Meet You There | Calum Hood

43

"Tell me this isn't crazy." Calum said, turning quickly back in the opposition direction to continue his pacing through the hallway of his home.

Ashton sat on Calum's couch, observing his best friend's nervous behavior and contemplating what, if anything he could do to help.

"It's not crazy, mate. She invited you there."

"Yeah, but that was back when I was her boyfriend. Now everything is just....wrong, and I don't know if I'm even welcome." He sighed, his hand reaching to tug at the short hairs on his head that were now more black than blue.

"I promise she wants you there, Cal. You have to remember, she didn't want to break up with you, she was forced to." Ashton reasoned.

"That's the story anyway." He sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"What if it wasn't her coach at all?" Calum questioned.

"You think she might have made it up? You said she was heartbroken on the phone." Ashton replied, thinking rationally in a way Calum wasn't capable of at the moment.

"I don't know what I think." Calum admitted defeatedly, his head dropping down into his hands as he seated himself next to Ashton.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you have to go. You have to be there. You have to show her that you understand that this was something she had to do for herself and you'll still be there for her once she's reached her dreams. I mean, assuming you aren't planning on moving on." He said, his hands held out palms up gesturing that he was unsure exactly of what his friend planned to do.

"I don't think I could move on if I tried at this point, Ash. I love her. I'm so in love with her. Do you know what that's like for me?" His words were desperate as he looked to his best friend who nodded in affirmation.

"I just, I didn't even believe in love, man." Calum said, his hands held out in exasperation. "I wasn't trying to fall in love with her it just happened and now I don't know what to do. I just know I can't just give up on someone when my entire heart belongs to them."

"So then why are you even asking me if you should go today. Of course you should." Ashton said, his arms folded over his chest and clearly proud of Calum for reaching the decision himself. "Go, or you're gonna miss it."

•

The gym was packed. Calum had known the girls team was popular and considered one of the best at the collegiate level but he was still stunned by the full arena he found upon his arrival.

He scanned the home side, where Holland's family was supposed to be sitting. It took him a moment but his eyes finally settled over her parents and brother.

He wasn't sure what he should do. Was sitting with them still appropriate? He had just resolved to steer clear and take a different seat when Evan met his eyes and stood, waving him over.

"Hey Cal!" Evan greeted him as he made his way up the stairs to join them. He shook his hand and patted him on the back.

Cal offered an awkward hello to Holland's parents, Aaron and Amy before reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck.

"Is um, is it okay that I sit with you guys still?" He asked nervously.

"Of course. I'm sure Holls will be thrilled you could make it." Amy said.

"I don't know about all that. I'm guessing she's told you everything?" He asked them with raised eyebrows.

"She said you guys decided to break things off until after the trials." Her mom said, her face falling as he questioned what they knew.

"That's not exactly how it happened." He said somberly. "You guys know she's been out to visit me and to a few of my shows, yeah?" They nodded. "The press got wind that I had a new girlfriend and someone got a shot of us and plastered it across some tabloids. I don't know how Coach Waller got it so quickly. He confronted her about it literally only hours after it dropped. He gave her some ultimatum that if she wanted to be in a relationship with me then that meant she didn't want to be on the team and wasn't serious about the Olympics. So, she broke up with me and picked gymnastics, and like, I don't blame her, I can't. I know what it's like to be willing to sacrifice everything for your dreams I just hate that she had to choose in the first place." He finished.

"Oh Calum! We had no idea."

"Yeah, so again, I can sit somewhere else if you'd like. I didn't even know if I would come today but I just felt like I had to be here."

"Nonsense. You're sitting with us." Calum smiled politely and took the seat next to Evan.

"For what it's worth," Evan said, turning slightly towards Cal. "Holls was bawling her eyes out when she FaceTimed mom. She wouldn't have broken up with you if she didn't feel like she had to."

"To be honest, I'm not sure if that makes me feel better or worse."

Calum's attention was pulled then, his eye catching on the blonde who was stretching out on the mat. She looked as beautiful as ever, but her eyes were sunken in and the glow was missing from her face. It felt like a knife straight to his heart to see her so obviously upset.

How is this better for her? He wondered. He wished he could understand her coach's reasoning, maybe then he wouldn't be harboring these harsh feelings for him.

The lights dimmed in the arena and the team was introduced. He couldn't stop himself for cheering for her teammates though he reserved his loudest cheers for when her name was called.

With the lights lowered and her music blaring from the speakers, gone was the girl who had appeared disheveled and distressed only moments before. Now Holland looked confident and calm, she looked at home.

The order of events was the same as what could be seen at the Olympics, Evan told him. Which meant that Holland's best event, Vault, would come first.

He held her breath as her turn came and her name was announced. She raced across the floor towards the apparatus, she flipped onto and off of it in the blink of an eye, sticking her landing and acknowledging the crowd before Calum could even really comprehend what he'd just watched.

"She's incredible, right?" Evan asked. Calum could only nod his head. "Don't ever tell her I said that."

"Probably won't even get the chance to." He said with a soft smile.

With the vaults concluded they moved on to uneven bars. Calum knew this was Holland's weakest event and yet, when her turn came, he still sat amazed at the control she had over her body and her ability to appear so graceful and powerful all at the same time. He held his breath through her dismount and then joined the rest of the crowd in a thunderous applause.

Her beam routine was no disappointment, the Arabian mount she had fretted to him a million times about was executed flawlessly before she completed her routine that, in Calum's eyes, appeared perfect.

All that was left was floor. She stepped out to the middle of the mat and Calum could see it, the way her eyes sparkled and her her whole body just appeared content. She was where she was supposed to be and Calum could recognize that feeling because it was the same one he got from being onstage.

Her team lined the side of the mat, cheering and subconsciously mimicking her movements as she ran through her routine.

She ended with her music, her hands raised high above her head in celebration, the crowd joining her on their feet.

Then next moment played out in slow motion. One minute she was fine, radiating joy and pride. The next, her eyes rolled back in her head and she crumpled to the floor unconscious.

An: what do we think?

What happened to Holland?

What does this mean?

Tell me your theories!
Ily
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