Calum.

56

"What's this condition?" I asked. Bakery moments...

"Promise me you won't go back to him. Promise me. Right now.  Hazel I'm serious."  I've never seen Calum act defensive like this before, so I didn't know how to react.  "Calum... he's my boyfriend, I can't just abandon him like that..." Calum had a look of disappointment and shock mixed together on his face. "You know this isn't right. You know exactly what you're choosing isn't right." Calum sounded furious with me. I didn't want him to be.

"Calum, it was just one-" I don't know why I defended Kyle, but I did.  "Yeah, that's what's they all say..." Calum walked away into the same room Luke exited from.  "Can we go on a walk,  I-I just really need some fresh air right now." 

Luke and I went on a walk with nowhere in mind.  "What's been going on with you lately?  Why were you crying earlier?"  Luke had his hands in his pockets just like earlier.  "You didn't hear about it at your place?"   Luke shook his head no and kicked a pebble on the sidewalk.

"Um...this is...really hard to talk about.  But um...Kyle..." I couldn't find the strength to tell Luke about what had happened shortly after he left.  "You don't have to talk about it...if you don't want to."  Luke stopped to look up at me.  He had a look of sadness or disappointment on his face, it was undetectable. 

"Luke I promise I'm okay, are you okay?" Something was off with Luke.  He's been more concerned recently, something was definitely getting to him.  "Yeah of course I'm okay.  Something just seemed off.  You seemed a little bit apprehensive, or jumpy..."

"Is Calum okay?"  After everything that happened within the past day or so, I figured he had to be covering something up.  At the moment it was hard for me to believe I was asking about Calum.  We made up and all, but I hope it was for real this time.  I kinda missed Calum.

Luke stopped dead in his tracks and turned to me.  "Honestly I don't know.  After his parents left, he seems happier, but I think he's masking something."  His parents left??  

"His parents left?" I never knew this about Calum.  His parents  were literally just here, Calum got in a fight with them and he stayed at my house.  "Luke I know it's way out of line for me to ask this, and I know it's not my business.  I don't want you to answer anything if you don't think you should either but...what's the deal with Calum's parents?" 

I didn't want Luke to feel like he was forced into answering something, especially since it's not his story to tell.   "Calum lived a pretty dysfunctional type of life, compared to other people."  I clearly understood that, especially after everything that happened.  "His father isn't in the picture, and so basically his mum got together with a real piece of shit if you ask me, from there things just got...bad." 

I could tell Luke knew more, but only said just enough.  "Thank you for telling me that, Calum never told me that stuff really."