notifications × hood

six × now

25th October 2014

Boredom is the sensation of lacking interest in what is laid out for oneself, or as the Oxford English Dictionary puts it: feeling weary and impatient because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity. The feeling alone can make a person do a number of things. For example: try illegal drugs, watch YouTube videos, talk to an old friend, or even make a fake Instagram account. The latter, specifically, is what Calum Hood decided to do during his time of boredom.

Sitting alone, inside his dark bedroom at 6pm, watching the blurry lights of Independence in the distance through his large windows - he feels confined in his body: alone, distant, bored. He feels like he isn't doing anything worthwhile, which is strictly speaking: true. He feels as though he is alone in this vast world of people; instead of being someone, he is no one. He's lost. But how can such a perfect boy be lost? When he has a family, money, stability, love, friends, happiness and so much more. How can he be anything close to being lost? Surely because he is lacking nothing, he must be happy and content? But no. Calum Hood is not content, happy, secure. Yes, he has everything on the outside. However, the insides of him are filled with as much happiness as a packet of potato chips: he has something, but it's not as much as he would so wish.

The first light his eyes captured was the light of his cell phone. His brand new Samsung phone lights the dim room with false warmth. Calum sits up from his position on his window seat and picks up his charging phone from the bleak table is lay on previously. Still in a state of self pity and contemplation, Calum sees a notification for his Instagram account as an idea strikes him. The idea, a result of boredom, is by far a stupid one. A stupid idea that comes from both insecurity and boredom. However, the stupidity of the idea does not dawn upon Calum Hood as he quickly logs out of his account from his phone - eager to start a fresh, new (and not to mention) fake account.

Thumbs moving swiftly, head spinning and heart beating slightly faster at the desire of creation: Calum types in fresh information for a new account and new person. Thinking quickly, Calum comes up with the name: Daniel Hayes. He creates the account, adding a profile picture of a boy, shirtless with his thumbs up (from the Google search of: boy shirtless young) and a bio of: daniel / 17 / cali

Content with the profile itself, Calum decides to follow some accounts. Getting the attractive female follows out of the way, for of course plausibility and never for the pleasure of Calum, he decides to venture further into this account and to upload his first picture. Again, he searches for boy shirtless young, and finds a suitable image of a tanned boy with on Ray Bans and a snapback on backwards, shirtless of course. He chooses the image to upload and is given the task of finding a suitable caption.

Calum Hood is a popular man, he has attention and love. He's the captain of the soccer team and the most popular boy in school. He has friends who understand him, friends who don't and many people at his disposal. So, why in the world would Calum put his actual, real life phone number up on a public profile, on a popular social networking site? The reason is unaware to even Calum himself. The simple rush of adrenalin and sweat from his palms was enough for him to go the extra mile and put up his number. No, he doesn't need anymore friends. No, he isn't looking for a girlfriend. No, he isn't looking to fool someone. All he wants to do is something. He wants a break from his constant and blurry life full of expectations and worry and anxiety. He wants to do something where he isn't himself. So, his solution: be someone else.

☯☯☯

Michael Clifford walks down the hallway of his school, eyes fixated on his clunky combat boots with the left shoe's lace undone. Trey Arts isn't all Michael thought it was going to be. Sure, he loved his lessons in school: his guitar was getting on well (he can play barré chords exceptionally now), his singing was getting there (he isn't the most confident of singers) and his acting was truly magical. However, the people aren't. Michael thought that when he left Seagate: all judgmental eyes would close and the stares soften. He thought that he would finally be happy. He thought that he would find friends who understood him. Sadly, Michael was wrong.