"So." I whispered, looking up from my book. "When's your next band practice?"
Calum smiled, quietly chuckling as his cheeks turned a bright shade of red. "Whenever Luke doesn't have tutoring. But as much as I want you there, I don't think you should come."
"Why not?"
"Ashton's just not comfortable with you around ."
"Well he's dumb and I'm not going to let him stop me from seeing you do what you love."
"Chelsea seriously." He mumbled. "I really want you there but, I don't want problems. Our band is really working out well-"
"We're really working out well." I interrupted making sure to use a stern voice so he would catch my point.
"We are, but I really need-"
"I really need you to understand that I love you Calum, and if you don't love me enough to stand up for me, to be able to be there to support you then maybe it's all just a little pointless."
I looked at Calum as he looked up from his book after hearing my hushed tone. His lip was quivering and his eyes looked heavy, and as sorry as I felt for yelling at him, I hope he knew that he was wrong. I shook my head, standing up as I gathered my books and notebooks together, holding everything between my arms then looking at him one last time before I left the library.
I began walking to Luke's house since I was supposed to be tutoring him in less than fifteen minutes for our final that was coming up in about a month or so. As I thought about it more and more, I pondered on the thought of Luke having genuine feelings for someone. He always seemed like to type of guy to take that "hump and dump" terminology seriously.
"Charity?" I heard a far too familiar voice say behind me. "Why're you at my house so early?"
"Cal and I got in an argument." I mumbled as I turned around. "I had nowhere to go and you're the first person I thought of and since I have to tutor you anyways I just thought it'd be smart of me to-"
"I'm the first person you thought of?" He asked, sitting down on his porch. I shrugged, giving a nod as I smiled and sat down next to him.
"Well yeah. Sort of."
"Sort of?"
"Luke are we friends?" I asked almost immediately after he finished talking,
"Friends?" He asked. "Well yeah."
"Then why'd you do all that stuff to me?"
"That was a few months ago, please don't be hung up on that still. I'm different, you said so yourself, I'm not the same person I was before."
"I know Luke, I know who you are now, and you aren't how you used to be, you're surprisingly sweet and kind, but you have a double life. And I don't like that."
"What do you mean?"
"You say you love me and that you have all the feelings for me, but then you go and be a terrible brat to me at school. Hunting me down and bullying me, not doing these things to nobody else, making out with girls and flirting with half the school, I don't get it Luke." I yelped, nearly in tears. "I just don't know why you would do this to me."
"I'm sorry." He sighed, wrapping his arms around me as I cried into his shoulder.
"No I'm sorry." I muttered. "I'm just upset about my fight with Calum, if you don't mind I'm just going to go home, I'm not up to tutor."
"Go home?"
"Yeah I'm sorry. I'm just not-"
"Is anyone home with you?" He interrupted.
"No." I weeped. "Why?"
"You shouldn't be home alone."
"I'm fine it's just-"
"No you're not. You're upset and you shouldn't be alone. C'mon." He mumbled, standing up and holding out his hand. "You're coming inside and just relaxing. No tutoring or anything."
"Okay." I muttered, letting him help me up. "But only for a little."
"So what was the argument even about?" He asked, his voice echoing loudly in his house. He cocked an eyebrow at me and looked over his shoulder as he awaited my response. "Or is it personal?"
"It's nothing personal I guess. He just told me I shouldn't come to your band practices because of Ashton not being comfortable with me around."
"Cause Ash?" Luke laughed. "If you were my girlfriend I wouldn't give a rat's ass about my friend being comfortable or not, I'd just be glad you were there to support me."
My eyes went wide as I looked up from the cup of tea Luke had poured me as he explained himself.
"You know, that's the thing with guys these days." He began. "They're not appreciative. Nearly breaks my damn heart ya know? Seeing all those girls that are disrespected. I don't get why all those girls go for those type of guys. But they do."
"Maybe we should be looking at the ones who truly love us." I stuttered under my breath.
"Ahh." He winked, sipping some of his own tea. "That would probably be smart."
"Do you love somebody?"
"I do Chelsea."
"Who?"
"You Chelsea."
I froze as I heard my name fall from his lips, not knowing how to respond since, I loved Calum. At least, I think I truly loved him.
"Funny how you're supposed to be my tutor Chels. Looks like it's been turned the other way around."
I watched Luke as he finished his tea, placing the cup in the sink and looking straight into my eyes. His cold blue eyes, shooting into mine, making me feel some type of way I've felt only once by someone else. Calum. As he made his way closer to me, I followed him with my sight, not missing a movement from his body. He smiled, standing in front of me with only the counter top between us as he pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear.
"You're too pretty to cry." He mumbled, running his hand across my jaw from my cheek to underneath my chin. "Don't cry."
And when he said that I felt the tears stop. The water in my eyes remained, but there were no emotions behind them. Because I now felt safe with someone who had proved his love to me. And because of this one action, I loved him with all of my heart.
***
bye bye calum :/
