english - c.hood 01 | au

twelve

c a l u m

seeing her in pain made my heart ache.

one girl, whom i shouldn't feel any attachment towards whatsoever, is making me heart ache and break all because she's emotionally in pain. i don't know why i went for that drive the next day after i had last seen noelle. i just went to clear my head. as the rain poured and the radio lightly played nirvana in the background, i drove to wherever these damned roads were to take me. but then i saw her; sitting in the rain, knees curled into her chest. was she trying to get herself sick?

i got out and talked her into getting into my car, and she tried to explain everything as best as she could, quite bleakly too. but who was i to judge a girl mourning the loss of her little brother? a little boy that had a bright future ahead of him. gone, in the blink of and eye. i wasn't one to judge, i couldn't. not her, most definitely not her.

she directed me back to her house, where she lived beforehand. there sat one of my other students, luke hemmings, sitting on her front porch with a hoodie pulled over his head as he watched us pull in.

"mr hemmings." i nodded as i got out of my car. "i'd get your friend here some dry clothes if i were you."

"yes sir." he nods as he walks noelle inside. "come in, sir, you're more than welcome."

i knew this wasn't his house, but the thought of luke alone with noelle made my stomach flip, so i went inside anyway.

"leanne!" luke called. "uh, our english professor is at the door?"

"oh, we have company!" a woman resembling noelle appeared. "hi dear! i'm leanne, noelle's mother. please, come in! make yourself at home!"

considering her son just died, she seemed to be just fine.

"ellie i'll buy you out of the fucking bet with the group if you please just go shower and relax!" luke whined from the floor above.

"i'm glad you found noelle while you did." leanne said, setting a cup of tea in front of me. "noelle isn't the most stable person, she doesn't handle loss very well. the past three years have been complete hell with all of the pain she's faced, but that's not my place to discuss, mr..?"

"hood." i smiled. "but please, call me calum."

"so, noelle and luke are your students, yes?" she asks, changing the subject.

"yes ma'am." i nod. "your daughter is one of my best students, she's a pleasure to teach."

"i'm very glad." leanne smiles.

"what about me, hood, i can't be that bad?" luke laughs as he waltzes into the kitchen. "mum's coming in a bit."

"thank you sweetheart." leanne smiles as luke pecks her cheek.

"yes hemmings, you're a good student." i nod. "you keep that other friend of yours somewhat in check, we have no issues."

"nora." both leanne and luke sighed in unison.

"god forbid she keeps that mouth of hers in check." luke shakes his head.

"i believe noelle has more of a mouth on her than miss delevingne." i chuckled. "luke, you seem surprised."

"no, i'm just surprised that it amuses you." he smirks. "i better get my money's worth out of this."

"what?"

"oh, nothing." he mumbled as he laughs to himself.

"i think ice cream for dinner would suffice, what do you think blondie?" noelle entered the kitchen, freshly washed and clothed. "m-mr hood, i-i didn't realize you were still here."

"no need to apologize, miss carter." i smiled at the girl. "thank you for the tea leanne, but i best be going. i have some marking i need to get done."

"i'll walk you out!" noelle spoke up all too quickly.

"later professor!" luke salutes as he goes into the freezer. "so leanne, i was thinking cookie dough and oreo."

noelle laughs as i follow her back to the front door. "um, thank you for before. you didn't have to—"

"noelle." i hushed the girl. "it's alright, just keep your promise for me once you return back to campus."

"the first person i see, got it." she smiles. "thank you, sir."

"just calum for you, love." i say, brushing my thumb across her cheek.

looking down into her large brown eyes, i saw the hurting girl that needed all of the love that she could get, and my heart swelled knowing that i could give her just that. my eyes flickered between her eyes and her lips as my thumb ran across her cheek a few times more.

"goodnight, miss carter."

then i went home, regretting that i didn't claim what was mine.