Shy // Calum Hood

*•Back to school•*

Bailey's P.O.V.
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School was back today which meant parents back too. Despite my initial thoughts of the holidays being awful without some sense of family, I was proven to be wrong. Especially now that I was dreading their return as I waddled away to school.
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Me and Calum had enjoyed the most wonderful Christmas ever, then spent the rest of the days completing various adventures that were featured on Calum's 'before I die' list. It turns out we had many of the same wishes, we we're both especially passionate about traveling.
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Over the two weeks I had managed to let myself fall deeper and deeper into this trap that I couldn't seem to escape from. I really liked Calum, and I wasn't sure how to deal with it.
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I was still quite far away from the school building when I heard the bell scream out for the dreaded first day to begin, so I decided to miss first lesson and wander around instead. When I eventually did arrive, it was nice to walk around the halls without having names yelled at me, which was a lovely change.
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I was thinking about inviting Calum to join me, however I was nervous how he reacted to the letter I had given to him. I was afraid he was going to laugh, even though deep down, I knew he wouldn't. I had basically told him that he had made me happy again and all that cliché nonsense, it may of been silly but I felt as though he should know that I was thankful for his existence in my life.
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Eventually, deciding against sending Calum an invite, I left to my locker to put away some books. My fingers mindlessly typed in the code before I pried the strong door open. Once the heavy blue stained metal finally swung open, a note dropped at my feet.
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Hesitantly I bent down to pick it up, but shoved it into my bag, convinced all it could be was one of Klara's 'jokes'.
I did want to read the letter, just not where I could get caught crying. I hated crying in front of people, it was so humiliating.
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Instead I pretty much ran to mine and Calum's tree before sliding down against the old trunk and opening the scrunched up paper.
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'Dear Bailey,
I see you around school, and I just wanted you to know, you're beautiful.'
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I re-read the letter at least six times before thinking about it, and then reading it again. There was no way this was meant for me. Everyone's mean to me here?
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Maybe there's another Bailey?
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That must be it, there's no way in hell that this is for me. I sighed rolling back further and closing my eyes. I loved how it was warm enough to do this in January, back home I'd be in about ten coats right now. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all...
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Calum's P.O.V.
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I nervously chewed my lower lip when the third bell rang, signalling that it was indeed break. I had spent every day since Christmas trying to work out a plan on how to tell Bailey that I liked her, and finally I had thought of one.
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I was going to leave her notes in her locker every day until I felt ready to tell her, then I was going to ask her to come and meet me, and then when she found out it was me she hopefully won't be too disappointed.
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I hesitantly walked over to our tree to see her already sat there, fiddling around with a strand of picked grass. When I reached Bailey, I sat down next to her and almost instantly she turned to me face me quizzically.
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I immediately panicked and concluded that she must of sussed out that the note was from me already. My palms grew hot and sticky, whilst my cheeks set on fire with embarrassment.
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"Calum?"
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". . . Yeah?" I couldn't look her in the eye, I was too worried about how she felt.
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"You're a boy."
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"Well done." I scoffed, calming down at where the subject was going.
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"Shut up, I mean you're a boy so you can help me with this." She passed over my note, it was all crumpled up and must of been in her pocket or something.
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I pretended to read my own writing before looking up at her and smiling.
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"Looks like someone has a crush." I poked her sides playfully.
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"Yeah on Bailey, not me."
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Baffled, I stared at her like she was stupid.
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"But you're Bailey?" I said blankly, extremely confused.
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"Yeah but I can't be the only Bailey."
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"Um . . . I'm pretty sure you are." I raised a bushy eyebrow.
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"Calum, the only person I talk to here is you, there's no way this for me." She told me.
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I sighed, unsure of what to tell her.
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"Well if you get anymore in your locker, you know these notes are for you." I advised her shrugging.
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"That's actually a good idea!" She teased lightly.
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"Well you know I am full of advice on this situation, I am a boy after all."
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I grinned as she giggled and nudged me for mocking her. I nudged her back, and she responded with a firm shove, this continued for a while until I shoved her with such force that she fell over causing her to throw a handful of grass at me, laughing like crazy.
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Our laughter died down as we lay down in the grass side by side.
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"Thanks again by the way, for Christmas I mean . . . That was really kind of you."
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My breath quickened when her palm grazed briefly across mine as she shuffled her position. My tongue wetted my lips whilst I pushed away my desperation to reach out and hold it.
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"It was nothing really . . . thanks for the letter, I loved it." I admitted sincerely.
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I'm not sure how many times I had re-read that letter, but man, I could recite it backwards with ease. I had spent night after night writing her one in return, one which admitted my true feelings in, one which I was going to give her when she found out the notes were from me.
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My room was currently drowning in screwed up drafts, my bin to small to fit them all. I needed to dispose of then somehow since she would probably be coming round soon, or worse one of the boys would find it and I'd never live it down.
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Myself and Bailey had met up with them a few times during the holidays, they had really grown to like her a lot. I'm thankful however that she misses all their hints and jokes about my little 'crush' because otherwise I wouldn't be too sure how to handle it.
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"Sorry, I know it was really cheesy . . . I ju-"
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"No I loved it!" I stopped her mid sentence, sitting up as I did so.
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Her cheeks burned crimson before her eyes met mine, she watched me for a moment before she too sat up.
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I stared at her lips as she opened them to say something in return, but the bell rudely interrupted. I rolled my eyes in annoyance before heaving my weight up and holding out a hand to help Bailey up to join me.