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"Chandler." Calum plants a hand down on my shoulder and turns me around. He's dressed in uniform again.
"Hey."
"Can we talk for a sec?"
"Yeah, sure." He leads me over to the bleachers for us to sit. "What's up? I heard you weren't in history today; does it have something to do with that?"
"Yeah, sort of," he says. "Look, I really want to feel better, so I saw Michelle."
"You saw Michelle...as in spoke words with her on the receiving end and vice versa?"
"Yes. And it's not all cleared up or anything like that, but my chest just feels lighter, you know?"
"Yeah, totally, this is a great thing, Calum."
"But?"
"I just..." I sigh. "This isn't just one of those sudden good days that you'll turn back on later is it?"
"What? No. The day you told me about Mia I'd popped a lil something. I'm au natural now."
"Good. Stay that way." I pick at my sleeve for a second. "So I take it the sleepover heart to heart Friday night went well?"
"Don't call it that," he smiles. "But yeah, it went very well, actually. Who would have thought that all it took this entire time was just some honest and open conversation between friends."
"Yeah, who would have thought," I roll my eyes. "Also, about the kiss; I don't think it's a good idea."
"What's not a good idea? It was just a kiss, Chandler. We've kissed before."
"I mean yeah, but still. I don't think physicality is what you should be focusing on, but instead verbality."
"Chandler, that's not even a real word."
"But you know what I mean. Trust me on this. You need to focus on your platonic relationships. That's what's going to heal you, and you won't even notice it happening."
"How about we focus on ours then? I have practice now but I'm free for tutoring after."
"Well, actually, Harry and I—"
"Chandler, the answer is yes. This is your idea, and for once I actually like it. Just go to Harry's tomorrow."
"Well, all right..." I agree. "You'll come by later then?"
"Actually, could you come over instead? I have to shower and stuff so I'll pick you up on the way home."
"Sure."
...
Calum takes longer in the shower than I ever do, leaving me sprawled out alone over his bed to listen to the running water.
It's 5:30 pm and I still haven't as much as looked at the trig problems I'm supposed to solve before Thursday.
I sigh.
I sigh again.
The door to Calum's room flies open and in he saunters wearing only a towel. I shift my eyes back to the ceiling and sigh again.
He moves over to his dresser. "No looking when I drop the towel, OK?"
"Not even interested in the slightest," I drawl, reminding myself that I could have been having sex with Harry right now.
All right, maybe a little bit interested. I turn my head to the side in time for Calum to slide his underwear over his butt.
Cute butt.
I turn my head back and he gets into a sweat set before making me move over for him to sit on the bed with me. I inch up on the mattress and lean against the headboard hugging one of his pillows to my chest. I pick at it.
"All right, so what's up?"
"I could be having sex with Harry right now."
"Just have sex with me then," he says, and I shoot him an unamused look. "So what? You'll have sex more times."
"We haven't actually..."
"You two haven't had sex yet?" Calum looks baffled, but he quickly changes his expression to a devious smirk. "Is he having," he points out his finger, "anatomical problems?"
"Calum!" I smack him with the pillow and he takes it with a laugh. "Don't say that. And no, it's not anatomical. Anatomically, biologically, whatever, that's all working more than well. It's more of an interruption problem."
"His parents?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Notice I'm in your bed and not his?"
"Oh, right. Well, I swear I'll let you pork tomorrow uninterrupted, for as long as you want."
"Ew, gross, stop." He laughs at the blushing mess that I have turned into. "Anyway, enough about me; how was the talk with Michelle?"
"It tore up a lot of old stuff—feelings and stuff. I guess that's why I wanted to hang today, you know, so I don't lash out in a self destructive way when I'm alone."
"That's good."
"Yeah, and I thought what's better than the fun police herself?"
I gasp. "The fun police? I'll show you fun."
I take the second pillow and start beating him with it until I move on to more ticklish tactics. We both laugh, that is until Calum pulls my hands out from under me and I fall down onto him.
I don't know who kisses the other first. Calum sits up with me on his lap and I suck in a breath when he moves in for another kiss, which I stupidly don't reject. His hands hold my face in place and I feel for the hem of his hoodie before starting to pull it up over his head.
We kiss for a long time, and before we know it the front door slams shut. "Calum!"
Calum pulls away and calls back to answer his mother. "Yeah, I'm home!"
He looks back at me, catching my eyes.
"Do you want dinner?"
He smiles.
"No I'm good; I picked up a snack after practice." I smack his chest at the nifty analogy.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mom, I'm helping Chandler with her homework!"
"Chandler is here?" When we realize that his mother is waking up the stairs Calum rushes to get his hoodie back on and we both scramble to get seated with my homework in front of us on the mattress in time for her to come in the room. "Chandler, sweetie, I didn't know you were coming over."
"Hi, Mrs. Hood."
"Do you want dinner? I'm leaving for the hospital again soon, but I thought I'd put something together if you want some."
"I'm good, thanks. I ate some before I got here."
"All right..." She looks us over. "Don't stay over too long, all right? You both have school in the morning."
"Yes, mom," Calum sighs. She walks out of the room and Calum and I smile at each other. "All right, so trig."
"Ugh, I forgot about that." We lie down beside each other, Calum showing me through the problems one by one until my eyes feel droopy.
"Hey." I snap my eyes fully open and find Calum looking to my side. "Don't fall asleep on me. We have one problem left."
"Uhu," I nod. Me shoots me a smile and when he turns back to the papers in his hands I press a kiss to his cheek before placing my head on his shoulder. "You have a nice butt."
