CODA

Thirty-Three

Jaydan Hall

Calum and you need
to go out today.
There is a festival in
the city center.
Attend, flirt, enjoy,
get photographed.
Thanks.

"Cal!" Carter sighs, calling through the hotel room.

"Ya, babe?" She hears his muffled yell over the shower he has running.

Reluctantly she crawls from under the soft sheets, padding across the carpet to the door and opening it.

"What's up, baby? You wanna join me?" Calum smirks.

"Jaydan and Nate want us to go out today, spend time at a festival and get papped together again." She sighs.

"But we were going to order room service and bum around all day." Calum groans.

"I know. How about we go do their little stunt, try to enjoy for a bit, and get back mid-afternoon to watch movies and enjoy a night in." She sighs.

"I'm sick of them thinking they can run our relationship." He groans, but nods.

"Guess I'll get an outfit together and shower as soon as you're done."

"I'll find some way to make it fun, Car. I promise."

"At least I'll be with you." She smiles half-heartedly, leaving the bathroom again.

Calum can tell Carter is not excited about their mandatory excursion when she comes out from getting ready. Dressed in a simple pair of denim shorts and a t-shirt from the CODA merch line. Hair in a messy bun and her favorite pair of old Van's on her feet.

"Come on, baby, we can manage. It's just a couple hours." He chuckles, pulling her into his chest.

"I was so excited to not get ready for once, to lay around and cuddle with you for a whole day..." She grumbles.

"Me too, baby. But the sooner we go, the sooner we can come back." He tries to reassure her, pressing a small kiss to her forehead.

"Ya. Alright, we're finding something good to eat though. If I have to go out I want a treat."

"We can handle that for sure." Calum laughs, grabbing his phone and wallet off the night stand. Slipping her phone into her back pocket as well since it's laying on the table too.

"Thanks." She smiles, sliding her hand into his.

"Anything for you, Heart."

Taking a taxi across town to the festival is easier than they assumed. Their driver luckily speaks English, and the festival is apparently a huge celebration for the city. The first week of June is always a large festival, at least according to their driver, who talks their ears off the whole way about it.

"Ready to let people take seven million photos of us we don't care to be taken?" Carter sighs, linking her arm around Calum's elbow as they head down the barricaded street towards the tents they can see ahead.

"As I'll ever be." He nods, making sure she's got a good grip on his arm before entering the mass of people already flocking the booths.

"Oh gosh. What is that smell?" Carter blurts, her nose pulled up in a disgusted wrinkle.

Taking a deep breath through his nose Calum internally groans. The predominant smell wafting through the festival is sausage... "Your least favorite thing in the world." He sighs, "Meat. Lots of meat."

"I'm going to be sick if the whole festival smells like this, Calum. It is thoroughly disgusting." He can tell she's blocked her nose, breathing fully through her mouth.