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Friday night ends up with me in the hospital. I broke my wrist. Not fun.
My Saturday starts off with pain killers and a lot of sleeping, with a cast that gets in the way for everything. I'm not sure if I just imagine my parents telling me that Calum came by and me telling them I don't want to see anyone or if it actually happened.
Sunday is occupied by a lot of crying. Though I feel more clear in the head—I got myself a mild concussion as well, by the way.
I roll over in bed to grab my phone on the beside table. I sit up so look through what I've missed for the past day and a half. It's a lot.
27 missed calls from Calum alone. 13 from Michelle, and 11 from Ashton.
I move over to text messages. It doesn't look any better. The group chat is straight up chaos, and the individual conversations overspill as well.
I send Ashton the text I never got around to sending on Friday.
I made it home
His name takes up my screen seconds later.
"Chandler? Are you OK? I heard you fell or something—god, I should have just walked you home."
"Ashton, I'm fine," I croak out, feeling weird to be talking. "It's not your fault."
"What happened? No one can get a hold of you and your parents won't let anyone see you. They won't explain anything."
"I fell going up the tree."
"But you're fine, right?"
"I got a mild concussion and a broken wrist."
"Shit, Chandler...What was going on that night?"
I draw in a shaky breath and pick at my comforter. "My parents are getting a divorce, that's why I was so upset. They'd just told me so I snuck out because Calum wouldn't answer my calls."
"Fuck, really?"
"Yeah...that amongst some other things that piled onto it."
"Things like what?"
"I'm not really in the mood to talk about it," I tell him. "Look, could I ask you for a favor?"
"Yeah, sure, anything."
"Can you drive me to and from school on Wednesday? I'll be home until then."
"Yeah, no problem. Can I just ask...why are you not asking Calum?"
"I'm not really in the mood to speak to him right now."
"Hey, Chandler?"
"Yeah?"
"I know you're OK and all, but are you, like, OK?"
I fail to hold back the sob I feel bubbling up at his question. "No. Everything is falling apart, Ashton."
...
Wednesday comes around faster than what I wish for it to. Ashton gets me to school with no further prying into the happenings of Friday night, and I'm glad that he leaves it alone.
I get questioning looks as I walk around school with the cast on. I meet Michelle in first period.
"Chandler, oh my god." She hunches down at my desk. "What happened? I tried calling you all weekend, and your parents wouldn't let me see you. I was so worried."
"Sure," I say lazily with a nod. "I'm fine, so no need to worry."
"Ashton said you broke your wrist."
"I did."
"Why are you being so cold? I'm in the middle of caring right now."
"I'm not...Look, I'm just tired that's all. I really just want to get through classes today and go home."
Truthfully I'm not sure if I'm mad at her or not. I mean sure, she's totally reckless and dismissive of what she's done by sleeping with the guy I've worked so hard to put together for the past couple months, but I have also denied the hell out of every accusation she's ever thrown at me about liking Calum.
"Fine."
At this point I'm glad the guys are a grade above us, because I don't have to deal with them in any of my classes.
However the parking lot as I'm on my way to Ashton's car is open for anything. Like Calum, jogging to catch up with me.
"Chandler, wait up." He stops before me. "What happened?"
"I called you," I say. "I called you because I needed you. I come running to you when you need me no matter where I am or who I'm with. I need you one time and you can't pick up your fucking phone."
"I'm sorry, I don't..."
"Harry dumped me because of you, Calum." I let out a humorless chuckle. "And you can't pick up your goddamn phone because you're too busy screwing the one person I've been helping you to get over."
"I didn't know Harry broke things off, and I never asked you to put me over him."
"You asked me to come over and I did, because you were falling apart and for some reason I was the only one who cared enough to make you feel better. So how can you kiss me and tell me I'm the one that you want and then go sleep with her?" I hit at his chest with my uninjured hand. "After everything I did for you!"
People have started to look our way, but I'm blinded by rage and tears.
"Chandler, calm down," he says, grasping my wrist to stop me from hitting him. "How did you find out about Michelle and I?"
"H-how did I—how did I find out? That's what you're concerned about? I went to that stupid party looking for you because that night my life was falling apart, and I needed you. I watched you go to her room, and I watched you decline my calls."
"Chandler, can you please calm down," he pleads, taking my face in his hands, his thumbs wiping under my eyes. I shake him off.
"No! You fucked up, Calum," I cry. "You and Michelle deserve each other, you really do."
"I was drunk, and you had just told me that same day that we wouldn't work out."
"In that moment! Because you weren't over Michelle, and you can guess for yourself if this set you back or not."
"Can you just tell me what the hell happened?"
"My parents told me they're getting divorced, and I only wanted to talk to one person. Someone who I thought was grateful for everything I've done for him. My friend who wouldn't tear down the entire friendship we built over the past months all for a quick dip in an old pool."
"It didn't mean anything."
"Of course it meant something," I sniffle, wiping at my eyes. "It's Michelle. You could have slept with any girl at that party, Calum, but you chose Michelle."
"Chandler..."
"You ready to go home?" Ashton walks up and catches onto the heavy atmosphere around us.
"Yeah, I'm ready," I say. Calum stops me.
"Chandler, what happened to your arm?"
"Why do you care? Don't you have an ex-girlfriend to screw and friends to screw over?"
"Why are you so mad at me?"
"Calum, just let her be—"
"Because you broke my heart." Calum looks down at me but he doesn't say anything. He probably doesn't know what to say. "I take back what I said that time, about it being better to have your heart broken than to never have gone through any of it at all, because at least you had the chance to experience love or something like it. This fucking sucks."
