Neighbor Calum

Chapter 7

"Oh, are you leaving?" I walk back into my room from where I'd just gone off to use the bathroom.

"Yeah, I have to uh.." Calum trails off, fixing his beanie.

"Go somewhere?" I finish for him, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He nods and I can't be mad at him. He had things to do. People to see. Those things did not involve me.

And I don't care because I don't care about my stupid neighbor.

"Right. Well my mom's gone already so you can let yourself out?" It's an odd sentence and feels weird falling from my lips especially when I had woken up to a pair of brown eyes, fingers still laced together and a sleepy smile.

"We're.. we're alright, right?" He asks hesitantly from his spot just a few inches away.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?" I shrug.

"You're not mad anymore?"

"I was never mad in the first place," I look away, fiddling with the bottom of my pajama shorts.

"Okay, so then you're still mad?" It's not even a question, more a statement than anything.

"I'm not mad," I repeat.

"Should I stay? Do you want me to stay?" Even though his words send my heart fluttering I roll eyes because although the answer is yes a million times I'm not going to be one of those clingy girls and he's not even mine to cling to.

"No. Go be mister busy bee, we're fine," I look up, sending him a reassuring smile.

"Alright, I'll be back later...I mean back as in..in my room...at home. Not..not here," he rambles, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"Okay, I'll probably be asleep," I don't mean to but I find myself smiling amusingly at the endearing boy in front of me.

"No," he blurts out quickly then more calmly, "Maybe try to stay up?"

"No promises, my sleep schedule has gone to shit because of you," I reply lightheartedly, completely unfazed that he wants me to stay up. Stay up so he can talk to me. No I don't have butterflies going crazy in my stomach right now.

He sighs with a look of a cross between serious and pouty that has me agreeing to stay up as long as he'll take.

-

I hate this. The waiting around like a lost puppy while he goes out to do things I have no idea about with people I have no idea about. I hate that I gave in so quickly as well. Screw Calum. I can say no to him. I can say no and I'm going to say no. Just wait until he gets home. As soon as his light is on I'll open the stupid creaky window and tell him no.

Tell him that I'm not staying up with him. Tell him that I don't want him to come over and lay with me. Tell him if he wants to see me he can be home during the day, I'll happily listen to music and talk to him then.

Stupid Calum.

I'm outside getting ready to bathe Rudy - as part of my punishment for the loud music a week ago - when he sets off in a sprint across the yard, half his fur wet along with a bit of soap.

"Rudy!" I call after him, getting splashed with the water that he'd just jumped out of. And of course why else would he be taking off across the yard?

Calum walks him back over with an amused grin playing at his lips, "Nice look."

"Don't," I groan, subconsciously trying to make myself look more presentable before realizing what I'm doing and quickly drop my arms. "Thought you had stuff to do?" I lead my now dirtier dog back into his little tub of water.