reach for the clouds ✰ c.h

ix. CUMULONIMBUS

chapter nine — cumulonimbus
heaped rainstorm; dense, towering, vertical
cloud; during a storm, these can be
referred to as thunderheads

「 "family feuds, saying mom's confused,
i'm for sure she doesn't wanna learn." 」
saturday nights by KHALID

"You're sneaky." Calum's voice rang into my ears. "I didn't even realize I still forgot to ask for your number. Again."

"I was hoping it was you calling." I chuckled. "I did it when you were ordering the pizza."

"Clever," he laughed. "I actually never thanked you for paying for that."

"Don't mention it." I said. "I know you would've paid if you didn't lose your wallet."

"About that." He replied. "I ended up leaving it in the dressing room by accident. Thankfully Fran has it, I'm on my way to pick it up now."

"How irresponsible of you."

He laughed. "Says the one who left her drawing behind twice now?"

Now it was my turn to laugh. "Did you not want it?" He asked.

"It's one of my favorites," I admitted. "But I guess I wanted to be cliche and leave my number on the back of it for you."

"A nice surprise," he chuckled.

I've answered every phone call that I've received today in hopes of finally hearing his voice. Even while I was in class.

I doubted he would even see the drawing, let alone the number I scribbled in messy handwriting on the back.

How ironic would it have been if it just became another failed attempt of exchanging phone numbers?

"I was wondering if you wanted to take me up on that offer to hang out again?" Calum asked. "Don't worry, the paparazzi won't be joining us this time."

"Oh, thank God." I joked. "I'd love to. I only have one class left so I'll be free after that."

Clyde, who was walking with me to our next class, looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Great, I'll pick you up from your apartment around 6?" He suggested.

"Sounds good," I said. "But where exactly are we going?"

"That's a surprise, Vio." He chuckled. "See you at 6."

Then he hung up before I could say anything more.

"Who was that?" Clyde wiggled his eyebrows.

"No one, idiot." I rolled my eyes. "Just a friend from work."

I didn't exactly want to tell him about Calum just yet.

I came to a realization yesterday that his girlfriend, Ivy Morgan, happens to know the boys as well. She gets invited to a lot of the same parties that they do because her brother is good friends with the guy that usually hosts them.

She posted an Instagram picture yesterday of her at a party with Ashton, who I wouldn't have recognized if it weren't for yesterday. Now that we've met, I can see that this is the first of many posts I've failed to notice him in. Anyways, they were pretty close in the photo. They were doing the whole 'linked arms while downing a shot' thing.

Clyde's been to a few of the parties himself. He's always trying to get me to go with him because Ivy does this thing where she gets very drunk and disappears. I'm honestly not too keen on attending those things. I went to one once and most of the people there were either piss drunk, sky-high, or trying to get you to be.