𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 - 𝑡. ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑

𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒 𝑒𝑡 𝑢𝑛

⁂☽ chapter forty-one ☽⁂

CALLIOPE RANSACKED HER SUITCASE, LOOKING FOR A DECENT OUTFIT TO WEAR FOR TONIGHT. She let out a groan, fishing through all of her clothes before looking at her best friend, who was scrolling through the channel stations on the hotel television screen.

"Help me find an outfit," she pleaded, watching Donna put down the remote. She looked very comfortable, hair wrapped up in a white towel, her body wrapped in a warm bathroom robe, with bright pink fuzzy socks on her feet.

"Callie, just wear anything. Tom won't care," she shrugged, picking at her cuticles, which was always a bad habit of hers. Calliope rolled her eyes before throwing a pair of socks at Donna, hitting her square in the face.

"Donna, I will care what I look like, now help me!" She somewhat threatened. Donna pouted, throwing the socks back at Calliope before getting up from underneath the covers. She opened up her suitcase, grabbing a white sweater, with a pair of jeans, tossing it at her best friend.

Calliope caught the clothes with ease, smiling thankfully at Donna before admiring the jeans.

"Wait, these are my jeans!"

"Oops."

_

TOM'S HANDS FELT SWEATY AS HE GRIPPED HIS PHONE TIGHTLY IN HIS HAND, ROCKING BACK AND FORTH ON HIS HEELS. He was standing outside of DoubleTree Hilton Hotel waiting for Calliope.

Behind him, Harry pressed his body against a street lamp, watching Tom's flustered state in amusement.

"Dude, stop pacing, it's making me uncomfortable," Harry joked, folding his arms across his chest. This was the first time he seen Tom act like this. Normally his brother was always the outgoing and playful one, always making friends and causing laughter.

"I'm not pacing, I'm just getting my steps in," Tom lied, shrugging off the raised eyebrow glance from his younger brother.

Calliope on the other hand was making her way down towards the lobby. She soon felt the jolt of the elevator as she began to descend. Her nails were already bitten down to the quick.

She nibbled at their frayed, form edges like a famished mouse. In the pit of her stomach, she felt nervous. Like those same butterflies that erupted in her stomach when she realized she liked Tom.

The shaft came to a complete stop. The doors slid open, a breeze of cool air hit her face, bringing her back towards reality. She walked out into the lobby, seeing Tom standing outside of the revolving doors.

His back was facing the girl, but she could tell it was him. He was talking to his brother Harry, initiating a laugh from his younger brother. Calliope took a deep breath, walking towards the exit.

"Hey,"

Tom turned around, seeing Calliope standing in front of him, making him smile. He smiled back, whispering a small 'hello'. Firstly, she hugged the younger Holland brother, then moved on towards the oldest Holland sibling, wrapping him in a hug as well. She didn't want to sound weird, but she did, in fact, inhale his scent.

Inching her nose a little nearer to his neck, Calliope breathed in his scent which was nothing not all like her father's, who always had a hint of tobacco smoke lingering about his person. In fact, Tom's scent was so much more exotic; she could recognize the brand of cologne he used – one of her favorites – intermingling with the outlandish aroma of charcoal flames and cinnamon.

The two pulled away, smiling at each other briefly before the trio started walking down the street, towards the local pub.

_