1983 c.h. (au)

2: bathroom stalls

Charlie had finally started to relax when she saw that Calum hadn't lead her to her death. She took a deep breath and played with the bracelet on her wrist as Calum spoke to a person in a booth. They were at the drive-in theater. "What do you want Charlie? Popcorn or candy?"

"Oh I'm fine. Just get what you want." She didn't want to seem rude. She was curious as to figure out more about Calum. He had an accent and something about him was so exotic. Probably the fact that the car is clean and didn't smell like taco bell had Mardi Gras two weeks ago.

"Charlie," Calum sighed. "I'm being polite and asking to buy you popcorn. It's as cheap as the blunts girls sell in bathroom stalls. Let me buy you something." Charlie furrowed her eyebrows in disgust. Blunts in bathroom stalls.

"Okay, but I can-" Calum shushed her by putting a finger to her lips.

"No I'm paying for it. I'm trying to be friendly because I really think you're a cool girl and would be nice to have around. Let me do this." He pulled out a leather bound wallet and took out a crisp 10 dollar bill before handing it to the guy in the booth. "I get the family and friends discount anyway." Calum shrugged and handed her a large tub of buttery popcorn gently. The aroma filled her nose and she wanted to devour it all.

"Thank You Calum." She nodded and placed the bucket on her lap. Calum steered and concentrated hard on finding a good parking spot. It was only 5 minutes into the previews and the drive in played old vintage movies like Rocky and Footloose.

"No.Thank you for letting do that for you. I was starting to think that my method in impressing girls was failing. Either that or it was the fact that I was looking for the wrong type of girls. But now I've found her." Calum looked at Charlie and her cheeks heated and turned red. "Anyway, have you seen The Breakfast Club?" Charlie nodded and smiled starting to come out of her shell.

"It's like my favourite movie. Have you?" You could imagine the surprise on her face because she seemed to be the only teenager living that had actually seen The Breakfast Club.

"Yes and no. I fell asleep during some of it. I mean, this place is so cheap so I come here almost everyday. Plus sometimes I see my friends here." He shrugged and didn't bother watching what was playing on the filmy screen. Neither of them seemed the least bit interested in anything but themselves. They could always come another time on another night. But Charlie wasn't sure if she would see Calum again even if he is very familiar to her. She wanted this to last as long as possible.

She didn't really get out the house much anymore because of her god damned depression. Phoenix, her best guy friend, was trying to snap her out of that gloomy state she was stuck in. At least one good thing came out of arguing with Phoenix and that was meeting Calum.

"Who are your friends?" Charlie had to bite back smile of success. She was getting to know Calum Hood. Charlie wasn't ever the type to start dating immediately no matter what. Charlie is the kind of girl that would hang back in the sidelines and get to know people. Even without the depression she would always watch and observe rather than be a part of the mix.

"Michael Clifford. He's like super crazy and dyes his hair even though we told him its gonna fall out. Luke Hemmings. He has like a lip ring. Ashton Irwin. He's just a unicorn. We're just dorks but we don't care. What about you." Calum shrugged and spoke coolly like it was nothing to him. Just reintroducing his friends for probably the zillionth time to the zillionth girl.

"Um Phoenix Mcallister. He bleached his hair and buys blunts from the girls in bathroom stalls. And London Greene. She spends all her time at the mall and I became a recluse in either my house or the library." Charlie answered his question and gave a small smile. "What high school do you go to Calum?"

"I go to the same high school as you Charlie." He smiled proudly probably waiting for someone who actually did go to the same high school as him to say that. "We have Social Studies together. You sit in the back near the window." Calum recalled immediately. You see, Calum had noticed Charlie sometimes. He knew her face but not her name up until now. Happiness erupted in him because he finally had a label to the face that he thought was absolutely beautiful.

Charlie could cross off stalker on her list of things Calum Hood could be. She did sit in the back near the window. And Calum? She had to really think about this one. Where did he sit? "You're right. You sit up a row and over a desk." She nodded, remembering. "With Ash. Right?"

"Yeah. You and Ashton know each other?" Calum furrowed his eyebrows silently demanding an explanation.

"Yeah. I should have added him to my list of friends. Ash and I work at the same place and we have the same bus stop. Sometimes I see him in lunch." Charlie shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal. "I probably should have added him to my list of friends."

"Probably." Calum tapped his chin as if deep in thought. "Hey Charlie? Could I have your number?" Charlie couldn't believe her ears. Why would Calum Hood have the least bit of interest in her? She had assumed that they were making small talk because it would be awkward and no one likes awkwardness. But she was still confused as to why she was sitting in Calum Hood's car and how they ended up talking.

"Why?"

"Why not?" Calum laughed and started to unlock his phone. "Sometimes you need to stop questioning everything and just go with the flow." Calum shrugged again.

Charlie carefully pulled her iPhone out of her pocket and handed it to Calum watching him type his number in without any flaws. He must have a lot of contacts. "Okay now you." She took his phone in her small hands and repeated his actions. She typed out Charlie with two winky tongue emojis next to her name. "Thanks Char."

"Anytime Cal." They acted as if nothing major happened even though they were feeling giddy and were full of glee. Like they bought blunts from the girls in the bathroom stalls.