Chapter 2
When I got home I did a bit of Biology homework and ate a bag of chips. I was always a little self-conscience of my small, skinny frame. I wanted to put on a bit of weight desperately and didn’t like that my chest didn’t stick out like the other girls’. As soon as I got out of the shower I remembered – Calum. He only lived a few roads away so I walked.
I knocked and Mali (Calum’s sister) opened the door and smiled.
“Hey Lou!” she said, “Calum’s upstairs, he’s sick,” she frowned. I liked Mali, we were oddly close. “Thanks Mali,” I called and was already halfway up the stairs.
The door was open and Calum was sitting on bed reading something for English. He looked vaguely bored. “Cal, hey,” I smiled.
“Hey. I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” I said.
“Budge up,” I said and he scooted over so I could sit next to him. “Are you coming to school tomorrow?” I asked worriedly.
“Yeah,” he answered, “anything interesting happen at school?”
“Not really,” I thought of Luke though, “same old, same old.”
“Hey listen,” he started, “I got a date with this girl I like, can you come?”
“You’re bringing me to your date?” I was confused.
“No, I told her we’d double date because – it’s complicated. You need to bring someone though, it’s on Tuesday,” he said
“You can’t just lie to her like that! And I can’t, I have plans on Tuesday.” Calum did anything to please people, but in a good way. He was too nice.
“It’s next Tuesday,” he looked eager. I sighed.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
We talked for a while. About school, homework, university, us. Then suddenly he asked, “wait, you have plans on Tuesday? Do you have a daattee?” he asked wiggling his eyebrows. I laughed at him.
“No, I’m just helping someone with homework.”
“Who?” Calum asked a lot of question but I was used to it by now.
“New kid – Luke,” I replied blankly.
“What’s he like?” More questions.
“Blonde hair, really tall, Stacy finds him very interesting.” I spaced out a bit thinking of his smile again. His lip ring. His voice, the way he tripped over his own feet. Calum was grinning at me.
“Do you have a thing for him?” he smirked.
“No I really don’t Calum. Besides, Stacy has a thing for him and she’s tough competition,” I paused, “and like I said I don’t like him.”
“Please, you could totally take on Stacy, doesn’t she have a boyfriend?”
“Yeah she does, Ashton Irwin,” I smirked. Calum gave me a look of disgust, we kind of hated him. He didn’t give us a particularly good reason – he was just the biggest jock in our school. And a bit of a dick too. In ninth grade he told everyone Calum was gay, and that’s why he always hung out with That-Girl-Louise. People would still randomly approach Cal in the hall and call him a faggot. Okay, maybe we did have a reason to hate him.
“I don’t see why he’s even dating her…” I said changing the topic from Luke.
“I do. She’s pretty hot. And he’s probably just fucking her, someone told me she had a ridiculous body,” he countered. I looked down for a split second but Calum caught me. He knew I hated my body and tried to make me feel better and smiled. “But sometimes the beauty from within is a lot more important than the beauty on the outside,” he said lowering his voice.
I looked up at him fondly, he really was the best. “Dude. That was deep, I’m impressed,” I laughed.
“I know,” he laughed looking pleased, “I’m deeper than the Pacific Ocean,” and I laughed again.
“Okay, now your turn,” he said.
“What?”
“Say something deep.”
“Ummmmmm…” I stalled.
“Wow Lou, that was actually fantastic,” he was laughing even harder now. “ I thought you were good at writing poems and deep shit,” he said.
“I am. I’m just not good at talking.” Calum didn’t respond. We took in the sound of silence.
After a few minutes I spoke. “How deep was I then?” I smiled.
“Lou. You’re about as deep as the shallow end of a swimming pool.”
And we laughed together for God knows how long.
