noted → calum hood | #Wattys2015

fifteen

Calum asking Melanie on a date may have inflated her ego just a little bit. Melanie wasn't anyone special, but Calum? Oh, gosh, he was another story. He wasn't known around the school by any means, but he most certainly wasn't a "nobody". After all, he was best friends with Michael Clifford and Ashton Irwin (perhaps the worst and best players on the football team).

Melanie didn't see what any of them wanted to do with her. They became her friends easily, but she couldn't wrap her head around the idea that Calum actually wanted to go on a date with her. Was it a joke? Michael did write on the note, so there's a chance that he made a joke out of it.

To be honest, Melanie didn't even know how she felt toward Calum. They were friends that hardly talked, and she firmly believed that one of the keys to a lasting relationship was communication. If they could hardly speak to each other as friends, how in the world did Calum expect to talk to her on a date?

Over analyzing things had always been one of Melanie's worst habits. A habit of such was currently having her on the edge to declining Calum's offer.

She could ask Luke, but he had enough on his plate with trying to ask out Aries. Michael was the one who allegedly pressured Calum into asking so he was off the list too.

Aries? No. Calum? Absolutely not.

It seemed that Ashton was her most plausible choice. Melanie was iffy on it though. Ashton had helped Luke with Aries the past week with asking out Aries, so it would make sense if he wanted a break from being the group's love-advisor.

But as far as she knew, Ashton loved romance, and helping others. He was her best option, to be frank.

"It's really not that hard of a decision to make." They were sat on the bleachers of the football field. Ashton was still clad in his uniform after practice and they had both managed to avoid Michael's presence in the ordeal.

"I don't know. I mean, I've never been in a real relationship before- not to say that Calum and I will start dating, but what if? I don't want to screw up the friendship he and I have going."

Ashton inhaled the crisp late-winter air. "I feel you," he leaned back onto the bench behind him, but regretted it as it began to hurt his back. "But don't lead him on. That wouldn't be fair to either of you."

"I guess."

Melanie stared out across the empty field, as if she would find her answer there. "Do you like Calum?" Ashton inquired.

Melanie didn't break her gaze. "Yeah."

"Go for it," Ashton found himself staring too. "What's the worst that happens? You and him go on a date, realize it's not for you, and go back to being friends?"

The field is lit by a fixture of large lights. It's sometime around six in the evening and though practice ended not too long ago, the yard now seems barren. The two of them knew that the team and their coach were in the cafeteria eating, but Ashton would much rather be sitting outside in the late evening weather with Melanie.

"I was thinking more along the lines of dating for a year and him dumping me on graduation." Ashton chuckles, and so does Melanie.

"It's just high school, Mel; live a little, date your best friend, fail a class, I don't care. As long as you're happy, that's what's most important."

A figure appears from the other side of the field, where the entrance to the school is, and a face emerges the closer it gets to the two of them. "Irwin!" It's Michael, no neither of their surprise. "Why aren't you inside with everyone else?" He makes his way up the bleacher steps, but stops about halfway to where Melanie is.