noted → calum hood | #Wattys2015

twenty

Melanie don't write notes to Calum for the rest of the week. Or the one after that.

Or the one after that.

Or, you guessed it, the one after that.

The notes under her spot in art had begun to clutter, so Calum started placing them under her project, on top, in her bag, whatever he could possibly do.

Not speaking to each other was wearing Calum down a bit, but Melanie seemed content. "You can't be mad at him forever."

Melanie doesn't bother looking at Ashton. "I never said I was mad," she continues outlining the notes from her AP textbook. "I'm perfectly fine, actually. Sure it sucks not talking to him or getting notes everyday, but this is what my life was like before I met him."

Ashton doesn't seem impressed. "Ever since you two stopped talking you've been different."

"Not really. I just have more time to focus on school now. I'm graduating next year, Ash. I can't wait until last minute to get all of the credits I need."

Their lunch table has lost two members since the sudden split. Calum moved to Mackenzie's table (which was expected) and Michael moved with him. He always came back for the last five minutes of lunch, and every day it was a new tale of what Michael had to endure with the new group. On the worse days, he would leave the table midway through lunch, and the new couple never questioned it. He had other friends, after all.

"You two need to make up or something," the red-hued-hair makes Michael stand out like a sore thumb. Sitting on the table, and grabs Melanie's hand. "I'm begging you, Mel. If I hear one more story about how much Mackenzie likes Calum I'm going to throw up."

She jerks her hand away, once again not looking at the boy talking to her, and continues her homework. "Chill."

"Really, Melanie. I'm so sick of you two being in this fight. He missed your date, so what? It was an accident!"

Melanie puts down her pen and glares at the eccentric boy. "First of all, we aren't in a fight. We've moved on from that. Secondly, did he tell you why he missed the date?"

Michael nods. "He was working on a project with Mackenzie."

"He made it up, stupid. He needed an excuse to see her," Ashton's eyes widen, and he glances to Calum across the cafeteria. "I don't mind though, she seems like a nice girl and all. I just don't get why he felt the need to lie about it."

Michael groans, "He probably didn't mean to upset you."

Turning back to her homework, Melanie shakes her head. "This doesn't concern you."

There is silence from the group of friends, until Luke speaks up. "He's got a point, Mel," Luke's sat at the corner of the table, on the side opposite of Ashton and Melanie. Aries is at his side, head once on his shoulder, but moved because he began to speak. "This is ridiculous. And if I'm going to be real with you, and please don't get offended, but Calum may have not even wanted to ask you out."

This time, Melanie shuts her book. "What are you on about, Hemmo?"

"Well, for start, Michael pressured him into asking you out- he said so in that note. He may not have wanted to, but did just so Michael would leave him be."

"Plus," Aries mentions, "I wasn't joking when I told you he and Mackenzie liked each other a bit."

Melanie sits quietly, staring at the middle of the grey table. Ashton's hand rubs circles on her back, but he doesn't try to talk to her. "I," she chokes on her words as her mouth suddenly goes dry. "I think I should get to class."

Michel cocks his head to the side. "You still have fifteen minutes."

Melanie shakes her head. "There's nothing wrong with being early."

Once she's left the commotion of students, she finds her feet moving faster down the hall. She's headed to the wrong class, she soon realizes. Before she can retreat into the bathroom, a hand touches her arm. "You okay? You ran out of there pretty fast; I could hardly keep up."

Melanie avoids eye contact with the curly-haired boy in front of her. "Shut up, you're the best football player on the team; you can run just fine."

"You didn't answer my question, Mells." Ashton's concerned eyes study Melanie's face. He's never noticed the small freckle above her left eyebrow before, or the slight bags under her eyes from not sleeping well.

"I'm fine, Ash. Go back to lunch."

His voice is soft, "Can you look at me? Please?" Melanie obliges, and stares at him. "Thank you."

Ashton can see how flushed the smaller of the pair's face is. She has a bit of makeup building up in the corner of her eyes, and the crease of her eyelids capture the excess eyeshadow she has on.

Her hair is falling out slightly of her braid, and her lips are chapped. Melanie's not wearing more makeup than usual, but up close it looks like a mask, to Ashton. He realizes that he has never seen Melanie without the disguise, but even now she just looks so...

real.

She looks like a girl who has spent too many nights worrying over a boy, and as if she's cried her fair share of tears in the past month. But she's all-cried-out. Somehow with no more tears left to spill, her reddening eyes appear to be dams holding back rivers.

"We should get back to them-"

"No, Ashton. I don't wanna go back there."

He sighs. "Then what do you want?"

Melanie shrugs and slides down to the floor. "I don't know. Friends who won't try to make my choices for me, a guy who won't screw with my emotions, a better grade in my AP class, maybe a Hot Pocket?"

Melanie watches as Ashton sits next to her. "I can help with the Hot Pocket, but I'm afraid the rest isn't exactly up to me."

Melanie gives a small smile. "The friend thing doesn't apply to you, so thanks for that."

Ashton shrugs. "No problem," the noise of students gets louder and Ashton looks to Melanie. "I think lunch is over. Want me to walk you to class?"

She shakes her head. "No, I've got it. Thanks though."

Ashton walks against the traffic of the halls toward his class, while Melanie takes a few steps and heads into the bathroom.

She fixes her hair quickly, and tries to wipe off any makeup that's gone astray. Without a second thought, she pulls out her phone.

To: cal-pal
1:17 PM
"I think we need to break things off. Everything, just 100%."