I've got this friend [Calum Hood]

[3]

      "I heard that someone likes you
            It might be nothing but he's right
            in front of you."

Calums question didn't really play through Briella's mind. In fact, she had totally forgotten about it until a certain topic came up during break. But unlike her, Calum was thinking about it throughout all of his classes and was regretting what he had done.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of class and Briella immediately jumped up in joy for she hated the subject. She barely heard what the teacher shouted out to the class as she was already on her way out of there, sprinting past the other students in the halls to meet up with her friends in the cafeteria, pushing the bulky door open.

Once spotting the other three at a table, Briella gave a small wave before making her way over to them. Taking a seat beside Calum, she looked up at the three, they were all staring at her with widened eyes. "Uhm okay... you're all acting weird,"

Briella stared at them in fear, squinting her eyes slightly, not one of them spoke a single word. Something was wrong. "Okay spill."

She heard Luke let out a huge, over dramatic breath as he hung his head low before looking back up to meet Briella's eyes,

"Calum bought the last slice of pizza,"

Briella's mouth hung open as she turned to look at the boy beside her, "you what?!" The pizza sold at the school wasn't the greatest, but it was the best thing there.

"Calum!" she called out as she began hitting his arm.

Calum didn't look one bit guilty, instead he leaned over to wrap an arm around her shoulders, "You're cool Brie, don't hurt me."

"Only if you go buy lunch for me," she held the money out to his face, waiting for him to take. She watched as Calum took a long look at the never ending line before letting out a sigh of defeat and grabbing the money from her hand.

Though the pizza was the best thing, the chicken wrap came next in line.

Briella leaned up slightly to give him a quick peck on the cheek, "Thank you Cal." For a split second he looked taken aback, before he simply nodded and walked off.

She smiled to herself before looking back at her other two friends, who were both giving her knowing looks. Andrea spoke up, "You really shouldn't be doing that to him...."

"What do you mean?" Briella grabbed Calums drink, sipping it as she watched Andrea and Luke. She replied, "You know... that."

"But I don't know, enlighten me?" Briella was curious by now and placed the juice box down, placing her elbow on the table, chin on her palm.

Andrea nudged Luke lightly in the ribs as they both looked at him expectedly. He coughed up his food for a second at the unexpected attention before composing himself and straightening out, "you really can't see it?"

Briella stared at Luke questionably, see what?

"Maybe he'll tell you one day."

She listened carefully to Luke, which then triggered her memory. He wanted to tell me something before class! The conversation seemed to end as Luke and Andrea started having a discussion of their own, leaving Briella to look around the room for Calum, impatient to know what he wanted to ask her.

Her eyes danced everywhere before lighting up once she saw him make his way back towards their table, wrap in hand. She gave out a huge grin to him as he passed it over to her, a confused expression settled upon his features as he stared warily at the over-joyous girl watching him.

"Didn't you wanna say something just now?"

Taking a seat beside her, "oh right," he began, "uhm can we talk about this somewhere else?" He shrugged a shoulder at Luke and Andrea in a subtle manner, signaling the fact he didn't want them there.

Briella nodded at him before rising to her feet, putting her hand out for him to take. He accepted it reluctantly and the both made their way through the cafeteria. Eventually finding a somewhat empty spot next to a random table, Briella dropped his hand and looked up at him, "go on."

Calum let out a shaky breath, his hand reaching up to his neck where it stayed there for a couple of seconds, before finally saying six words Briella would've never expected to come from him.

"I heard that someone likes you,"

With widened eyes, Briella took a step back away from him, "what?!"

Nobody ever seemed to find Briella interesting, to the point where they had an actual crush on her or something– of what was known to her anyway, so this definitely came as a shock to her. Someone liked me?

Briella looked down at her converse clad feet, before finally realising what was happening here. "You're joking right? Oh my god I almost fell for it!" She raised her fingers in a sarcastic manner, "'Someone likes you' ha ha you got me Cal–"

Reaching up for her wrists, Calum interrupted her miniature babble as he stared into her brightened eyes, a serious tone laced in his voice, "I'm really not,"

Struggling to take herself out from his grip, Briella managed to do so and cross her arms over her chest as she raised an eyebrow towards him, not fully believing the words sputtering out of Calums mouth.

"Okay fine. Who is it then?"

"Ah well about that.." Briella gave Calum a dead stare, empty pupils filing the white, "I'm not at liberty to say,"

Briella shook her head at the boy, "well then I won't believe it." She turned away from him, heading back to her table. Feeling a presence beside her, she looked over her shoulder to find Calum following closely behind her. They made eye contact for a moment and he spoke up once more, "It might not be worth mentioning but he's right in front of you."

She stopped walking, looking at everyone around her. This was the cafeteria for goodness sakes! It would be impossible to find someone here. Cocking her head to the side to look at the closest people to her, she found a number of people who did not seem interested in her at all, all minding their own business.

A grumble escaped her chest as she glanced back at Calum, "but I don't see him!"

Slumping her shoulders, she sat back down in her original seat, Calum doing the same. Andrea and Luke still seemed to be in their former conversation, probably not even realizing the disappearance of Brielle and Calum mere moments ago, not that either of them minded anyway.

She felt Calum slowly etch his arm around her shoulders once more, listening to his light chuckle at her blatantly obvious annoyed expression. Briella picked up her wrap as one thought clouded her mind the entire time. Who was it?

---

[07-11-18]