Meet You There | Calum Hood

41

"Hi." Holland forced out.

"Hi." Calum said, even the simple word coming out pained.

"We um, we need to talk." She said, her words barely above a whisper as they felt like sandpaper against her throat.

"I've been trying to talk for like twenty four hours, Holls. What gives?"

A sob escaped her and she mentally cursed herself, she had sworn she would be strong. She knew what she had to do, she just didn't know if she had it in her to actually go through with it.

"I had practice last night." She whimpered, the quiet pain resounding.

"Yeah, I know. I thought you had fallen asleep after last night's and that you would call or text me when you got out of practice this morning but you didn't. I've been really worried , Holland."

"Cal, you gotta listen. You gotta let me talk or I'm not going to be able to do this."

"Do what? Holland, what are you talking about?"

"Cal, please..." Her voice broke and he pursed his lips.

"Okay, I'll shut up."

"I got asked to stay after with Coach. I thought he wanted to rehash my practice plan or like talk about my diet or something, I don't know. But.." He could hear her quiet cries and he swallowed the lump in his throat dreading whatever it was her coach had had to say to her.

"Calum, we're on the front page of a tabloid. 'Olympic hopeful and 5SOS bassist get cozy at his LA home.'"

"Fuck. I'm sorry, Holls." He said, annoyed that he hadn't known about the article. He knew they had been at risk of being seen together and since he had confirmed he was in a new relationship in an interview a few weeks ago he shouldn't have been surprised that they had been followed.

"You don't get it, Cal." She said, sniffling through the line. "My coach is pissed. He thinks us being together is why I've been so unfocused he thinks the article could completely crush any chances I have at the Olympic team and he—"

She stopped and a broken cry sounded that nearly broke Calum's heart.

"He what, Holls."

"He told me if I didn't show him I was committed to the team and to my training that he would pull my captain rank and bench me."

"What the fuck?" Calum saw red. "What does he want you to do, Holls? You're the most committed person I know."

"Cal, he's not playing around. He—" she couldn't get the words out of her mouth. It was too horrible. Her whole body was resisting, fighting tooth and nail against her, trying to prevent her from uttering the words aloud.

"Come on baby, just tell me." Calum murmured softly.

"He's told me to choose, you or the team."

A long silence passed between them. Calum could hear the blood rushing behind his ears as he tried to process her words. His mouth fell open and he tried to find something he could force out to change her mind about what what she'd just told him but he could think of nothing so he simply pressed his lips shut again.

"He can't make you do that." Calum finally said, his words harsh and the feeling of hurt palpable.

"I don't know what to do, Cal." She cried and his heart seized in his chest. "He holds the key to my dreams, I'm so close. I can't just give up now. I've wanted this for my entire life. I can't just walk away from it."

"But you can walk away from me? From us? Don't you feel what I do?" He asked harshly, disbelief in his voice. "Please don't do this, Holls." He pleaded.

"Cal, I don't have a choice." She told him. "I have to do this. I'm sorry. I love you, so much, but I have to do this. For me."

"Can't we talk about this? Maybe we could figure something out!"

"There's nothing to talk about, Calum. I can't risk my spot on the team, it's everything I've worked for my whole life. I never wanted to hurt you. I hope you know I've meant everything I've said. I love you, so much, but I can't do this. I'm so sorry."

He went to counter her argument but when he went to speak he was only met with silence as she ended the call.

Frantic, he hit her name on his recent calls list, his heart clenching at the sound of the single ring before he was diverted to her voicemail.

His trembling hands typed out a text, begging her to call him back, to let him fix this. His text sat, undelivered and unread.

She'd blocked his number.

He was getting desperate. They had to talk this out. They couldn't just be over.

He tried a new tactic, Lexi answering on the first ring.

"Cal? What'd she say?"

"Make her talk to me, Lex."

"What happened? What's wrong?" She asked, concern raised from his rushes words.

"She's breaking up with me." He said, his body feeling disassociated with his mouth as the words tasted vile spewing from his lips.

"What?"

"She said your coach basically gave her an ultimatum, me or the team."

"Oh."

"Oh? Lexi, she can't do this. I love her."

"Calum, I'm really sorry. If she's made this decision though, as her friend, I have to respect it."

"Lexi, please, just ask her to talk to me."

"I'm sorry, Calum. I can't do that."

Calum let out a frustrated groan before taking a breath, his eyes closed as he tried to come up with a plan.

"Okay." He said finally. "Okay, just do one thing for me, yeah?"

"Yeah?"

"Please take care of her. Make sure she eats and does what she's supposed to. If we're ending so she can reach her dreams I need her to make the team. I can't have lost her for nothing."

"I can do that."

"And—just keep me updated. Okay? I just need to know she's okay."

"I'll try. I'm sorry Cal. I know she loves you too."

"Yeah, she just loves gymnastics more."

The phone call ended and Calum stared around at the empty bus back lounge.

He felt empty. He felt completely deflated. For months he'd been on cloud nine, lost in the bliss of having someone he could envision a life with. Something he had been without his whole life. Now that was all just thrown away and he wasn't sure he could process it.

People who loved each other weren't supposed to break up. He fought back the tears that were daring to spill from his eyes, resolved that this was just a detour, not the end for them. It couldn't be.

He couldn't handle the idea of things between he and Holland actually being over.

An: oh boy

What do you think about Coach Waller's ultimatum?

Did Holland choose correctly?

Is there anything Cal can do?

What happens next?

Let me know!

Ily,
Sav 🖤