Lonely Avenue - A 5 Seconds of Summer Fanfic

Chapter 2

The mud squelched underneath my black Converse sneakers as I ran for the bus. It was just about to pull away from the kerb when the driver noticed me and stopped. Drenched, I hurriedly clambered aboard the bus, thankful to be out of the rain. Catching the bus at the last stop meant that I never had a seat. I sighed and grab held of the pole as the bus lurched off to a start.

I watched everyone on the bus and studied the way they interacted. In case you haven't already guessed by now, I'm that socially awkward, weird, nerd girl that no one's ever caught dead with. If you've seen the movie Never Been Kissed, then you could say that I'm like the Josie Geller of my school. Except, I actually have fashion sense. But don't feel sad for me because I don't want your pity. I'm happy it's that way. It means I get to spend time watching people and studying human behaviour. Now I can tell when someone's lying to me, which is a pretty handy skill in my opinion.

I yawned and rubbed my eyes, almost falling over as I did. I didn't get much sleep last night. The screaming went on longer than it usually did. Each night it seemed to get longer and longer. I guess I'd just have to get used to it.

I pushed my home life out of my mind and concentrated on all the students on the bus. The smart people sat towards the front, all studying for an exam. The populars sat at the back. If you weren't popular and you sat there, you may as well of dug your own grave. And in the middle of the bus there was everyone else. The sporty kids, the emos, the wannabes, the musos. Wait. My eyes fell on the musically talented people. Well they fell on one person in particular. It was the black haired boy. Why was he sitting with the musos? He was one of the populars. He should be up the back.

The bus grinded to a halt, interrupting my thoughts. I shook my head, picked up my bag and told myself not to worry about the black haired boy.

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No matter how much I told myself to forget about this boy, I just couldn't. There was something about him; something unusual. He had been at our school for two weeks now and every day he seemed to sit with a different group, whether it be on the bus or during lunch. No one ever did that. You stayed with your group and that was it. And how was it possible for this guy to be accepted into almost every single group? That had never happened before; not even to the populars.

I pondered these thoughts as I was walking home, one surprisingly sunny afternoon. The sun hit my bare arms and the unusually dry grass crunched beneath my Doc Martens. My hair tickled the back of my neck as the ponytail swayed with every step. I began humming Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones when I heard a shout from behind me.

"Hey!"

I didn't bother turning around, I knew that they wouldn't be talking to me. No one ever talks to me.

"Hey!" they shouted again. I stared at the surroundings and saw that no one else was around. Maybe they were talking to me?  

I turned around only to find the black haired boy jogging after me. He stopped, reaching me.

"Hey, what's your problem?" he asked, panting.

"Excuse me?" I said, taken back. He was the one chasing me and I was the one with the problem.

"I don't get you," he explained without explaining anything at all.

"The same goes for you but you don't see me stalking you, chasing you home and yelling after you." I turned my back on him and continued on my way home. Unfortunately he didn't back off like I hoped he would and instead walked beside me.

"Okay, I get your point but just for the record I was not stalking you. I go home this way too. Let me explain myself though," he waited for me to reply but I had no idea what I was supposed to say. He must have sensed this so he kept talking. "Over the past two weeks I've sat with so different groups to try and get your attention but you never seem to notice me."

"I have noticed you," I remarked.

"Then why haven't you spoken to me?"

"That's what I'm doing now isn't it?"

"Yeah but that's not what I mean," he said.

"You asked me why I haven't spoken to you. I'm pretty sure those words have one meaning."

He sighed. "You're so infuriating! What I mean is, you haven't even asked me for my name!"

I was confused. "Was I supposed to ask for your name?"

"That's what normal people do."

"Then why haven't you asked me for mine?" I questioned him.

He stopped, looking defeated. I knew I should've kept walking but for some unknown reason I stopped.

"Can we start over?" he asked timidly.

I shrugged. He offered his hand out awkwardly.

"I'm Calum. Calum Hood."

I smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you Calum. Calum Hood. I'm Hazel. Hazel Francessca."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Hazel. Hazel Francessca," he grinned. We both started walking, our steps in time with one another's.

"Can I ask you a question Calum, Calum Hood?"

"Why yes you may Hazel, Hazel Francessca."

"Why did you move around to different groups?"

"I told you. To get your attention."

"Yes, but why? Why did you want my attention? Why me of all people?" I pressed.

He shrugged. "Because you're cool."

I laughed. He thought I was cool. There was something definitely wrong with him.