehow managed to get Michael back, which was a task I thought would be impossible. Today was just full of events, wasn't it?

I'd informed the others that Michael was safe via text, but when Jeremy tried to call me, I denied it. Although, I did call Calum just to freak out at him for not telling us about Noel.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think it was a need-to-know thing!" he said defensively. I could hear Jeremy shouting at him to ask me different things in the background but Calum ignored him.

"Your dead girlfriend has been following you around and keeping tabs on us and sees the future," I hissed back. "Kind of a big deal."

"Bridge, if you just come back, we can talk it out. Please." he begged.

"No, I'm sick of fighting with Luke and Jeremy -- especially Luke. It just-" I sighed, running my hand through my hair. I completely forgot I dyed it and had a mini-heart attack, "it hurts too much."

"Then come work things out with him. I know he keeps saying that your friendship is over, but I know he misses you and needs you just like you need him."

"Where is he?" I wondered out of pure curiosity.

"He left," he told me, and I could hear the worry in his voice. "Without Emily."

I figured he went back home like he did that one night where he actually bothered to hang out with me. I could always flash there and see, but I also didn't want to go to Westfield Drive alone anymore. I didn't want to risk running into the hunters and no one knowing what happened to me.

"I'll think about it." I sighed, laying back on the bed.

"I really am sorry about not telling you about Noel," he said. "Is she...okay?"

"She's better than okay," I chuckled. "She's been talking non-stop to Ashton and Michael since she got him back."

"How're you and Mikey, anyway?"

"We're fine. We're basically back to normal already."

"As long as there's no fighting," he deadpanned with a strangled laugh. I knew he just wanted Luke and I to make up, and I did too, but he was being so frustrating and stubborn. I couldn't deal with him right now. "I should go figure out where Luke is, though. He's been even more irritable since you left but he won't say what's up. Please try to call me soon. I really miss you, Bridge."

"I miss you too, Cal, I really do," I hummed. Since Luke stopped paying attention to me, Calum has basically taken his place as my best friend. And he even had a secret girlfriend but he still had time for me. "I promise I'll call you. I just don't want to talk to Jeremy or Luke just yet."

"Jeremy's freaking out about you, though," he laughed. "I'll try to get him to understand."

"You're the best, Calum Hood."

"I know. I'll see you soon hopefully. Stay safe, Bridge."

"You too."

-

It had been a week since we got Michael back and I'd called Calum every day. He made sure Jeremy didn't manage to get the phone because when he did, I'd hang up and I wouldn't talk to him again until the next day. They learned quickly to just let Calum be the messenger.

Noel was incredibly chirpy. She spent most of her time catching up with the boys now that she wasn't Ella's little secret anymore. She told me about how she dated Calum for a while until she was out one night and got into a bad car accident. She always suspected Calum's sister had something to do with it because Mali was always on Calum's back about Ashton. She's always been trying to get Ashton to love her again, and always involved Calum in her plans. Noel theorized Mali planned out the crash since Calum wasn't helping her with Ashton. Noel told us she was the reason Calum learned how to bring people back. He'd found her and brought her back by himself. She stayed by his side secretly ever since. He didn't dare tell anyone because he was afraid his sister would find out and take her away from him.

But this was before he met me.

I also got to introduce Ella and Michael who seemed to get along pretty well. They were both sassy and snappy, so they mostly were just trying to out-sass each other until one of them couldn't come up with a comeback anymore.

So everyone was getting along fine over the week.

"When do we go after Annie?" Michael wondered after we'd gone down the the restaurant in the hotel to pick up Ashton and Ella something to eat -- I wasn't hungry.

"We just got you back and now you want to head back in there?" I questioned.

"Cooper, there are very few people I'd risk my life for and everyone knows she's one of them." he stated as he sat in a chair across from the bed I was sitting on.

"Who are the others?" Ella wondered.

He shrugged, "Irwin, Cooper, Hemmings, Hood-"

"Who?" she asked.

"Right, you don't know them." he nodded.

"Have you heard anything from your mom, Ella?" Ashton asked as he bit into his sandwich.

She shook her head, toying with a french-fry, "I mean, she's called and texted but it's the same shit: where are you? And I'm obviously not going to tell her. Why would I want to go back home when I'm with people just as fucked up as me?"

The room went silent until Michael stomped his foot, "Dammit, El, you just have to go and make everyone feel bad. You actually make me want to like, kill all the rich people and donate their money to charity. I've never even considered that before I met you."

"You know," Ashton began as he studied Michael, "it makes me uncomfortable when you call people by their first names."

"Ella, what's your last name?" Michael asked bluntly.

She shrugged, "Melek."

"Like-"

"No, not like the boyband," Ella snapped as Michael giggled over his little joke. "I spell it with an E and he spells it with an I and your joke is dumb because I've heard it before."

"Alright, Melek, chill out." he told her, rolling his green eyes.

I thought Ella was going to knock his lights out.

The interesting conversation was interrupted when my phone buzzed. I knew it was going to be Calum, and the ID confirmed it. I hit the green square to answer.

"Hey, Cal." I said casually.

"Bridgette," a voice that I knew, but wasn't Calum's, answered. I was about to hang up before Luke started speaking again. "Please don't hang up on me, this is important. Could you meet me back at my- our place? I'd really like to talk to you. Please."