Negative Space (Calum Hood A.U.)

Chapter 38 - First Day Back

June's POV

For the past week, I've been tiptoeing around Calum, literally and figuratively. It's been hard but I have to act like nothing's wrong.

Calum hasn't picked up on it yet, I guess, or at least I think he just doesn't care.

Today, he's going back to uni and although he's been here for the past week, he hasn't really talked to anybody or even went out, he just lounged around the apartment.

I woke up earlier than Calum as usual, especially since my classes are in the early morning and he has his class at noon.

Calum then waltzed in the kitchen, still in the clothes he slept in. "Do you not like coffee?" He suddenly spoke.

"Oh uh," He must be referring to the empty coffee maker by the counter. "No, not really a fan of coffees."

"Well that sucks." He started making coffee for himself. Why is he so up this early, though?

I walked to the bathroom to put a little makeup on me but ended up going completely goth with how thick my eyeliner was, but it still looked good, at least.

When I walked out, I felt Calum's eyes following me and I got a little conscious so I stopped to look at him, "What?"

"Do you know my schedule? I can't seem to find a schedule in my room, and I don't have a phone, so." Oh. That's why he's up early.

I opened up my phone and clicked on the photo with his schedule in it. Walking over to him, I showed him my phone screen.

"Oh, my class doesn't start until noon." Yes, now please let me go to my class. I'm kind of failing in that class and you won't be there to tutor me.

"Yeah. Most days, your classes start late, and you have soccer practices MWF at six pm, talk to Jackson. You also have internship at Hawkins studios every Tuesdays and Thursdays, just talk to Sydney about that." I briefly told him as I'm already really late.

I tried to leave but his hand gripped my arm. "Cal, I'm already late. Can you please ask Ashton about this instead?"

"I already did, but he doesn't know, just the classes I'm with him but you know everything. Can you just guide me for today then?" I can't believe Calum Hood is asking me for help.

I groaned, knowing I'm already late to the class anyway, I guess I'll skip it so I can run Calum with everything. "Fine, but you owe me one."

"I already owe you a lot of dates, I guess another one won't hurt." He smiled at me as he went back looking at my phone. Dates? When did he owe me dates? We haven't been on a date since Christmas.

I blushed at that but tried to keep myself on poise. "Sydney? Sydney Hawkins?!"

"Yeah. Sydney Hawkins. I'm sure you remember her."

"Of course, she's the clingy one." The what now?

I instantly turned my head to look at him. When he first introduced me to Sydney, he was like 'oh she's nice, oh she's great, but now she's clingy??

"What? She has this little crush on me and whenever we see each other, she gets clingy. We were really close but when she hit puberty, God, it's like her head was hit, too." Are all of these really coming out of Calum's mouth?!

17-year old Calum is a completely different person and I'm not sure what to feel.

"When did you last see Sydney? At least remember seeing her?"

"About three years ago, I think?" When he was 16? "Oh wait uh when I was like 14." Oh he's in a 17-year old's brain, I forgot.

Yeah well now he hasn't seen how gorgeous Sydney has become when puberty hit her like a truck. I must've been by the sidewalk when that happened.