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"Look who actually showed up to a game," Calum exclaims with joy as he skips up to me once the game is over and I have stepped off the bleachers.
"You know I've seen you play before, right?"
"Yeah like twice, and that was only because Michelle forced you to go."
"You did good," I grin at him. "That was a nice goal."
"Oh yeah I expect loads of praises tonight," he drawls jokingly. "Preferably in the form of shots."
"I can make that happen."
"I'm counting on it."
"But you'll have to go take a shower and change first. You smell awful and you look like a wet puppy."
"I'll take that last part as a compliment," he quips. "You got my keys so just go sit in the car and I'll be out to get you home to then sneak you out again."
"All right," I nod. "I'll see you when you're clean then."
Calum walks off to join the rest of his teammates in the locker room and I make my way to the parking lot. I walk around the parked cars until I find Calum's and when I press the key to unlock it I'm startled by a voice. "Chandler."
"Harry," I smile. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the locker room?"
"I gotta get home. I have a party to throw, you know?" The smirk on his lips holds an unnerving amount of charm. "I didn't know you drive."
"I don't," I shake my head. "It's Calum's car."
"Oh." He clicks his tongue. "So you're like a thing now?"
"No," I object quickly. "He and Michelle just broke up."
"Right," he says and that unbothered smile takes over his face again. "You're still coming tonight, right?"
"Uhu."
"Great. I'll be keeping an eye out for you." Harry walks away and I hop into Calum's car with a giddy grin on my face. I know it's only a stereotype that boys don't take long to get ready but for once I wish it would be a fact with no exceptions because I sit in the car for just over half an hour scrolling through my phone before he knocks on my window and I snap my head up.
I press the key again to unlock the car and he walks around to throw his duffle in the backseat and then take his seat in front of the wheel. "What the hell did you do in there, get an entire spa treatment?"
"It was only half an hour."
"Exactly. That's the time I take in the morning and it includes putting in makeup and eating breakfast."
"That's not true," he objects as he starts the engine to roll out of the lot. "You don't even wear makeup, Chandler."
"I do too."
"I don't think so."
"Well I think that I would know better since it's my face we're talking about. You seriously haven't noticed I wear makeup every day?"
"It cant be a lot, because I see your face ever day."
"Mascara, brow stuff, lipgloss, eyeliner," I ramble. "That's about it—except sometimes I wear eyeshadow, like now."
"Huh."
"We really don't know each other very well," I laugh. "Tell me something I don't know about you."
"I don't know what to tell you."
"Anything. What's your favorite color?"
"Don't have one."
"You're so bad at this."
"All right tell me something in your life that I don't know."
"I think my parents might get a divorce." A heavy silence settles over us. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I said that."
"It's all right," he shrugs. "I already know."
"What?"
"Yeah, Michelle told me." I don't know how to feel about these news, but I know I don't feel any good feelings. "I'm not gonna go around telling people though. It stays with me."
"Thanks."
"Now get out of the car," he ushers me when the car stops outside my house. "I have to go around the block."
"I guess I'll see you in a few minutes then." When I walk through the door my mother peeks her head out from behind the wall separating the foyer from the living room. "Hi, mom."
"How was the game?"
"It was good. We won."
"That's great, honey. Your father and I are watching some documentary on ocean life if you want to join us."
"I'm pretty tired. I think I'll just go to bed, but I'll see you tomorrow."
"All right. Good night."
"Night." I bound up the stairs two steps at a time and I close the door to my bedroom after entering. I move over to fluff my bed up to create the illusion of a body under the duvet and then I hurry over to my closet. I replace my sweater with a top that I cut into a crop a while back. Vintage denim and sneakers are always appropriate attire for house parties so I keep the rest of the outfit as it is.
I push my window open and climb outside. When I move towards the tree once I've closed it I am pulled back by the unevenly cut hem of my shirt being stuck in the window. "Really?"
I pull at my shirt instead of reopening the window out of laziness, and I realize my mistake when I yank to hard and I stumble back. I roll down the roof and land with a heavy thud on the grass. I groan, the air knocked out of me but in fear of my parents walking out to check on the noise I push myself up and half-jog over to Calum's car where I can see him sitting with pursed lips and a hand covering part of his mouth. He obviously watched my mishap play out and is trying not to laugh at my expense.
I get in the car and lean back in the seat with a huff and he grins my way. "Don't even mention it."
